Warcraft Rumble

Play it on: Android, iOS
Current goal: Reclaim Blackrock Mountain

For me, the biggest revelation that came out of BlizzCon was Warcraft Rumble, an adorable mobile action-strategy game set within the Warcraft universe. Having initially written it off as a Clash of Clans clone, l can now happily report I’m hooked. (On a related Blizzard mobile gaming note, I’m also back into Hearthstone after a year away but that’s a blurb for another week.)

The minis you collect and brawl with are oh so cute, oozing with that old-school Blizzard charm and audio quality that makes them a joy to collect. When I drop down a Darkspear Troll I am greeted with a supremely satisfying “Taz’dingo!” As my Defias Bandits slip into stealth you hear that unmistakable “swhooosh” effect.

My go-to army has Rend Blackhand, formerly a World of Warcraft baddie (and awful Hearthstone card), as its leader. Their passive effect gives you cost reduction on all flying units when he’s in play. I’ll be angling to restore the Horde’s true Warchief to their rightful perch atop Blackrock this weekend.

If you’re not feeling the fliers, Baron Rivendare’s constantly spawning skeletons is also a great leader choice, providing you lots of push power in those battle lanes.

One quibble I have with Rumble is that the upgrade tiers for leveling up your minis and outfitting them with impactful “talents” feel way too steep, going from 3 to 10 to 25. This serves to make the experience feel very grindy in mid- to late-game scenarios, and is something I hope the developers consider flattening out going forward. But overall Rumble’s been a very pleasant surprise in this absurdly stacked year. Now…where the hell is Warcraft IV? — Eric Schulkin