Summoners War: Sky Arena

Summoners War: Sky Arena is among the longest-running mobile gacha RPGs on the market and has kept a loyal player base since its 2014 release thanks to the depth of its monster collecting and upgrading system, which has barely changed over the years. The core of the game is so-called fusion: weaker monsters are sacrificed to strengthen stronger ones, creating a long-term loop of farming and planning where to invest time and resources, rather than a one-time purchase of the strongest character from the current banner. Controls are purely touch-based and focus on team selection and tactics in turn-based battles against waves of enemies or other players in the arena.

The game from Korean studio Com2uS built an extensive competitive scene around itself – arenas against other players, guild battles, and regular tournaments kept the community active for longer than is usual for mobile titles, and the game even received official esports competitions with real prizes. It's precisely this longevity and steady supply of new monsters and features that made it one of the reference examples of what a mobile RPG built on a regular flow of content, rather than a one-off experience for new players, should look like.

Monetization is classic gacha: monsters are drawn using in-game crystals, which can also be purchased, with a low chance for the rarest types needed for the toughest content. Playing without spending is possible, but requires patience and long-term farming of basic resources.

Why play it: For players looking for a mobile RPG with long-term progression who don't mind devoting dozens of hours of free time to collecting and upgrading monsters.