Yes, games can be deep, strategic, expansive experiences with fulfilling stories and complex mechanics, but sometimes you just want to sit back and match gems for a few minutes after work. Casual games are made to be consumed in bite-sized sessions, with simple, addictive gameplay for a bit of fun during a break or on the bus ride home. Here we’ve compiled a list of 10 of our favorite casual mobile games designed for on-the-go gaming at your leisure.

Cytus

When it comes to rhythm and music games, no developer in the mobile space has the pedigree of developer Rayark. Cytus is the game that put the indie outfit on the map, offering a distinct visual experience and deliciously satisfying tapping mechanics to a diverse, eclectic soundtrack of electro, funk, dubstep, and even hard rock from the east and west. Despite how wild the stages and music can get, Cytus is infused with an ever-present melancholy that gives the game an atmosphere and presence like no other rhythm game on the market.

The base game comes with a huge selection of amazing (and free) tracks, and there are plenty of DLC packs available for purchase if you’re looking for something new. Be warned: Cytus is a gateway rhythm game -- once you’re ready to move on from Cytus, you’re likely to lose hours to any of Rayark’s other amazing rhythm and music titles.

LINE Pokopang

What this straightforward swipe-and-match puzzler lacks in innovation it more than makes up for in polish. Everything from its character designs and animations to its simple and elegant interface make Pokopang a puzzle game that’s hassle-free and enjoyable from start to finish. And the best part is that there are no ads to get in the way of the fun!

Note: you will need a registered LINE account to play Pokopang, which could be more hassle than it’s worth if you’re not already a user.

Evo Pop

Evo Pop is like a real-time version of Worms with the fluid mechanics of World of Goo, the size-based combat of thatgamecompany’s flOw, and the visual stylings of the underappreciated PSP game Patapon. You begin with a single evo, a gelatinous, amoeba-like creature that you can toss, grow, split, and smash. Your evo will automatically consume any enemy evo that is smaller than it, and to win, you must either consume all of your opponents’ evos, or keep your evo alive long enough to be the first to multiply to 300 units.

While the base game concept is simple enough to understand, there are several different evo types, each with their own unique abilities and play styles that give Evo Pop an unexpected depth and strategy. Not all evos are created equal -- the PvP suffers due to balancing issues -- but skill matters enough that a solid strategy and clever decision-making can make up for having a weaker evo.

Pokémon Café Mix

Pokémon Café Mix mixes management sim with an unorthodox swipe-based, non-grid matching game. There’s even some light RPG mechanics at play -- fulfilling orders improves your relationships with your patrons, unlocking new stages and powerups. As the owner and proprietor of a cafe of Pokemon, you must take and fulfill orders from Pokemon by rearranging a jumble of blocks around to place similarly-shaped figures next to one another. The gameplay is simple and addictive with a polish and visual flair of a level you’d expect from a game by Nintendo, and the secondary RPG and management elements make it a game you’ll find yourself coming back to again and again.

Coin Master

This top grossing casual game offers a special mix of ultra-simplified base building with luck-based slot machine mechanics to make for the perfect distraction when you’ve got a bit of time to kill. Unlike some strategy game that require a heavy time investment if you want to do well, Coin Master only really demands 10 minutes of your time every day to log in, upgrade your buildings, and maybe attack a neighbor or two. The asynchronous multiplayer PvP also means you don’t have to be constantly checking your phone in case of an attack, making for an exceedingly chill gaming experience that’s easy to justify giving a few minutes a day to.

Chicken Porridge Express

Chicken Porridge Express is a casual cooking game that perfectly translates the intensity and complexity of Cook, Serve, Delicious for mobile platforms. As a street food slinger selling chicken porridge from a cart, you must fulfill orders from your customers by putting together their meals ingredient by ingredient. Things can get hectic very quickly, with different customers asking for different variants of the same meal, and you’ll have to be quick to identify their requests and put together their orders before their patience runs out. It’ll take you a while to nail the technique, but once you’ve mastered the interface and memorized a few recipes, there’s a flow and pleasure to the mechanics in Chicke Porridge Express that few other cooking games can give you.

Mario Kart Tour

Everything you love from the iconic Mario Kart series is here, from the characters to the various weapons and legendary tracks. There’s also a very strong multiplayer system in place that makes competing with other players around the world a ton of fun, and the player pool is massive so queuing for a match only takes a few moments. Nintendo has done an excellent job creating a control scheme that works on mobile, and you can perform most actions with just one finger. Mario Kart Tour proves that when it comes to kart racers, it’s hard to beat the classics.

Plants vs. Zombies Heroes

The zombie-busting franchise is back as a hero-based, tower defense card game, offering a PvP twist to the protect-your-base gameplay the series is known for. Plants vs. Zombies Heroes lets you collect and choose from a variety of Plant and Zombie heroes then wage war on the lawns of other players worldwide. The simple card mechanics mean combat focuses more on careful timing of hero deployments than it does on deck construction or individual card strength, making for a PvP experience that’s far more skill-based than you’d expect. Heroes offers a huge single player campaign, but the heart of the game is in its global PvP, which pits your squad of heroes against those of other players in short, dynamic battles that are over in minutes.

Atomas

This “incremental puzzle game” uses the periodic table of elements to create a one-of-a-kind puzzle experience that’s both fun and immensely challenging. Starting with hydrogen atoms, you must fuse your atoms to create new atoms of a higher atomic number, with your end goal being to create high-value elements like Gold and Silver. It’s easy enough If you’re a fan of games like 2048, you’ll love the uncomplicated interface and casual pace of Atomas.

Good Pizza, Great Pizza

Good Pizza, Great Pizza puts you in charge of your own pizzeria, fulfilling increasingly complex orders as you work to transform your fledgling business into a local favorite. Unlike most other cooking games, the customers in Good Pizza, Great Pizza aren’t always straightforward with their orders, and half the fun is in deciphering their exact request from their often cryptic messages. There’s also a charming story involving a rivalry with the pizzeria across the street as well as a number of scripted events that add some pepper to the daily grind of preparing and cooking pizzas. While you can play the game forever, the main story ends after a few hundred in-game days. Still, even without a global leaderboard or competitive multiplayer, the loop of decrypting and fulfilling orders is one that’s endlessly enjoyable and definitely more than worth the space on your phone’s memory.