Mobile games have been around for awhile now (who didn't love Snake?), but the possibilities of the medium only really began to blossom with the advent of smart phones, touch screens, and tablets. With new technology broadening the scope of gaming on the go, the past few years have seen developers make real strides in the field of interactive entertainment.

"The mobile game industry has exploded, and there's been some great recent releases," says Jeremiah Blanchard, Game Development Department Chair. "It’s not as big as the home console industry yet, but I’d be very surprised in the long term if it doesn’t hit that point. People are still exploring the interface and discovering new ways to apply it for gaming.”

Blanchard went on to give us his picks for the top five modern games that best showcase recent trends in the industry, have attracted new players, and paved the way for future innovation in mobile development.

• Angry Birds (2009) - Does it really need explanation? It made a huge splash by being accessible, challenging, and fun.
• Insaniquarium (2004) - Notable as a sandbox game (and for being ADDICTING).
• Puzzle Dragon (2012) – A dungeon and puzzle combo game; wildly successful. One of the highest selling mobile games ever.
• Where's My Water (2011) - A puzzle game from a major company with characters developed explicitly for it; written explicitly and only for mobile platforms. Also notable for drawing children and adults into the mobile puzzle space - and it's fun too.
• Words with Friends (2009) - One of first games to effectively use multiplayer in the casual mobile space.

Other notable games to consider: Bonsai Blast, Cut the Rope, Fruit Ninja