Quordle today answers: Check hints to answer March 16 Quordle

According to the mobile consultancy App Annie, spending on mobile gaming is expected to see strong growth this year and top $100 billion. Popular titles include Candy Crush Saga, Honor of Kings, Pokemon Go and Gardenscapes. Many mobile games are free to download and rely on massive numbers of people spending a little on things like extra lives, virtual outfits, or items that boost in-game abilities. And, paying a dollar or so to upgrade to an ad-free version of a mobile game is seen by some as a bargain.

Mobile players who spend little to nothing are referred to in the industry as "minnows," while those more willing to pay are "dolphins" of "whales" depending on how deep they reach into their wallets. Casual games which rely on short play times such as puzzle and arcade-style games are among the most downloaded mobile titles. A major innovation in recent years has been a "battle pass" system popularized by Fortnite from Epic Games, with players pay for tickets to each "season," according to Chapple. Mobile game makers, like their console-focused peers, manipulate psychological levers that emotionally reward players and keep them engaged in ways that some say can be addictive.

The World Health Organization has classified "gaming disorder" a disease characterized by "impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities" even if it is detrimental to one's life. But, in a stressful world, mobile games can be a relaxing escape while standing in queues, waiting for food orders, or just whiling away time, according to players. Playing mobile games can improve moods; boost brain power, and provide a sense of community, according to proponents. "Allocating a bit of time to playing games can improve your mental health in a lot of amazing ways," Lifehack digital marketer Zuhair Sharif said in a blog. "This has led many to incorporate video games into their regular lives."

A trend toward cloud streaming services will likely boost mobile gaming, as titles once limited to consoles will be able to offer more play on smartphones or tablets since the action is powered by datacenters. Hight-capacity, super-fast 5G telecom networks could enable game makers to bring console quality graphics and action to mobile devices, appealing to more hardcore players.