Look, let’s be real for a second. Most mobile games tied to massive TV shows are absolute garbage. They’re usually just cheap reskins of Match-3 puzzles or idle clickers designed to suck your wallet dry while you wait for the next season to drop. But Pocket Mortys, the primary Rick and Morty game that most people actually care about, is a weird anomaly. It’s basically a cynical, alcohol-fueled fever dream version of Pokémon, and somehow, it actually works.
If you’ve ever scrolled through the app store looking for a fix of Adult Swim’s chaotic energy, you’ve seen it. It’s been out since 2016. That’s ancient history in "phone years." Yet, Big Pixel Studios and Adult Swim Games managed to build something that isn't just a gimmick. They leaned into the multiverse theory—the very backbone of the show—to justify why you’re capturing hundreds of different versions of a teenage boy to make them fight for sport. It’s dark. It’s stupid. It’s surprisingly deep.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Rick and Morty Game
People think this is just a parody. They think you can jump in, laugh at "Mustache Morty" or "Cronenberg Morty," and call it a day. Honestly, if you play it that way, you’re going to get absolutely wrecked in the multiplayer arena.
The game uses a Rock-Paper-Scissors type system. It sounds simple, right? Wrong. Once you get into the high-level crafting and the "Evolution" mechanics, you realize there’s a genuine meta-game here. You aren’t just collecting; you’re optimizing. You have to manage your "Schmeckles"—the in-game currency—to buy Halves and Plutonic Rocks just to keep your team from collapsing during a Council of Ricks fight.
The sheer variety of Mortys is staggering. We aren't talking ten or twenty. There are hundreds. From the common "Blue Shirt Morty" to the rare, legendary tiers that require hours of grinding or some serious luck with the Blips and Chitz coupons. Most players don’t realize that the "Egg Morty" you get early on is actually one of the most powerful units in the game if you have the patience to level it up to 20 so it hatches into The One True Morty. It’s a slow burn.
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The Mechanics of Multiverse Chaos
You start in the Citadel. Rick—our Rick, C-137—has his portal gun stolen by a mysterious Council of Ricks. To get it back, you have to prove you’re the best trainer. It’s a direct riff on the Pokémon Gym Leader structure, but with more burping and existential dread.
The exploration happens in randomized dimensions. Every time you step through a portal, the layout changes. You might find a dimension packed with items, or you might find one where every trainer wants a piece of you. This RNG (random number generation) element keeps it from feeling like a total slog, though the grind is definitely real. You’ll spend a lot of time fighting wild Mortys just to get enough XP to face the next boss.
Crafting is where the complexity spikes. You don’t just buy everything. You have to find recipes. Combining a Battery and a Circuit Board gets you a Sensationalized Component. Combine that with a Cable and you’ve got a Neutralizer. If you don't use a guide, you're basically just guessing like a drunk scientist, which I guess is thematic, but it’s also frustrating if you waste rare materials.
Why Virtual Rick-ality is a Different Beast Entirely
While Pocket Mortys dominates the mobile space, we have to talk about Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality. This is a different Rick and Morty game altogether. Developed by Owlchemy Labs—the geniuses behind Job Simulator—this is a VR experience that actually puts you in Rick’s garage.
It’s short. You can beat it in about two or three hours. But the level of detail is insane. You can interact with almost everything. You can wash clothes. You can eat trash. You can even use the Plumbus, though we still don't really know what it does. The voice acting is top-tier, featuring the original cast (back when Justin Roiland was still the lead), and the writing feels like a lost episode.
The downside? It’s a "room-scale" VR game. If you don’t have the physical space to move around, you’re going to be constantly bumping into your real-life dresser while trying to reach for a glowing green vial. It’s a heavy investment for a short experience, but for die-hard fans, seeing the scale of the garage in 360 degrees is worth the price of the headset.
Looking at the "High on Life" Connection
Okay, technically High on Life isn't a Rick and Morty game. It’s a Squanch Games title. But let’s be honest: it breathes the same air. If you’re looking for the gameplay style of the show—the talking guns, the gross-out humor, the vibrant alien worlds—that’s where you go. It’s the spiritual successor that many fans moved to after they felt they’d seen everything the official mobile games had to offer.
It highlights a weird trend in gaming. Sometimes the "official" license isn't the best version of the experience. Pocket Mortys is a great mobile time-killer, but High on Life captured the energy of the show better than almost anything else on the market.
The Brutal Reality of the Multiplayer Meta
If you decide to venture into the "Mortyland" multiplayer, prepare to be humbled. The community has mapped out every stat. There are "IVs" (Individual Values) just like in competitive Pokémon. If your Morty doesn't have the right speed stat, you’ll be dead before you can even use an item.
The "Buff/Debuff" strategy is the only way to survive. Most casual players just spam the highest-damage move. That works against the AI. It does not work against a human player who just used "Agnostify" to lower your defense to zero and then swiped you with a "Gooey Attack."
Also, the microtransactions are there. They aren't "mandatory," but man, do they tempt you. Seeing someone with a shiny, high-tier Morty they clearly pulled from a paid coupon while you're rocking a "Scruffy Morty" feels bad. It's the standard mobile trap. You can grind for months or pay for a shortcut.
The Future: Where Does the Franchise Go?
With the show being renewed for a massive amount of episodes, more games are inevitable. We’ve seen crossovers in Fortnite, MultiVersus, and even Rocket League. But a dedicated, AAA, open-world Rick and Morty game? That’s the dream. Imagine a No Man’s Sky style game but with the writing of Dan Harmon.
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For now, Pocket Mortys stays relevant because it’s constantly updated. Every time a new episode airs with a weird Morty variant, the devs usually patch it into the game a few days later. That’s why it hasn't died. It’s tethered to the heartbeat of the show.
Actionable Steps for New Players
If you're just starting out or coming back after a long break, don't just wander aimlessly. Follow these steps to actually progress without hitting a wall:
- Don't Evolve Too Fast: If you have two of the same Mortys, you can combine them to evolve. But wait. Sometimes it's better to have two decent attackers than one slightly better one, especially in the early game when your team is thin.
- Master the Crafting Table: Memorize the recipe for the "Meeseeks Box." It’s an instant win in a fight. You need a Circuit Board, a Sensor, and a Battery. Never leave home without one.
- The "Council of Ricks" Priority: Beat the Council members as fast as possible. Defeating them unlocks better items in the shop. If you’re struggling, go back to the starting dimensions and grind for an hour. There’s no shame in it.
- Scout for "Exotic" Mortys: They have a purple glow in the wild. If you see one, drop everything and capture it. Their base stats are almost always superior to the common "Earth" variants.
- Manage Your AP: Moves have limited uses (AP). Always carry "AP Tinctures." There is nothing worse than being mid-boss fight and realizing your Morty can only "Passively Observe" because he ran out of energy.
The world of Rick and Morty games is messy, chaotic, and occasionally frustrating. It’s exactly what it should be. Whether you’re flicking through Mortys on your phone or standing in your living room with a VR headset on, the core appeal remains: it’s a chance to be as smart and as reckless as Rick Sanchez, usually with disastrous consequences.
Stick to the crafting recipes, keep an eye on your type advantages, and for the love of everything, don't accidentally release your One True Morty because you weren't paying attention to the menus. It’s a long way back to the top of the Citadel.