The jobs are automatic tasks, like robbing banks or trashing cars - they cost you a certain number of energy or stamina points, but earn you cash and experience points.

The formula runs as follows: you start with a certain amount of cash to buy weapons and items, before accessing a Jobs menu to earn some money (that's Mafia LIVE!'s on the left) So, each game involves making your way up the mafia ranks through a combination of criminal acts, loot accumulation and property speculation. The most striking thing about the four games is how similar their basic gameplay is, although that’s perhaps unsurprising given that all follow a template laid down by Facebook game Mob Wars.

We’ve been playing all four in the past week to work out what makes this genre tick, and to try and establish which of the four is best. The choice is between Addmired’s iMob Online, PlayMesh’s iMafia, Aftershock Innovations’s Mafia LIVE!, and SGN’s Mafia: Respect and Retaliation.

In a matter of weeks, four have appeared on the App Store, all offering similar gameplay and connectivity. The word ‘mob’ is particularly appropriate when it comes to describing mafia-themed iPhone games.

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