These are the best games for your Android phone by Jordan Palmer

Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a game specifically designed to appeal to fans of turn-based role-playing title, with a JRPG influence in all the aspects of the game. Best of all, there are no microtransactions of any kind – buy the game and you’re all set.

Death Road to Canada

Death Road to Canada is a $10 game — I want to open with that just to get the sticker shock out of the way before I talk about how awesome this freaking game is.

Facing a zombie apocalypse, you must lead a scrappy squad of somewhat interesting characters on a deadly mission to the relative safety of Canada. Along the way, you’ll need to explore and loot places for supplies, while also managing your team’s health and morale.

Everything in Death Road to Canada is randomly generated, making every play-through a unique experience in this dynamic road trip action-RPG. You can randomly generate your character and buddy or custom design your starting characters with different attributes to help them stay alive, but you probably don’t want to get too attached unless you’re a really good shot.

The controls admittedly take some getting used to, and there’s a pretty steep learning curve as you learn which weapons are most effective and which times it’s better to fight or run. And you will die, early and often, although that’s part of the fun of a zombie apocalypse, right?

There’s a ridiculous amount of depth in this game, including 10 different game modes to unlock. The price might seem a little steep, but if you’re a fan of rogue-like zombie games, it’s well worth the investment!

Death Road to Canada

Everything in Death Road to Canada is randomly generated, making every play-through a unique experience in this road trip action-RPG.

Evoland 1 & 2

Yes, I know I’m cheating here, but both Evoland titles are such excellent games that I had to include them in one entry. Other than classic RPGs, the Evolands account for some of the most time I’ve put into mobile games. They each take you through the history of gaming, expanding and evolving as you go through them. It’s a unique way to present an action adventure, for sure.

There’s plenty of humor, easter eggs, and general references to the great games of the past that helped define this entertainment medium. You’ll go from 2D monochrome to 3D real-time combat as you progress, unlocking new gaming technologies that change how you play. You’ll be hard-pressed to find something as unique as these.

For $0.99 and $3.99, respectively, Evoland and Evoland 2 should definitely be a part of your library if you: 1. want something to pour a ton of time into, and 2. love video games as an art form and want to play something that appreciates its roots.

Evoland

$1 at Google Play Store

Travel through the history of gaming in Evoland, an action-adventure RPG that is a blast. Unlock new technologies that change how you play.

Evoland 2

Take what you learned with Evoland and have more of it! Evoland 2 follows the same concept as its predecessor: travel through the history of gaming as you embark on a content-rich story.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

I had trouble picking just one classic RPG for this list, since we have several to choose from. Ultimately, I went with Knights of the Old Republic, better known as KOTOR, for this list. For one, Star Wars is a hugely popular franchise and I think this is a game worth playing if you enjoy that universe. Originally created by BioWare in its heyday, KOTOR is a fantastic story.

Going beyond that, I fear I’ll get into spoilers, so I’ll leave it at that. KOTOR is considered one of the best RPGs of all time and I would be hard-pressed to disagree. Ported to Android thanks to the folks at Aspyr, KOTOR has new life on mobile and though it might be a costly price to entry, it’s worth every penny. From the story to the combat, this and its sequel are definitely the best Star Wars games ever made.

There’s gamepad support, achievements, and a revamped UI designed specifically for touchscreens. It’s an excellent port and I haven’t encountered any bugs in the years I’ve been playing this. If you like Star Wars, do yourself a favor and check out KOTOR.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Free w/IAPs at Google Play Store

A classic RPG that is considered one of the best of all time, KOTOR is a great game reimagined for mobile. It’s well worth the asking price to get a fantastic story and excellent gameplay.

The Best Shooters

The best Android games

Like shooting stuff? Then this category is just for you. From first-person immersion to third-person top-down, these games are filled with action and bullets. What else do I need to say?

Call of Duty Mobile

There was a ton of hype surrounding Call of Duty Mobile throughout the beta and ahead of its global launch, and to the credit of Activision and TiMi Studios (a subsidiary of Tencent Games) the game is phenomenal and was rightfully selected as one of the best mobile games released in 2019 — and it just continues to get better in 2020. In the latest update, it’s now offering an outstanding new 20 vs. 20 Battle Royale mode called Warfare.

A huge reason why the game plays so well can be credited to Tencent Games. It owns the mobile shooter space with PUBG Mobile, another game that’s featured on this list, and fans of that game will recognize the familiar user interface and surprising gameplay performance that’s been perfectly optimized for mobile. CoD Mobile makes use of the many iconic multiplayer maps from the Call of Duty franchise and really does a great job translating the fast-paced action that makes the game so fun to play on other platforms.

Call of Duty Mobile features the core team deathmatch modes that Call of Duty is known for along with the Battle Royale mode that was introduced in the main franchise with CoD: Black Ops 4. They could have easily just stuck with the team deathmatch and still had a great game on their hands, but the inclusion of a 100-player battle royale (along with the fan-favorite zombie mode) just adds more value to the total package.

I’ve been playing CoD Mobile since the beta and it has been one of my go-to games whenever I’ve got a couple of minutes to kill. Because the game is so damn popular, it’s super quick to jump into a match, whether you want to play with casuals or go up against more veteran players in a ranked match.

Because it’s a free-to-play game, there are the usual trappings including in-app purchases for buying in-game currency, which can then be spent on battle crates filled with random rewards, and a tiered progression path with premium subscriptions available to net more rewards. Considering the console or PC versions of Call of Duty will set you back at least $60 upfront, along with all the eventual paid DLC and inevitable microtransactions for cosmetic upgrades, the mobile version ends up feels superior in terms of up-front value. You don’t need to bust out your credit card to thoroughly enjoy this game — which is a big reason why Call of Duty Mobile demands the top spot on our list.

Call of Duty Mobile

Call of Duty has won Game of the Year awards for 2019 for good reason. It’s a surprisingly complete version of Call of Duty for phones that’s entirely free to play.

JYDGE

JYDGE is a gritty and violent top-down twin-stick shooter that is an absolute blast to play. You are the JYDGE, a cybernetic enforcement officer who uses his Gavel (see: BIG freaking gun) to dole out RoboCop-style justice.

Each level features different challenges that are required to progress but never feel like a slogging chore. Confiscating illegal cash along the way, you’re able to upgrade JYDGE and his gavel with a deep selection of accessories. In that way, JYDGE retains the rogue-like element from its predecessor Neon Chrome by encouraging you to replay levels with different upgrade combinations until you complete all the challenges.

With a game that has you replay levels over and over again, it’s imperative for a game to find that mix of great gameplay with an interesting soundtrack that isn’t super annoying or repetitive — and JYDGE absolutely delivers.

Check out my full review if you need more convincing.

JYDGE

$6 at Google Play Store

JYDGE is straight-up one of the most badass shooter games you’ll find in the Google Play Store. This is a twin-stick top-down shooter that features a ton of ways to upgrade your weapons as you dole out justice with your Gavel.

PUBG Mobile

It’s incredible how well PUBG Mobile plays on Android. What started out as a massive 100-player battle royale game has continued to grow and evolve into the all-time best action shooter game for mobile. Drop into massive maps loaded with weapons, ammo, tactical gear, and vehicles in classic battle royale modes. You drop in as a solo player or as part of a team and must use all your best skills to take down your opponents until you’re the last man standing.

It’s not unheard of for a popular PC or console release to find its way to Android, but you’ll be surprised at how well PUBG plays on a smartphone. It’s the best game available for Android despite some of the more frustrating aspects of the way the coolest loot is hidden in exploitive loot boxes that are simply should not exist. Nonetheless, the game is free-to-play and accessible for so many gamers.

I like to play with maxed-out graphics, but the game also lets you scale back the graphical detail so you can enjoy smooth gameplay even playing on an older device. If you’ve got a newer device, crank those settings to the max and enjoy one of the best looking mobile games I’ve played in a long while. Got an older phone with limited specs, but still want to get in the game? Check out PUBG Mobile Lite which is specifically designed to take up less space on your phone and run smoothly on phones with less RAM.

PUBG Mobile somehow delivers all the epic moments you’d expect the PC game scaled down perfectly for mobile devices, and they’ve truly embraced the success by continuing to add new EvoGround game modes including a dedicated zombie Battle Royale mode, multiple team deathmatch modes, explosive new vehicular assault RageGear modes, and Payload mode, which introduced helicopters, miniguns, and a rocket launcher. Get your squad together and I’ll see you on the battleground!

PUBG Mobile

Free w/IAPs at Google Play Store

PUBG Mobile is a free-to-play battle royale shooter that pits you against up to 99 other players. With an ever-growing list of maps and game modes to choose from, it’s one of the best games available to play on Android.

Tesla vs Lovecraft

Tesla vs Lovecraft is the latest game from Finnish developers 10tons Ltd and it’s a real treat. The game pits Nikola Tesla and his hi-tech inventions against a vengeful H.P. Lovecraft who has unleashed endless waves of nightmarish monsters that will quickly swarm around you unless you fight back.

This is an incredibly polished game that twin-stick controls for moving and shooting. The campaign gradually increases in difficulty with well over 200 enemies spawning on screen at one time if you aren’t fast with your trigger finger. Fortunately, there are power-ups and perks aplenty which are accessible in rogue-like fashion. You collect XP as you slay monsters and get a new perk every time you level up. Power-ups and weapons randomly spawn on the map and you’ll also want to collect the six pieces required to build Tesla’s mech which can cut down any horde in short order.

The touchscreen controls feel comfortable and the game also offers great support for Bluetooth controllers which is always fantastic to see in a premium game. There’s a ton of content built into the base game, along with some DLC available that offers new monsters, weapons and much more. Don’t be worry, the game feels polished without needing to shell out more money, but once you’ve finally made it through everything that Tesla vs Lovecraft has to offer you might be glad there’s a little bit more to explore.

Tesla vs Lovecraft

The Best Puzzle Games

The best Android games

Perfect for when you want to kill some time, puzzle games are a dime a dozen on the Play Store and some of them are even good. Some make you think or work to get your mind around their core concepts. Puzzle games keep you interested and entertained by forcing you to pay attention, even it’s just something as simple as noticing which color is coming next. It’s not hard to see why they’re so popular with many mobile gamers.

Chameleon Run

Published by the fine folks at Noodlecake Games, Chameleon Run is an auto-runner that tests your reaction time in ways that may hurt your brain a bit.

The name of the game is speed as you jump and dash across colored platforms. You have special jump skills and the ability to change color, and you’ve got to make it through each course but you’re only allowed to touch objects that match your color. Seem easy enough? Well, think again!

As pretty as the game looks when it’s running at full frame rate the real joy comes from the precise input on the two-touch controls. If you time a color switch just when you touch the platform you get a quick dash boost. Jump controls are equally precise and allow you to nail tricky double jumps with ease. Each level is designed to be non-linear, meaning there are multiple paths to take to make it to the finish, however, there are also three special objectives to complete for each level which will keep you coming back for more.

Overall, the game is pretty short, but it’s designed to be one of those games that’s ideal for speedrunning — although there’s already some stiff competition out there. I feel like the game is missing one knock out feature — a course editor that allows players to upload their own levels. Or simply more levels perhaps with platforms of even more different colors to swap between. Still, for $2 it’s one hell of a fun game.

Chameleon Run

$2 at Google Play Store

Chameleon Run is a colorful endless runner that challenges you with precise jumps and quick reflexes to be sure you don’t touch the wrong platform and blow yourself up.

Holedown

It’s hard to find a fun puzzle game that doesn’t try to sell you on power-ups or extra lives or something.

That’s just one of the reasons why Holedown is a standout game in 2018. Holedown will have you strategically blasting through to the core of celestial bodies — starting with asteroids and working your way up to the Sun — using the classic gaming formula of bouncing balls off blocks. Each brick has a number that represents the number of hits needed to destroy it, or you can destroying a supporting block clear out everything above it.

This is a pick-up-and-play game that’s an easy concept to grasp but you quickly learn there’s an amount of strategy and skill involved. All the bricks are curved, allowing you to set up tricky bank shots to clear out massive sections of blocks in one go. This will become quite important as the screen move up one row after every shot. If the blocks reach the top of the screen, it’s game over.

Along the way, you will collect crystals which you spend on upgrades that give you more balls per shot, and more shots per round. These upgrades are crucial to completing the later planets but also let the earlier levels become more of a mindless distraction for your subway commute. All told, it won’t take you too long to max out all your stats in Holedown, but that’s mostly because it’s so hard to stop playing this game once you start.

If you’re a fan of physics-based puzzle games and are looking for a new obsession, Holedown is well worth your money!

Holedown

Holedown is a clever take on the ball and brick genre where you launch balls to excavate down to the core of asteroids, planets and stars. It offers simple gameplay while delivering an endless challenge mode.

Monument Valley 1 & 2

Yep, I’m cheating again, but only because I adore both of these games so much. I’d be hard-pressed to say which is my favorite: the original or the one that expanded upon the core concepts? Since I can’t decide, you get both of them here.

Odds are, you’ve at least heard of Monument Valley before. It’s popular for a reason with its timeless gameplay, beautiful art design (that’s frequently copied), and minimalist story. Rearrange the fantastical architecture, enjoy the surrealism and ambiance, and immerse yourself in guiding the silent princess to her goal. In the sequel, do more of the same, but on a larger scale.

I don’t find that’s much more to say. If you’re a fan of puzzles and you haven’t tried out Monument Valley, then I highly recommend that you do so.

Monument Valley

$5.49 at Google Play Store

Considered now to be one of the best puzzle games around, Monument Valley forces you to think outside of the box to reach your goal.

Monument Valley 2

$5 at Google Play Store

Expanding on the concepts presented by its predecessor, Monument Valley 2 returns with the same gameplay that many loved with the original. Guide a mother and her daughter through the valley as you take on new puzzles.

The Room: Old Sins

The Room: Old Sins is the latest epic puzzle game from Fireproof Games and the 4th in the award-winning ‘The Room’ puzzle game series. You are exploring the home of an ambitious engineer who has gone missing when you find a rather peculiar dollhouse in the attic.

Using a sophisticated eyepiece you’re able to explore different rooms in the dollhouse that are filled with incredibly sophisticated puzzle boxes and contraptions. There’s something really weird going on here, so maybe if you can solve all the puzzles you’ll figure out what happened to the missing engineer and his wife.

If you’ve never played a game from “The Room” series before, just get ready for one of the more engrossing games you’ll ever play on a mobile phone. The graphics and audio come together to create a wonderfully creepy vibe as you carefully inspect intricate objects and unlock secrets to help you on your journey.

If you want to catch up with the other games, you can snag The Room, The Room Two, and The Room 3 at discounted prices.

The Room: Old Sins

$5 at Google Play Store

The Room series offers some of the most beautiful gaming experiences on mobile. Solve intricate puzzles and unlock the secrets hidden within these mysterious contraptions.

Vectronom

I love finding the quirky indie titles that always manage to fall into the cracks of the Google Play Store, not receiving the promotion and attention that they rightfully deserve. Vectronom falls into that category, delivering a captivating experience that merges level design and music together to create a puzzle platformer that you play as much with your ears as you do with your fingertips.

Vectronom is, at times, a psychedelic experience given the flashing colors and thumping electronic soundtrack designed to entrance you as you play. Each level changes to the beat of the music, and the game grades you on how well your cube’s movement follows the rhythm. The game was previously released on Steam and for the Nintendo Switch, and while the game no doubt controls way better with a keyboard or controller D-pad I’ve had no issues with the touch screen controls that rely on swipes and taps.

As straight forward as the concept is here, you will be challenged by the complexity of the levels as you progress through the game. There are currently 31 levels available to play through, each with their own theme introducing new traps to dodge and level mechanics to master. The indie developers behind the game hope to continue to build out the game’s content by taking music submitted by users and designing new levels around those tracks. While the game does incentivize you to revisit levels and try and beat them clean in one try or better sync your moves to the beat of the music, I’d absolutely love to see a community build around Vectronom that delivers more puzzles which are perfect for mobile play.

Vectronom

Vectronom is a psychedelic puzzle platformer where you’ll need to stick with the beat if you want to succeed and solve each colorful level.

The Best Platformers

The best Android games

A very generic category, even more so than RPGs, platformers are generally 2D, but “platformer” just tells you how the game plays. There are action RPG platformers, metroidvanias, and so on. It’s a classic style of game for a reason and it translates extremely well to mobile.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Coming out of left field, Konami’s classic Castlevania: Symphony of the Night launched on mobile in early March to the joy and surprise of many. I purchased it immediately and you can read my thoughts on it here. It’s one of the best $3 I’ve ever spent in the Play Store. Despite having a massive backlog of other games to get to, I spent a fair chunk of time reliving my childhood.

Besides just the charm and nostalgia, Symphony of the Night plays excellently on Android. The touchscreen controls are fine and certainly workable, but I found the game to be best played with a controller. The team behind the port did a great job with translating a very old game to a new platform and, while I had some gripes with them, the touchscreen controls let anyone hop in. Otherwise, any gamepad that works with Android should do just fine here (I used the Xbox One controller). Those of you with high refresh rate displays may notice some weirdness with the game and the developers advise using 60Hz — though they only specifically mention the Pixel 4 and Smooth Display.

Symphony of the Night is a classic, having helped define a whole new genre of game that we still see to this day. You follow Alucard, the son of Dracula, as he looks for the missing Richter. Wander the mysterious and dangerous castle as you find new abilities, unlock shortcuts, and become more powerful. You can also play as Richter himself (up until you meet a certain character) and Maria by entering their names when starting a new save. Add that to the achievement system and you have a bunch of content to work through. Seriously, this is $3 well-spent.

All we need now is Super Metroid on Android. Come on, Nintendo.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Free, $7 to unlock at Google Play Store

There’s a lot of hubbub around the mobile release of Symphony of the Night for good reason. A lot more people can now experience this fantastic game in its revised glory.

Dandara

Coming back to the last decade, we have a game that took some of the core concepts from Symphony of the Night and put its own spin on it. Meet Dandara, a beautiful and incredibly engaging metroidvania. As you might expect from the genre, there’s plenty of solitary exploration as you work to make our heroine more powerful for the trials ahead.

Dandara tells the story of a woman who fight to stave off her world’s impending collapse. Travel throughout it, meet interesting characters, and survive against the challenges that await you. Defy gravity as you explore a unique world and discover its mysteries. It’s a fantastic game.

Better yet, it just got a free expansion called the Trials of Fear which adds a new boss, areas, and power-ups. It’s a lot of game for $6 and worth it if you like metroidvanias.

Dandara

$6 at Google Play Store

A fantastic metroidvania, Dandara is well worth the time and investment if you’re looking for a great game to play on your phone.

Grimvalor

Stepping away from metroidvanias, we have Grimvalor, an action RPG platformer. This is my go-to game right now because of its addicting gameplay and interesting premise. Combat is slick, movement is excellent, and it just works so well. Seriously, I play this game all the time when I’m out and about.

You need be tactical about how you approach enemies and level your character. There’s plenty to explore, too, with secrets hidden throughout the map. I really enjoy the combat and it feels so good and satisfying, especially when you dodge just right and your character does an awesome flip.

You get the first act for free, after which you need to fork over $7 for the full game. I like this tactic; it lets you experience the game as it is and then you have the choice to pay to continue. Go ahead and give it a try to see if you like it.

Grimvalor

Grimvalor fills that action RPG itch while being a fun platformer. Enjoy the excellent combat and exploration. You even get a trial demo before purchasing.

Oddmar

Of all the games I’ve played in 2019, Oddmar stands out as one of my absolute favorites in part because it’s absolutely gorgeous from its opening sequence through its beautifully animated levels that show a depth of detail you rarely see in a mobile game. I’m also somewhat biased because I absolutely adore well-crafted indie platformers but Oddmar still stands out for having a great protagonist and excellent story to tell.

You play as Oddmar, an exiled Viking who never quite lived up to his warrior ancestor who is granted special powers by a magical fairy. The timing is just right, as Oddmar has an opportunity to redeem himself by going on a journey of redemption.

Overall, the level design is pretty linear but never feels stale thanks to the good variety of enemies to bounce off of and the unique obstacles and some quick puzzles to solve to progress. On top of all that, Oddmar also comes across these hallucination-like Valhalla challenges that are mixed into most levels. These challenge you with a quick scrolling bonus level that add some really nice gameplay variety.

Touchscreen controls for platforming games are notoriously difficult to get right on mobile, but then a game like Oddmar comes along and shows the industry just how it’s done. Everything feels just right with the left side of the screen controlling your horizontal movement and the right side dedicated to jumping, attacking, ground-pounding, and dash attacks.

You’re able to play the first section of the game for free with the rest of the game unlocked with a one-time in-app payment of $5 — well worth it for one of the best games you’ll play on your phone.

Oddmar

Free, $5 to unlock full game at Google Play Store

Oddmar is a beautiful game that plays like a living comic book. You can play through the first chapter for free and then, once you’ve fallen in love with it, unlock the rest of the game for $5.

Suzy Cube

If the 2D platformers don’t do it for you, then might I interest you in a 3D one? Suzy Cube is a fun adventure that spans many levels, each one a new challenge to master. With gamepad support, Suzy Cube promises many hours of platforming fun. Locate power-ups and master the levels in order to recover your castle’s stolen gold.

It reminds me of the 3D Mario games in spirit, though I had some trouble getting used to the touchscreen controls. Moving to a controller, however, made me enjoy this game a whole lot more. While this sort of thing doesn’t capture my attention for too long, I had fun. It’s certainly a light-hearted adventure.

Suzy Cube

Enjoy a bright 3D platforming adventure in Suzy Cube. Reclaim your castle’s stolen riches as you master each level and collect new power-ups.

The Best Strategy Games

The best Android games

Similar to puzzle games, strategy games require your attention and willpower to succeed. Whether managing a kingdom or battling seemingly impossible odds, strategy games can certainly push you. Approach cautiously and you’ll be just fine.

Majesty

Half sim, half real-time strategy, Majesty is one of my favorite time-waster games. You’re in charge of a small kingdom and it’s up to you to keep it safe, explore for resources, manage an economy, and deal with all of the other weirdness. Majesty is an eclectic game, to be sure, but it’s also quite fun.

Of course, you can’t talk about Majesty and forget about The Nothern Expansion. It’s a bit extra, but it adds a new location and new problems to contend with, including dragons. You have more heroes, more resources, and changeable weather, too. For an extra $3, it’s a nice expansion, especially if you like Majesty.

They’re no Starcraft, but Majesty and The Northern Expansion are both great for killing time on the metro/bus, while you wait at the doctor’s office, or what have you. Enjoy its fun gameplay and watch the hours fly by.

Majesty

$2 at Google Play Store

Take up the mantle of a small kingdom’s ruler as you try to make the best decision for your people. Battle monsters, explore, and build.

Majesty: The Northern Expansion

Adding more Majesty to your life is worth the $3, in my opinion, and The Northern Expansion certainly delivers. It adds a new area, new enemies, and new challenges.

Mindustry

Tower defense games are a dime a dozen in the Play Store, but few offer the depth and strategy that is on display with Mindustry. It’s a sandbox-style game that is straight-up intimidating when you first start out since it gives you all the tools you need for success but makes it entirely up to you to use them in the most efficient and strategic way.

Not only do you need to concern yourself with mining resources to build up your defenses, but you also need to maintain and protect your supply lines — conveyor belts that deliver your mined resources from the drill to your core base and defense turrets. It took me the entire tutorial to get a handle on the build controls and core game mechanics, and another hour of playing the game before I started unlocking new technologies on the tech tree. It wasn’t long until I started developing some rudimentary strategies that worked for a while, but soon the AI enemies figured my tactics, managed to bypass my defenses, and absolutely wrecked my base.

The solo mode only scratches the surface of everything that Mindustry has to offer. You can set up a multiplayer game with custom servers or over local area network, create your own map with the included map editor, or create a custom game with the player given full control over pretty much every aspect of the game. Best of all, you get this in a free-to-play game with no ads.

Mindustry

Mindustry is an incredible open-ended sandbox tower defense game that will blow you away with the level of depth and customization available to the player. Better still, it’s free-to-play with no ads or in-app purchases.

Mini Metro

Living in the Washington, D.C. area, I’m quite familiar with the metro system here — it’s frankly one of the best ways to get in and out of the city in my experience (especially since you can avoid the parking nightmare). So when I discovered Mini Metro in the Play Store, I grabbed it and had a lot of fun with it.

The basic premise is to design a metro system for a growing city by creating lines and stations. The goal is to keep going as long as you can with your limited resources. It’s quite fun and each playthrough is a new approach. You have to strategize on how you want your system to function. Can you improve a line you already created and make it more efficient?

This is another one of those time-waster strategy games that is quite fun, funnily enough, while riding the metro. It’s only a buck, too.

Mini Metro

$1 at Google Play Store

You’re the metro engineer and it’s your job to design a system for your growing city. Use your limited resources wisely and try to make things as efficient as they can be.

Reigns: Her Majesty

Reigns was one of the best games of 2016 and actually won the first ever Google Play Indie Games contest. So needless to say we were pumped to check out the sequel.

In Reigns, you play as the monarch of the land and make decisions that affect four aspects of the kingdom: the church, the people, the army, and the royal wealth. Your goal is to keep all four in balance — if any meter fills to the max or is entirely depleted your reign is over… and a new reign begins!

The sequel plays nearly identically to the first game, except this time you play as the Queen instead of the King, complete with new characters to interact with and multiple branching storylines to discover. The gameplay is as easy as swiping left or right on cards and if it’s anything like the first game there’s a ton of great easter eggs to find along the way!

I would hate to spoil anything for this new game, but if you played the first one and are afraid that it’s going to be too similar, I can assure you there are plenty of new mechanics to make this still one of the best games on Google Play.

Reigns: Her Majesty

Step into the role of regal leader of your own and parlay with your advisors and send out royal decrees just by swiping left or right. Just be sure not to let things get out of hand or it’s your head on the chopping block.

XCOM: Enemy Within

XCOM achieved legendary status with its in-depth gameplay, challenge, and interesting style. That same spirit arrived on Android some time back with Enemy Within, the sequel to Enemy Unknonw, which adds on the iconic forumla. There are new soldiers, maps, enemies, abilities, and more for you to try out.

Once again, you’re defending earth from aliens and victory is not guaranteed. You have to build the right squad for the circumstances as you head into the turn-based combat. New threats will challenge your tactics and your skills, pushing you to work hard for success.

XCOM: Enemy Within

$5 at Google Play Store

Take on the classic XCOM gameplay with new soldiers, abilities, maps, and enemies. Fans of the franchise should find a lot to like here, especially since the port is fairly well done.

The Best Sims

The best Android games

Much like the puzzle and platformer games, sim defines a wide variety of titles. The gist is that you’re simulating something, be you god or farmer. For the most part, these types of games are relaxing and enjoyable as time-wasters or time-sinks.

Godus

Ever wanted to play god? Godus offers you that chance, giving you power over the very earth itself. You have worshippers who will praise your benevolent name as you teach them how to improve their civilization. Of course, you can also be a terrible god and sometimes you’ll have to be.

Watch as the world evolves around to you and you continue to shape it to your whim. Use your godly powers to create structures for your humans, send loving or destructive miracles, and sculpt things to your personal liking. It’s quite the addicting game once you figure out the gameplay.

Godus is free to play, but it contains in-app purchases for Gems.

Godus

Literally play god in Godus, a simulator where you guide a human civilization through its infancy. Sculpt the land to your liking, earn your followers’ worship, and become a god.

Graveyard Keeper

Graveyard Keeper is a cemetery management sim that you can easily sink hours into while enjoying the dark humor of the rather grim subject matter. You may think a game that has you play the role of a town’s gravedigger would be depressing and drab, but Graveyard Keeper’s bright and colorful art style coupled with the open world and deep crafting mechanics keep things really interesting. You’re also rewarded for cutting corners and getting creative. For example, you can start selling ground-up dead bodies to the local butcher, host witch-burning parties, or try and poison some of the local townsfolk to drive in more business.

That’s the difference between a premium mobile title like Graveyard Keeper and most other free-to-play mobile sim games — collecting resources isn’t time-restricted for hours and you’re able to craft anything you need in the game just by foraging, completing quests, and maintaining your graveyard. You’ll enjoy the extended play of exploring dungeons and completing quests to find rare supplies and other treasures.

As you can see from the trailer, this game is absolutely gorgeous with a concise and detailed art style and beautiful animations. Because this is a direct port of a PC/console game, you should prepare to sink many many hours into this game, which may include just figuring out the different menus and controls as you work out how to be the best Graveyard Keeper you can be!

Graveyard Keeper

Graveyard Keeper is a gravedigger simulator with a dark sense of humor where you’ve got to come up with creative ways to drum up new business.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Another classic game brought to us on Android, Grand Theft Auto (GTA): San Andreas is just what you would expect. It’s an open-world sandbox, where you’re free to do what you want. Unlike later GTA games that take place in specific cities, San Andreas spans an entire state in three cities. Suffice to say, there’s a lot of game here.

You play as Carl Johnson as he returns to Los Santos to save his failing family and friends. Upon your return, you’re framed for murder and you have to escape “justice” and take back the streets. All in all, it’s a fun game and Rockstar says you can expect 70 hours of gameplay. That’s crazy.

70 hours of gameplay for $7 is even crazier. The GTA experience is pretty well-known by now, so you probably know what you can expect.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

$7 at Google Play Store

Grand Theft Auto needs no introduction and San Andreas is a great entry. You can expect plenty of shenanigans and freedom, plus tons of game time.

Stardew Valley

If you’ve never heard of or played Stardew Valley before, it’s basically a farming simulator built atop a robust 16-bit open-ended RPG that lets you play and develop your character and farm as you choose. The story begins with your character’s arrival in Pelican Town, where you have decided to take over your grandfather’s simple family farm.

What makes Stardew Valley such a joy to play is the freedom granted to the player to make the game your own. If you focus on building up your farm, the game is mostly about crop and resource management, which will certainly scratch a certain itch for mobile gamers given how popular that genre of RPG is on mobile — but with Stardew Valley, there’s so much more for the player to explore.

Between planting and harvesting your fields, you can work to level up your character’s skills with different tools by going fishing or foraging in the woods, head to town to socialize and build relationships with the townsfolk (and even get married, if you choose), or go off on a more traditional combat-based RPG adventure complete with quests to complete and monster-infested mines to explore.

Stardew Valley

$8 at Google Play Store

One of the most celebrated RPGs of the last decade has been optimized for mobile and is a must-play for gamers of all ages.

The Best Racing Games

The best Android games

Racing games are pretty self-explanatory. Drive some kind of vehicle (or character) and beat the computer or other players to the finish line. Simple enough. There are some great options out there, since this is another genre that translates well to mobile.

Asphalt 9: Legends

Aspahlt, a long-standing mobile racing title, hit its 9th iteration, if you can believe it. Considered one of the go-to racing games, Asphalt does a great job at pushing modern phones with its repetoire of jaw-dropping hypercars. The ultimate goal is to become a street racing legend, so hopefully you’ve got the adrenaline addiction to see yourself through to that end. You’ll be limited only by the freemium mechanics at play that encourage you to spend more.

It does feature gorgeous graphics, awesome driving sequences, and other eye candy. Asphalt 9 is quite the looker, especially if you have a great display on your phone. There’s also plenty of cars to choose from and you can customize them, too! There’s races against AI and other players to keep you interested and entertained.

It’s also free to play and it contains microtransactions. It’s what you’d expect, all told, and no one should be surprised. Still, Asphalt 9 is fine in bursts.

Asphalt 9: Legends

Experience high-octane action as you race the streets with your choice of car. Get ready for an intense thrill ride.

GRID Autosport

Taking things a bit further than Asphalt 9 is GRID Autosport. A console port done by the fantastic folks at Feral Interactive (well known in the Linux gaming community), Grid features jaw-dropping graphics, intense driving gameplay, and amazing thrills.

A high cost to entry, perhaps, but it’s a buy once and done deal. You even get all of the DLCs included. For your $10, you’ll have access to 100 cars and 100 maps with multiple control and difficulty options to suit your play style. It’s a graphically intense game and Feral only supports a few phones. If it’s not available to you in the Play Store, your phone probably can’t handle it.

Grid is meant for racing game enthusiasts, especially those who are tired of the freemium tactics, like those you’d find in Asphalt 9. There’s something to be said for a high initial price tag.

GRID Autosport

Check out this mobile port of a AAA console racing game and be amazed. Not only is it beautiful, but it packs in a ton of a value for $10. Race to your heart’s content.

Mario Kart Tour

No list of racing games would be complete without Mario Kart Tour, for better or for worse. A household name when it comes to racing games, Mario Kart is the long-standing king of the genre. When it finally came to mobile not too long ago, there was much joy. That was later soured by some of Nintendo’s mobile practices, but that’s for another time.

There’s not too much to say about Tour other than it’s Mario Kart. Race with your favorite character in maps inspired by real-world cities and earn new drivers, karts, and badges. It is free to play with microtransactions, though.

Mario Kart Tour

Mario Kart Tour is the mobile version of the venerable, long-standing racing franchise. It’s more of what you would expect with mobile monetization thrown in for good measure.

Riptide GP: Renegade

Say you like racing games, but cars and cartoon characters aren’t your thing. Then maybe you’ll find Riptide GP: Renegade to your liking. Where it differs from other racing games is that you’re on futuristic, high-speed hydrojets. Instead of a road or something similar, the waterways are your track. Sign me up.

In Renegade, you’ve been ousted from the Riptide GP league and instead have to make your living illegally racing. Power through city waterways, flooded ruins, and more all while avoiding cops. You’ll unlock new vehicles the longer you play, plus new customization options. Take on fun bosses and build your crew.

There’s also online 8-man multiplayer races for you to put your skills to the test. You can engage in leaderboard activities, too, and even local split-screen. It’s a lot of game for $3 and it’s great for all fans of racing games.

Riptide GP: Renegade

Experience the fun of illicit water racing with Riptide GP: Renegade. Go rogue and make your own career, or go online to race others.

Sonic Forces

I’m a bit biased here, but I grew up with Sonic the Hedgehog. So when I saw Sonic Forces, I was immediately intrigued. While I never quite got into Team Sonic Racing or Sonic & Sega All Stars Racing, I was interested in Forces because it takes the anthropomorphized animals out of go karts and onto their own two feet.

While it’s ridiculous to see Big the Cat keep up with Shadow, it’s still a fun game that lets you play your favorite character (once you unlock them) and race other people. There’s more to it than just racing, though. Much like you’d find in Mario Kart, you can offset your opponents with traps, dodge the ones they leave for you, aall while you try to make it to the finish line first.

The whole cast of characters is here, but most have to be unlocked first. This is where I tell you that the game is free to play, but features microtransactions to unlock new characters and abilities. It’s sad to see Sonic monetized like this, but I enjoy the core gameplay.

Sonic Forces

Sonic and friends come to mobile again, this time to duke it out in a contest of speed. Do your best to derail your opponents because they’ll be doing the same to you.

The Best Sports Games

The best Android games

The true heyday of sports games on Android has long gone. Most nowadays aren’t worth your time. However, there are a few shining examples that stand out amongst the crowd, even if they include the usual freemium nonsense.

Australian Open Game

This is the best tennis game I’ve found for Android. Developed by Big Ant Studios for Tennis Australia to help promote the Australian Open, this free title delivers a surprisingly robust number of gameplay options. You can play a quick match, beat the AO tournament to unlock the other Grand Slam events, or play career mode with your customized player.

The default controls automatically position your player to return shots with swipes used to perform different techniques, but there are also settings for more advanced controls. But the better your timing, the better your shot will be. Difficulty increases as you go on, which is typical of tournament-style games.

Australian Open Game

Enjoy one of the best tennis games on Android with this free title. Create your own player and take on the AO tournament or just play a quick match.

eFootball PES 2020

Konami’s celebrated football (soccer) franchise is back for 2020 with enhanced dribble controls and options for local and real-time online matches against friends or strangers. It’s all part of the developer’s focus on taking this mobile soccer game into the eSports realm with competitive online play that’s responsive and rewarding.

Of course, there’s more. The Inspire system lets you, well, inspire and/or influence how your teammates play, adding new levels of complexity. All of this focus on a quality gaming experience is meant to provide you with a game that tailors itself to you and your playstyle. I’d say the biggest downside with eFootball PES 2020 is that it’s another freemium sports game.

eFootball PES 2020

If you like soccer, then Konami has you covered. Enjoy new dribble controls, the Inspire system, online matches, and more.

Madden NFL Mobile Football

Though it may not be the most lovable example, Madden is the hallmark football game series, even on Android. The mobile version is free to play, but it contains every bit of freemium garbage that EA could throw at it. We’re talking loot boxes, ads, microtransactions, and the like.

Unfortunately, there’s not much else when it comes to football on Android. This is the only way to play as or with your favorite players and teams. For your time, you get competitive play, dynamic football seasons, and new strategies to build your gameplay style around. There’s also a co-op mode for you to help out your friends in their seasons or for them to help you.

Madden NFL Mobile Football

Madden NFL Mobile Football reigns supreme among the few playable American Football games available for Android. It comes with the usual freemium caveats, though.

MLB Nine Innings 2020

MLB Nine Innings saw a 2020 refresh over the 2019 version. If you’re into baseball, this is the game for you (on Android, anyway). It features all 30 MLB teams with 1,700 players and the roster was updated for all the 2019 season players. You can expect full 3D graphics and smooth gameplay for the best experience.

There’s also an option for one-handed controls to make playing on your phone even easier. Not only is there autoplay, but you can choose to just play offense or defense, whichever suits your preference. You can go against other players across the world in the Ranked Battle, Clutch Hits, and Club Battle modes. Or stick to the League Mode, whichever appeals to you. MLB Nine Innings 2020 is free with in-app purchases.

MLB 9 Innings 20

The go-to baseball game for Android, MLB Nine Innings 2020 features all the stuff from the 2019 version, but updated for 2020. Challenge yourself or others in a variety of modes.

NBA 2K20

NBA 2K20 is a rare premium sports title for Android that doesn’t rely on microtransactions and loot crates, which automatically makes it a great game, in my opinion. The graphics and presentation are top-notch and compare nicely to the console versions.

NBA 2K20 offers multiple game modes, such as the MyCareer Run story mode, the new Run The Streets, and expanded NBA Stories for reliving some of the greatest moments in NBA History. You can also take on the role of a GM and manage a team, including scouting and rosters. There’s also online multiplayer through LAN or Google Play Games for 5-on-5 matches. You even get a new soundtrack and full support for Bluetooth controllers.

NBA 2K20

$6 at Google Play Store

NBA 2K20 is one of the best sports games on Android. For a mere $6, you get a lot of game modes.

The Best Augmented Reality (AR) Games

The best Android games

A relatively new form of game, AR takes unique advantage of the hardware built into our phones to give us new means of entertainment. This is possible on other platforms, but the extra hardware required puts off a lot of people, myself included, off. However, with the little powerhouse in your pocket, you can experience the world of augmented reality gaming.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite

I’m sure you’ve heard of Harry Potter in some capacity. It’s a media phenomenon, no doubt, but fans have been starved for good games that let them enter the wizarding world. Sure, the Lego Harry Potter games were fun, but this franchise lacks any meaningful gaming experiences.

Wizards Unite flips that on its head. While some fans are waiting for a proper Potter RPG or something like that, at least this game can tide them over. Think of Pokémon Go, but with wizards and the like. That’s basically what’s going on here. It requires some physical effort from you, but at least it has Adventure Sync now.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is free to play with in-app purchases. It might not have the clout that Pokémon Go has just yet, but it certainly has the minds of many.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite