The best Android games

Gaming on mobile has been improving at a far greater rate than any technology that came before it. Android games seem to hit new heights every year. We see more and more premium game releases that challenge what phones can do, and even free Android games are getting better and better. Console and PC still get the lion’s share of attention in the gaming world, but mobile games are still a major force to be reckoned with. In fact, as an industry, it outpaced other platforms years ago.

Without further delay, here are the best Android games available right now. These are the best of the best, so the list won’t change all that often unless something excellent comes along.

The best Android games, ever:

Bloons TD 6

Price: $6.99 with in-app purchases

Bloons TD 6 is arguably the best tower defense game in the history of mobile games. It has a bunch of levels, plenty of towers to play with, a fun aesthetic, and online cooperative multiplayer. We like this one a lot for a few reasons. The developers are consistently adding new content, it scales up to be very difficult, and play times can range from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on what you’re in the mood to do. This used to compete very well with games like Kingdom Rush and Plants vs. Zombies, but has since reached that next level where it stands on its own. There are other great tower defense games on mobile, but we believe this one is the best.

Call of Duty: Mobile

Price: Free to play

Call of Duty: Mobile was our pick for the best Android game in 2019. It instantly became intensely popular and quickly earned a spot among the best Android games of all time. The game has both a normal FPS online PvP mode along with a 100-player battle royale. That puts it in a rare category where it does battle royale like PUBG Mobile, but also regular FPS PvP like Critical Ops or Modern Combat. There is a surprising amount of stuff to do, and the gameplay mechanics are solid and smooth.

It is a free-to-play game, but most of the in-game purchases are cosmetic items. You can find some more excellent FPS games here or some general shooting games here if you want more options.

Dead Cells

Price: $8.99 (excludes premium DLC)

Dead Cells is an action-platformer with roguelike elements that was a hit in the console world before heading to mobile. It features non-linear gameplay, hack-and-slash combat mechanics, and plenty of stuff for players to do. It’s definitely on the harder side of the spectrum, especially for new players. The game makes up for it by having smooth gameplay, excellent controls, and some fun ideas. Death resets you back to the beginning so you have to make sure you do everything right. The game also has controller support, a $3.99 DLC to expand the game, and more. It’s among the best Metroidvanias on Android and one of the best Android games overall.

Genshin Impact

Price: Free to play

Genshin Impact is an action RPG game with gacha mechanics. The game was also our pick for the best game of 2020. Upon its release, it received wide critical acclaim for its impressive visuals and excellent gameplay. It looks and plays a bit like Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but nobody seems to really mind. The game does have a party system, and you can get new characters through a gacha system or certain gameplay events. However, the visual elements, gameplay mechanics, and the completely open world (complete with a glider) make the game feel a lot less restrictive than most in the genre.

Unless the developer messes this one up, it should remain excellent for a long time. You can play on PC or PlayStation as well with the same saved data, even if it is annoying to set up at first. Of course, other excellent gacha games are available on Android, too. Tower of Fantasy (Google Play) has some similar mechanics, but Genshin does it better.

GRID Autosport

Price: $9.99

GRID Autosport launched in 2019 and immediately became one of the best racing games for Android. It’s a premium game with no in-app purchases or advertising, a rarity in this space. The game also boasts excellent graphics, excellent controls, hardware controller support, tons of content to play through, tons of cars to unlock, and a variety of racing styles.

The game is a bit expensive, and it’s missing some smaller things racing fanatics tend to like, but it’s otherwise one of the best racing experiences in the Play Store. It doesn’t get updated frequently, which isn’t ideal, but it gets enough to keep it relevant. Riptide GP and the Asphalt series are also great racing games. Check out our picks for more great racing games to find other options on Android.

Kentucky Route Zero

Price: Free (with Netflix subscription)

Netflix subscribers can enjoy tons of great Android games as part of the subscription, but one of the most unique is Kentucky Route Zero. It’s a classic point-and-click adventure, but without any puzzles to solve. It’s all about the narrative and atmosphere. I won’t spoil the story here, but it takes place over five acts and there isn’t anything else like it on Android.

Legends of Runeterra

Price: Free to play

Legends of Runeterra is one of several great games from Riot Games, the developer of League of Legends. This one is an online battler similar in scope to games like Hearthstone. Players collect cards and heroes, then build decks from those cards and heroes to battle opponents online. The game removes as much of the randomness as it can, and it leads to a good gameplay experience overall. The game includes over 100 champions, a bunch of cards, and you can invite friends to duel with you as well. Hearthstone donned this list for a long time, but it’s time for a new champion in this space. You can find more great card dueling games here.

It’s also worth noting that you can play LoL on mobile with the MOBA title League of Legends, Wild Rift.

Levelhead

Price: $4.47

Levelhead is a platformer from Butterscotch Shenanigans, the same developer of Crashlands. Crashlands was on this very list for a good two or three years, and we expect Levelhead to be here for a while too. It’s a platformer with 90 levels, surprisingly satisfying controls, and some excellent humor. However, this one sets itself apart from others with its truly excellent custom-level building. Players can build levels and upload them to the game. Other players download them, and the most popular end up in the game’s prestigious vault.

Plus, the game has speedrunning features, and each level comes with its own leaderboard (even the custom ones). Finally, the game is cross-platform with cloud saves. It covers all of the bases for a mobile platformer. This is easily the best in its class, but here are some other good platformers to try as well.

Marvel Snap

Price: Free

Another great card game on Android is Marvel Snap. It’s another competitive card battler like Legends of Runeterra or Hearthstone, but with Marvel characters. That means you can collect everyone from Iron Man and the Avengers to the X-Men and Fantastic Four. It launched in late 2022 and quickly rose in popularity thanks to unique mechanics for the genre and quick, three-minute battle times.

Minecraft

Price: $6.99 with in-app purchases

Minecraft is a popular game all around the world for people of all ages. For those who have never played, Minecraft puts you in a giant world where you mine, build, beat up bad guys, and do whatever you want. There is a survival mode where you must mine your own resources and food along with a creative mode that gives you unlimited everything. Frequent updates have added tons of new content and possibilities.

The game is pretty much on par with its PC and console counterparts. In fact, you can play on multiplayer servers with people on those platforms. There are in-app purchases, but they’re just for customization things like skin packs. It’s not only the best sandbox game on Android, but also one of the best survival games as well.

Nintendo games

Price: Free / Free to play / Varies

Nintendo has a good number of Android games and they’re all pretty decent. They have one premium game with Super Mario Run. Many believed it to be too high of a price. However, mechanically, it’s one of the best platformers on mobile. Nintendo also has a couple of free-to-play options including Fire Emblem Heroes (strategy RPG) and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (simulation).

Nintendo added Dragalia Lost to its repertoire in September of 2018 as well as Dr. Mario World in 2019. Finally, Mario Kart Tour is the second biggest mobile game release of all time, second only to Call of Duty: Mobile. Nintendo’s games can be a bit rough around the edges sometimes, but they all provide relatively fun and solid experiences.

Pokemon Go

Price: Free to play

Pokemon GO exploded onto the mobile gaming scene in July 2016 and immediately became one of the biggest and best Android games ever. It’s an augmented reality game similar to Ingress where you walk around the real world, catch Pokemon, complete little side missions, battle other trainers for Gyms, and hit up Pokestops to restock on items. It beat virtually every record in the books as the world’s most popular mobile game. Many think the game has died off, but it’s been maintaining its active player base for the last few years and remains very popular among Pokemon fans.

Rocket League Sideswipe

Price: Free to play

Rocket League Sideswipe is one of the most popular and entertaining arcade games on mobile. It’s a 2D version of the popular PC and console game, but it still manages to be fast-paced and fun. Players drive around in cars and try to use them to score goals with a giant soccer ball. This version includes 1v1 and 2v2 modes, and most matches only take about two minutes to complete. That makes it an excellent time killer for folks who don’t want to spend five hours waiting for a good stopping point.

Some other game features include simple controls, offline matches against bots, some social features, and a season pass with a bunch of cosmetics to earn. It’s not the deepest game, but sometimes the most fun games don’t have to be super deep as well. If you’re looking for quick arcade action, this is about as good as it gets.

Sky: Children of Light

Price: Free to play

Sky: Children of Light is an excellent adventure game from 2020. The game features seven worlds for you to explore, a variety of character customizations to look how you want, some truly excellent graphics, and one of the most unique social experiences in any game. You can interact with players in the game without a voice or text chat (although text chats are available). Players get your attention to take you where you need to go by grabbing your hand and taking you with them. There are a bunch of truly great adventure games here, but Sky: Child of Light is just something different.

Square Enix games

Price: Free / Free to play / Varies

Square Enix is one of the few “big name” developers that took mobile gaming seriously from the start and they have some of the best Android games available anywhere. Classic JRPG fans have Final Fantasy I through IX, seven Dragon Quest games, and many other old console ports. Free-to-play RPGs from Square Enix include Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, Echoes of Mana, NieR Re[in]carnation, and DQ Dai: A Hero’s Bond. Most of those games are rock solid, fun to play, and friendly to free-to-play people.

The company does have other genres as well, like Paranormasight (horror-visual novel), FFBE War of the Visions (strategy RPG), and others. Some newer titles include the Pixel Remasters of Final Fantasy I through VI, which are quite good, along with Paranormasight and Voice of Cards: The Beasts of Burden. Square Enix is arguably the champion of the mobile gacha RPG, but you can find more great RPGs here.

Stardew Valley

Price: $4.99

Stardew Valley is easily one of the best premium games from 2019 and one of the best Android games overall. It’s a farming simulator with some RPG elements. You start out with a neglected farm and must rebuild it to its former glory. Players catch fish, grow crops, raise livestock, and interact with the various townspeople. You can even get married and have a family.

The retro graphics help keep things simple, but the game has hundreds of hours of content. Plus, the controls are simple and most of the in-game interactions are charming and fun. It’s the best farming sim on mobile even if it’s not entirely realistic. Stardew Valley sits atop its genre, but there are more good farming simulators here if you want to see more.

Streets of Rage 4

Price: $8.99 (excludes premium DLC)

Streets of Rage 4 was one of the best games of 2022, and it’s good enough to be an all-time great. It’s an arcade beat ’em-up game that’s done in the style of the 1990s. You choose a character, walk through each level, and beat up bad guys while avoiding taking damage. The base game includes three different game modes, about a dozen characters, secret levels, hardware controller support, and multiplayer.

For an additional $2.99 (as an in-app purchase), you get access to the Mr. X Nightmare DLC. It adds three more playable characters, more levels, a survival mode, and character customization. We think it’s worth it to dish out the extra $2.99, even after paying the $8.99 charge for the base game. If you like old-school beat ’em-ups and are subscribed to Netflix, also check out TNMT: Shredder’s Revenge.

Vampire Survivors

Price: Free

Our final pick for the best Android games of all time became an instant classic when it was released in 2022. It’s a top-down retro rogue-lite bullet hell game where you take your chosen character into a field of ever-spawning monsters. Your character automatically attacks, so you just need to use a joystick to move around and avoid dying (good luck). There are tons of characters and secrets to unlock, although be warned: each run can take 30 minutes or more, and you can’t save your progress.