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 to play games are getting better and better. To be honest, mobile has some reasonably impressive titles even now. 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. Also, the video above shows our list of the best Android games released in 2020 as well.
Looking for something new? Check these out:
Call of Duty: Mobile
Price: Free to play
Call of Duty: Mobile was our pick for the best Android game in 2019. We usually wait a while before adding a game, but Call of Duty: Mobile is so intensely popular with such a high rating that we added it more quickly than usual. 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. 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 hereor some general shooting games here if you want more options.
15 best Android games available
Call of Duty: Mobile
Price: Free to play
Call of Duty: Mobile was our pick for the best Android game in 2019. We usually wait a while before adding a game, but Call of Duty: Mobile is so intensely popular with such a high rating that we added it more quickly than usual. 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. 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 hereor some general shooting games here if you want more options.
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. It received wide critical acclaim upon its release for its impressive visuals and excellent game play. It looks and acts a bit like Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but nobody seems to really mind. The game does have a party system and you summon new characters through a gacha system similar to other gachas. However, the visual elements, game play mechanics, and the completely open world (complete with 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. Of course, there are other excellent gacha games here if you want to see more.
GRID Autosport
Price: $9.99
GRID Autosport launched in 2019 and immediately became one of the best racing games for Android. The Riptide GP and Asphalt franchises are also quite good, but GRID Autosport hits almost all of the check marks. It’s a premium game with no in-app purchases or advertising. 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. Our only real gripe is the lack of updates. You can find more great racing games (including the popular Asphalt series) here.
GRIS
Price: $4.99
GRIS is an adventure game with puzzle-platformer elements. This is one of those ones you know is good just by looking at it. The game follows Gris, a young girl lost in her own world while dealing with the painful experiences in her life. It doesn’t have anything like player death or anything like that. You simply explore the world, solve some puzzles, and enjoy. The game features almost no text and chooses instead to tell its story through visual elements instead. It’s an artsy game, but one of the best in its genre. You can find more outstanding adventure games here.
Legends of Runeterra
Price: Free to play
Legends of Runeterra is one of the newer Android games on this list. It’s an online battler similar in scope to games like Hearthstone. Players collect cards and heroes, then build decks from those cards and heroes. You then battle opponents online. The game removes as much of the randomness as it can and it leads to a good game play experience overall. The game includes 24 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.
Android games for folks who hate in-app purchases:
Levelhead
Price: $6.99
Levelhead is a new 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 speed running 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. It’s also free with Google Play Pass if you use that. This is easily the best in its class, but here are some other good platformers to try as well.
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 stuff, build stuff, beat up bad guys, and do pretty much 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.
Monument Valley 1 and 2
Price: $3.99 + $1.99 / $4.99
Monument Valley returns to the list with the release of Monument Valley 2. Both games are still very excellent. In fact, they both have virtually identical game play mechanics and graphics. The player adventures through Escher-style puzzles where levels are movable to complete the path using illusions. The premise is still charming and the Monument Valley franchise continues to stand as a couple of the best mobile games ever. The first one runs for $3.99 with an optional $1.99 in-app purchase for the Forgotten Shores DLC. The second game runs for $4.99 right now. You can play both games as part of the Google Play Pass if you subscribe to that. Here are some other great puzzle games as well if you want more options.
Nintendo games
Price: Free / Freemium / Varies
Nintendo has a decent 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 freemium 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 releases 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 of the 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 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. Thanksfully, the game gets frequent updates with new features. Some more recent features include an AR camera mode, new Pokemon, and a bunch of other neat stuff. Niantic also launched Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, a Harry Potter AR game with similar mechanics. The two games stand alone atop the best augmented reality games on mobile.
Even more games to check out:
PUBG Mobile
Price: Free to play
PUBG Mobile hit the ground running upon its releases. It already has over ten million downloads and nearly a million user reviews. Thankfully, it’s actually a very competent mobile FPS. It features simple, effective controls, decent graphics. and a simple premise. Basically, 100 people drop from a plane onto an island and duke it out until only one is left standing. The island is littered with gear, weapons, and vehicles along with a mechanic that lowers the play area over time to keep matches from lasting too long. Recent updates added new game modes as well as a free to play element. Fornite is another excellent option, but you have to jump through some hoops to install it.. Of course, here are some other satisfying battle royale options as well.
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 on 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. It’s preposterously adorable. 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. Fans of jRPG games have remakes of Final Fantasy 1-7 and 9, seven Dragon Quest games, Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition to play and they’re all really good. You have Heavenstrike Rivals, Final Fantasy Tactics: WotL for tactical RPGs, Secret of Mana for an action RPG, and the Deus Ex series for strategy shooter enthusiasts. Even their free to play efforts, such as Final Fantasy Brave Exvius and Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia are pretty good. Some recent titles from the studio (and its affiliates) include Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe, and Dragon Quest Tact. Square Enix is arguably the champion of its genre, but you can find more great RPGs here.
Stardew Valley
Price: $7.99
Stardew Valley is easily one of the best premium games from 2019 and one of the best 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 helps keep things simple, but the game has dozens 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. It’s also free if you subscribe to Google Play Pass. Stardew Valley sits atop its genre, but there are more good farming simulators here if you want to see more.
Price: $0.99-$4.99 each
The Room is a series of four puzzle games. It was the first franchise that did the puzzle genre really well on mobile. The latest game in The Room series is just as big of a hit as its predecessors and they remain among the best Android games. The Room is a series of escape puzzle games. Each room has bunch of mysterious objects. Your goal is to solve the puzzles and get out. You progress from room to room to find even more unique objects and solve their puzzles until you win the game. The latest one, The Room: Old Sins, includes cloud saving, Google Play Games achievements, and even a small exploration element. That sets it apart from the pure puzzle experience of the first three games. You can’t go wrong with any of these. They’re all very good. There are some other decent escape games here if you want to see more, but The Room is definitely the best one.
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