Monday 4 July 2016

20 Best Android Games

The 20 Best Android Games

Picture 1 of 23
Android used to play second fiddle to the iPhone when it comes to games, but not anymore. Whether it's an indie game or a AAA title, most of the best and most popular mobile games are on Google's platform. Whether you want to play a puzzle game, RPG, fighter or sports game, there are lots of great options on Android. Here's our favorite games.

Vainglory (Free)

Picture 2 of 23
Vainglory is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game in the vein of Dota 2 or League of Legends, only scaled down to make it playable on touch-screen mobile devices. Players take their pick from a roster of heroes and engage in three-on-three battles, leveling up their characters, training skills and buying equipment as they fight to control the battlefield and attempt to destroy the Vain, which sits at the core of the enemy base.

Lara Croft GO ($4.99)

Picture 3 of 23
Lara Croft GO reimagines the classic action platformer Tomb Raider as a turn-based puzzle board game. Guide Lara Croft through ancient ruins in search of forgotten treasures and to unravel the mystery behind the Queen of Venom. Numerous animations and audio effects provide a pulp adventure feel, all while retaining the GO series' challenging puzzle gameplay.

FIFA 16: Ultimate Team (Free)

Picture 4 of 23
EA's hit soccer game gets its annual refresh in FIFA 16: Ultimate Team, challenging players to build their dream team of the world's best soccer superstars. Focusing on the Ultimate Team mode, players start with a limited stable of players, and then earn points by playing matches. Those allow you to earn, collect and trade toward better and better players, with the official FIFA licensing bringing more than 10,000 players from more than 500 teams to collect. 

Need For Speed No Limits (Free)

Picture 5 of 23
Need For Speed: No Limits is a free racing game that delivers short, but intense races as you blast through an underground street racing circuit. Drifting, drafting and smart use of nitro are necessary to win, which earns you parts to modify your cars, or blueprints in order to unlock new machines. Being free to play, NFS: No Limits features a variety of in-game and premium currency systems, as well as a fuel system, though a variety of daily challenges allow players to earn premium currency without resorting to in-app purchases.

Dark Echo

Picture 6 of 23
Dark Echo sends you navigating a dark environment armed only with a sense of sound, seeking out the level's exit while evading hazards and enemies. Each step you take generates noise, represented on-screen by lines that radiate outward, bouncing off and 'illuminating' the map to a certain extent. Be careful though, as the noise you generate can also attract unwanted attention. It's simultaneously clever and nerve-wracking.

Prune ($3.99)

Picture 7 of 23
Prune is a relaxing, minimalist puzzle game that draws heavily from the Japanese art of bonsai. Players need to carefully cultivate a growing plant, deftly pruning stray branches and taking advantage of the environment and obstacles. If everything works out well your plant gets enough light, then you're rewarded with an elegant bonsai tree with fresh blossoms swaying in the wind. The game's stark, minimalist aesthetic is joy to behold.

Does Not Commute

Picture 8 of 23
Does Not Commute is a clever little action puzzle game about reckless drivers and time travel. Levels start out simple, with players driving cars from point A to B. With each car added, you are challenged to carefully avoid every previous car you've played, quickly amping up complexity while rewarding quick reflexes and careful planning. Each escalating traffic jam also comes with little snippets of each driver's personal life, to create a strange, ever-unfolding story to accompany your roadside mayhem.

PAC-MAN 256 (Free)

Picture 9 of 23
Coming from the same minds behind Crossy Road, PAC-MAN 256 gives the old game a modern, infinite runner spin for mobile devices. Players guide Pac-Man through a maze, munching through dots and power pellets while outrunning ghosts and "The Glitch", which slowly crawls up the infinite length of the maze. The good old power pellet makes its return, allowing you to take the fight to the ghosts, while new powerups like laser beams add new twists to familiar gameplay. Players earn points which can be used to unlock and improve powerups for their next game.

The Banner Saga ($4.99)

Picture 10 of 23
Stoic Studio's Viking-inspired epic The Banner Saga has made its way to mobile devices, delivering gorgeous art, fierce tactical battles and an intense RPG story. Lead a rag-tag band of farmers, townsfolk, warriors and mighty Varls as you flee against a marauding army of the monstrous Dredge. Along the way, explore a beautifully illustrated world of rolling hills, ancient monuments and ruined battlefields, all while managing your caravan's supplies and making choices that can change the fate of your journey, and perhaps even the world.

The World Ends With You ($17.99)

Picture 11 of 23
The World Ends With You: Solo Remix is a stylish and surprisingly dark Japanese RPG. It puts you in control of Neku, a boy trapped in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo and compelled to fight for his life in the Reaper's Game. Featuring frenetic touchscreen combat, an awesome soundtrack and a unique visual style, The World Ends With You Solo Remix is a first-rate gaming experience, with a correspondingly hefty price.

80 Days ($5.00)

Picture 12 of 23
Inkle Studios's latest piece of interactive fiction is the remarkable 80 Days, a steampunk adventure based on Jules Verne's classic "Around The World in 80 Days." As the loyal valet Passepartout, you accompany your master Phileas Fogg in his globe-trotting journey through an alternate Earth filled with automata, Artificers and airships. Players must race through the world's great cities, discovering new routes and stumbling across mysteries while exploring each city through a "choose your path" interface. Discover the fastest routes, balance your finances, pack the right luggage all while taking in the sights and sounds, and maybe, you just might win Fogg's epic wager and circumnavigate the world in 80 Days.

Hearthstone (Free)

Picture 13 of 23
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is that rarest of species: a fun, free and fair digital collectible card game. Players take on the role of the great heroes (and villains) of the Warcraft universe such as Thrall, Jaina Proudmoor or Gul'dan, engaging in epic duels and summoning allies and minions into the fray. Hearthstone features simple, easy-to-learn rules and cross-platform play between PC and mobile. The latest update adds support for playing on Android phones, which means you can say goodbye to even more productivity on the go.

Game of Thrones (Free, $20)

Picture 14 of 23
Enter the world of Westeros in Game of Thrones, the game. Players take control of the scions of House Forrester, minor bannermen of House Stark, as they get caught up in the great struggle for the throne of the Seven Kingdoms. Telltale Games' signature high-stakes, timed decision-making is particularly apt for the Game of Thrones episodic game. Players have to think on their feet as they make tough choices in the battlefield and within the murky politics of the court.

XCOM: Enemy Within ($9.99)

Picture 15 of 23
The mobile port of Firaxis' XCOM: Enemy Unknown was already excellent, and it gets better with standalone expansion Enemy Within. This new installment adds new wrinkles to XCOM's blend of tactical firefights, R&D and crisis management in the form of new training options for your troops, such as the cybernetic MEC Troopers and genetically manipulated fighters. The game also offers up a new enemy to fight in the form of the traitorous EXALT, a human faction attempting to exploit alien technology for its own nefarious ends.

Monument Valley ($3.99)

Picture 16 of 23
A game that draws inspiration from optical illusions and M.C. Escher prints, Monument Valley is a stylish puzzle game where players must guide the princess Ida through a series of surreal monuments and structures, all while trying to evade the strange crow people. Gameplay consists of players using touch controls to rotate the screen or manipulate the environment in order to guide Ida through a safe path, with players frequently having to navigate seemingly impossible optical illusions.

Trivia Crack (Free)

Picture 17 of 23
If you think you know it all, give Trivia Crack a spin. The hit mobile quiz game combines cute cartoon designs with a wide variety of trivia questions and a turn-based, head-to-head-system. Players may play against Facebook friends or random opponents, spinning the wheel to answer questions based on Sports, Science, History, Geography, Art or Entertainment in order to become the first to acquire six different characters and win the game. Trivia Crack gets tactical with power-ups that players can use to affect the game, as well as the ability to steal enemy characters by wagering your own.

Twofold Inc. ($3.99)

Picture 18 of 23
Twofold Inc. is the type of simple puzzle game that will have you hooked for hours on end. Players are presented with a series of squares of four different colors that can be shuffled and scrolled. When patterns arise, you swipe them away to fill the level’s quota. Shifting and swiping tiles quickly becomes addictive, especially while listening to the game’s meditative soundtrack.

Ridiculous Fishing ($2.99)

Picture 19 of 23
Ridiculous Fishing says it all in the title - it makes being a fisherman absolutely crazy. You play as Billy, a fisherman trying to catch the biggest fish in the sea. You can unlock crazy add-ons, like a hair-dryer, chain saw and bowling ball to help you go deeper and keep fish away. Players try to dodge fish on their way down, going as deep as they can into the ocean, and then catch all of the fish on their way up until they fly into the air, where you have to shoot them down. It’s an original title that is best experienced on a mobile device.

Mortal Kombat X (Free)

Picture 20 of 23
The mobile version of Mortal Kombat X doesn’t have all of the nuance that the violent brawler has on consoles, but it does have a ton of fan favorite characters like Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Sonya, as well as a bunch of new fighters taking each other on 3-on-3. Watch bones break with x-ray vision during brutal attacks and join factions to climb the leaderboards and earn new characters and prizes. The graphics are beautiful (and gory during the series’ trademark fatalities), which means you’re best off playing this game on a high-end phone.

Sage Solitaire (Free)

Picture 21 of 23
Solitaire is a classic, but it’s always felt a little cramped on phones. Sage Solitaire changes the formula up by adding elements of Poker and changing the design so it better fits smartphone screens. With several game modes, you can play for fun or (fake) money, and a single in-game purchase adds more ways to play.

Best Free Android Games

Picture 22 of 23

Don’t want to pay a dime? Check out our list of the 20 Best Free Android Games to download now.

20 Best Android Games

The 20 Best Android Games

Picture 1 of 23
Android used to play second fiddle to the iPhone when it comes to games, but not anymore. Whether it's an indie game or a AAA title, most of the best and most popular mobile games are on Google's platform. Whether you want to play a puzzle game, RPG, fighter or sports game, there are lots of great options on Android. Here's our favorite games.

Vainglory (Free)

Picture 2 of 23
Vainglory is a multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) game in the vein of Dota 2 or League of Legends, only scaled down to make it playable on touch-screen mobile devices. Players take their pick from a roster of heroes and engage in three-on-three battles, leveling up their characters, training skills and buying equipment as they fight to control the battlefield and attempt to destroy the Vain, which sits at the core of the enemy base.

Lara Croft GO ($4.99)

Picture 3 of 23
Lara Croft GO reimagines the classic action platformer Tomb Raider as a turn-based puzzle board game. Guide Lara Croft through ancient ruins in search of forgotten treasures and to unravel the mystery behind the Queen of Venom. Numerous animations and audio effects provide a pulp adventure feel, all while retaining the GO series' challenging puzzle gameplay.

FIFA 16: Ultimate Team (Free)

Picture 4 of 23
EA's hit soccer game gets its annual refresh in FIFA 16: Ultimate Team, challenging players to build their dream team of the world's best soccer superstars. Focusing on the Ultimate Team mode, players start with a limited stable of players, and then earn points by playing matches. Those allow you to earn, collect and trade toward better and better players, with the official FIFA licensing bringing more than 10,000 players from more than 500 teams to collect. 

Need For Speed No Limits (Free)

Picture 5 of 23
Need For Speed: No Limits is a free racing game that delivers short, but intense races as you blast through an underground street racing circuit. Drifting, drafting and smart use of nitro are necessary to win, which earns you parts to modify your cars, or blueprints in order to unlock new machines. Being free to play, NFS: No Limits features a variety of in-game and premium currency systems, as well as a fuel system, though a variety of daily challenges allow players to earn premium currency without resorting to in-app purchases.

Dark Echo

Picture 6 of 23
Dark Echo sends you navigating a dark environment armed only with a sense of sound, seeking out the level's exit while evading hazards and enemies. Each step you take generates noise, represented on-screen by lines that radiate outward, bouncing off and 'illuminating' the map to a certain extent. Be careful though, as the noise you generate can also attract unwanted attention. It's simultaneously clever and nerve-wracking.

Prune ($3.99)

Picture 7 of 23
Prune is a relaxing, minimalist puzzle game that draws heavily from the Japanese art of bonsai. Players need to carefully cultivate a growing plant, deftly pruning stray branches and taking advantage of the environment and obstacles. If everything works out well your plant gets enough light, then you're rewarded with an elegant bonsai tree with fresh blossoms swaying in the wind. The game's stark, minimalist aesthetic is joy to behold.

Does Not Commute

Picture 8 of 23
Does Not Commute is a clever little action puzzle game about reckless drivers and time travel. Levels start out simple, with players driving cars from point A to B. With each car added, you are challenged to carefully avoid every previous car you've played, quickly amping up complexity while rewarding quick reflexes and careful planning. Each escalating traffic jam also comes with little snippets of each driver's personal life, to create a strange, ever-unfolding story to accompany your roadside mayhem.

PAC-MAN 256 (Free)

Picture 9 of 23
Coming from the same minds behind Crossy Road, PAC-MAN 256 gives the old game a modern, infinite runner spin for mobile devices. Players guide Pac-Man through a maze, munching through dots and power pellets while outrunning ghosts and "The Glitch", which slowly crawls up the infinite length of the maze. The good old power pellet makes its return, allowing you to take the fight to the ghosts, while new powerups like laser beams add new twists to familiar gameplay. Players earn points which can be used to unlock and improve powerups for their next game.

The Banner Saga ($4.99)

Picture 10 of 23
Stoic Studio's Viking-inspired epic The Banner Saga has made its way to mobile devices, delivering gorgeous art, fierce tactical battles and an intense RPG story. Lead a rag-tag band of farmers, townsfolk, warriors and mighty Varls as you flee against a marauding army of the monstrous Dredge. Along the way, explore a beautifully illustrated world of rolling hills, ancient monuments and ruined battlefields, all while managing your caravan's supplies and making choices that can change the fate of your journey, and perhaps even the world.

The World Ends With You ($17.99)

Picture 11 of 23
The World Ends With You: Solo Remix is a stylish and surprisingly dark Japanese RPG. It puts you in control of Neku, a boy trapped in the Shinjuku district of Tokyo and compelled to fight for his life in the Reaper's Game. Featuring frenetic touchscreen combat, an awesome soundtrack and a unique visual style, The World Ends With You Solo Remix is a first-rate gaming experience, with a correspondingly hefty price.

80 Days ($5.00)

Picture 12 of 23
Inkle Studios's latest piece of interactive fiction is the remarkable 80 Days, a steampunk adventure based on Jules Verne's classic "Around The World in 80 Days." As the loyal valet Passepartout, you accompany your master Phileas Fogg in his globe-trotting journey through an alternate Earth filled with automata, Artificers and airships. Players must race through the world's great cities, discovering new routes and stumbling across mysteries while exploring each city through a "choose your path" interface. Discover the fastest routes, balance your finances, pack the right luggage all while taking in the sights and sounds, and maybe, you just might win Fogg's epic wager and circumnavigate the world in 80 Days.

Hearthstone (Free)

Picture 13 of 23
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is that rarest of species: a fun, free and fair digital collectible card game. Players take on the role of the great heroes (and villains) of the Warcraft universe such as Thrall, Jaina Proudmoor or Gul'dan, engaging in epic duels and summoning allies and minions into the fray. Hearthstone features simple, easy-to-learn rules and cross-platform play between PC and mobile. The latest update adds support for playing on Android phones, which means you can say goodbye to even more productivity on the go.

Game of Thrones (Free, $20)

Picture 14 of 23
Enter the world of Westeros in Game of Thrones, the game. Players take control of the scions of House Forrester, minor bannermen of House Stark, as they get caught up in the great struggle for the throne of the Seven Kingdoms. Telltale Games' signature high-stakes, timed decision-making is particularly apt for the Game of Thrones episodic game. Players have to think on their feet as they make tough choices in the battlefield and within the murky politics of the court.

XCOM: Enemy Within ($9.99)

Picture 15 of 23
The mobile port of Firaxis' XCOM: Enemy Unknown was already excellent, and it gets better with standalone expansion Enemy Within. This new installment adds new wrinkles to XCOM's blend of tactical firefights, R&D and crisis management in the form of new training options for your troops, such as the cybernetic MEC Troopers and genetically manipulated fighters. The game also offers up a new enemy to fight in the form of the traitorous EXALT, a human faction attempting to exploit alien technology for its own nefarious ends.

Monument Valley ($3.99)

Picture 16 of 23
A game that draws inspiration from optical illusions and M.C. Escher prints, Monument Valley is a stylish puzzle game where players must guide the princess Ida through a series of surreal monuments and structures, all while trying to evade the strange crow people. Gameplay consists of players using touch controls to rotate the screen or manipulate the environment in order to guide Ida through a safe path, with players frequently having to navigate seemingly impossible optical illusions.

Trivia Crack (Free)

Picture 17 of 23
If you think you know it all, give Trivia Crack a spin. The hit mobile quiz game combines cute cartoon designs with a wide variety of trivia questions and a turn-based, head-to-head-system. Players may play against Facebook friends or random opponents, spinning the wheel to answer questions based on Sports, Science, History, Geography, Art or Entertainment in order to become the first to acquire six different characters and win the game. Trivia Crack gets tactical with power-ups that players can use to affect the game, as well as the ability to steal enemy characters by wagering your own.

Twofold Inc. ($3.99)

Picture 18 of 23
Twofold Inc. is the type of simple puzzle game that will have you hooked for hours on end. Players are presented with a series of squares of four different colors that can be shuffled and scrolled. When patterns arise, you swipe them away to fill the level’s quota. Shifting and swiping tiles quickly becomes addictive, especially while listening to the game’s meditative soundtrack.

Ridiculous Fishing ($2.99)

Picture 19 of 23
Ridiculous Fishing says it all in the title - it makes being a fisherman absolutely crazy. You play as Billy, a fisherman trying to catch the biggest fish in the sea. You can unlock crazy add-ons, like a hair-dryer, chain saw and bowling ball to help you go deeper and keep fish away. Players try to dodge fish on their way down, going as deep as they can into the ocean, and then catch all of the fish on their way up until they fly into the air, where you have to shoot them down. It’s an original title that is best experienced on a mobile device.

Mortal Kombat X (Free)

Picture 20 of 23
The mobile version of Mortal Kombat X doesn’t have all of the nuance that the violent brawler has on consoles, but it does have a ton of fan favorite characters like Sub-Zero, Scorpion, Sonya, as well as a bunch of new fighters taking each other on 3-on-3. Watch bones break with x-ray vision during brutal attacks and join factions to climb the leaderboards and earn new characters and prizes. The graphics are beautiful (and gory during the series’ trademark fatalities), which means you’re best off playing this game on a high-end phone.

Sage Solitaire (Free)

Picture 21 of 23
Solitaire is a classic, but it’s always felt a little cramped on phones. Sage Solitaire changes the formula up by adding elements of Poker and changing the design so it better fits smartphone screens. With several game modes, you can play for fun or (fake) money, and a single in-game purchase adds more ways to play.

Best Free Android Games

Picture 22 of 23

Don’t want to pay a dime? Check out our list of the 20 Best Free Android Games to download now.