The Google Play Store is loaded with some terrific titles — and some terrible ones. We’ve vetted all the options to bring you the best Android games around.
Happy New Year! With such a bountiful choice of great games for Android phones in the Google Play Store, how do you decide which Android apps to download this January? If you’re anything like us, you know only too well that feeling of download regret. But don’t worry — we’re here to make it a thing of the past with our handpicked list of the best Android games available. Most are free, some cost a few bucks, and many are great to play online with friends when you can’t get together in person — but all of them will keep you entertained at home or when you’re out and about. You’ll need internet connectivity for many of these games, but we’ve also gathered together some of the best Android games to play offline. There are many different kinds of games in the Play Store, so we’ve aimed to pick a good mix of categories, including first-person shooters (FPS), role-playing games (RPG), platformers, racing games, puzzlers, strategy games, and more. At least one game on this list should suit your new year’s gaming needs. If you’re looking for the best iPhone games, we’ve found those, too — but if you’re gaming on an Android tablet or Android phone, then you’re sure to find something to enjoy here. Make sure to check out these helpful guides: Best Android Apps, Best iPhone apps Part classic soccer game, part team management, Retro Goal’ s most charming aspect is its 16-bit-era-inspired graphics. With controls optimized for touchscreen, this game is a delight to play on your phone. Build your team with some savvy spending, upgrade your club, score goals, win matches, and celebrate! You can play the game’s first ten matches for free, after which it’ll cost you $1 to unlock the rest of the game — money well spent, we’d say. Google Play One of the most iconic RPGs of all time is a must-play on your Android phone. The mobile port of Square Enix’s Chrono Trigger is based on the Nintendo DS version, and though the touch controls aren’t the best, it’s still worth your time. Developed by the creators of Final Fantasy, Dragon Ball, and Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger is a time-traveling RPG that sees you play as the hero, Cronos, hurtling through time to save Marle, a young girl who has fallen into a rift created by a Telepod malfunction. The mobile version includes over 50 combos to take down enemies in battle, with higher resolution graphics and an updated soundtrack — and also features the Dimensional Vortex and Lost Sanctum dungeons. Google Play Love space? Love pushing buttons? Love confusion, and shouting at your friends? Spaceteam is the game for you! The premise is pretty simple: stop your ship from exploding and your team from meeting an untimely demise. You’ll be assigned a control panel with switches, buttons, dials, and slides, and you’ll have to follow time-sensitive instructions. So far, so easy, right? Wrong. The instructions are given only to your teammates, who then need to spout technobabble at you — also in a timely manner — to save the ship before time runs out! Spaceteam is for two to eight players and you can play with friends on Apple devices over Wi-Fi. It’s a lot of fun and strangely addictive, whether you’re playing with one friend or seven, and it’s totally free to play. Google Play Named as one of the best competitive Android games of the year by the Google Play Store, League of Legends: Wild Rift is a 5v5 MOBA where you team up with friends to take on the enemy. This game is free to play, and you can earn every champion without paying or watching ads. Speaking of champions, there are a wide range of them to suit your gameplay style, whether you prefer freezing your enemies with an ice arrow or hacking and slashing with a giant sword. There’s plenty of longevity in this game and you’ll quickly find it becomes a time sink as your team progresses — and it’s built for mobile too, so the controls feel great. Google Play The second game on our list is something a little silly that’s not to everyone’s tastes. The Procession to Calvary is a Monty Python-esque game that sees you adventure your way through a world consisting of Renaissance paintings. Yup, we told you it was a little silly. It’s actually an incredibly well-designed and fun little game, journeying through a beautifully detailed landscape as you hunt for the tyrant Heavenly Peter. Compete in a talent contest, assist an incompetent magician, hunt for treasure, and poke a man’s face on your journey — and try not to get the giggles. This game uses a point-and-click interface that makes it easy to play on your phone or tablet, and there’s a soothing classical soundtrack set against the backdrop of paintings by Botticelli, Michelangelo — oh, and though you’re equipped with a sword, murder is strictly optional. Google Play This relaxing pick-up-and-play puzzler actually presents you with a very serious mission: Find 200 cats that have become lost in time! Professor Edger’s cats accidentally activated his time machine, and now they’re lost in space and time. You’ll travel from Ancient Egypt to the present-day streets of New York City and even into the future as you hunt for these fluffy critters, solving riddles and puzzles to free them. There are six distinctive locations, each beautifully detailed, to explore, and relaxing music to listen to. If we have one criticism of Cats in Time it’s that you can only play the first two levels before paying to unlock the rest of the game. But it’s still an addictive and cute little puzzle game that’s well worth picking up. Google Play Pokémon Unite is a 5-on-5 team battle where you team up with friends and other players from around the world to see who can score the most points. Working together to beat the other team is key, and you can communicate with your team through quick chat messages, signals, and voice chat. Ensure your Pokémon are stylish and ready for battle in a variety of Holowear, then take on the other team in Unite Battles, where you can use Unite Moves, all-new Pokémon moves only available during these battles. As your skills improve, battle in ranked matches to top the leaderboard. Pokémon Unite is free to play and cross-platform, so you can play with friends on mobile or Switch. Google Play Night School Studios, the developers behind Oxenfree, was recently bought out by Netflix, with rumors of a sequel in the works. If you haven’t played the original yet, there’s no time like the present. This supernatural ’80s horror game has a cool synth-pop soundtrack and has rightfully been compared to Stranger Things. You play as Alex, who’s traveling to an overnight party on a spooky island with her stepbrother Jonas and friends. When they accidentally open a ghostly rift, Alex must deal with the terrifying creatures unleashed and solve the mysteries within. Every decision you make and every conversation you have changes your relationships and the story. This is a game for those who love story-driven gameplay, and it will stay with you long after the conclusion. Google Play Ticket to Earth gives you 20-plus hours of gameplay set in a colorful, comic-book-style world for $5. Part story-driven RPG, part turn-based strategy, part tile puzzle game, you play as a team of four different characters, each with their own abilities and passive skills. Battle your way through New Providence, a space colony on the brink of collapse, and enjoy fast and furious, turn-based combat. The gameplay is pretty challenging and takes place on a grid of colored tiles, where the color corresponds to your character’s ability. Plot your moves strategically, in straight lines or diagonally, and charge up abilities as you go for explosive battles. With over 120 unique missions and no in-app purchases, you won’t regret this purchase. Google Play Bridge Constructor Portal lets you unleash your inner engineer by merging the Portal and Bridge Constructor games. The bridge is a lie! Well, it’s not — it’s just not built yet. Your job as an employee in the Aperture Science test lab is to build bridges, ramp slides, and much more in 60 test chambers and help the Bendies reach their destination safely. Use a variety of Portal gadgets like repulsion gel and portals to bypass hazards and obstacles including acid pools, laser barriers, and more. The touchscreen controls can be a bit finicky, but once you get the hang of it Bridge Constructor Portal becomes quite addictive. Google Play Dead Trigger 2 is billed as a “nonstop FPS Action Zombie Shooter” game, and it’s one of the most popular zombie shooters in the Play Store, with over 110 million downloads. If you haven’t played it yet, there’s no time like the present. Hunt down the hordes of undead in 10 regions and across 33 different battlefields, and take them out with more than 70 types of weapons, from rifles, shotguns, and rocket launchers to machetes, chainsaws, and wrenches.
