The very best Android games picked by our experts, including shooters, adventure games, arcade games and much more.
There are loads of great games available for Android, but how can you pick out the gems from the dross, and amazing touchscreen experiences from botched console ports? With our lists, that’s how! We cover the best titles on Android right now, including the finest racers, puzzlers, adventure games, arcade titles and more. We’ve tried these games out, and looked to see where the costs come in — there might be a free sticker added to some of these in the Google Play Store, but sometimes you’ll need an in app purchase (IAP) to get the real benefit — so we’ll make sure you know about that ahead of the download. Check back every other week for a new game, and click through to the following pages to see the best of the best divided into the genres that best represent what people are playing right now. (Free + IAP) Civilization VI isn’t some cut-down version of the famous PC turn-based strategy game. It is the famous PC turn-based strategy game, squeezed onto your Android device. This means effectively limitless empire building, from humble beginnings, through brutal battles, and eventually to a space race to the stars. If you’ve not played Civ before, this is a deep game. It’s reasonably accessible, but designed to eat into hours of your day as you figure out how to keep your citizens happy, research technologies, and give your enemies a thorough kicking. There’s also the thorny issue of it being extremely demanding in a hardware sense. However, if you’ve got a compatible device, the nimble fingers to deal with the complex interface, and the brainpower to conquer the world, you won’t find a better strategy title on mobile. Note: Civ VI is a turn-limited free download. Unlock the main game for $19.99/£19.99/AU$33.99. Other campaigns are available as separate in-app purchases. Our favorite Android top-down,3D and retro racers. ($5.99/£4.79/AU$8.99) Table Top Racing: World Tour is a high-speed racer that has you guide tiny cars around circuits made from comparatively massive household objects. It’s like the offspring of Micro Machines and Mario Kart. Races are extremely competitive, and find you fending off crazed opponents by way of cunning maneuvers and unsportsmanlike weapons, in a mad dash to the finish line. Although there are opportunities to upgrade your vehicle to better compete on tougher tracks, World Tour is devoid of IAP. Instead, it’s your skills that will see you take checkered flags – and end up with enough cash to buy swanky new cars. With simple but responsive controls, this Android game is a breath of fresh air on a platform where arcade racing is often as much about the depth of your wallet as your skills on the track. ($9.99/£9.99/AU$14.99) GRID Autosport is a racer, but also a challenge to Android gamers complaining they never get premium titles, and that freemium fare comes packed with ads and IAP. This is a full-on ad-free premium AAA hit, transferred intact to your phone (assuming your phone can run it – see the list on the game’s Google Play page). Even on PC and consoles, GRID Autosport was impressive stuff on its release. Five or so years on, it’s no less astonishing as a mobile title, as you blaze around 100 circuits, battling it out in a huge range of cars. This is, note, a simulation. It won’t go easy on you, or allow you to smash through walls at top speed and carry on as though nothing’s happened, but driving aids help you master what’s without a doubt the finest premium racing experience on Android.
