The compilers of various ratings receive information about which is the best game on Android from various sources. First of all, data on the number of downloads of a particular game is analyzed. Such data, as a rule, is freely available and development companies are happy to publish figures on the number of downloads on their own resources. Various surveys are also conducted among mobile device users.
Here are the top best games for Android based on data on downloads on Google Play, reviews from users and experts from gaming publications.
For the best Android games, choose a powerful Android phone from the Fly line of smartphones. It eliminates stuttering and freezing, and a large and high-quality display will allow you to appreciate the graphics in full.
The game PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, released in 2016 on PC and Xbox consoles, produced the effect of a bomb exploding. The multiplayer shooter sold millions of copies, gathered an army of fans and, in many ways, became a trendsetter for subsequent online shooting ranges.
Naturally, such a hit simply could not escape mobile platforms. And at the end of December 2017, PUBG was released on Android. Despite its mobility, the shooter retained the main feature of its main version: the Battle Royale combat system, designed for a simultaneous session for 100 players.
The principle of the game, on the one hand, is simple. The gamer is thrown onto the island, literally in his underpants and with bare fists. You need to quickly find weapons and armor and engage in a fierce firefight with your opponents. The game provides dozens of types of guns, vehicles and protection.
An application that has been consistently included in the “Best Android Games” rating according to various gaming publications for the last 4 years. Unlock new types of armored vehicles, gather a team of up to seven friends and think through the most ingenious tactics on the tank battlefields.
Game Features:
The game regularly hosts tournaments designed for team competition. However, if you are a supporter of the single-player mode, nothing prevents you from establishing sole dominance in the tank arena - it all depends on your cunning and ingenuity.
The third part of Heroes of Might and Magic is rightfully considered the best in the series, both on PC and in the mobile version, which, moreover, received a high-quality HD re-release. True, you won’t be able to play for free. For the opportunity to launch the legendary turn-based strategy on a smartphone, you will have to pay 790 rubles.
When switching to the mobile version, the game did not lose a single classic element. You also explore the map, build indestructible fortresses, upgrade your army, look for powerful artifacts and fight enemy armies.
One of the very best games on Android that combines RPG mechanics and strategy. Colorful graphics, a huge number of locations, hundreds of quests, complex tactical battles - Nival has done everything to make you immerse yourself in the fantasy world of the game on your smartphone.
As the game progresses, you will have to combine different types of troops. In one squad you can recruit magicians, pirates, elves, animals, necromancers, ancient dragons and many others. Each type of troops has its own strengths and weaknesses, which must be clearly taken into account on the battlefield.
For online lovers there is a PvP mode. However, before fighting with real players, we recommend thoroughly mastering all the game mechanics in a fight with artificial intelligence.
An example of a fight at the average difficulty level of the game, which we launched on a powerful smartphone Fly Power Plus XXL, can be seen in our video:
The list of the best Android games of 2017-2018 simply cannot do without the fascinating strategy about cartoon worms Worms 3. Compared to the PC original, the mobile version on Android has received a number of innovations:
Otherwise, it’s the same strategy beloved by millions of players with dark humor and killer weapons, like a deadly old woman, a homing pigeon, a holy spirit grenade or an exploding sheep.
If you are a fan of timeless classics, we recommend installing Sega Games on Android on your smartphone. In our article you will find reviews of mobile versions of 16-bit hits, as well as a link to the official Sega page in the Google Play store.
One of the best Android games of 2017-2018 offers users a rather unusual setting. You need to create a super virus and infect the whole world with it. Which, naturally, will resist fiercely. Humanity will respond to each new strain of the disease with an effective vaccine.
When creating a virus, it is necessary to take into account factors such as the population density of a particular country, climatic features, the level of development of healthcare, and even the innate immunity of individual population groups.
The game begins with a simple bacteria, which must be improved with experience points, which are calculated from the number of infected. Leveling up infections requires a serious amount of imagination. The player needs to think through the consequences of his actions several steps ahead.
If you want to improve your strategic thinking using a smartphone application, launch the game Monopoly for Android. In our article you will find reviews of the most popular mobile versions of the cult economic board, as well as download links.
The best free game on Android - this is the verdict of dozens of reputable gaming publications, such as Game Informer, Mashable, Slide to Play. Compared to the equally popular first part, Plants vs. Zombies 2 has received significant improvements: new types of plants and zombies have been added, the number of levels has increased to 300, and fierce battles take place in a variety of worlds - 11 worlds.
With each new level, the number and strength of zombies grows, so the player is required to instantly make decisions on how to place green fighters, what upgrade to buy, and which fighter to strengthen.
The best Android games of 2018 from the Polish studio Amanita Design are always a dashing mixture of surrealism, strange humor, multi-layered plot and tricky puzzles. In Machinarium you play as the little robot Joseph, who was abandoned by his enemies near the city of Machinarium. The goal of the game is to return home and get even with the offenders.
The world of Machinarium is filled with funny and sometimes creepy inhabitants, which an unknown creator assembled from scrap metal, screws, nuts and gears. You can talk to almost anyone, learn a personal story, and complete a task based on it.
The game genre is classic point-and-click. To solve a puzzle you need to find the necessary items in your inventory or environment, understand how they interact and collect them in a certain sequence. In addition, you need to constantly press buttons, pull levers, delve into mechanisms - in general, it is extremely difficult to get bored in the Machinarium.
With each new installment, the popular series of first-person shooters Modern Combat is getting closer to the level of PC games in terms of gameplay, graphics and voice acting. From the first minutes, the “Five” is absorbed in hurricane firefights, on the streets of virtual cities using a wide variety of weapons.
The game features both a single-player campaign mode and multiplayer online battles.
Game Features:
If you want to take a little break from crazy shooting and explosions, install games with realistic physics on your smartphone. Calm, measured, and at the same time clever puzzles will help develop logical thinking, concentration and attentiveness.
Almost 7 million downloads clearly confirm that Sniper 3D Assassin is one of the best sniper shooter games for Android. The player must complete more than a hundred tasks around the globe, discover new types of weapons - and all this is absolutely free and without an Internet connection. However, from time to time, the game needs to be given access to the Internet in order to download updates, which are released quite regularly.
An example of the game can be seen in this video:
Every year the quality of mobile games is steadily growing, because modern gaming phones are becoming real portable consoles for the coolest shooters, racing and strategies.
Often, in terms of the quality of plot development, detail, and thoughtfulness of game mechanics, mobile games are not inferior to their older brothers on PC. It is not surprising that many studios, when creating cross-platform games, also pay attention to mobile versions.
By the way, over the last 2-3 years, public gameplays have become increasingly popular, when a player broadcasts the passage of a game on YouTube or Twitch. If you decide to become a cool game blogger, check out our instructions on how to set up.
With the advent of powerful mobile devices, the gaming industry has significantly expanded its scope. Today, most of those who have never been fans of computer games play on their Android mobile device. The vast population of “mobile gamers” also includes a fair number of children. This can be explained quite simply – your mobile device is always at hand. If you work, then during the break you can have fun and relax. If you are waiting in line at a hospital or housing office, traveling on a minibus or subway, or just want to relax for a few minutes, then your smartphone will be your best assistant. Just download new games for Android and plunge into the world of entertainment.
There can be no talk of competition between mobile games and computer and console games. Most of these games require attention and immersion for a long time, Android applications are quite the opposite - they will not take up much of your time and will not force you to delve into every little detail. As a result of their popularity, mobile games have spawned several gaming genres, some of which are unique and never existed before. We have identified several of the broadest game genres for Android games, a description of which can be found below.
Games of this kind usually have simple and primitive gameplay that does not require the player to have a deep understanding of everything that is happening. The main goal of a mobile arcade is to kill time and entertain the user.
The following subgenres should be considered arcade games:
Games in which the main character or car constantly moves in one direction, usually from left to right or from bottom to top, dodging obstacles and destroying flying enemies. It would seem that such entertainment should have remained in the days of slot machines, but today among the new games for Android there are several great scrollers, for example, “Sky Force 2014”.
Games in this genre are mostly two-dimensional. They got this name because the main character moves through so-called blocks, be they pieces of land in the sky, a multi-story building with many rooms, or something else. The brightest representative of this genre is a series of games about a plumber named Mario.
In such applications, the main character simply runs/flies/drives forward, and all that is required of the player is to overcome obstacles and collect various kinds of bonuses and currency. Previously, runners were almost never practiced on other devices and can be considered exclusive to smartphones and tablets. The top three hit runners include: “Subway Surfers”, “Temple Run” and “Ski Safari”.
Applications in which the player has to use swipes as controls, that is, quickly swipe a finger in a certain direction to perform some action. A typical slasher film is Ninja Fruit.
On mobile devices, arcade games are often fights (fighting games), as well as shooters and racing games. However, the last two types of games are so broad that we distinguish them as independent genres.
Everyone knows what racing is. The player's task is to be the first to reach the finish line, beating all opponents on the track. Despite such a simple formulation, this genre still had a long development, which at the present stage has given us many opportunities. Today, in a mobile race, you will not only be able to fly off the ramps, use the nitrous oxide system and go into drifts, but also install new parts on your car: spoilers, mirrors, bumpers, hoods, wheels, engines, gearboxes and any other hardware. There is also an aesthetic component - painting every part and gluing various vinyls, which will make your car unique. Also today, multiplayer is already well developed, which allows players from different parts of the world to compete, participate in championships, be in ratings and earn in-game currency.
Leading representatives of the genre: the Asphalt and Need for Speed game series.
As mentioned earlier, racing games for Android are often arcade-style, that is, they have simplified, unrealistic controls and physics. However, there are also truly complex, realistic races that belong to the genre of car simulators and require the player to persevere, strength and patience to hone his driving skills.
However, racing (and other new games on Android) is not only about cars and dusty roads, a colorful third-person view behind the car. For starters, they can be two-dimensional or from a bird's eye view (“Reckless Getaway”), but there are also non-car competitions, such as water or even futuristic ones. The latter include two amazing, new Android games - “Riptide GP2” and “Repulze”.
A genre of Android games, the definition of which is rather vague. It includes all applications that require the player to be attentive, have a good reaction, and be able to quickly assess what is happening and make the right tactical decision. The gameplay of such games is dynamic and spectacular. First of all, the action genre is usually referred to as shooters. These types of games invite the user to use firearms and other weapons to destroy opponents and hit other targets. Shooters come in both 3D and 2D. Speaking about the best shooters for Android platforms, we should mention the “Modern Combat”, “N.O.V.A” and “DEAD TRIGGER” series.
Action games also include various types of hunts (“DEER HUNTER” and “DINO HUNTER”) and shooting galleries (“CONTRACT KILLER: ZOMBIES”).
There are discussions about the ease of control in such games, since without a computer mouse or console gamepad, it is not so easy to conveniently control a three-dimensional shooter. You can be sure that this problem will be solved in the near future, but for now you need to either buy an external controller for your smartphone, or just get the hang of the current controls.
In strategy, the player has to think carefully before making his move. In games of this genre, strategic and tactical thinking, excellent planning skills and the ability to cover the entire gaming infrastructure are worth their weight in gold. Initially, this genre was represented by various kinds of war games, in which the player’s main task is to destroy the enemy, his troops and settlements. To do this, you usually need to build various buildings that have one or another function, be it supplying wood to warehouses or hiring elite types of troops. Next, we form, develop and train our army in order to subsequently send it to enemy territory (“Empire: Four Kingdoms” or “Clash of Clans”). A well-known and at the same time the most ancient strategy is chess, which, by the way, also belongs to the puzzle genre.
But mobile strategies for the most part differ from computer ones for the reason that they require less time from the player. Therefore, in addition to the usual strategies that were mentioned earlier, there are also tactical and economic ones. The former do not bother the player and allow you to think carefully about decisions before making them (“Age of Civilizations”), the latter are not at all related to military affairs. Economic strategies often provide the player with a city, a network of establishments, or a single enterprise, which must be developed by making the right economic decisions: the level of taxes, the purchase of new buildings/items, and other tasks. Recently, economic strategies have been formed mostly from followers of the game “Farm Frenzy” and its similarities.
Strategies also include a large variety of card games that require the same tactical and strategic qualities from the player (“Magic” or “Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft”).
Two other popular subgenres that the Warcraft mod brought to us are Tower Defense and Tower Offense. As the name implies, the player will have to either build and improve towers to protect something, or produce and train an army to attack enemy towers and other fortifications. The best strategies for Android devices in this genre are “Kingdom Rush”, “Bloons TD 5” or the “Anomaly” series.
In general, strategies are divided into turn-based and RTS (real-time). If in the first case you have the opportunity to calmly and thoughtfully perform a limited number of actions before making a move, then in the second case you must be ahead of time, instantly make strategic decisions and try to overtake your opponent in development as quickly as possible.
Not the most popular genre among Android games, as it requires the player to immerse himself in the game world. In a role-playing game, the player plays the role of one, sometimes several characters, each of which has its own set of characteristics, skills and abilities. The player's task is to explore the game world (usually a fantasy one), develop abilities and improve the characteristics of the main character, improve his weapons and armor, as well as buy various auxiliary items, and follow the storyline. For convenience, most mobile role-playing games are made in 3D graphics with a third-person view, usually from a bird's eye view. Among the excellent RPG games for Android are the famous series “Dungeon Hunter”, “Kritika”, “Iron Knights”, “Rise of Darkness” and even the not typical “Angry Birds Epic”.
There are also an excellent number of Android role-playing games that have been ported from computers and consoles, including Baldur's Gate, The Banner Saga, Shadowrun or The Bard's Tale.
Role-playing games include adventure non-dynamic text quests, in which the player, following the storyline represented by the main character, must complete various tasks, reveal secrets and find objects, as happens in the Android games “Syberia”, “House of 1000 Doors” or "Lost souls".
A game genre that requires perseverance and intense mental activity from the player. Puzzles come in many different types, but their goal is the same - to make the player “rack” his head. For mobile devices, the most acceptable type of puzzle gameplay is Tetris and tag or their similarities: “1010!”, “Dots”, “Move”, “Don’t tap the white tile” or “2048”. In games of this kind, we have a field with several elements that interact in one way or another. The convenience of such puzzles is that they do not require much time from the player, and also allow you to compete with friends, comparing the number of points scored.
Not least among the puzzles are various board games, which gradually migrated from cardboard boards and paper to the screens of Android devices. Here, of course, there are chess and checkers, backgammon and crossword puzzles, a sea battle, a field of miracles, a millionaire and even origami (“Paperama”).
Other more colorful puzzles are based on the laws of physics or their own in-game laws, following which you must complete the task. These puzzles include Swampy the Crocodile, Cut the Rope, Amazing Alex, Where's Perry? and "Trip-Trap". You should calculate the behavior of certain game objects, prepare all the conditions to achieve the final result, and then begin the execution process, periodically adjusting it.
There are also completely atypical puzzles in which the player will have to adapt to what is happening on the screen in such a way as to complete a certain task. For example, in the magnificent puzzle “The Room” you open a box, in “100 Doors” you open the corresponding number of doors, or in “World of Goo” you build bridges from living sticky balls.
Games of this genre offer the player to feel like a specialist in a certain real-life field. Here you can build bridges, sculpt clay pots, manage your own construction company or a large-scale realistic farm, and also fish. All of the above is respectively presented in the following Android games: “Bridge Constructor”, “Let’s Create! Pottery", "Construction Simulator 2014", "Farming Simulator" and "Carp Fishing Simulator".
It is also convenient to classify sports games as simulators, which are actually simulations of real sports and team games. Mobile platforms will allow you to play real football, basketball, tennis, billiards, bowling and even skateboarding or snowboarding.
In fact, all the genres described above are quite arbitrary, and any mobile game can have elements of three or four different genres. A similar layout of applications in the gaming industry is made to make it more convenient to find the desired game both on store shelves and in online catalogs.
The past 2016 was significant for grandiose breakthroughs in the mobile gaming industry, the number of which forced us to expand the list of the best Android games of the year from the original 10 to 21. We present to your attention real masterpieces that should be allocated a separate place on the memory card of your device and run from time to time throughout 2017. In 12 months we have seen a lot of innovation, excitement, crazy experiments and breakthroughs in graphics and animation. Now we can say with confidence that in the New Year the quality of mobile games will be comparable to console games.
The best of the Google Play Store in one useful, dangerously downloadable list.
To be honest, the Google Play Store can leave you confused. All these ratings, lists and tempting icons that just scream: “Spend real money on us!” But what are some of the best Android games you can play right now? Good news: Almost all the games have made their way to Android at the same time as iPhone, so you definitely won't miss out on anything big or an indie gem.
This list is a complete mix of free games - with in-app purchases mentioned as appropriate - and paid apps that deserve your attention and likes. So, from basement simulators to cat lovers and deep adventure games, here are the best Android games to get your screen dirty.
Genre: Match three + RPG Match three meets RPG
Google PlayIf you want to build a boat, go ahead. You Must Build a Boat puts you on a tiny boat with a skeleton and a zombie as your crew - but sooner or later, you get to captain your own cruise ship. Like 10000000, it's a fast-paced match-3 puzzle game where you have to match entire rows and columns instead of individual squares.
But you don't have much time as your explorer plows his way through a simple 2D dungeon at the top of the screen; you will have to put together combos with superhuman strength to help him resist the huge variety of monsters (which you will one day be able to recruit into your team). Don't worry, you won't want to walk on the plank.
Genre: Adventures
Google PlayWe've previously rated Machinarium highly, even calling it one of the best steampunk games ever released, and we still stand by our previous recommendations. In addition to an interactive and slick touch interface that makes the point-and-click system work flawlessly, the dirty and brutal world of Machinarium gives you an immediate sense of place.
Just one look at this rough but beautiful world, and you begin to sympathize with the little robot hero, lost in this wasteland and searching for his beloved robot girl. This is one of those games that completely engages you and makes you want to put on a top hat with bells and whistles. Incredible work by Amanita Designs. And yes, you will be very, very drawn in.
Genre: Action
Google PlayOn paper, Super Hexagon sounds simple enough: your goal is to safely guide your cursor through a tunnel of different shapes (like hexagons, for example). Each figure has a gap somewhere, and by placing the cursor in it, you successfully avoid instant destruction, without any problems continuing to enjoy the fiery techno soundtrack. But, almost immediately, everything goes off the rails. The screen begins to shake, colors change, and figures fly towards you faster and faster. This is definitely a “just one more time” game, so be careful.
Genre: Tower defense | Price
Google PlayThere have been countless sequels, clones, and even a first-person shooter, but PopCap's original tower defense game is as pure and perfect as ever. If you've been stuck in the dark for the past 10 years, let us enlighten you. The zombie apocalypse has arrived, and there is nothing that can protect us from the clattering jaws of the dead, except... garden shoots. That's right: the only thing that protects your brain from being eaten are flowers and edible plants.
It all starts with an ordinary barricade on the courtyard in front of the house, but then the Pea Shooters and Sunflowers become an invincible force, guarded by the Wall Nuts. Little watchtowers fire flaming beams, and destructive melons knock the heads off those hungry for brains. The dead don't stand a chance.
Genre: Adventures
Google PlayFirst of all, it doesn't look anything like Pokémon Go. Without a yellow electric mouse nearby, Lara Croft GO is a colorful adventure where you will have to conquer disastrous ruins in search of ancient artifacts. Unlike 3D adventures, Lara's controls focus on simple movements as you navigate your way through traps and other deadly hazards.
With beautiful designs, plenty of enemies to defeat, cliffs to climb and bridges to cross, Lara Croft Go is the perfect portable Tomb Raider. It's nice to see famous lines in the Google Store, because this is a much more pleasant way to kill time on public transport.
Genre: Simulator | Price: Free (in-app purchases)
Google PlayIf all you've wanted in life is a cat living in a little pancake-shaped igloo, but couldn't have one due to room restrictions or someone else's allergies, then it looks like you're looking at your new favorite game. Well, calling it a game is a bit of a stretch, but if you want to open your phone and see a couple of adorable felines playing with trinkets, then Neko Atsume is perfect for you
Special cats can be lured into your garden (it can be expanded), and you can even design it to your liking. Oh yes, you can take photos of your favorite furbabies in adorable poses. This is the exact opposite of standing barefoot in a cat puddle first thing in the morning.
Genre: Construction/survival
Google PlayNot that the game isn't already perfect, but the Minecraft Better Together update now means that no matter what you play this blocky joy on, you can play with exactly who you want. In an incredible step forward for the game, Android users can build on iPhone or even Windows 10. As always, Minecraft is intuitive, and, in a good way, endless.
Whether you want to play with a friend and build a huge fort with your own hands, or recreate the entire Middle-earth from The Lord of the Rings, the choice is perfectly yours. Crafting, building, surviving - it's still here, and better than ever before. So let's get on with the game.
Genre: Card game | Price: Free (in-app purchases)
Google PlayIn short, Hearthstone is what happens when Blizzard makes card games. Fast learning, but hard improvement in Hearthstone mastery are its main features. You have heroes from Warcraft, and you need to fight with sophisticated strategists.
Spells, creatures, weapons, bonuses, tavern swearing... you'll fall down the Hearthstone Rabbit Hole before you can blink. There's a reason why the card game has taken the eSports world by storm. Good luck, and remember us when you take part in the championship.
Genre: Simulator | Price: Free (in-app purchases)
Google PlayThe app has been met with serious suspicion, as it's not the Animal Crossing on Switch that everyone wanted (and deserved), but Pocket Camp is a surprisingly enjoyable part of the fun. Fishing, bug hunting, fruit gathering, and even decorating your own van are great ways to relax and kill time while we don't have a chance to play a full game on the console.
Everything is smooth, there are no constant reminders about the necessary financial investments, and you can visit your friends’ camps. No, I didn’t leave you an operating table and a gasoline can just like that...
Genre: Adventures
Google PlayWould you be a good queen? Fair? Or an impossible tyrant whose sacred duty is to bend the will of her subjects to her corrupt power? It's time to find out. If you haven't tried Reigns - the equivalent of a king - imagine Tinder combined with a stylish text-based adventure game. You'll have to swipe left and right on the screen to make decisions within your reign.
Icons at the top of the screen will constantly remind you of your relationship with the church, the army and the common people. Don't forget to keep an eye on this, because everything can change dramatically from the people's favorite to the one who needs to be strangled...
Genre: Augmented Reality Adventure | Price: Free (in-app purchases)
Google PlayIt's impossible to resist the pull of Pokémon Go. What if Pokémon were hiding in the real world and all you had to do was go outside and find them? Hellishly popular (to put it mildly) after the initial release, the game offered to find three generations of Pokemon in the wild. Even the weather affects who you'll run into as you wander around the map.
Gym battles, raids, upgrades, and special evolution items are already waiting for you, making the Niantic app a drug of choice for those who want to earnestly find them all. Plus, this is the best excuse for you to go shopping.
Genre: Puzzle | Price: Free (in-app purchases)
Google PlayEssentially simple, the Alphabear offers a lot of nice features in a very clean, adorable package. Letters gradually appear on the playing field, but each of them has its own lifetime - if you do not use it before the timer expires, it turns into stone and blocks your path to very large bonuses.
Play against the clock to give your brain a quick workout, or fire up the big board to give yourself a challenge or two and achieve divine results that will help you free the rare teddy bear. Oh, and did I not mention the part where you collect extremely cute little bears that increase your stats and give you bonuses? Yes. You do this too.
Genre: Adventure | Price: Free (in-app purchases after first episode)
Google PlayNow that this episodic game is available on all platforms, it was quite difficult to choose the best one from the entire series. However, it’s impossible to argue that 2KGames’ fresh take on Borderlands is simply pleasing.
Although it has the traditional episodic engine features of scrolling, conversation memorization, Tales from the Borderlands shines with its love of the franchise in a touching and hilarious way. Price ria, from which a truly captivating story emerged. There are even random weapons and loot that really make you feel like you're in Borderlands. If you've never been to Pandora before, it's definitely worth it.
Genre: Puzzle
Google PlayCan numbers be so touching? Turning over Genre Match 3 on its head, Threes!, fortunately requires a little more cleverness than simply matching by color. Although you have to swipe the screen frequently, only some threes can be controlled by doubling threes, sixes and 24s along the “walls” of the screen.
You'll have to think about the entire board, because one sudden move can turn the board into a sea of despair, instead of assembling magnificent trios. And, of course, after this game it is possible to humanize the numbers. Ohhh, just look at this six!
Genre: Simulator | Price: Free (in-app purchases)
Google PlayWhen it comes to consuming all your time, Nimblebit LLC is dangerous in a good way. Pocket Planes, Pocket Trains and Tiny Tower are perfectly pixelated simulators designed for those who want to feel like a 16-bit God. The most original and best, Tiny Tower, invites you to build apartments and all kinds of living quarters and shops for Bitizens.
Each of them has an ideal job where they are most productive. You can even change their clothes so they match and you know where everyone is. Between that and the constant changing of store and restaurant names with the best puns you can think of, Tiny Tower offers hours of fun without forcing you to make heartbreaking purchases.
Genre: Simulator | Price: Free (in-app purchases)
Google PlayThe release of this application may have been a surprise at E3 2015 - at the time it was part of a teaser for Fallout 4 - but it became much more than a simple stand-alone product. Not only do you manage a shelter of up to 100 people, give them jobs and provide them with water and food, you can send your best soldiers on missions in the Wasteland.
Pets, weapon crafting, VATS, armor and skill upgrades all add up nicely to running a perfectly functioning shelter. Every day the end of the world looks more and more attractive. Who needs vitamin D anyway?
Genre: Adventures
Google PlayDo you like the 80s, teenagers talking about abstruse topics, and mysterious islands where parallel realities can really exist? Then this atmospheric adventure game is just right for your mystical side. A group of teenagers encounter an eerie supernatural surprise while away for the weekend.
Complete with an incredible, moody synth soundtrack, Oxenfree is filled with great dialogue, memorable characters, and different ways to unfold the action as you progress. Maybe everyone will leave this island tomorrow? Buddy, it's up to you.
Anyone who's seen Alien knows that exploring space isn't all that relaxing. Even if you're not having lunch with someone who's about to explode and shower you with milk and porridge, don't expect to go zen. And then Rymdkapsel comes along, and somehow even fighting off alien invaders becomes peaceful as you manage a population of Tic-Tacs and they in turn explore the emerging monoliths across the vast expanse of the galaxy.
You'll have to grow plants, cook in the kitchen, manage a weapons warehouse, and even stock up on a growing space station with its own Tetris-like design. And all this against the backdrop of an incredibly soothing electronic soundtrack. It's time to learn the true meaning of the words "strategy for meditation."
Genre: Adventure
Google PlaySure, a whirlwind adventure around the globe sounds very romantic, but someone actually has to plan it all. In the case of 80 Days, you play as Passepartout, the servant of the extremely dissatisfied Philes Fogg.
Great visualization and refreshing Price ry accompany you as you search for the best routes around the world, coupled with the simultaneous control of funds and attempts not to lose your luggage. You choose your path yourself, as do everything you will encounter along the way. Fogg may have made it all up, but that doesn't mean you can't have fun without him.
Genre: Puzzle
Google PlayIf you thought you could create a better tube than Transport for London, now is your time to invest in what should be a crowded station. Mini Metro is a magnificently minimalist exercise, an almost divine simulator of a simple passenger. Stations pop up on the screen, and all you have to do is connect them to each other so that the movement continues.
Of course, in reality everything is not so simple. Reproduced real cities have rivers that need bridges and tunnels, trains need new cars, and stations need upgrades to become a hub for public transportation. Don't worry, when you can't cope with stress, you can go into zen mode.
Genre: Action | Price: Free (in-app purchases)
Google PlayHow can endless running be so good? One finger games shouldn't be this good, not to mention addictive. Your battery will become a serious concern as you join Alto on his chilling journey through endless slopes and daunting chasms.
Get the hang of the one-button controls and it won't be long before you'll be bouncing around villages, spinning around flags and making daring turns as you strive to complete seemingly endless objectives. Add to this the evenly generated weather and the day/night cycle, and you will always feel something fresh and new whenever you load up this game. Just don't forget about the llamas.
Genre: Puzzle | Price: Free (with in-app purchases)
Google PlayIt may be clear from the title, but this adorable puzzle all revolves around the number 3. Three pieces of grass make a bush, three bushes make a tree, three trees make a red house, and everything only gets bigger once you start building city on a small map. Oh yeah, you'll have to avoid bears at the same time.
Triple Town has a beautiful simplicity to it, and careful planning will allow you to create sophisticated towns filled with happy-go-lucky people chatting nonchalantly. Plus, while some free-to-play games are a pain in the ass, you can invest some cash to get access to unlimited moves and modifications if you like Triple Town.
Genre: Hidden objects
Google PlayIf you grew up reading Where's Wally? (or "Waldo" in the US), you know exactly what to expect at Hidden Folks. This is a minimalist, monochrome version of Wally's adventures, and you'll have to be very careful to uncover all the hidden toons scattered throughout each level. Here you can click on everything and open it.
You can roll up tents, shake trees so that bananas fall and reveal what is hidden under the leaves. And with all those charming sounds like hand-recorded exclamations, this one-man indie project can keep you busy for hours and bring a lot of joy.
Genre: Puzzle
Google PlayIf somehow Journey and MC Escher had a gaming child, it would definitely be Monument Valley. Just let's not think about how this happened from a biological point of view. While simple at first (your silent hero, Ro, navigates through staircases and impossible rooms), Monument Valley 2 has the ability to turn your sense of perspective on its head.
The fact that a beautiful story takes place in such an incredible world also elevates Monument Valley 2 to another level of mobile gaming. Honestly, you'll be better off for it. Just don't expect to know for sure when to stop. Plus, if you haven't played it before, the first part is just as amazing.
Genre: Puzzle
Google PlayOne of the best things about the Room games is that there are now 4 of them. The Room, The Room Two, The Room Three and The Room: Old Sins from Fireproof Games are all wonderfully theatrical and provide a lot of almost touching pleasure. Frightening darkness and an eerie atmosphere in which you find hidden keys, manipulate confusing objects and explore entire mysterious rooms full of puzzles to tease your brain. All this makes The Room series nothing less than a real spectacle.
Everything is in its place. Nothing is by chance. And yes, you will feel hilariously smart when you solve all the puzzles.
