Review On 25 Best Andriod Games
- You Must Build a Boat
Genre: Match three meets RPG
Price: £2.39/$2.99
If you're going to build a boat, you may as well go all out. You Must Build a Boat starts you out in a dinky dinghy with only a skeleton and a zombie as your crewmates - but eventually, you'll be the captain of your own magnificent cruiser. Like original game 10000000 before it, this is a fast-paced match three puzzler that has you shifting entire rows and columns instead of individual tiles. But you don't have all day, because your explorer is plowing through a simplistic 2D dungeon at the top of the screen; you'll have to fiendishly line up combos to help him persevere against a wide variety of monsters (which you can eventually recruit to your ship's crew). Don’t worry, you won’t want to walk the plank.
- Machinarium
Genre: Adventure
Price: £3.99/$4.99
We've given Machinarium high praise in the past, even calling it one of the best steampunk games ever, and we stand by those commendations. In addition to a responsive and smooth touch interface that makes its point-and-click setup work flawlessly, Machinarium's grungy and unforgiving world gives you an immediate sense of place. Just by looking at this harsh yet beautiful environment, you feel for its little robot protagonist, lost in this wasteland and searching for his lady-robot love. This is the sort of game that pulls you in and makes you want to don your gear-trimmed top hat. Incredible work from Amanita Designs. Also, you will get very, very stuck.
- Super Hexagon
Genre: Action
Price: £2.39/$2.99
On paper, Super Hexagon sounds simple enough: your goal is to safely navigate your cursor through a tunnel of shapes (such as, oh I dunno, hexagons). Each shape has a gap in it somewhere, and by moving your cursor into that gap, you'll successfully avoid being instantly annihilated, free to continue enjoying the rockin' techno soundtrack. But things start flying off the rails almost instantly. The screen shifts and tilts all over the place, colors change erratically, and the shapes start flying at you faster and faster. It’s ‘one more go’ on crack. Beware.
- Plants Vs Zombies
Genre: Tower defence
Price: Free (in-app purchases)
It’s spawned endless sequels, clones and even a first person shooter but the original PopCap tower defence game is still as pure and perfect as it comes. If you’ve been in a undead proof vault for the last ten years, let us enlighten you. The zombie apocalypse is upon us, and there's nothing to defend us from the gnashing teeth of undead jaws except... garden vegetation. That's right: the only thing protecting you from getting your brains munched on are flowers and food plants. What begins with a front yard barricade of Peashooters and Sunflowers becomes an impenetrable force - one that's guarded by giant Wall-nuts as your flora turrets launch flaming projectiles and devastating melons knock the heads from those hungry for brains. The undead don’t stand a chance.
- Lara Croft GO
Genre: Adventure
Price: 99p/$0.99
First off, no this is nothing like Pokémon Go. Without a yellow electric mouse in sight, Lara Croft GO is a beautiful adventure where you must brave perilous ruins to hunt down ancient artefacts. Unlike her 3D adventures though, Lara’s GO controls are all about swiping to move as you make your way through turn based traps and other death-defying risks. Beautifully designed and complete with slews of enemies to take down as well as cliffs to climb and bridges to brave, Lara Croft GO is the perfect portable Tomb Raider experience. While it’s nice to see the originals on the Google Play Store, this is a far more enjoyable way to pass some time on your public transport mode of choice.
- Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector
Genre: Sim
Price: Free (in-app purchases)
If all you’ve wanted your entire life is a cat that lives in a tiny igloo that looks like a pancake but can’t have one because of flat restrictions or an allergic other half, oh look it’s your new favourite game. Well, game is a loose term for this but if you want to open your phone to find a range of adorable felines playing with toys then Neko Atsume is the perfect cat replacement. Special cats can be enticed to your (extendable) garden and you can even have different designs of living areas to match your aesthetic. Oh, and yes you can even take pictures of your favourite furry friends in adorable positions. It’s basically the opposite of standing in cold cat sick with bare feet first thing in the morning.
- Minecraft
Genre: Building/Survival
Price: £6.99/$6.99
Not that it wasn’t brilliant already but Minecraft’s Better Together update now means that no matter what device you’re playing the blocky joy on, you can always play with exactly who you want to. In an incredible step forward for the game, Android users can build with those on iPhones or even Windows 10. As always, Minecraft is intuitive and positively infinite. Whether you want to settle down with a friend and hole up in a giant fort of your own making or recreate the entirety of Lord of the Rings Middle-earth, the choice is beautifully up to you. Crafting, building, surviving, it’s still all here and it’s better than ever before. Go play.
- Hearthstone
Genre: Card game
Price: Free (in-app purchases)
Quite simply, Hearthstone is what happens when Blizzard makes card games. Ultra fast to learn but seriously tricksy to master, Hearthstone arms you with the heroes of World of Warcraft and pits you against deviously strategic enemies. Spells, creatures, weaponry, bonus decks, Tavern Brawls… You’ll be down the Hearthstone rabbit hole before you know it. There’s good reason that the card game has taken over the eSports world. Good luck, and remember us when you’re a championship player.
- Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp
Genre: Sim
Price: Free (in-app purchases)
It might have been greeted with serious suspicion because it’s not the Animal Crossing on Switch we truly want (and deserve) but Pocket Camp is a genuinely pleasant slice of gentle Animal Crossing fun. Fishing, bug hunts, picking fruit, and even designing your own camper van are all relaxing ways to pass the time before we eventually get to play a full console game once more. Everything is gentle, there’s no constant reminders to invest any of your real money on a Nook-related loan and you can even visit your friends’ campsites. No, I didn’t just leave an operating table and a petrol canister out just for you…
- Reigns: Her Majesty
Genre: Adventure
Price: £2.79/$2.99
Would you be a good queen? A fair queen? Or a complete tyrant whose sole purpose is to bend the will of the people to her corrupt power? It’s time to find out. If you haven’t already tried Reigns - the king equivalent - for size, think Tinder meets a stylish text adventure. You must swipe left and right on the screen to make decisions as to how you will rule. Icons at the top of the screen will constantly keep you up to date with on your standing with the church, army, and the people. Don’t forget to keep an eye on these though as things can quickly turn from she who must be adored to she who must be trampled to death…
- Pokémon Go
Genre: AR adventure
Price: Free (in-app purchases)
The premise of Pokémon Go is irresistible. What if Pokemon were hiding across the real world and all you have to do is go and find them? Evolving (so to speak) hugely since its initial release, three generations of Pokemon can be found hiding in the wild and even weather affects what ‘mon you’ll find lurking across the map. Gym battles, raids, TM and FM upgrades and special evolution items are all up for grabs too, making Niantic’s app dangerously addictive for those looking to truly catch ‘em all. It’s the best excuse you’ll ever find to walk down to the shops.
- Alphabear
Genre: Puzzle
Price: Free (in-app purchases)
Simple at its core, Alphabear packs a lot of pleasing attributes into a very tidy, adorable package. Letters are gradually revealed on the playfield, but each tile has a lifespan - if you don’t use it before its turn-based timer runs out, it morphs to stone and blocks your path to the really big bonuses. Play in timed mode to give your brain a quick workout, or do a big board to challenge yourself and achieve the sky-high score that will net you a rare bear. Oh, did I leave out the part where you collect immensely cute bears that give you stat buffs and bonuses? Yeah. You do that, too.
Download Alphabear here (US)
Download Alphabear here (UK)
- Tales from the Borderlands
Genre: Adventure
Price: Free (in-app purchases past Episode 1)
Now that every Telltale game is available on every platform it was difficult to narrow down exactly which was the very best of the bunch but it’s impossible to argue with the delights of this fresh angle on 2K Games’ Borderlands. While there’s the standard Telltale engine in place with all the swiping and conversation remembering that comes with it, Tales from the Borderlands shines with love for the franchise with touching and hilarious writing and a genuinely engaging story. There’s even randomly generated weaponry and loot on offer to make it a true Borderlands experience. Even if you’ve never been to Pandora before, it’s definitely worth the trip.
Download Tales from the Borderlands here (US)
Download Tales from the Borderlands here (UK)
- Threes!
Genre: Puzzle
Price: £2.39/$2.99 (free version available)
How can numbers be this cute? Turning the match three genre on its head, Threes! thankfully requires a little more thought than just swiping to match colours. While there’s plenty of swiping going on, only multiples of three can be manipulated as you double up threes, sixes and twenty fours against the ‘walls’ of the screen. You’ll need to think about the whole board too as one rogue swipe can transform the board into a sea of misery instead of wonderful multiples of three. And yes, there is absolutely a risk of anthropomorphising numbers after this. D’aww, look at that little six.
Download Threes here (US)
Download Threes here (UK)
- Tiny Tower
Genre: Sim
Price: Free (in-app purchases)
As development studios go, Nimblebit LLC is positively dangerous when it comes to eating your time away. Pocket Planes, Pocket Trains and Tiny Tower are all perfectly pixelated sims for you to feel like a 16-bit god. The original and best, Tiny Tower sees you building apartments and all kinds of amenities and shops for your Bitizens. Bitizens all have ideal jobs where they’ll be most productive and you can even change everyone’s outfit to make sure they all match and you know where everyone is. Between that and switching the names of shops and restaurants to the best puns you can think of, Tiny Tower offers up hours of fun and doesn’t force the in-app purchases in a way that hurts.
Download Tiny Tower here (US)
Download Tiny Tower here (UK)
- Fallout Shelter
Genre: Sim
Price: Free (in-app purchases)
It might have had a surprise release all the way back at E3 2015 as part of the Fallout 4 reveal but Fallout Shelter has become far more than just a throwaway tie-in. Not only can you manage a vault of up to 100 dwellers, giving them jobs and keeping them topped up with food and water, you can head out into the wasteland with your best soldiers on quests. Pets, gun building, VATS, armour and skills improvement all make perfect additions to the satisfying tapping of a perfectly functioning vault. The apocalypse looks more and more attractive every day. Who needs Vitamin D anyway?
Download Fallout Shelter here (US)
Download Fallout Shelter here (UK)
- Oxenfree
Genre: Adventure
Price: £3.89/$4.99
Do you like the 80s, smart-talking teenagers, and mysterious islands where alternate dimensions might be a thing? Then this atmospheric adventure will be right up your misty street as a group of teens uncover a creepy supernatural surprise when they go away for the weekend. Complete with incredible moody synth soundtrack, Oxenfree is full of brilliant dialogue, memorable characters, and plenty of different ways for the action to unfold as you explore. Will everyone get off the island the next day? That’s kind of up to you, dude.
Download Oxenfree here (US)
Download Oxenfree here (UK)
- Rymdkapsel
Genre: Space sim
Price: £2.99/$3.99
Anyone who has seen Alien knows that space exploration isn’t relaxing. Even when you aren’t having lunch with someone that’s about to explode in a shower of milk and grue, it’s not meant to be a zen experience. Then Rymdkapsel comes along and somehow even battling alien invaders is peaceful as you manage an ever growing population of tic tacs as they research imposing monoliths across the galaxy. You’ll have to grow plants, create food in the kitchen, manage weaponry and even mine resources on an ever growing space station of your own Tetris-style design while listening to a brilliantly zen electronic soundtrack. It’s time to discover the true meaning of the term ‘meditative strategy.’
- 80 Days
Genre: Adventure
Price: £3.99/$4.99
It sure does sound romantic to take a whirlwind adventure around the globe, but somebody has to actually plan all that travel, y’know. In the case of 80 Days, its you as Passepartout, valet to the massively unappreciative Phileas Fogg. Gorgeous visuals and crisp writing accompany you as you try to find the best route around the world, while keeping an eye on your finances and trying not to lose any luggage. The path you take is yours to choose, as are the experiences you’ll have along it. Fogg may be the headliner, but that doesn’t mean you cant have some adventures of your own.
- Mini Metro
Genre: Puzzler
Price: £4.29/$4.99
If you’ve ever thought you could design a better underground system than Transport For London, it’s your time to put your money where your overcrowded station is. Mini Metro is a beautifully minimalistic exercise in complete godlike commuter control. Stations pop up and all you have to do is connect them to each other in a way that keeps everyone moving but of course it’s not that simple. The real life city recreations have rivers that need bridges and tunnels, trains need new carriages and stations need upgrades to become true transport hubs. Don’t worry, there’s a zen mode for when the stress gets too much.
- Alto’s Adventure
How is it possible for an endless runner to be this good? One finger gaming just shouldn’t allowed to be this pretty, not to mention addictive. Your battery life will be in serious peril as you join Alto on his chilly journey down infinite slopes and across terrifying chasms. Master the one button controls and in no time you’ll be leaping through villages, bouncing across bunting, and pulling off daring spins as you quest to meet seemingly endless goals. Add in the procedurally generated weather and day night cycle and it constantly feels new and fresh whenever you load it up. Just mind the llamas.
Download Alto’s Adventure here (US)
Download Alto’s Adventure here (UK)
- Triple Town
Genre: Puzzle
Price: Free (in-app purchases)
It might all be in the name but this pretty puzzler is all about the number three. Three pieces of grass make a bush, three bushes make a tree, three trees make a red house and things only get bigger from there as you attempt to build a city on a small map. Oh, and yeah, you have to avoid bears at the same time. There’s a beautiful simplicity to Triple Town and careful planning can craft exquisite cities full of people all chirping away. Plus, where some free games want to torture you with waiting times, if you like Triple Town all you have to do is invest a few $ once and you’ll have unlimited turns and all the modes for good.
Download Triple Town here (US)
Download Triple Town here (UK)
- Hidden Folks
Genre: Hidden object
Price: £2.99/$2.99
If you grew up reading Where’s Wally - or Waldo in the US - you know exactly what’s in store in Hidden Folks. A minimalist monochrome version of Wally’s adventures, you’ll need to keep a beady eye out to uncover all the cartoon findables hidden in each level. Everything is proddable and pokeable here. Tents can be unfurled, trees shaken for bananas to fall out or to reveal items buried beneath the leaves. Add in the ridiculously charming ‘mouth made’ sound effects and this one man indie project is a simple delight that’ll keep you busy for hours.
Download Hidden Folks here (US)
Download Hidden Folks here (UK)
- Monument Valley 2
Genre: Puzzle
Price: £4.99/$4.99
If somehow Journey and MC Escher had a game baby, Monument Valley would be the result. Let’s just not question how this could happen in the biological sense. Simple at first as you lead your silent hero, Ro, across ledges and through impossible rooms, Monument Valley 2 will turn your idea of perspective on its head. The fact that a beautiful story flows through this incredible world too elevates Monument Valley 2 to another class of mobile gaming altogether. Quite frankly, you owe it to yourself. Just don’t expect to know which way up is when you’re done. Plus, if you haven’t played it already, the first in the series is equally wonderful.
Download Monument Valley 2 here (US)
Download Monument Valley 2 here (UK)
- The Room Series
Genre: Puzzle
Price: 99p-£3.99/$0.99-$3.99
One of the many excellent things about the Room games is that there’s now four of them to puzzle your way through. The Room, The Room Two, The Room Three, and The Room: Old Sins from Fireproof Games are all beautifully theatrical and oh-so-touchable delights. Darkly intimidating and creepily atmospheric as you find hidden keys, manipulate intricate objects and explore entire mysterious rooms of brain teasing puzzles The Room series is never anything less than quietly spectacular. Everything has a place. Nothing is an accident here. And yes, you’ll feel ridiculously smart once you’ve completed them all.
Download The Room here (US)
Download The Room here (UK)