The 12 Greatest Android Games In 2024

The Android game scene is bigger than ever, but it’s a difficult marketplace to navigate. Microtransactions, knock-offs and false advertising often mean you don’t get what you want: a straightforward, original, enjoyable game that’s with you wherever you go.

Some of the greatest Android games have been around for years, proving that the best ideas don’t need top-spec devices to entertain you. Between the cash guzzlers, pretenders and outright liars, many fantastic titles appear available at little to no cost. Don’t get distracted by the misleading ads that swamp social media and YouTube — the best Android games focus on giving you a memorable experience, rather than coming up with increasingly cynical ways to make you part with more cash.

Top Android Games

As mobiles have become more powerful, you can more or less play any type or genre of game on Android phones and tablets, especially as Bluetooth connectivity has transformed the controller market. Even the newest joypads, like CRKD’s Neo S Controller, are specifically designed to cater to this huge customer base.

An unwritten rule about the best Android games is that most aren’t free to play; those that are “free” mostly rely on microtransactions for their income. This isn’t a bad thing — developers deserve to be paid for games that people enjoy playing — but there’s a fine line between titles that give a full experience with the option for customization, and those that place a range of paywalls between you and the game you want to play.

Below are 12 of the most celebrated Android games, with one major qualification in play. As great as many of them are, direct ports of console games aren’t featured — even though the likes of Final Fantasy VII, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic or Chrono Trigger are all excellent in their own right, and you should try them out. The following list focuses on mobile-first creations, even if a couple may have debuted on PC.

12. Threes!

Inspired by the excellent 2048, Threes! adds life and personality to the number-combining concept. This minimalist puzzle game sees you slide numbered tiles on a four-by-four grid, combining them to make ever-higher numbers. As you create larger numbers, you must contend with a steadily filling grid. Once you run out of space, it’s game over.

Don’t let its spartan stylings fool you — Threes! is deeply strategic and forces you to think several moves ahead. Remember its golden rule, if you can stick to it: never swipe down. This approach is much harder to stick to than in 2048, but keep it in mind at all times — you’ll be surprised at just how effective it is.

11. Game Dev Story

Game Dev Story, a simulation game and the first major hit for Japanese developer Kairosoft, was released in 2010 and charts your journey from small-scale indie to a world-leading software house. It’s simple but brilliant, offering remarkable depth as you try to create a blockbuster for each generation of hardware.

Fittingly, Game Dev Story is now available on all major consoles, but nothing beats the original mobile experience — a real pick-up-and-play classic you can spend two minutes or two hours of your time on.

10. Evoland

Why commit to one RPG
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when you can play half a dozen? The essence of Evoland’s is in its name: it evolves as you play, starting with A Link to the Past-style 8-bit graphics and eventually transforming into a full, modern 3-D experience, introducing new gameplay mechanics along the way. This nostalgia trip from Shiro Games celebrates video games, the best RPGs of all time, and the quirkiness of the genre — and once you’re done, Evoland 2 takes things up another notch.

9. Genshin Impact

Open-world action RPG Genshin Impact, released by Chinese developer miHoYo in 2020, sets the bar for what’s possible on modern mobile devices. This free-to-play adventure is set in the fantasy land of Teyvat, where you control a Traveler looking for their lost sibling, and you form a team of up to four colorful characters.

Along the way, you explore diverse regions, fight enemies with magic and unique abilities, and solve puzzles. It’s also stunning, giving you every reason to check every corner of its huge map. Like all the best APRG games, Genshin Impact also has plenty of regular updates and events, meaning there’s usually a good reason to go back, even if you think you’ve gotten everything out of it.

8. Hitman Go

Hitman Go is a turn-based puzzle game where you move the iconic Agent 47 across grid-based levels — think of it as chess, if it involved contract killing. Each move requires careful, strategic planning to avoid enemies, take out targets and complete plenty of tricky objectives. It’s also a vast departure from the popular series’ classic look; Square Enix Montreal instead opts for minimalist design, adding a touch of class.

If the Hitman franchise isn’t your bag, don’t despair — you’ve also got Lara Croft and Deus Ex takes on the format. Still, Hitman Go offers the best balance of difficulty, careful planning, and escalating challenges.

7. Mini Metro

Channel your inner civil engineer with Mini Metro, a minimalist strategy game from Dinosaur Polo Club, which tasks you with designing and managing subway systems for growing cities, and drawing routes between stations based on passenger flow and use, urban expansion and resource constraints.

On the face of it, Mini Metro is a relaxing experience: a lo-fi soundtrack, comforting color palette, and simple design make it seem like a casual affair. But the game impressively replicates real-world transit logistics, forcing you to constantly rethink your transport networks to avoid overcrowding, delays and more. Nonetheless, it’s an easy game to dip in and out of — even if you occasionally stop playing due to frustration.

6. Terraria

Terraria is more than just a “2-D Minecraft.” Re-Logic’s masterpiece, which originally landed on PC in 2011 and soon found a home on Android devices in 2013, is one of the top 20 most downloaded games ever made.

Like any great sandbox game, your only goal is to survive; how you do that is entirely up to you, but you’re given the basic tools needed to craft, build and learn the world around you. You’re not alone in the world, and to defend yourself from ever more dangerous enemies, you need to upgrade your home, dig deeper and wander further. Your world can be as big or small as you want it to be, and you can simply focus on building your dream abode, but there’s every reason to explore your surroundings.

5. Among Us

Among Us was the perfect hit during the pandemic for good reason. This social multiplayer detective game, released by Innersloth in 2018, puts you on board a spaceship as you carry out day-to-day tasks while trying to find the Impostors among you; their job is to sabotage systems and kill innocent crewmates without getting caught.

The concept is simple but strategic, and no two games are ever the same as they rely on personal interactions, debates and accusations. Often, the only thing better than playing Among Us is watching others play it — it’s by far one of the funniest Android games ever made.

4. Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley, created by Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone in 2016, is one of the easiest ways to drain your phone battery by lunchtime. This farming and life sim starts simply, with an inherited, rundown farm for you to grow crops, raise animals, and constantly improve your fortunes and abilities through expeditions, mining and battling the occasional enemies.

The game also focuses on the people around you, and you can become a firm fixture in the community, trading with locals, participating in festivals, making gifts for your friends and even falling in love with a significant other. Stardew Valley always rewards you for the time and effort you put into it — and it never fails to surprise.

3. Minecraft

Of course Minecraft was going to be on this list; it’s the world’s biggest-selling game of all time, after all. But as a mobile experience, it’s at its best, giving people of all ages the chance to create staggeringly impressive things, wherever they are.

Minecraft first arrived on Android in 2011 — the same year it left the equivalent of early access on PC — and it’s a timeless adventure that developer Mojang Studios continues to support with new content.

2. Monument Valley

Monument Valley might’ve been released in 2014, but it still feels fresh a decade later. This isometric puzzle game from British indie studio Ustwo Games sees you guide Ida through M.C. Escher-infused optical illusions, and its ideas and art style have inspired countless games that followed.

It’s a consistently beautiful, thoughtfu and cleverly created game that delivers satisfaction with every solved puzzle. It’s exactly what you want from an excellent mobile game: no pressure, gorgeous visuals, and plenty of moments you’re happy to share with a friend and solve together. If — when — you want more after you finish it, don’t worry; 2017’s Monument Valley 2 is even better, and even got a free expansion, The Lost Forest, in 2021.

1. The Room

The Room series is undoubtedly one of the most memorable experiences on any console — arguably the best Android game. Ostensibly a puzzle crossed with an escape room, this franchise from British developer Fireproof Games blends intricate boxes with arcane themes, as you aim to learn about the mysterious “Null.”

The first game in the series landed in 2012, followed by The Room Two in 2013, The Room Three in 2015, and The Room: Old Sins in 2018. It even spawned a VR spin-off, The Room VR: A Dark Matter, in 2020, but the mobile titles are the real stars–proof that cinematic masterpieces don’t need big screens.

Bottom Line

Android is arguably the most accessible gaming platform, but developers also know this, so think carefully before you pick what you want to play–especially if it’s free. Many titles are designed to be addictive, so make sure you do your research before choosing your next escape.