The Best Android Games of 2018
Gaming on Android
Gaming used to mean standing at a wooden cabinet with a giant screen that ate your quarters. Then it was sitting on your couch or at a desk playing console or PC games. And now VR gaming is hitting the mainstream. Still, people tend to gravitate toward the platforms most accessible to them, including their Android phones and tablets. Sure, you're supposed to use your device for critically important Android apps, but there's always time for some fun. Just make sure not to waste your time and money on a less-than-stellar game.
Our Favorites
Our roundup is by no means a comprehensive or complete survey of Android games. A marketplace as vast and vibrant as Google Play has something for everyone: board games, word games, shooters, racers, runners, and even fantasy quiz RPGs. What follows is a list of the games that my fellow reviewers at PCMag and I have played and thoroughly enjoy.
Android gaming (and the Android app experience in general) was once
One interesting trend in mobile games is that some developers are porting titles that premiered on console or PC over to Android. The list of Final Fantasy games that you can play on a phone grows ever longer, and even a nearly forgotten classic like Crazy Taxi now lives on Google Play. It shows that these games have solid concepts that can be translated across just about any platform, and it's a testament to how far mobile devices have come as gaming platforms. It's also super convenient to have your favorite games accessible
The Best Is Yet to Come
As with all of our lists, this story is a work in progress. We'll update and expand it from time to time and try to keep it fresh, too, by cycling out titles that have already had their moment in the sun. Hopefully, every time you check back, there will be something new and exciting to discover.
Don't see your favorite? Drop us a message in the comments. Like you, we're always hungry for new
The Banner Saga
$9.99
This tactical, turn-based strategy game was a hit on the PC and has finally arrived on Android. Lead your party of Vikings through a gorgeous, mythic world and weave your own legendary story. Though the price tag is steep, the rewards are worthwhile (read: buy it). A sequel has recently invaded the Google Play store, but you should start your journey here.
The classic Civilization series does exist on mobile, but I've found the experience tedious and generally unenjoyable. Polytopia takes the strategy genre and boils it down to its bones, adds a layer of quirky, low-poly art, and polishes the result to a shine with addictive mobile play. It's a great way to turn a quick trip to the bathroom into a half-hour journey of conquest.
Blizzard Hearthstone Heroes of Warcraft
Free
If last year you had told me that in the year of our Lord 2017 I would be playing a collectible-card game based on World of Warcraft (WoW), I would have told you that seemed correct, since I've been obsessed with Hearthstone for several years now. With endless variations on a simple game, Hearthstone jettisons the strife and ridiculous expense of collectible-card games and makes them fun again. Even as someone who isn't a fan of WoW, I found the game to be both accessible and light-hearted enough to suck me in.
Clash Royale
Free
The follow-up to the mega-hit Clash of Clans, Clash Royale combines elements of Dota 2, tower defense, and deck building into a shockingly charming package. It's a fun and addictive mobile experience that can be played with just a thumb. You can even complete all those in-app purchases one-handed, too.
Dots & Co
Free
Two Dots was a breakout hit for mobile gaming, deftly combining simple, portable play with a stylish design. Dots and Co isn't so much a sequel as it is a riff on the first game, introducing new special abilities and challenges. It retains all the zen strategy of the original, with some new twists that make it feel fresh.
Kim Kardashian Hollywood
Free
Calm down, haters. Regardless of what you think about Kim K or casual gaming, Kim Kardashian Hollywood is an enormously fun, cleverly written, and enjoyably addictive hit that is worth your time. I have nothing to add to our review's excellent summation: "...basically, it's exactly like Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas."
Miracle Merchant
Free
Miracle Merchant is a fantasy-inspired take on solitaire that requires a good deal of strategy to master, despite its simple potion-making premise. All the more, the game features bright and inviting visuals that are sure to delight. It's offline functionality and portrait-style interface make it great for mobile platforms as well.
Monument Valley
$3.99
Monument Valley is an incredibly beautiful game, proving that a mobile game doesn't need to be synonymous with cheap and shallow. In this meditative puzzler, you have to use optical illusions to complete each gorgeous level. Meditative, mysterious, and intriguing, it's a must-play Android game.
Pokemon Go
Free
2016 will be remembered for the deaths of many great entertainers, the collapse of Western democracy and, most importantly, for Pokemon Go. By tapping into your location data and your camera, Pokemon Go puts the pocketable monsters in our world. It's a lot of fun, and a great excuse to explore your community. While the fad has certainly faded, the game is better than ever.
Reigns
$2.99
Reigns
Spaceteam
Free
Set Lustrous Prismneck to Maximum! In Spaceteam, you and the other people in the room work together to navigate a spacecraft through various mechanical disasters. If you and your friends love the technobabble of Star Trek, then you'll love this unique game.
