Looking for some help with an ongoing series of articles by the AC community FOR the AC community!

[Marc Lagace]

Hello!

I'm the Games Editor for Android Central, and in 2017, we're going to try a few different ways to shed light on the best games to play on your Android devices.

One of those initiatives will involve reaching out to you, our valued readers, to give us your own recommendations and reviews of your favorite game for a semi-regular post we'll share right on the front page! We'll be starting it next week with some picks we've curated from the comments of some of our existing gaming content, but moving forward I'd prefer to have a more personal take on some of your favorite games and what makes them stand out from the rest.

If you have any questions, post 'em below or you can reach out to me via email at marc@androidcentral.com.

Cheers!

 

[SpookDroid]

Really looking forward to seeing what comes out of this

 

[DaHui623]

Pixel Dungeon and Motorsport Manager are older games that I keep on my phone and dive into from time to time. And recently I've gotten into Gridland.

 

[bhorstmann]

The Room Series is very polished and engaging.

 

[VisitorG]

If we are talking about games that not enough people know about, here is what I have:

1/ Chu chu rocket.
It's not the greatest port there is. How should I say it... if Sega where to remake it from scratch for mobile device, it would be a big hit. But as it is the controls are a bit problematic, the loading a bit too long and a bit too frequent.
But damn this game is fun.

2/ World of Goo.
It was one of my favorite games on PC. On a tablet it's even better.

3/ rymdkapsel
Shrinking RTS into it's simplest form and yet keeping it so challenging and entertaining. Hours of fun.

 

[Andvarix]

You guys have covered quite a bit, but a lot of it just gets recycled, I'm not saying that the games aren't good anymore, just the same games keep getting re-hashed. Anywho I've posted on the front page article, but here is what I'm playing / recommend:

Free to Play Games I'm playing / played worth the time:

• FF Brave Exvius, SquareEnix has made a F2P RPG for each kind of Final Fantasy style. 8-bit (Final Fantasy Record Keepers), 16-bit (Final Fantasy Brave Exvius) and current gen (Final Fantasy Mobius) but I tend to prefer the 16 bit version as that's the style I liked the most (from FF2 and FF3 for the SNES), Final Fantasy Record Keepers was OK but didn't allow for any exploration and felt very segmented, Mobius just didn't hit it off with me. FFBE has a new storyline on its own, has areas to explore and brings in a bunch of the characters in an enjoyable fashion. This is my go-to Final Fantasy experience. It doesn't take up too much of your time unless you let it, but you don't have to.

• Summoners War - Fun and exciting when you see lightning on your summons to see what new units you can play with but you can still enjoy the game and beat all the content without having (hardly) any luck. It's grindy and takes up quite a bit of your time though. Still though it's a pretty solid collector style RPG that has an auto play feature (good to fire up while you're doing things like dishes/cleaning the house)

• Neko Atsume (super quick to log in / log out and be done) - Cat collector game, simple and easy to keep up on, I literally fire it up several times a day for about 10 - 15 seconds and I'm good. Fun and easy kitty collector.

• Abyssrium (now renamed to Tap Tap Fish) - Fish collector game that relies on time spent in the game and watching ads to keep power ups going, as long as you don't mind it idling and keeping an eye out for ads/power ups to refresh, you can collect all the fish (event excluded) fairly quickly. I don't really tend to enjoy the holiday events as they stress me out (defeats why I downloaded this game in the first place) since you have limited time to collect the event fish and it's quite grindy.

• Burrito Bison Launcha Libre - Burrito Bison to go, if you've played any of the flash versions online then you know the deal. Launch yourselves, smash gummies (normal and special powered up ones) and smash walls to get as far as you possibly can. Good for quick gaming sessions.


Premium Games on my current roster:

• Crashlands - Reminds me of Terrarria but with pretty solid RPG/battle mechanics. My #1 recommend right now. Good fun!

• Banner Saga - Fantastic story, beautiful artwork/graphics, solid Final Fantasy Tactics type gameplay (strategic grid-based RPG)

• Lumines - Played the original on my PSP and super excited it got the Android port treatment, solid music puzzle game that has awesome music Couple unfortunates though... 1) a lot of music is stuck behind IAP pay walls and 2) no controller support. It's a bit hard making and timing huge combos when you have to rely on slower touch controls and that really cuts into the game itself, hopefully they add controller support in the future...

• Pac Man CE DX - Pac Man with an awesome techno track and speedier gameplay. Has controller support (ran in on my Chromebook with wired Xbox 360 controller no prob) but plays just fine with finger swipes. Super fun game to play if you have about 5+ minutes or so.

• Legend of the Skyfish - Think Zelda (or Ittle Dew) and you're on the right track. Game is segmented into levels but have lots of puzzle elements and don't seem too small/big. Haven't played this much (only played about 4 - 5 levels) but will hit this one next after I complete Crashlands.

Good Premium Games worth your time:
• Riptide GP: Renegade - Been brought up before but it's good. Wave runner style racing game, pretty fun.

• Never Alone Ki Edition - Platformer style game, cool story that grows as the levels unfold, I died a whole bunch on my way to beat the game but it seems to be generous with checkpoints so you never have to replay too much. I definitely enjoyed the story, very well blended with the action.

• Lifeline 1 and maybe Silent Night (direct sequel), choose your own adventure via phone notifications that bring of sense of real time for the actual story, says he's sleeping, you're going to have to wait 4 or so hours before you hear back from him. I liked the story and the sequel of Lifeline and Lifeline: Silent Night, I've played Lifeline 2 (not a sequel) and Lifeline White Out, and neither were as good. But Lifeline 2 was probably the worst as I continually made stupid choices and NEVER died or the character flat out refused to do what I chose, so it seemed less like a choose your own adventure but more like a linear story that segmented everything via notifications... there's quite a few others I haven't tried yet though. They are decent, especially Lifeline and Silent Night.

• Leo Fortune and Goo Saga - Good looking platformers that have you collecting things, changing yourself/using different abilities to move throughout the obstacles etc. Both of them are good.

• Evoland - RPG that evolves from about Game Boy style RPGs and continually morphs and by the end of the game it's reminiscent of Final Fantasy 7, it's fun to go through the different evolutions of the RPGs. Highly recommend this one.

• Attack the Light - RPG based on Steven Universe, I'm sure for fans of the cartoon it's even better (never seen the cartoon) but this one was pretty solid, RPG with touch controls, you swipe to move around through different parts of the levels and there are things to re-visit at later times so you can 100% the game (which I did, not too terribly hard, took maybe 10+ hours)

• Sproggiwood - Rogue-like game, had fun with this one, not too hard to get into and wasn't too hard to complete, pretty fun stuff.

• Geometry Wars 3 - 3D shooter game reminds me of Super Crossfighter but 3D. Both games are fun shoot em up type games (kinda like cooler versions of Space Invaders)

• Botanicula and Machinarium - Indie point and click adventure games with good art style.

• DuckTales Remastered - Fun remake of the game with controller support, nice blast from the past.

• Fearless Fantasy - Think Final Fantasy with touch specific attacking (touching dots and swiping to attack) with really really odd looking enemies in a kinda 3-star Angry Birds style world / levels.

• Limbo - One of those dark style platformer games.

• Five Nights at Freddy's series - Who doesn't love a good jump-scare?

• Goat Simulator - It's the ridiculous, ragdoll styled, open world game featuring a goat. Think one pretty much started the whole "simulator" game craze (yes sim games existed before this)

• Castle of Illusion - Port of the mickey game, very well done, another good throwback akin to DuckTales Remastered.

• Bard's Tale - D&D with a crude protaganist that plays like Diablo, an oldie but goodie.

As you can tell though I'm kinda into RPGs.. I would recommend a bunch of Square Enix RPGs but dems pricey...

A good Android Gaming site I follow is droidgamers.com usually they've pretty good about reporting on upcoming releases.

 

[James Falconer]

Wow @Andvarix - talk about feedback! Some great picks in there.

 

[James Falconer]

A little off topic but I'd love to see some Super Mario Run help and how-to articles once the game comes to Android. Actually really curious how it stacks up against the iOS version. Wondering if there will be many differences between the two.

 

[Andvarix]

@James Falconer - Thanks! I'm a gamer myself and since I don't have a decent PC or games that I really want (no current console) Android has been my go-to for years. On the topic of Super Mario Run I'm sure we'll see plenty of guides, quick tips and how-to's. Pretty sure this'll be AC's next Pokemon Go. As far from differences between Android/iOS I wouldn't plan on there being any.

Oh and I read after I posted my reviews that the new Sword Art Online game (Sword Art Online: Memory Defragged) was released 2 days ago too. That's another F2P game I'm adding to my roster (we'll see how much I play it though). If you do decide to play SAO:MD, you can effectively re-roll on that first free "scout" (aka Summon) if you delete the app data. Can keep going until you get a rainbow summon 4* unit (it goes blue > yellow > rainbow colored) best unit to try for is Silica.

 

[VisitorG]

Ok, a few other games that poped into my mind:

Her story:
The game is fascinating, doesn't loose anything from the port to mobile.
And it crossed my mind that it might be fun to play on a chromecast (the game doesn't support it, but you can cast the screen).
With multiple people, you could discuss the plot, suggest keywords, someone could take some notes, etc etc
I wish I could erase my memory and do it again just like that.

This war of mine:
I would not advice it on a phone, but on a tablet this is a very good game. A sad, depressing, gloomy very good game, and the game save states at every day, so you can do small sessions as well as long playthroughs.

All the Square Enix Go games.
They manage to make them all different enough to enjoy them all. They are faithful to their licences, and they are beautiful.

Valiant hearts.
An educative game about world war 1, but fun to play. Great story, great graphics. A bit too easy, lengthy sometimes, but if you like a good story and learning a few things, it's worst playing. Expensive, though (be careful not to buy just the first chapter)

Out there.
Hard to describe. Like a proceduraly generated gamebook with ressource managment. But I find it very hard. You need to play a lot to understand the subtleties of the mechanics. I quit and promised myself I would go back someday. But for people more focused than me who like to play thoroughly,
this is a great catch.

Her story:
The game is fascinating, doesn't loose anything from the port.
And it crossed my mind that it might be fun to play on a chromecast (the game doesn't support it, but you can cast the screen).
With multiple people, you could discuss the plot, someone could take some notes, etc etc
I wish I could erase my memory and do it again just like that.
...wait.

 

[Marc Lagace]

Hey everyone! Wow!

Thanks for all the great replies! I love the responses so far and look forward to trying them out myself.

To respond to VisitorG's first post, yea I would personally like to see this project be an ongoing space to share those super cool games that we've all all stumbled across that, for one reason or another, just never achieved popularity. You know, whether it's a stylish, quirky and/or addictive indie games that was overlooked or a great port of a classic game that people might not know is available for Android, we're all looking for great game recommendations.

In fact, I'll contribute one of my own, too. A friend showed me this game that he contributed artwork for, called Cribbage With Grandpas.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.lessthanthree.crib&hl=en

Now, a little backstory here: Me and my friends have been getting together to play cribbage a lot lately (because apparently we're old people now :-\ ), because it's a really great game that's simple to learn but hard to master. For a lot of people, it might be a game that learned and played with your family growing up. Cribbage is a game that was around me a lot as a kid — my parents and grandparents would play it a lot if we were out at someone's cottage or after a family dinner around the holidays, but for whatever reason, I never learned to play.

So this game tries to recreate that feeling or atmosphere by — and stay with me here — letting you build your own Grandpas to play against. Perhaps the world's first create-a-grandpa game mode, you get to customize not only your grandpa's looks, but their personality and skill level, so that when you call them up to play, they'll respond to hands with witty/snarky remarks and play as soft or ruthlessly as matches your own style. It's absolutely adorable and is unlike any other card game you'll find for Android. Having only just now started learning to play cribbage as an adult, I appreciate the tutorial assistance provides within the first few hands. But if you have that similar family connection to this game, and/or want to learn a fun game that you can then play with your own kids or grandparents if you're so lucky, it's a really well-designed game.

It's US$2.99 in the app store, and it's right in line with the types of lesser-known but well-made games that I'd love to highlight week to week.



(oh, and disclaimer, my friend or I aren't getting any kickbacks for promoting this game if that needed to be said.)

 

[georgeanderson]

I may be a little biased because I just released this game, but NoEscape is what I've been playing a lot of.

https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...s?id=com.prismapixel.no_escape&token=1Ly73UPz

 

[Ninavi]

W.r.t Mobile Games, these are the 3 tops on my list:
Hearthstone. (I started on PC, just moved to phone - hasn't left me since)
Battle of Polytopia (no online multiplayer support, but the AI is plenty good unless you go "crazy". They all gang up on you :S )
Clash Royale (Gets repetitive after a while... )

 

[Danrobi1]

Hi i dont like p2p/p2w games i rather pay for my games and i want controller support for my games ( racing/fps ) and i would like to be able to play fps games with my mouse and keyboard since android does support m/k i really think fps game dev should allow m/k

 

[Catalin K]

Hello
Games that i play :

Mekorama
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinmagni.mekorama

Alto's Adventure
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.noodlecake.altosadventure

MARVEL Future Fight
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.netmarble.mherosgb

On The Run™
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.miniclip.ontherun

Spider-Man Unlimited
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gameloft.android.ANMP.GloftSIHM

Pinball Pro
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.PinballGame

Retro Grid
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.gameguru.arcadeshooter

 

[Don Nichols]

If any of you have ever played Agar.io, Slither.io, or Diep.io on your PC browser, Simplicial Software has recreated those 3 with LOADS of content the originals don't have. Money and XP systems, multiple game modes, tournaments, pvp arenas, user-created servers, unlockable skins, and they're still sending updates to all 3 of them regularly. My personal favorites are soccer and capture the flag, and my BT gamepad is compatible with these games. Nebulous is effectively Agar.io, Orborous is Slither.io, and Rebelious is Diep.io. The money system (which is referred to as plasma) spreads across all 3, so whatever you earn in one, you can use in the other 2. They're all free with IAPs, and they have cloud save as well. I personally like these better than their PC equivalents just due to how much more they have in them.

 

[Andvarix]

If anyone is interested a new Humble Bundle RPG Mobile bundle just went live, pretty good offerings too:

https://www.humblebundle.com/mobile/rpgs-mobile-bundle

• Pay $1 or more for Symphony of Eternity, Doom & Destiny, and Evoland. You'll also receive a coupon for 10% off Humble Monthly for new subscribers. •

Symphony of Eternity

A high quality fantasy RPG full of monsters, legendary weapons and dramas!

Kreist and Dauturu are on a quest to find Regratlute, which is said to be able to grant any wish. On their travels, they come across a young lady being attacked by demons, and rescue her.
What fate awaits Kreist, Dauturu, and the mysterious young lady?

This is a fantasy RPG set in royal times, where players can master a range of styles, and choose fighting combinations in order to defeat enemies. The expansive field of play, the moving symbols during encounters with the enemy—there are so many must-see elements!

- A classic Japanese role-playing game
- Charming characters and a dramatic story
- Engage in strategic battles with break skills and tablet system

*This is a special edition for Humble Bundle. Some in-game elements might differ from other markets' versions. This app supports English only.

Size: 31.5MB
Requires Android: 4.0 and up.

- Haven't played Symphony of Eternity but it's from Kemco, they sure do pump out a lot of vintage style RPGs (usually get decent - good ratings/reviews)​

Doom & Destiny

The nerdiest adventure of your life!

Four nerds, drawn into a fantasy world and mistaken for heroes, have to battle their way through a massive, crazy adventure and defeat a preposterous villain!

This great RPG has magic, dungeons, pizza, and jokes galore. If you ever enjoyed 8bit and 16bit role playing game, pen and paper rpg and nerd humor, you are going to love this game!

* 20 hours of story and 20 hours of extras, adventures, side-quests, and more!
* Turn-based, easy-to-learn combat
* Change your party order to apply special bonuses
* 100 levels of experience
* More than 200 special powers and spells
* More than 300 enemies
* More than 500 items between potions, chips, weapons, shirts, and armor
* More than 700 locations,
* Epic Flying Spaghetti Monster!

Size: 150 MB
Requires Android: 4.0.3 and up

- I played a bit of Doom & Destiny and it was fun. It's a self aware D&D RPG game that is filled to the brim with humor.​

Evoland

Evoland is an action adventure game which takes you on a journey through the history of classic adventure and RPG gaming.

As you progress through the game, you unlock new technologies, gameplay systems and ever-improving graphics. From monochrome to full 3D graphics and from turn-based battles to real-time boss fights, Evoland makes you live the evolution of adventure gaming – all with plenty of humor and nods to moments from classic games.

Play through the history of action-adventure video games
Discover many evolutions, from old school 2D action/adventure to active time battles and full 3D action
Revisit the starting area rendered in full 3D or explore the overworld with your own airship!
And have fun with the dungeons, puzzles, a heap of secrets to uncover, and hundreds of achievements and stars to collec

Size: 51 MB
Requires Android: 4.0 and up

- Evoland (which I reviewed up top), is a progressively evolving RPG that starts with game boy B&W sprites and ends with FF7 stylized graphics. I played it and beat it and recommend it to any RPG fan.​

• Pay more than the average price and you'll also get Wayward Souls, Shadowrun Returns, and Adventure Bar Story. •

Wayward Souls

Wayward Souls is an action-adventure game built for quick playthroughs and massive amounts of replay value. It was inspired by Spelunky, Secret of Mana, and our previous game, Mage Gauntlet.

Procedurally generated random levels mean that every time you play the game, it's a different experience. Control one of six characters, all with their own unique playstyles, abilities, and equipment. Explore and fight for survival, in combat where your tactics, positioning, and timing matter.

More Features:
- Fancy control scheme with no virtual buttons or sticks to fumble over.
- Unlock new areas, for increasingly punishing difficulty.
- 13 area types, all with different monsters, potential traps, and rare encounters.
- Each character can find equipment combinations that change their gameplay.
- Victory is based on your increasing skill as a player, not solely on grinding.
- Hats.
- No IAP ever, even for the hats. All content updates will be free for our fans.
- Unprecedented scope and variety for an action-adventure game on Android, maybe anywhere.

Size: 45 MB
Requires Android: 2.3 and up

- Wayward Souls: Procedurally generated hack-n-slash dungeon crawler. Played it for a bit and seemed pretty fun, didn't really get into it so can't give a review.​

Shadowrun Returns

Man meets magic and machine. The year is 2054. Magic has returned to the world, awakening powerful creatures of myth and legend. Technology merges with flesh and consciousness. Elves, trolls, orks, and dwarves walk among us, while ruthless corporations bleed the world dry. You are a shadowrunner - a mercenary living on the fringes of society, in the shadows of massive corporate arcologies, surviving day-by-day on skill and instinct alone. When the powerful or the desperate need a job done, you get it done... by any means necessary.

In the urban sprawl of the Seattle metroplex, the search for a mysterious killer sets you on a trail that leads from the darkest slums to the city’s most powerful megacorps. You will need to tread carefully, enlist the aid of other runners, and master powerful forces of technology and magic in order to emerge from the shadows of Seattle unscathed.

The unique cyberpunk-meets-fantasy world of Shadowrun has gained a huge cult following since its creation nearly 25 years ago. Now, creator Jordan Weisman returns to the world of Shadowrun, modernizing this classic game setting as a single player, turn-based tactical RPG.

Size: 1.7 GB
Requires Android: 4.0 and up

- Shadowrun Returns: I remember playing Shadowrun quite a bit back in its hayday and the new one is pretty fun as well. Once again, didn't get far into it, it was fun and one I been meaning to get back to and finish at some point (honestly I probably won't though, no fault of the game though )​

Adventure Bar Story

Own a Bar Inside an RPG! -Simulation Management Meets Full Scale RPG-

Kamerina's Bar is a typical tavern in the world of an RPG where adventurers gather to share information. YOU are the owner. Gustav, the rich neighborhood restaurant owner, is trying to buyout your tavern. Gustav is a powerful man, if you don't do anything, he will drive you out of business and force you to sell the bar! Best way to defend the take over? WIN THE CROWD! Become the most popular bar in town, so even Gustav can't touch you!

- Slice Up Monsters for Your Main Dish!
- Rank up Your Bar!
- Eat to Level Up!
- 400 Recipes

*This is a special edition for Humble Bundle. Some in-game elements might differ from other markets' versions. This app supports English only.

Size: 17.5 MB
Requires Android: 4.0 and up.

- Adventure Bar Story - Never heard of this one, another KEMCO one with no trailer...​

• Pay $6 or more for all of that plus Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Director's Cut. •

Star Wars KOTOR

Check out some of the press on KOTOR Mobile:

“…KOTOR is still the best Star Wars game out there.” — TouchArcade, 5/5 stars, Best iPhone/iPad games of 2013

“It's a true classic, not only one of the best games ever to carry the Star Wars brand but one of the best RPGs of all time.” — Eurogamer, 9/10

“KOTOR is a landmark accomplishment for the iPad and the iOS platform; I do not hesitate to award it our highest honor as a quintessential Must-Have experience.” — Slide To Play, 4/4

Choose Your Path!

It is four thousand years before the Galactic Empire and hundreds of Jedi Knights have fallen in battle against the ruthless Sith. You are the last hope of the Jedi Order. Can you master the awesome power of the Force on your quest to save the Republic? Or will you fall to the lure of the dark side? Hero or villain, savior or conqueror... you alone will determine the destiny of the entire galaxy!

Game Features:

• An epic Star Wars™ role-playing experience with unique characters, creatures, vehicles and planets.
• Learn to use the Force with over 40 different powers, plus build your own Lightsaber.
• Adventure through iconic Star Wars locations, including Tatooine and the Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk.
• Choose your party from nine customizable characters, including Twi'leks, Droids and Wookiees.
• Travel to eight enormous worlds in your own starship, the Ebon Hawk.
• A streamlined user interface custom-made for the touch screen helps immerse you in the action.

Size: 5 GB
Requires Android: 4.3 and up

- Star Wars KOTOR, many, many others have reviewed it, it's good. Like Star Wars? Play it!​

Shadowrun: Dragonfall

It's 2054 - and the world has changed. Unchecked advances in technology have blurred the line between man and machine. Elves and trolls walk among us, ruthless corporations bleed the world dry, and Feuerschwinge’s reign of terror is just a distant memory. Germany is splintered - a stable anarchy known as the “Flux State” controls the city of Berlin. It’s a place where power is ephemeral, almost anything goes, and the right connections can be the difference between success and starvation. For you and your team of battle-scarred shadowrunners, there’s no better place to earn a quick payday.

Now, a new threat is rising, one that could mean untold chaos and devastation. One that soon has you and your team caught on the wrong side of a deadly conspiracy. The only clue: whispers of the Dragonfall. Rumors that the Great Dragon Feuerschwinge may still be alive, waiting for the right moment to return.

Size: 1.6 GB
Requires Android: 4.4 and up

- Shadowrun: Dragonfall - Believe this is the sequel to Shadowrun Returns.​

Also keep in mind that they are adding more next week as well.... never buy the bundle on what may come, all the best titles always show on the introduction of the bundle.

 

[Benoit Bourdua]

Fire Emblem Heroes. Instant addiction.

 

[James Falconer]

Fire Emblem Heroes. Instant addiction.

I haven't played it yet. I'm afraid if I do... I may never put my phone down.

 

[Mike Dee]

What is the best place to post?