Any Android device can be as much a toy as a tool thanks to its wide selection of gaming apps. The Android brand is now the most popular platform for mobile devices, surpassing rival iOS of Apple. This means developers are more inclined to create games and untap the large gaming populace Android has.
So as you browse the Android Market, you’ll be presented with so many games both paid and free alike. Admittedly, a lot of junk happens to be mixed among the legit games because of Google’s lax policy when allowing new apps to the Market. Yet, with enough effort, the best games can be discovered eventually.
We have here 14 handpicked Android games that we recommend for you to download and enjoy. Note that the games below we’re played and tested using the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. Due to different devices and versions of Android, some of the games may not be compatible with your own device.
Angry Birds
I bet you were wondering if you’ll finally read a list of Android games where Angry Birds won’t make it. Think again. No matter how you’re going to look at it, this bird flinging game deserves to be recognized. After all, it boasts two million downloads in the first days of its availability.
Unlike the iOS version, Android users can download all three versions of Angry Birds — the original, Rio, and Seasons — for free. This was made possible by game developer Rovio through the use of small advertisements that hardly distracts the players from the games. It’s quality and superb gameplay would have you believe you need to pay for a hefty retail price. But then again, it’s just free.
Fruit Ninja THD
Where Angry Birds games need careful physics calculations (or countless trials and errors in my case), Fruit Ninja demands a fast paced finger swiping. But if you’re obsessively compulsive on achieving the highest score, you will also need to think fast on how to rack up bonus points with slash combos.
While you’re enjoying yourself with the game as you, say, wait for the next bus to arrive, you are also collecting points to get some rewards, both in-game (unlockable backgrounds and blade styles) and in real life (discounts in stores and restaurants).
Dungeon Defenders: Second Wave
Many people are saying that devices running on iOS and Android are eating away a significant percentage of market share from dedicated gaming platforms such as Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and Nintendo 3DS. With today’s gaming emphasized more on multiplayer features, Dungeon Defenders: Second Wave is a prime example of superb mobile gaming that might convince you to jump ship.
Gather up to 3 friends and play this tower defense & action-RPG hybrid game cooperatively online. Plus, its multiplatform capability will let you play the game across different devices besides Android: PCs, Xbox 360, and Playstation 3.
Eternity Warriors
Delve into a fantasy world where demons are threatening the land of Northern Udar. You will play as a brave Eternity Warrior and face the evil force who vow to eradicate the world of all Humans and Elves. Enjoy the story even more with fantastic 3D graphic details and action-packed gameplay.
Just like Dungeon Defenders, you can team up with your friends and upgrade the weapons and attributes of your character. Available choices for weapons and equipment are so numerous that you don’t have to worry of looking just like everybody else. This is one of the best game ever, overlooking the fact that it may take a while to download files especially for those with slow Internet connection.
A Game With Balls
If you want to get a gist of what AGWB is all about, don’t settle with just the screenshots; you need to play it so you’ll know it’s a surprisingly addictive game. The gameplay is very simple but the catchy background music and high replay value all make up for it. Through Openfeint, you can even post your scores and achievements and outmatch those of your friends.
A Game with Balls lets you control a cannon that spits — you guessed it right — balls. Objects rain down from the sky that could end the game if they came into contact with your cannon. To avert this, you must fire balls at them. Fire away too carelessly and the projectiles might cause the obstacles’s trajectory to be quite unpredictable!
Bunny Shooter
Bunny Shooter is arguably an Angry Birds copy. Instead of throwing animals of the aviary kind with a slingshot, we get to use a bow with a limited number of arrows. And whereas the antagonistic pigs have stolen the precious eggs of the birds, pink bunnies have taken a huge carrot that the unnamed archer (which you control) has apparently won. On what contest, I have no idea at all.
Just like Angry Birds, this puzzle game also comes in two flavors: paid and ad-supported. While the ads are bigger and more noticeable in Bunny Shooter, it is more or less tolerable. Rest assured you’ll be busy thinking of ways to shoot the arrows at those well-positioned pink bunnies.
Moron Test
To be honest, I only included the Moron Test since it consistently tops the puzzle category of the Android Market. This app is a collection of challenges that lets you make use of your device’s touchscreen and motion sensors in order to pass. The tests are seemingly simple at first but would have you require patience and common sense.
Personally, I find the challenges redundant and easy to answer. Most of the time you’ll be tapping things according to size, hardly requiring you to really think. If not for the fun of watching your friends fail due to carelessly, I would given this game a 1-star rating. I suggest trying out the free versions (the first two tests) first before buying the complete package.
Guerilla Bob THD
One of the few games that lets you and a friend play in a single tablet device, Guerilla Bob is a multiplayer game that is visually entertaining and addictive. If you prefer to play on separate devices, the game happens to be cross-platform compatible just like Dungeon Defenders. There’s no stopping you from playing this game with your best buddy!
The story campaign puts you into the role of the titular character, Guerilla Bob, as he traverse across different terrains from arid desserts to towns full of outlaws and crooks. To survive, you have a variety of weapons to choose and upgrade. There are even secret locations to be discovered and power-ups to collect.
Tetris
Okay, we know that not everyone is into visually stunning graphics. As long as the gameplay doesn’t bore you after only a few replays, casual gamers will be contented with such a game. Take for example EA’s Tetris: developers have not added anything new to the tried and tested gaming formula and yet the app has reached millions of downloads.
Having features such as multiplayer sessions like ones from the Facebook app Tetris Battle is a welcome, though. And we don’t mind if the game would use the on-screen keyboard as an alternative to the touch controls. Games like Tetris are arguably better off with keyboards than touch input.
Cordy
To all those Mario fans eagerly expecting for the plumber to make his official debut on Android, you’ll be waiting indefinitely. If you still don’t know the news, we’re sorry to say Nintendo has no future plans to create games for platforms other than their own. This despite the fact that dedicated console gaming is declining. In the meantime, you can try out Cordy.
Actually, the blazing speed of Cordy when he runs around collecting stars and gears resembles Sonic the Hedgehog more than Mario. But there’s more to this robot with a TV for its head: you have obstacles to push, pull, lift and whatnot to progress through the game.
Slice It!
Now here’s a game that will really leave you scratching your head. Slice It! will test your geometrical analysis by asking you to divide a shape into a given number of small pieces. The challenge is that these portions must be more or less have the same area as the others even if they are not similar in form.
The first few levels are naturally easy to give you a feel of the game. Once you go further, more sophisticated shapes are introduced which must be broken into even more pieces. If you cry “monotony,” make your way to the most advanced levels and you’ll encounter problems like line-refracting mirrors.
Yoo Ninja!
Yet another side-scrolling video game, Yoo Ninja! differs from the likes of Mario and Cordy in such a way that it only uses a single tap to control the ninja. The game defies the laws of gravity and lets your character run across ceilings or the floor, largely depending on when you tap. You are always on the move; get stuck on something and the ever pursuing shurikens will end the game.
Four different worlds amounting to 34 different levels awaits your ninja. And if you like the game so much, you can continue the fun by playing the sequel Yoo Ninja! Plus. While this app runs fine on tablets, it is better suited for smaller screens so the sidescrolling feels smooth and not frame-y.
Zynga Poker
I’m not going all over Zynga’s alleged mishandling of Facebook user’s privacy when they get access to their user’s information. Instead, I’m simply telling you that with Zynga Poker now available on Android, you can finally carry around the game with you and gamble with strangers and friends alike everywhere you please.
Upon downloading the app, you instantly get 10k chips to bet with other people. As yet another cross-platform app, you can play against other players on Facebook and iPhone.
X Construction
When we saw this app’s screenshots, we thought it’s going to be a World of Goo clone. Fortunately, X Construction turned out to be a game unique enough in itself. Some similarities may be observed: whereas in WoG you build a sticky construct to let goos get sucked into a pipe, in this game a train needs to cross over a pit or valley and you must construct a sturdy bridge to make a safe passage.
Despite the differences or familiarity (depending on how you see it), you will nonetheless need to apply some physics so that the bridge doesn’t collapse under the weight of the train. This leads to repeated yet fun attempts to complete every level of the game.
Do you think we missed a game that deserved be one among the top? Feel free to mention it in the comments!
