Androidsmartphonesandtablets are great for gaming, but itcan be tricky to know where to start. To help, here's our pick of the best games available from the Google Play store. We have over 70 top games to choose from, many of which are free, so there's something for everyone.
You can play for five minutes, five hours, or anything in between. However, we know you don't always have time to delve into an in-depth RPG, so for your convenience we have split this list into three handy categories, and then broken those up by genre.
The best Android games for: standing at the bus stop
These games are best played in short five to ten minute bursts. Perfect for killing time when you're waiting for a bus.
Puzzle
Stick Cricket - Free
For those craving an off-season Ashes or IPL fix, this cricket sim is perfect. Featuring simple yet compelling gameplay and a slew of licensed teams, this game is more insanely addictive than Flintoff’s personality.
Duet - Free
Beautiful synchronised movement puzzles set to a rather nice ambient soundtrack. The smears of previous failures are a nice touch as well.
The Impossible Quiz - 60p
Silly, funny and brain-punchingly counterintuitive, this puzzler lives up to its name. Prepare to weep tears of frustration as you give it just one more try…
CubicTour - Free
Simple rotation-based puzzle game. Surprisingly fun considering its simplistic nature.
Flight Control – 60p
Brush up on your NATO phonetic alphabet and put on your shiny captains hat for this fun little flight game. Guide planes in to land on various runways by drawing flight paths with your finger.
8 Ball Pool - Free
With superb physics and gameplay, this is a great way to spend 10 minutes. You only play against real people, so you'll need a decent internet connection for this one.
Angry Birds - Free
Just because it's old doesn't make it bad: this list would never be complete without this mobile gaming classic.
Bad Piggies - Free
From the makers of Angry Birds, Bad Piggies is an addictive little puzzle game, with some action thrown in to add to the fun.
Tetris/Tetris Blitz - Free
The original puzzler is still one of the all-time greats. Available in both regular and Blitz flavours.
Cat Physics - Free
Another physics game, its enjoyable gameplay is bolstered by the fact that it’s all done with cats. Aww.
2048 – Free
Swap numbered tiles in order to reach the desired goal number of 2048. Smart, compulsive fun.
Flow Free - Free
Addictive colour-matching fun that is equal parts frustration and satisfaction. Attempt to reach the goal in as few moves as possible.
Cut The Rope – Free
Classic gravity-based cartoon fun. The perfect blend of simple to grasp yet hard to master.
Dots – Free
Charmingly simple game involving matching coloured dots. Several different modes, including a ‘zen’ mode for unlimited play.
Candy Crush Saga – Free
This game is notorious for eating people’s lives, and it’s easy to see why. Block-matching fun that’s addictive like Skittles laced with crack.
Crush the Castle – 60p
Essentially Angry Birds, but the medieval siege warfare paintjob gives it a diverting twist. Fun for anyone with a fondness for nights and castles.
Action
Desert Golfing - £1.19
The simplest games are so often the best and Desert Golfing is a prime example. There's no menu or even tutorial, you simply keep hitting the ball to the next hole - Endless fun.
Colour Sheep - 61p
In this unusual and quite unique game you need to help Woolson defeat the oncoming wolves by mixing dark and light colours to match. It sounds easy but things quickly become a real challenge and you'll be glad to see bonus items.
Retry - Free
Retry is the latest offering from Angry Birds maker, Rovio. It's a plane flying action game with retro 8-bit graphics. There are similarities with Flappy Bird but the game is much more well rounded and polished. As the name suggests you're going to be hitting the retry button a lot as each level is challenging but the balance is just right so you're equally frustrated but confident that one more go will be enough. Addictive and simple like so many of the best mobile games.
Colossatron – Free
Giant cyber-monster carnage from the makers of Fruit Ninja. Add and combine modules to your mechanical menace for different effects.
Vector - Free
Noir-ish 2D endless runner, with an interesting story and charmingly retro graphics. Play it at work and dream of escape.
Hill Climb Racing - Free
Thanks to fun physics and its addictive nature, this one will keep you coming back.
Crazy Taxi - £2.99
There is a reboot called Crazy Taxi City Rush but we prefer playing the original Sega Dreamcast version from 2000 which has been remastered for mobile. Includes music by The Offspring and Bad Religion.
AaaaaAAaaaAAAaaAAAAaAAAAA!!! - £1.78
Jump off vertiginous skyscrapers, while managing not to smear yourself over the side of a building.
Robot Unicorn Attack 2- Free
Made by Adult Swim, this ‘endless runner’ is notable for its upgrade system, soundtrack and kitschy charm.
Tower Boxing – Free
Successor to Timberman, Tower Boxing features identical gameplay, swapping out the lumberjack for a Godzilla-sized Rocky rip-off punching out buildings.
Badland – Free
Gorgeous side-scrolling, jump-based platformer, and winner of three awards. Worth downloading for the stunning visuals alone.
Dumb Ways To Die - Free
Warioware-style minigames abound in this free gigglefest. Fun, quickfire action, with entertaining deaths aplenty.
RPG
Only One – Free
Use upgradable abilities to fight waves of enemies on a pillar in the sky. Basically Highlander: The Game.
JFrotz - Free
A system for playing classic Infocom text adventures like Zork. The lack of graphics masks what are still very well made games.
Game Dev Story - £1.60
Theme Hospital-style management sim, but featuring a game development studio. Quirky fun, even if you’re not interested in the industry.
Tiny Death Star – Free
A spinoff of the wildly successful Tiny Tower, this is essentially the same game with a Star Wars theme. Good enough for us.
Qube Kingdom – Free
Mix of RTS and tower defense game featuring blocky, Minecraft-style graphics, with upgradeable heroes. Childishly charming.
The best Android games for: playing on the train
These are ideal for the commute to work, and suit sessions of half an hour to 45 minutes.
Puzzle
Smash Hit – Free
Chilled out rail-shooter with unspeakably satisfying shatter effects. Perfect for a spot of post-work stress relief.
Blek - £1.75
The perfect game for a touch-screen. A repeated-motion affair that looks like some form of art.
Blendoku – Free
Simple and inventive colour-matching game that shouldn’t be nearly as enjoyable as it is. Arty fun to keep your brain ticking over.
Lyne - £1.60
Minimalist, geometric puzzle game with both designed and procedurally generated levels. Taxing and relaxing at the same time.
Super Hexagon - £1.99
Frantic shape-based avoidance game. Punishing difficulty set to a rather wonderful electronic score.
Action
Goat Simulator - £2.99
For reasons nobody can quite understand, what started out as an Internet joke somehow became one of the most anticipated indie releases of 2014, and has now landed on Android. Play as a goat and wreck as much stuff as possible in this deliberately buggy, shriekingly insane, fantastic mess of a game.
Carmageddon – 69p
One of the first shock-value games, this Android port of the 90’s PC racer gleefully trumpets the fact that it was “BANNED AROUND THE WORLD”. Mow down pedestrians and fellow drivers alike in this bad-taste nostalgia-fest.
Plague Inc. - Free
Create and upgrade a pathogen with the aim of wiping out humanity in this addictive gem. Makes Ebola look like a case of Chickenpox.
Deer Hunter – Free
Hunting sim with a vast wealth of locations, animals, weapons and upgrades. Perfect for your inner carnivore.
Amateur Surgeon 3 – Free
Funny, stylized surgery sim full of weird and wacky ailments. Operation for grownups.
Pinball Arcade – Free, with additional tables as in-app purchases
If you’ve ever spent a few hours pumping coins into slots at an arcade or a bar, this is for you. Shedloads of painstakingly recreated classic tables.
Earn to Die – 69p
Side-scrolling driving game that sees you moving down hordes of zombies in an upgradeable car. Death-Proof meets Dawn of the Dead.
Worms 3 - £1.49
The original 2D warfare game, Worms has personality for days. The turn-based style suits mobile gaming perfectly, and it’s always fun naming your worms after famous people and blowing the hell out of them.
Unpossible - £1.17
First-person endless runner with a gorgeous neon colour scheme. Brutally difficult but entirely fair gameplay will have you instantly hooked.
RPG
Out There – £2.49
Procedurally generated space exploration game. Meet alien races, explore planets and upgrade your ship; think FTL without the combat.
Guardians of the Galaxy: The Universal Weapon - £1.99
Real-time RPG combat with the stars of Marvel’s latest outing. The unique storyline and nods to the comics make it worth the time for any superhero fan.
Superbrothers Sword And Sorcery - £2.99
As much an extended music video as it is a game, this has a fantastic soundtrack as well as superbly witty, tongue-in-cheek writing.
10000000 - £1.99
Part tile-matching puzzle game and part dungeon-crawling RPG, this fiendishly addictive little number will suck you in with its deceptive simplicity.
Pixel Dungeon – Free
Choose from four classes in this traditional rogue-like. This game fully lives up to the genre’s unforgiving reputation.
Battleheart - £1.85
A quirky little RPG with wonderfully fluid touch controls. The art style is instantly endearing, with gameplay to match.
The best Android games for: the lunch break
The games below are meaty affairs, and require some solid attention. Around an hour's play time is the optimum length, and they fill out a lunch break nicely.
Puzzle
Carcassonne - £3.99
You need a lot of space to play the tiled-based board game, Carcassonne, but not with the app version which will keep you entertained for hours with online multiplayer and various expansion packs.
Thomas Was Alone - £3.99
