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It’s increasingly rare to see a new Android game with a price tag, but not all free games are built alike. Some feel like business models disguised as entertainment or are so overloaded with ads, energy meters, and obnoxious in-app purchase prompts that they’re not worth the hassle. And that doesn’t even consider whether or not the game was even fun to begin with.
Luckily, not every free game is like that. The Play Store has many great games you can snag without spending a penny. We’ve collected our 20 current favorites within. Some of these may have ads or limitations, but those minor annoyances don’t disguise the immense fun you can have without being forced to pay a thing. Grab a bunch of them!
Not content to simply release a free-to-play mega-smash like Crossy Road, Hipster ale also puts a fresh twist on Pac-Man 256 that’s well worth your attention. Pac-Man 256 takes some cues from Crossy Road, an endless, blocky-looking arcade affair. Still, you’ll guide the gaming icon up through mazes as you chomp dots and enemy ghosts alike.
Heading northward isn’t simply about boosting your score with dots power-ups but also avoiding the constant creep of broken code from below—a clever homage to a classic c-Man arcade glitch. Pac-Man 256 is the rare revival that doesn’t feel like a lame knock-off or trend chase, offering up a game you’ll want to play again.
Soothing, serene, straight-up beautiful, alto’s Adventure is a delightfully mellow twist on the endless runner. Tasking you with going the distance down the slopes as you snowboard collect your runaway llamas. You’ll tap to jump hold to perform backflips as you see fit, but the game isn’t overloaded with many tricks, power-ups, or distractions.
Although some might find the core experience a bit simplistic, that’s good. It is, but beyond providing an entertaining downhill experience. Alto’s Adventure continuously impresses its gorgeous animation, dazzling weather day/night transition effects, and ultra-catchy music. It’s also a friendly free-to-play game, which fits well with its otherwise chill attitude.
Alto’s Adventure (Free)
If you thought Clash of Clans was addictive, then just wait ‘til you start playing Clash Royale. It’s based in the same universe, but Clash Royale amps up the action excitement by letting you battle other players in quick, intense real-time showdowns. You’ll put your best deck of cards against your opponent’s, attempting to be the first to smash the rival towers.
Each card spawns an offensive or defensive unit. Whether it’s a burly giant, hog-riding warrior, or spell-wielding witch, the three-minute battles are typically thrilling. It’s a friendly free-to-play experience without play restrictions. Although the lure to spend money to speed up rewards timers or buy better cards can be downright irresistible once you’re hooked.
Clash Royale (Free)
It began life on then tablets, but free-to-play smash Hearthstone. Heroes of Warcraft is also available on Android phones, letting you get your fix anywhere. Spun off from the classic strategy game franchise, Hearthstone takes that fantasy world into a new direction with a ravenously addictive collectible card game that’s attracted millions of fans.
Brainy tactical, yet colorful and accessible, it’s an ideal game to fall into— then continue obsessing over. Hearthstone includes online play solo content. While advanced play requires a considerable investment of time or entertaining the temptation of spending money, the freemium model doesn’t feel overbearing or unfair.
Ingress Prime set the template for location-based mobile gaming. Still, Pokémon GO took it into the stratosphere by bringing Nintendo’s adorable monsters. In case you’re not one of the 100+ million players on Android alone. Pokémon GO sends you out into the world to catch the digital creatures, claim nearby gyms for your team, and earn items from nearby ké Stops.
Seeing the Pokémon sitting nearby in the augmented reality mode is a lovely treat. Trying to catch ‘em all is a fun way to get moving and explore your neighborhood. It’s pretty limited on gameplay, but enhancements (including trading) are coming gradually. And if you want something a bit more complex and severe right now, Ingress Prime still has a passionate community.
Pokémon GO (Free)
Real Racing 3 puts a pretty comprehensive simulation-style driving experience on your smartphone for nothing. You won’t even find a paid Android racer that’s anywhere near as polished as this. The driving is refined and responsive, not to mention pretty gorgeous: inside the cockpit or behind the bumper.
It’s also massive, with more than 100 licensed cars, a dozen real-world tracks, a couple of thousand single-player events, and real-time online races. Things can get repetitive without spending a few bucks on extra cars for variety’s sake. The repair timers are a freemium frustration, but Real Racing 3 is too good to be sunk by those free-to-play irritations.
Real Racing 3 (Free)
Thrilling MOBA that’s the multiplayer online battle arena action shouldn’t only be limited to rabid favorites like League of Legends and Dota 2. That is Vainglory’s philosophy: it takes the team-centric design of those free-to-play computer games. It streamlines everything for touch, letting you jump into exciting online battles.
As part of a three-hero team, you’ll try to topple the base on the other side of the screen, all while defending your territory from the opposing squad. There are no restrictions on playtime for the intense back-forth battles that can last upwards of 30 minutes. Vainglory delivers big fun in a relatively small package. And the free-to-play design doesn’t feel punitive against non-spenders.
Vainglory (Free)
Traditional solitaire can get crowded on a tiny phone screen, but Sage Solitaire puts a new spin on the classic card game. It’s essentially a single-player version of poker, tasking you with building the best hs to boost your points, but there’s more to it. Every h must also use cards from at least two different rows. You can only “trash” two cards in a row before it’s game over.
Sage Solitaire is challenging, clever, and has a clean, attractive design. Plus, it’s downright addictive, even if you don’t typically play card games. Two core modes are free without restrictions, while a $3 in-app purchase unlocks bonus modes and kills all ads.
Sage Solitaire (Free)
Super Stickman Golf 3 replaces its predecessor on this list. It’s no surprise that the third game doesn’t make dramatic changes, but it’s an enjoyable take on golf with a massive amount of free content. Like the earlier games, Super Stickman Golf 3 turns the sport into a 2D puzzle-platform game, challenging you to sink the ball across courses with portals and jagged ice cliffs.
Noodlecake’s latest entry is free right off the bat. You’ll unlock 20 courses without needing to pay a cent—plus, there’s no energy meter to slow your progress. And if you really love it, you can pay just $3 to kill the ads, unlock further add-on courses, and gain other perks.
Super Stickman Golf 3 (Free)
Alphabear: Words Across Time
I know the next great twist in word games would be adorable. Collecting bears? Spry Fox did this, which is why the studio graced us with Alphabear. It’s an odd little concoction: essentially, you’ll create words from the available Scrabble-like tiles on the board. Once cleared, the score increases used tiles turn into cartoon bears.Each bear type is based on the power-ups you pick before each round. They provide score boosts and other perks based on how large they get, so you shouldn’t let the limited-life letter tiles expire. Letting a tile go to waste turns it into stone, which prevents nearby bears from getting any larger. Sound confusing /or weird? Give Alphabear a shot: it all makes sense once you start playing.
Alphabear: Words Across Time (Free)
Rodeo StampedeSky Zoo Safari is still a delight. Disney Crossy Road is, too. But if you’re looking for something newer to scratch that same arcade-style itch, check out Rodeo Stampede: Sky Zoo Safari. While the two games share a similar blocky look, Rodeo Stampede thankfully does its own thing once you’re out sprinting atop some frantic animals.
It’s a wild little game that finds you riding on the various creatures and then leaping to l on the next, all to notch the farthest total distance. Each animal acts differently and only stays calm for a few seconds. The quick-hit challenges encourage a variety of unique feats. And then, between the action, you’ll work towards building an adorable zoo on a flying boat. It’s ridiculous but lots of fun, too.
The hilarious backyard showdown between foliage undead invaders carries on with this free-to-play sequel, which expresses the premise with a time travel hook. Now, you’ll place peashooters, explosive cherry bombs, and many other offensive-minded plants in Ancient Egypt, on a pirate ship, or in various scenarios.
Plants vs. Zombies 2 maintains the original’s amusing, casual-centric tower defense design. Still, under its freemium twist, the progression is grinding, and new power-ups on which you can spend real money muddle the strategy a bit. On the other hand, it’s still plenty of fun; there’s a load of content here to explore if you take your time with it.
Plants vs Zombies™ 2 (Free)
Wargaming’s Group smash simulation makes a startlingly strong transition to mobile in World of Tanks Blitz, which retains the team-centric tank combat while scaling everything down for mobile. That means fewer tanks per team are seven at more minor levels, but Blitz does a great job retaining what made the mouse keyboard version such a success.
It’s an organized online action game, yet one in which the action is tense, and the battles are short and sweet enough to be still appealing on mobile. You can amass a wealth of real-world tanks, but progress is slow without spending money. Still, the online combat remains entertaining even if you stick with the same tank or two for a long time.
One of the silliest, certainly most entertaining endless runners around is Jetpack Joyride. This game seriously puts you in control of a man named Barry Steakfries as he steals a bullet-spewing jetpack and attempts to escape a research facility.
You’ll tap-hold to fire the thrusters and wind your way around the electrical barriers, laser traps, and missiles that fill the screen. While collecting coins, aim to set the farthest distance possible. Fun vehicles and other perks keep the action fresh and loose throughout. There are many missions to complete and various character customizations to unlock, giving this goofy game serious legs.
Jetpack Joyride (Free)
Crossy Road, did the chicken cross the road? If you’re playing Crossy Road, it’s either to beat your top score or one of your friends. Whatever the case, you’re certainly not going to let lanes full of speeding traffic stop you from taking over the leaderboard.
This fiendishly addictive free game takes its cues from Frogger. Still, it turns that classic concept into an endless score challenge: you’ll tap to nudge ahead one lane at a time, swipe side to side to avoid obstacles dodge cars. It’s a ton of fun, the freemium model is one of the friendliest around, and you can unlock many of the characters and minor but exciting tweaks to the experience.
Crossy Road (Free)
Four letters aren’t concerned with how large or complex words you know or even where you place them: it just wants to see how quickly you can dash out loads of four-letter terms using mixed-up letters.
You’ll have only a handful of seconds to spell each word, with the timer slightly refreshed with each completed entry. While you may find yourself on a string of easy entries. The game awards bonus points for rapid-fire spelling. Four letters are deviously good at throwing in head-scratching terms and jumbling up letters in a way that totally throws you off. It’s a tremendous challenge for word nerds.
Four letters (Free)
Smash Hit has lived up to its name, amassing millions of downloads. Still, the game also matches the aspirations: this is one hugely appealing free game. In short, it tasks you with shattering panels and sculptures of virtual glass by tapping the screen to have little balls.
It’s more than just digital destruction porn, though, as Smash Hit riffs on the endless runner by moving you ahead through abstract rooms populated with various glass pieces. Your limited supply of balls dictates how long the game lasts, as hitting every bit of glass in sight keeps your stockpile steady. Start missing the targets. However, you’ll be a handful of tosses away from running out of steam. It’s a curious concoction that works so well.
Smash Hit (Free)
True, a smartphone may not be the ideal place to play a Call of Duty-like first-person military shooter. But Modern Combat 5 makes a pretty good impression if you do it. And it does so across the board. With cinematic missions to play on your own and excellent online multiplayer showdowns to test your skills.
The blackout started life as a premium game but eventually shed the price tag and added a pesky energy system. That’s a pain, it can restrict extended play sessions as a result, but now you’re getting a sizeable entertaining shooter for nothing. And the multiplayer battles are the highlight, delivering fabulous free-for-all team-based showdowns.
Real Racing 3 earns its spot on this list for being a solid simulation. But Asphalt 8 is here purely for the crazy fun. After all, the former racer doesn’t have angled ramps that send your car spinning through the air. Or play modes that reward you for violently smashing your opponents into barriers.
Gameloft’s free-to-play racer is a blast, whether racing for the finish line or intentionally crushing the competition. With an array of exciting tracks, loads of licensed vehicles to unlock, and plenty of online and offline fun. It looks and plays much like a console racer, and think of Burnout. Yet, it is a free phone tablet game with tolerable freemium annoyances. Amazing.
