I think it’s safe to say that most Android users have a favourite game. Whether you prefer puzzle games, titles from the arcade and action genre or perhaps sports simulations, there must be one that has, in some way, engrossed you.
I’ve had the privilege of writing Android reviews now for around eighteen months and have probably scribbled somewhere around 500 or more pieces on Android Appstorm and elsewhere. Of these, very many have been games and certain titles have stood out as being particularly addictive. Namely, the ones I carry on playing long after the review has been published.
So here, for your perusal, debate and discussion, are my top 50 addictive Android games. You should be warned that these can swallow your spare time without mercy, often leaving you groggy and disorientated, sometime after midnight and hours of hardcore playing. With that as a small warning, say goodbye to productivity and read on…
Tiny Tower
Tiny Tower is a cute, retro tycoon game where you build a tower and populate it with cool characters. It’s a perfectly casual game where you can dip in and out when the time suits you.
From the quirky characters and the ability to dress them in various uniforms, to the Bitbook posts which tell you how they are getting on, gameplay is compulsive and immediately engrossing. It also featured in Android Appstorm’s 33 Fantastic Retro Games to Get Nostalgic About, such is it’s old-school appeal.
Price: Free
Requires: Android 2.0 or above
Google Play Link: Tiny Tower
Developer: Mobage
Game Dev Story
Game Dev Story is another top retro title that has the tightest of gaming grips. Here you have to run your own game development company by creating a series of awesome games and managing a cool team of developers and creatives.
This game chills me when I think of quite how addicted I was to it. 3am finishes with bleary eyes and a dying phone battery weren’t uncommon. Kairosoft have made several similar titles so definitely check them out in the Google Play Store.
Price: $2.50
Requires: Android 1.6 or above
Google Play Link: Game Dev Story
Developer: Kairosoft Co.,Ltd
WarGames: WOPR
WarGames: WOPR is a puzzle game based on the 80′s movie of the same name. Essentially you have to link similar icons together to build high scores and defeat your competitor (made up of characters from the film).
Wrapped in images and dialogue from the movie, the gameplay is challenging and has you hooked almost immediately. Not many games have me desperate to complete them but this did, literally “unputdownable”.
Price: $0.99
Requires: Android 2.2 or above
Google Play Link: WarGames: WOPR
Developer: Be-Rad Entertainment
New Star Soccer
In New Star Soccer you have to live the life of an up-and-coming football player. With both on-field and off-field elements to gameplay, it’s a fantastic time-waster for any fan of the game.
A football journalist I follow tweeted about New Star Soccer, along with an apology for the ensuing loss of productivity the game would cause him. After 3 weeks, I had to wean myself off it and deploy levels of willpower I was unaware I had. Outstanding game, but it seriously dents your real life.
Price: $2.99
Requires: Android 1.5 or above
Google Play Link: New Star Soccer
Developer: New Star Games Ltd
DEAD TRIGGER
Dead Trigger is an immersive and haunting first-person zombie shoot’em-up that sees you completing missions and wiping out the undead in the most detailed and richest of mobile environments.
The gameplay, visuals and sound combine to stunning effect to deliver a game that demands your attention and doesn’t like letting go. Play it on a tablet in the dark and you’ll find it more chilling than some horror films.
Price: Free
Requires: Android Varies with device
Google Play Link: DEAD TRIGGER
Developer: MADFINGER Games
Rebuild
Sticking with the zombie theme, in Rebuild you have to strategically help build a small community of survivors. You need to expand your compound and protect your assets from the burgeoning undead who attack frequently. The game is rife with terrible moral decisions and devastating events that continually rock your progress.
The game somehow evokes compassion in you for the welfare of your community members. When one dies you can’t help but feel saddened at the loss. Quite possibly one of the most engrossing titles in this round-up, it has a vice like grip that is incredibly hard to ignore.
Price: $2.99
Requires: Android 2.2 or above
Google Play Link: Rebuild
Developer: Sarah Northway
Angry Birds Space Premium
An Angry Birds game had to make the list, didn’t it? The premise is beautifully simple; fire various birds at buildings in order to destroy the evil thieving pigs. There are hundreds of levels and several bird types to deploy as the story unravels.
The series has spawned a number of titles now and has been downloaded millions of times across various platforms. It is the quintessential ‘must-play’ game. I can’t rightly choose one as being more addictive than another, so here is the latest and graphically richest of the series, Angry Birds Space.
Price: $0.99
Requires: Android 1.6 or above
Google Play Link: Angry Birds Space Premium
Developer: Rovio Mobile Ltd.
100 Doors
100 Doors is a challenging puzzle game where you have to open a door on every level. Using logic, patience and a dash of strategy, gamers must work out exactly how to open each door to progress.
The game has gathered an army of fanatics online where solutions are shared like commodities. It’s often very simple to play but really tests and challenges your lateral thinking. As such it’s tough to put down and highly addictive for puzzle fans.
Price: Free
Requires: Android 2.2 or above
Google Play Link: 100 Doors
Developer: MPI Games
Temple Run
Temple Run burst onto the Android scene after being hugely popular on iOS. Run, jump, slide and turn your way along an ancient wall as you escape from rabid demon-monkeys. The game requires fast reactions and nerves of steel to do well.
The challenge is to last as long as you can and complete various missions as you do so. Subsequently it’s one of the most casual and aggressively engrossing games available in the Google Play Store.
Price: Free
Requires: Android 2.1 or above
Google Play Link: Temple Run
Developer: Imangi Studios
A Story of a Band
A Story of a Band is an awesome retro-style title where you manage and develop an emerging rock band and guide them to super stardom. Not a million miles away from the kind of gameplay you find in Game Dev Story and it’s ilk, A Story of a Band sees you guide your group through a history of contemporary music.
Want to be the first band to establish punk? Go on tour, produce new albums and manage your hard-drinking band members in a game that rocks very hard indeed.
Price: $2.57
Requires: Android 1.6 or above
Google Play Link: A Story of a Band
Developer: Hot Byte Games
Word Weasel
If you like word games, definitely be sure to check out Word Weasel. In a nutshell it’s like playing Boggle at gun point. You play against other online gamers to get the highest score in two minutes. It also made it’s way into our round up of the quintessential word games.
It’s fast paced, highly addictive and massively rewarding if you do well. Your average score changes with each round so make sure you do as best as you can. Another game I’ve played long into the night and it continues to draw me back time and time again.
Price: Free
Requires: Android 2.1 or above
Google Play Link: Word Weasel
Developer: concreterose
My Singing Monsters
One of my more recent obsessions, My Singing Monsters is a game where you grow a breath-taking choir of quirky creatures. Breed, grow eggs and place new monsters on a variety of harmonious islands.
Keeping monsters happy and belting out catchy tunes is one thing, but leaving the game alone for more than a day is really challenging. A great casual game, it’s something both adults and children can get heavily addicted to.
Price: Free
Requires: Android 2.3 or above
Google Play Link: My Singing Monsters
Developer: Big Blue Bubble
Monsters Ate My Condo
Monsters Ate My Condo comes from the wacky imagination of the folks at Adult Swim. Simply combine and/or swipe away apartment levels into the hungry mouths of deranged monsters.
Quite unlike anything you will have ever seen before, it’s easy to play but tricky to put down. The monsters are incredibly silly but gameplay is insanely addictive.
Price: $0.99
Requires: Android 2.3.3 or above
Google Play Link: Monsters Ate My Condo
Developer: [adult swim] games
Night of the Living Dead
There are probably hundreds of tower defense games in the Google Play Store but this one stands out for me. Tied closely to the original film of the same name, Night of the Living Dead features effects and sound bites from the movie which make it incredibly immersive and compelling.
What really kept me coming back to the game over and over again however was the gripping atmosphere which just permeates through every level. It’s eerie, engaging and ultimately one of the most compulsively playable tower defense games available today.
Price: $0.99
Requires: Android 2.1 or above
Google Play Link: Night of the Living Dead
Developer: SGN
Trainyard
Trainyard is another gem for puzzle fans. Simply create the right tracks for the trains to pass along, ensuring they reach their stations without a problem. A keen sense of timing is absolutely essential in this gorgeously animated and perfectly designed game.
There are dozens of levels and the logic required will test even the most dedicated fans of the genre. The thing with logic puzzles is that you know there is a solution and that fact keeps you trying again and again until you find it.
Price: $0.99
Requires: Android 2.2 or above
Google Play Link: Trainyard
Developer: Noodlecake Studios Inc
Spirits
Spirits is like an ethereal version of Lemmings. Rich with sounds and engaging gameplay, the welfare of the spirits in the game becomes your main concern as you guide them towards a goal.
Lemmings was one of the most addictive and popular PC games in its day, and Spirits is just as engrossing. Another game that comes with a fantastic and immersive atmosphere, it’s a title you don’t just play but also experience.
Price: $2.99
Requires: Android 2.2 or above
Google Play Link: Spirits
Developer: Spaces of Play
Football Manager Handheld 2012
Football Manager (and its predecessor Championship Manager) was on record as being the cause of several divorces in the UK. In a nutshell, players spent more time managing their virtual teams than they did with their spouse, such is the strong draw.
The series’ 2012 Handheld edition is brilliant fun to play and can be obsessively addictive. It should perhaps come with the following warning – “May detrimentally affect professional and personal relationships after prolonged usage”.
Price: $4.99
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