Android games are so popular that they occupy the first tab on the Play Store. From first-person shooters to role-playing adventures to platformers, you will find different genres of games to play.
In case you are in search of quality titles to try on your Android device, consider checking out our picks for the five best Android games of January 2021. The list contains the latest and relatively older releases, but they all are equally fun and addictive to play.
1. Star Wars: KOTOR II
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II from Obsidian Entertainment is a fitting sequel to Bioware’s legendary role-playing title. The 2004 classic has been recently ported to Android devices. Aspyr Media, the team behind the first Star Wars: KOTOR port, has worked hard to make the sequel enjoyable on mobile devices.
The story picks up five years after the events of the first game. It follows the story of The Exile, a Jedi Knight exiled from the Jedi Order. The protagonist finds himself/herself on an asteroid mining facility. Later, the Jedi Knight escapes the place and finds the person who ordered his/her exile. However, after learning about Sith Lords hunting the Jedi Order to the edge of extinction, it all comes to the Jedi Knight to search for the remaining Jedi and fight against the Sith.
Similar to the first game, Star Wars: KOTOR II has a heavy emphasis on the story. You can create your own character and choose to align with either the light side or the dark side. Every dialogue option you pick up affects the story and the characters around you. The combat is also the same as its predecessor, with a variety of melee and ranged weapons to choose from.
The Android port of Star Wars: KOTOR II features intuitive on-screen controls, but you can play it with a gamepad as well. The graphics are similar to the PC version, but it’s well optimized for mobile chipsets. The game also offers a graphics configuration menu.
If you are invested in the Star Wars franchise and interested in playing role-playing action-adventure games, Star Wars: KOTOR II is a must-play on Android. The $15 price tag is a bit of a stretch for a mobile game, but the timeless classic is worth every penny.
2. Donut County
If you ever wanted to play as a hole in the ground, now is the time to try out Donut County. It’s a physics-based puzzle game that gives players the objective to swallow everything in the level. From tiny objects to entire buildings, your goal is to sink everything in the way and make life miserable for Donut County residents.
The game has its witty story, which slowly unfolds as you solve the puzzles. It’s basically about raccoons taking over the Donut Country with remote-controlled holes. You play as BK, a raccoon that uses an RC hole to swallow up his friends and their homes in exchange for rewards. The rest of the story is for you to unravel.
Donut County lets you explore different environments, with unique characters and objects to swallow. The hole grows bigger in size each time you move it to swallow up various items. You can use the catapult to fling certain things out of the hole to solve the puzzles.
Combined with a charming art style and catchy soundtrack, Donut County is incredibly fun to play. Although the game is relatively short, the replayability is what makes the $4.99 price tag justified.
3. Bad North: Jotunn Edition
Bad North: Jotunn Edition is a minimalistic, real-time tactics rogue-lite. After the king is slain at the hands of Viking invaders, it’s on you to defend the idyllic kingdom against the horde and help your people evacuate the island with the help of your loyal subjects. Should you fail, you watch your warriors dead at the hands of Vikings.
In every procedurally generated island, you control the outcomes of the battle by giving the right commands to your soldiers. You can use the unique shape of the islands to take gain a tactical advantage over the horde of invaders. You earn rewards as your defenses and positioning get stronger and smarter, which you can use to unlock upgrades and give yourself a head start to counter the attacks.
The game features a charming art style that also conveys the brutal realities of blood-stained war. The AI will often cleverly bypass your defenses and become stronger to tackle as you level up. If any of your troops are killed in the battle, they will stay dead for the rest of the war.
Bad North: Jotunn Edition has received favorable reviews across several different platforms for its balanced gameplay and exceptional replayability. The Android version of the game costs $4.99. It doesn’t have ads or in-game purchases.
4. Forager
Forager is a 2D open-world adventure game released in 2019 for PCs and consoles. The hit indie title has also recently made its debut on mobile devices.
The game combines different gameplay mechanics seen in adventure, exploration, and idle games. You can harvest massive amounts of resources at a time for crafting items and leveling up. Additionally, you can build automated systems to collect more resources and produce additional items.
As you level up, you get to learn new perks and abilities, as well as unlock blueprints of new tools and craftable objects. Besides, you can find secret areas and dungeons with hazardous enemies crawling around. Whatever you do in the game, you get XP that you can use to level up.
Forager offers various tasks for players to discover, including cooking, farming, engineering, fishing, hunting, mining, manufacturing, magic, etc. You earn money by completing the tasks, which you can use to expand the base, obtain new types of resources, and unlock new areas to explore.
There’s so much more you can do in Forager. Apart from the simple touch controls, it also supports controller input. The game is a bit expensive at $7.99, but it has a lot to offer. There are no microtransactions or advertisements involved.
5. Tomb Toad
Tomb Toad is a puzzle game with retro pixel art graphics and a chiptune soundtrack. Your objective is to help a toad navigate dangerous tombs by rotating the entire level from different angles. As you spin the level, the toad will shift its position alongside every other hazardous inhabitant that you need to avoid in the tomb.
Tomb Toad has 100+ levels filled with unique puzzles, monsters, traps, and treasures. The simple touch controls make the game playable one-handed. It also has a level editor you can use to design your own perilous dungeons.
The game is still in an early phase of development. It’s priced at $3.99 on the Play Store. For the challenging gameplay it offers, Tomb Toad is totally worth the money.
Talha Ali is your tech generalist, covering a wide spectrum of topics within the ever-evolving world of technology. With a curiosity for the latest innovations, industry trends, and breakthroughs. Whether it’s hardware, software, emerging technologies, or the intersection of tech with daily life, Talha’s articles provide readers with a well-rounded perspective on the dynamic landscape of the tech industry.