Have some time to kill and only your trusty Android phone to keep you company? Take a gander at some of the most exciting, engaging, and free games that you can download from the Google Play Store. We have a healthy mix including shooters, puzzle games, racing, and lots more.
If you're itching for something new and you're able to stomach a few in-app purchase prompts, read on!
Asphalt 8: Airborne is easily one of the top racing games on mobile right now. It skips all pretensions of realism and provides an over-the-top, high-octane experience with all the fixings. Players can work their way through career mode, can unlock new rides, can upgrade the ones they have, or can take the competition online in multiplayer. The usual race modes are there, plus a new Infected mode where players have to tag other racers before succumbing to an explosive virus.
The incredibly polished graphics and outstanding soundtrack make Asphalt 8 an adrenaline trip you won't soon forget.
Build a Bridge!
You don't have to be a civic engineer to build bridges — although it sure would help!
Build a Bridge! is a free game similar to the popular Steam game Poly Bridge, with controls optimized for touchscreen. Each level requires you to build a bridge that's strong enough to allow a car to pass over it without going over budget on supplies.
You plan out the bridge in an easy-to-grasp 2D interface, then give it a test run in 3D to see if it holds up. While conventional engineering standards might typically win the day, it's equally fun to try and experiment with bridges that just barely hold together. A collapsing bridge doesn't necessarily mean you fail, as long as the vehicle makes it to the other side — in this game, a winning bridge can be designed for one use only.
Once you beat a level with three stars in challenge mode, you unlock sandbox mode, which offers you unlimited funds to test the wackiest bridge designs you can think of. There are 30 levels of increasing difficulty to play, along with hidden levels to unlock along the way.
Hearthstone
Hearthstone is a free, turn-based card game that follows a familiar formula: players summon creature cards and cast spell cards based on the Warcraft universe in an effort to defeat online opponents. Every one of the nine heroes has their own unique special ability as well as a sizable batch of collectible and craftable cards. Casual online games, ranked matches, wacky weekly Tavern Brawls, and grueling Arena games appeal to varying levels of commitment.
Hearthstone is without a doubt the best free card game to come to Android to date.
Smash Hit
Smash Hit is a minimalist target practice game where players tap the screen to toss a marble and shatter glass obstacles. If you bump into something you lose marbles. Lose all your marbles and it's game over. Every section is littered with power-ups and fresh batches of marbles to keep you going. If you manage to keep hitting the marble refill crystals without missing, you can fire off two, three, or five marbles at once.
Though it's a simple, on-rails shooter, Smash Hit's polished physics make for a massively accessible and compelling experience.
Alto's Adventure
If you haven't checked out Alto's Adventure, what are you waiting for?
It's a beautiful game with simple controls and endless replayability. You play as Alto, who must snowboard down the side of a mountain to collect all of his runaway llamas, dodging boulders and jumping over chasms as he goes. You can pull off epic stunts, pick up power-ups, and work to complete challenges to level up. Sick of the challenges? Simply swipe over to Zen mode and just enjoy the endless relaxation of sliding down the mountainside.
It's definitely one of the best games released for Android in 2016, and best of all — it's FREE!
Modern Combat 5
Modern Combat 5 offers some of the greatest shooting action you'll find on Android. Dive into an action-packed, single-player campaign, and once you're comfortable with the myriad of classes, weapons, and attachments, dive into a variety of multiplayer modes. Challenges invite players to really test their skill in short, specialized scenarios. For those that are really serious, Modern Combat 5 supports hardware controllers for the real FPS experience.
Modern Combat 5 is perfect for hardcore gamers.
Clash Royale
If you've grown tired of Clash of Clans gameplay but still love the characters and world that the folks at Supercell have created, you should definitely check out Clash Royale. Unlock and upgrade troops, build your battle deck, and take on real-life opponents in real-time battles.
Join or create a clan and share cards and strategies with friends from around the world. You'll need to employ quick thinking and genuine strategy to win, so you'll be compelled to keep tweaking your decks by working in new cards. In-app purchases will be tempting and are essentially required to reach the upper echelons of the leaderboards, but there's still tons of fun to be had playing Clash Royale without spending a dime, and Supercell has done a great job supporting the game with updates and balancing.
Sky Force Reloaded
Fans of vertical scrolling shoot-em-ups rejoice! The new Sky Force Reloaded is on Android and is better than ever!
Blast your way through nine action-packed missions as you take down enemies while dodging the attacks they send back your way. Collect stars and upgrade your ships as you try to earn all medals on each mission at each difficulty level. It's a well-polished game from a storied and celebrated franchise, making Sky Force Reloaded an absolute must-play.
