Best Android games: our pick of the top games from Google Play

Best Android games

Listing the best Android games has never been harder. Android gaming has taken off in a big way, and there are now scores of amazing free and paid Android games to fill up your device.

With some of the best Android phones on the planet - such as the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, HTC 10 and the OnePlus 3 - packing serious processing firepower, there's never been a better time to hit up Google Play and enter a world of fantastic mobile gaming.

Whether you just want to kill time on your daily commute or get deep into something you'd previously have to buy a console for, this list is packed with all the best Android games you'd ever want. If you are planning on having a crack at Modern Combat 5 or Dungeon Hunter 5, we suggest picking up a Bluetooth controller. Ditching those on-screen controls is a welcome change and it increases that console experience even more.

Once you've got your fill of great games, make sure you check out our best Android apps feature, with the best free and paid for titles from Google Play.

Jelly Jump

You're a big block of jelly trying to escape an endless onslaught of closing barriers. Before the platform above starts to close, you have to jump and time it exactly right to ensure you make it to the next stage, avoid being squished, and save yourself from peril. The higher you climb, the more points you score.

Unlike similar games, Jelly Jump is actually rather difficult. And, surprisingly, there is an element of skill required. It's not just about how fast you can jab the display. Your reflexes are tested and we found ourselves improving over time.

As you jump you collect jelly pieces, which can be traded in to purchase new gear. The unlockables are a nice way to keep you plugging away, as is trying to beat your high score.

Who would have thought a jumping block of jelly could be so addictive? Excuse us while we go and play another round.

Price: Free | Jelly Jump

Spring Ninja

There are endless app releases attempting to emulate the popular Flappy Bird formula, however Spring Ninja adds a whole new meaning to the word frustration.

The trouble with the number of titles trying to emulate a simple idea is that they all boil down to the same tip-tappy interaction. But, Spring Ninja has introduced a tricky analogue control system that makes this app virtually impossible to succeed at.

You play the role of a 'fat ninja' (its words, not ours) with springs on his feet. Pressing and holding the screen winds up these springs, then releasing causes you to leap forward. It's up to you to judge the right amount of tension to get you to the next tiny platform, the distance and height of which varies considerably. Nine times out of 10 you will plummet to your death as opposed to landing safely on the next platform.

This is a devilishly tricky game to master, but a highly entertaining one too.

Price: Free | Download Spring Ninja

Fast and Furious: Legacy

Great detail has been taken with this app to replicate the characters, cars and setting of the movie saga. Work your way up the ranks to be LA's most infamous street racer. A nice addition here are the car customisations - where you can upgrade engines, fine tune gearboxes and slap on a jazzy paint job. The cars are extremely easy to drive unlike other recent driving games we've seen, with that arcade feel and heavy emphasis of drifting. If you're a fan of series, it's well worth a download.

Price: Free | Download Fast and Furious: Legacy

Stickman Rush

You're a stickman in a space rocket who has to dodge traffic by swerving and jumping over cars, whilst collecting coins. It's a bit like Temple Run, the longer you last the more points you get. It fantastic, with a swish art style, and gameplay is slick, addictive and simple to grasp.

Price: Free | Download Stickman Rush

Dungeon Hunter 5

The next chapter in the RPG saga brings with it 35 dungeons to explore, co-op action and smooth hack and slash gameplay (well, on the Nexus 5 anyway). Just like any RPG worth its stars, Dungeon Hunter has plenty of upgrade options and character customisation, plus some decent online play. IAP does somewhat stunt your development though, you'll need to cough up some serious dosh if you really want to get further into the game.

Price: Free | Download Dungeon Hunter 5

The Wolf Among Us

Another visually stunning adventure from Telltale Games, this time focusing on a wolf...we won't spoil anymore of it for you. It follows the same vein as titles like The Walking Dead (also a Telltale game), so if you're a fan of that, you'll feel at home here. You get the first episode free, but will have to pay for the next few levels.

Price: Free (to begin with) | Download The Wolf Among Us

CSR Racing

Racing games are great for showing off the graphical capabilities on any device, whether they're on a home console or mobile device, so it's no surprise that CSR Racing looks pretty darn awesome. Cars glisten, pack detail and environments look great too, gameplay is fast paced and perfect for a quick race when you're on, ahem, the loo.

Price: Free | Download CSR Racing

Asphalt Overdrive

A different take on the Asphalt series, ditching the straight forward racing for an endless runner type game. You have to swipe the selection of glorious supercars from right to left, navigating around obstacles and pulling off mid-air tricks. Bathed in a sun soaked 80's colour scheme, the cartoony graphics are swish and a good change to the regular series.

Price: Free | Download Asphalt Overdrive

Two Dots

The uber addictive sequel to Dots is finally here for Android, after a period of exclusivity for iOS. Just like its predecessor, the gameplay is a simple act of joining multiple dots together, but this time there are different objectives to accomplish, multiple environments to play in and just down right more variety.

Price: Free | Download Two Dots

Bike Mayhem

Time to jump on your BMX and start throwing some shapes in the air with this downhill racer which sees you go against the clock to rack up as many points as you can before you hit the finish line. Look to nail some big air and combo up those tricks for the best points score and ultimate bragging rights among your friends. There are various power ups to help you along your way and of course you can customise your bike and rider. It's totally awesome, dude.

Price: £0.69 | Download Bike Mayhem

Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour

A variety of weapons? Check. Explosions aplenty? Check. Online multiplayer mode? Check. All those ingredients combine to create your typical FPS, yet condensed down into mobile form. It's fun, fast and rather pretty as well. Modern Combat 5: Blackout features five customisable classes, various play styles, including Assault, Heavy, Recon, Sniper or Support, and more. It also costs £4.99.

Price: £4.99 | Download Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour

Smash Hit

A beautiful game which encourages you to smash the place up. What's not to love? Smash Hit flies you through 3D environments armed with a set of steel balls to demolish various targets with. The simple controls of tapping where you want a ball to be fired means you'll be able to pick up Smash Hit instantly, although it takes a while to master.

Free | Download Smash Hit

Swordigo

Yearning for a decent platformer on your mobile? Swordigo is here to end your search, with fluid game play, inviting graphics and a compelling storyline. The simple controls makes Swordigo easy to pick up and fun to play for hours on end. This is a game you can sink your teeth into, rather then something just to pass the time with.

Price: Free | Download Swordigo

Asphalt Racing HD

This game is a shrunk-for-smartphone version of a classic pursuit-style racer. There's plenty of choice; over 30 automobiles both two and four-wheeled, including Ferrari, Kawasaki, Ford, Lamborghini, Audi and Ducati, and 12 tracks from Aspen to Las Vegas. The graphics are probably the highlight of this super-smooth game, but there are also some nifty multiplayer options, via Bluetooth and online.

Price: £2.99 | Download Asphalt Racing HD

Unroll Me

Get the steel ball from the start to the finish through the pipes. Sounds easy, right? Well you'll probably find level 1 a walk in the park, and maybe even 2 and 3 - but prepare to have your mind thoroughly tested as this puzzle solver makes things more and more difficult. Play for a while and when you go to sleep all you'll see when you close your eyes will be those damn squares and the stupid ball going the wrong way.

Price: Free | Download Unroll Me

Bad Roads 2

A beautifully simple and well executed game which looks like it's come straight out of the mind of Tim Burton, Bad Roads 2 is a slightly different twist on the standard, 2D side-scrolling vehicle game. You get just two controls - forward and reverse - to wrestle your wagon along what are some really, really bad roads. Seriously, someone needs to have a word with the council. With various vehicles and stages to unlock you may find yourself wishing everything in life were just a series of silhouettes.

Price: £0.81 | Download Bad Roads 2

Threes!

Can you count to three? That's all you need to be able to do to play this game. Sound easy, doesn't it? WRONG! Threes! draws you in with its simple counting premise, but very quickly you'll find yourself in a maths hole with no way of escape. It's is a game of skill, tactics and a little bit of luck as you look to match number cards and add them together in multiples of three. At first you'll be swiping around aimlessly, but after a while you'll understand the cunning puzzle solving skills required to rack up the really big scores.

Price: £2.39| Download Threes!

Spaceteam

There's no single player option - you'll need to gather 1-3 mates in the same room to play Space Team, but trust us it'll be worth it. The premise is simple, you're all manning a spaceship, you each have a set of different controls on screen and an instruction read out you need to bark at team mates. It always starts off in a civil manner - please, thank you etc. But before long you'll be screaming BRUSH TEETH - WILL SOMEONE BRUSH THE @*!$%^& TEETH.

Price: Free | Download Spaceteam

QuizUp

There are loads of quiz applications available on Google Play, but few are as accomplished as QuizUp. A wide array of topics lets you show off in your chosen field and matches consist of just seven questions. This ensures they're long enough to give you the smug satisfaction of getting one over on your rival, while also making QuizUp easy to pick up for a quick game. There are plenty of achievements to unlock and the live rankings table gives you your position among friends, and the world.

Price: Free | Download QuizUp

Papa Pear Saga

Papa Pear Saga may appear to be a childish time waster at first, but play the first two levels and you'll be hooked on this frustratingly addictive game. Bright colours, fast gameplay and a challenging set of more than 100 levels means there's great longevity in Papa Pear. Before long you'll be gleefully chirping "Papa Fiesta!" after completing level 99 on your fiftieth attempt.

Price: Free | Download Papa Pear Saga

Kingdom Rush

Everyone loves a good tower defence game and Kingdom Rush is one of the best around. It has a comprehensive selection of attacking towers and upgrades and with a varied array of foes your strategic might will be put to the test. A slick interface and intuitive controls makes Kingdom Rush easy to pick up, but devilishly difficult to put down. Time to clear your schedule, this could take a while...

Price: Free| Download Kingdom Rush

Fiz: Brewery Management Game

Who doesn't like beer? Well, possibly you, but don't let that put you off Fiz - although it will probably appeal to the Hop Heads out there. You're in charge of selecting the right ingredients from a choice of over 60 for the perfect craft beer. There are various events, missions and marketplaces for you to satisfy and while it's simple on the surface, dig a little deep you'll find yourself with a challenge on your hands.

Price: £2.69 | Download Fiz: Brewery Management Game

Farm Heroes Saga

Farm Heroes Saga is being billed as the new Candy Crush. A really easy to play, addictive game where you move your "cropsies" in a grid to match them up. It's a similar concept to Bejeweled but once you get past the first few levels you'll find new obstacles to overcome and special abilities to earn to help you progress. It's great for playing on the commute, requiring a low level of concentration and no internet connection.

Price: Free | Download Farm Heroes Saga

Crazy Doctor

Brain surgery - not that difficult right? If you're in that school of thinking then the aptly named "Crazy Doctor" could be the drug to satisfy your gaming craving. Brace yourself for the procession of patients, each one bearing a more ridiculous set of injuries than the last. With your trusty surgical equipment - which includes a cork and a baseball bat - you need to save each person's life. Fun, fast paced and a little on the gruesome side makes for an excellent experience.

Price: Free | Download Crazy Doctor

Clash of Clans

If you enjoyed the likes of Age of Empires and Empire Earth on the PC back in the day then you'll enjoy dabbling in Clash of Clans. Build up your base, recruit an army, join a clan and attack others. There is a wide range of upgrades, troops and buildings to choose from and while there are wait times for building it's not so slow as to force you into an in-app purchase - although the option is there if you want it.

Price: Free | Download Clash of Clans

Basketball Kings

Think you know your way around a basketball court? Well prove it with Basketball Kings. Take to the 3D court and sink some flawless baskets in this enjoyably addictive game. Once you've honed your skills in single player you can challenge your friends - and anyone else - to a match to see who really is the basketball king. You can even personalise your baller with kits and balls to unlock, plus there's a variety of courts for you to ply your trade on.

Price: Free | Download Basketball Kings

Archangel

Utilising a new gesture and touch based control scheme, this title is looking to reinvent the way we interact with mobile games, while also giving us a Dark Souls-esque adventure title. There's around 30 levels, lots of collectables to pick up and it uses the Google Play Games service to let you play online.

Price: £1.24 | Download Archangel

Deux Ex: The Fall

After seeing an iOS release last year, this visually impressive and highly immersive action game finally lands on the Google Play Store. Controls are not the best, but no worse than any other FPS on a smartphone and the story, which is classic Deus Ex, along with the great graphics really make up for it.

Price: £3.99 | Download Deus Ex: The Fall

Call of Mini: Infinity

Taking obvious inspiration from blockbuster titles like Halo and Call of Duty, the latest instalment in the Call of Mini series plonks you right in the middle of a planet ending battle. The online battles are intense and the 3D third person view a great choice for a mobile touchscreen.

Price: Free | Download Call of Mini: Infinity

The Sheepening

Listen to this for an outlandish game idea – sheep herding, with a UFO. Yep, with a UFO. While it sounds ridiculous, it actually makes for a really quite addictive game. There are plenty of power-ups for customisation, different environments to explore and a mode where you're tested on the quickness of your herding. Now that's a first.

Price: Free | Download The Sheepening

Detective Grimoire

Another puzzle adventure here, this time with a particularly unique art style. As Detective Grimoire, you're tasked with solving a murder case, through collecting clues, solving puzzles and talking with the locals. It's all set round a swamp, so expect lots of dark and dingy environments.

Price: £2.39 | Download Detective Grimoire

RoboCop 3.0

Released as a tie-in for the reboot of the classic 80's flick, this fun little cover based action game uses the touchscreen well, letting you tap to shoot. Weapon upgrades are plentiful, though you will have to splash some cash through IAP for some of the more powerful items.

Price: Free | Download RoboCop

Lyne

Puzzle games are a great fit for smartphones, and Lyne is up there with the best we've played in a long time. It's deceptively simple to begin with, but delve deeper and your mind with start to bend. Gameplay is smooth, the soft pastel art style in great to look at and the music surprisingly soothing.

Price: £1.60 | Download Lyne

Badland

The once iOS exclusive comes bounding onto the Google Play Store, to the delight of Android gamers everywhere. Critically acclaimed and almost universally loved, Badland is a unique adventure that melds high-end art design with smooth and stutter free gameplay. It's the simplicity of the controls which make it such a joy to play, just tap to move – what could be easier? If you're rocking Android, you need this title.

Price: Free | Download Badland

Tic Tactics

Tic-tac-toe (or Noughts and crosses for us British folk) has been re-imagined for the mobile generation, complete with turn based, online multiplayer matches, worldwide ranking and local two player support. A simple UI makes it great to pick and play, and in no time you'll be racking up the coins and high scores. Tablets are also fully supported – with unique customised layouts and even more info jammed onto the screen.

Price: Free | Download Tic Tactics

Stickman Soccer

The latest entry in the ever growing Stickman series focuses on the beautiful game itself; yep that's right, football. Completely arcade styled, it's a blast to play and within minutes you'll be utterly hooked – finding time especially to fit in a game. Choose from 32 teams to play as, with three different difficulty levels and even play a full season. Bored of the pitch? Hit the streets for a backyard kick about.

Price: Free | Stickman Soccer

Sonic 2

Completely restored for Android devices, Sonic has never played so well and felt so smooth to control. But don't worry, this is still the game we all know and love, full of fast paced action and awesome level design. There's new content too, like exclusive bonus levels set in a mysterious palace zone, along with a mode dedicated to pitting you against some of Sonic's toughest boss battles.

Price: £2.11 | Download Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Injustice: Gods Among Us

A real looker, packing strong gameplay to boot, Injustice looks like a real console game ported to mobile. From Batman and Wonder Woman to The Flash and Superman, the roster of playable characters covers all of DC comic's all-star properties, pitting them against each other in brutal one on one battles. Resemblance to Tekken and Steet Fighter is a given, but the superhero style breathes new life into the classic button masher.

Price: Free | Download Injustice: Gods Among Us

Heroes of Steel

Set 70 years after the end of the world, this indie RPG is a pure adventure tale, including deep customisation and hours of gameplay. The top down view brings back memories of classic arcade action, while the levelling up system should keep you hooked and coming back for more. Once you've completed the first chapter, you can download the following ones – though these do come at a price.

Price: Free | Download Heroes of Steel RPG

Assassin’s Creed Pirates

Coming hot on the heels on its console brother, Pirates focuses on those eye-patch sporting, parrot loving sea dwellers. Taking the fantastic naval battles from Assassin's Creed 4 Black Flag and building a complete game around them is a masterstroke. The gameplay is devilishly difficult to master, yet fun, fast and addictive. An RPG element consisting of building up your ship will keep you playing for a long time.

Price: Free | Download Assassin's Creed Pirates

Small World 2

Funded by over 7,000 supporters on the online crowd funding site Kickstarter, Small World 2 has already amassed quite the fan base. With fantasy and myth at its heart, it plunges you into a world of fantastical beings, while you must level up to progress. There's an online element, a load of character models to choose from and the music is great.

Price: £5.49 | Download Small World 2

Ridiculous Fishing

Guns, fishing and old school graphics combine to create possibly the most outrageously entertaining mobile title in recent memory. Choose your arsenal of weapons, set sail on the water and find those fish – oh yeh, then completely obliterate them, watching your high score rise in the process. Unlockables are numerous, the art style is deliciously detailed and it's just good old fashioned fun. A poster child for indie gaming at its best.

Price: £1.99 | Download Ridiculous Fishing

Plants Vs. Zombies 2

The zombies are back! In this sequel to the mobile gaming behemoth that has spawned an army of devoted followers. Protect your garden from attack with the help of a variety of power-ups and of, course, a green-house worthy selection of cheery plants. It's easy to begin with, but soon it becomes surprisingly tricky, especially as the zombies come in thick and fast. As with the original, it looks fantastic.

Price: Free | Download Plants vs Zombies 2

Code Warriors: Hakitzu Battles

While it may look like a typical robot themed beat 'em up, there's far more here than meets the eye. The underlying theme of the game is to get kids learning to code, by teaching them to 'hack' others players and their robots. 25 single player challenges are offered, you can compete and test you skills against your Facebook friends and even customise your 'bot. You'll be a JavaScript whiz in no time.

Price: Free | Download Code Warriors: Hakitzu Battles

Football Manager Mobile 2017

Once you start a game of FM it's not surprising for the next few days to blur into a mix of tactics, transfers, board meeting and countless press conferences. After a week you'll be positioning yourself as the next Jose Mourinho, thinking you're the best thing to happen to management since Man United appointed Ferguson. FM 2017 is purely addictive, yet superbly deep for a mobile game. Back of the net!

Price: £6.99 | Download Football Manager Handheld 2017

Beat the Boss 3

Definitely NSFW, yet a perfect way to relieve a bit of stress after a long day stuck at your desk. You can customise your boss, choose whatever weapon you want – from grenades to machine guns and loads more, plus mix things up with different environments. A great physics engine leads to satisfying feedback when you land a punch and some particularly clever one liners ramp up the comedy factor even more.

Price: Free | Download Beat the Boss 3

Anomaly 2

A new take on the age old tower defence game, but this time with an alien invasion storyline and great looking graphics. Create your own squad of soldiers and battle through hordes of vicious enemies in the decently sized single player campaign, and then take the fight online in the tower defense vs tower offence multiplayer mode. It's even optimised for tablets, like the Nexus 7, so you'll make the most of that screen real estate.

Price: £3.99 | Download Anomaly 2

Angry Birds Go

A fresh take on the Angry Birds phenomenon, this time putting those pesky birds toe to toe with Mario Kart. The world is beautifully represented in 3D, a first for this series and it looks fantastic – bright, colourful and thoroughly immersive. Everything plays well until you hit the 'in-app purchase wall' and you're forced to either wait or cough up cash. Still, it's a great game and clever new direction.

Price: Free | Download Angry Birds Go

The Walk: Fitness Tracker Game

Instead of just producing another dedicated app to track your daily steps, this effectively turns your exercise into a spy based thriller. As you walk, you'll unlock more and more parts of the story, while neat little voice-overs keep the suspense and atmosphere going. Produced with help of the NHS and the UK's Department of Health, this is as good a way as any to increase your daily exercise.

Price: £2.59 | Download The Walk: Fitness Tracker Game

Asphalt 8 Airborne

The Asphalt games really push mobile hardware to the limit – packing lovely looking visuals along with stellar gameplay. The latest addition, Airborne, takes the graphics to another level, while also adding some fun additions to the gameplay. Your car can now soar through the air, swirling and twisting as it goes – like something out of SSX.

Price: Free | Download Asphalt 8 Airborne

Breach & Clear

Going for the more tactical player, rather than the FPS fan, Breach & Clear puts you in control of a team of highly skilled soldiers. There's the usual mix of exotic locations, a load of weapons to acquire and it was even developed with help from members of the Special Operations Forces community. Should be quite authentic then.

Price: £0.65 | Download Breach & Clear

Tetris Blitz

A twist on the classic game, Tetris Blitz adds in a two minute time limit, ensuring each round is a feverish mix of tapping and guiding blocks into place. A variety of power-ups add more excitement and online leaderboards make for some fierce competition.

Price: Free | Download Tetris Blitz

Dots

Dots is super simple – all you have to do is join up coloured circles, yet it is very addictive and you'll be constantly trying to improve on your high score. It looks great too. Games don't get much simpler, and more fun, than this.

Price: Free | Download Dots

Vector

The slick endless runner takes you up to the rooftops testing your parkour-style skills to evade 'Big Brother' from returning you to a life where you do as you're told. There's new moves to unlock and the Canabalt-esque gameplay should quickly convert Temple Run lovers.

Price: Free | Download Vector

Real Boxing

Powered by Epic's Unreal Engine 3 to deliver slick HD visuals like the blood dripping from your opponent's chin after a sweet left hook, the Tegra 3 exclusive serves up a 30-fight career to get to the top of the ladder and a series of mini games to work on your skills.

Price: Free | Download Real Boxing

Epoch

The Unreal Engine 3-powered cover shooter drops you in a post apocalyptic world where robots are the only survivors in a human civilisation, but there's no need to get too bogged down with the storyline. Throwing up some great gun fighting played out at a frenetic pace with great touchscreen controls, this is an Android game you definitely need in your life.

Price: £0.64 | Download Epoch

Metal Slug 3

A Neo-Geo classic, Metal Slug 3 is a run and gun action game, which was first released in 2000. A humour filled script, hand drawn style graphics and exciting two-player action made this a must own for any adopters of the pricey console.

Price: £2.29 | Download Metal Slug 3

Cut the Rope: Time Travel

Om Nom is back trying to get some candy with more physics based puzzle action this time taking you back to historical eras like the Middle and Stone Age. If you loved the first Cut the Rope, then it is more of the same so you can expect it to consume more hours of the day before the next spin-off turns up.

Price: Free | Download Cut the Rope: Time Travel

7x7

The slick puzzler which is all about matching more than five coloured squares to clear them from the board, makes life more difficult by throwing on random squares after each unsuccessful move to make the task more difficult. Visually it looks the part but most importantly you'll find yourself glued to it after a few games. There are now several 7x7 permutations.

Price: Free | Download 7x7

Pitfall!

Activision recently marked the 30th anniversary of the Atari 2600 classic by giving the game a reboot for smartphones and tablets with 3D graphics, Temple Run-style gameplay and a frantically switching camera angles that makes the modern makeover worthy once again of its exclamation mark.

Price: Free | Download Pitfall!

Temple Run 2

The sequel to the blockbuster mobile smash, the endless runner has added shiny new graphics, environments, tricky obstacles and a huge array of power-ups to frantically slide and leap around. Oh, and the those chasing pack of monkeys have just got bigger...

Price: Free | Download Temple Run 2

Organ Trail: Director's Cut

The post-apocalyptic zombie survival game which is essentially a parody of the game Oregon's Trail, has classic, 8-bit flavour and a faithfully recreated retro beepy soundtrack. Win all round.

Price: £1.85 | Download Organ Trail: Director's Cut

Mr Legs

Hands down one of the weirdest Android games of 2012, our long legged friend must make his way through the scrolling levels collecting cherries and avoiding bombs and crows amongst other bizarre obstacles. It's got plenty of cartoonish charm and it's fair to say that there is nothing else like it on Google Play.

Price: Free | Download Mr Legs

Oscura

An indie platformer with beautiful silhouette visuals, Oscura puts you in the role of an impish creature that must collect scattered glass from a lighthouse. Swapping virtual buttons for multi-touch controls, it might take some time to get to grips with, but its originality makes it a worthy purchase.

Price: £0.50 | Download Oscura

100 Rooms

Guaranteed to infuriate but somehow keep you going back for more, enter each room and solve a series of puzzles to get to the next room. It starts off easy but it you will soon be scratching your head and wondering if Googling the answer is your only option.

Price: Free | Download 100 Rooms

Another World

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of the iconic 90's platformer, Lester's return gives Android gamers the option of using classic D-pad virtual controls plus the ability to switch between HD and original graphics. If you were the fan of the original, you should probably get your hands on this one.

Price: £3.39 | Download Another World

Fragger

The Miniclip hit has already been nestling in the Apple App Store, but finally brings the grenade chucking to Google Play. The simple premise is to blow up or 'frag' your enemies and with 370 levels and 12 different worlds to get through, there's plenty to keep you occupied when you've got a spare commuting minute or two.

Price: Free | Download Fragger

Granny Smith

On the hunt for a pesky apple thief, this somersaulting OAP is willing to don the roller skates and crash through buildings to hunt him down and give him a good ticking off. It sounds ridiculous, but we promise you'll love it.

Price: £1.53 | Download Granny Smith

Jetpack Joyride

Fruit Ninja' creators Halfbrick Studios released this adorable, frantic side-scroller back in September 2011, and it has finally got some Android love. Play as Barry Steakfries; miserable salesman turned jetpack thief. If for some reason you weren't sold at 'jetpack thief', you'll be happy to know - it's free.

Price: Free | Download Jetpack Joyride

Major Mayhem

A third-person side scroller with a storyline very similar to Arnie's Commando, hide behind a rock and shoot your way through Timebomb, Arcade and Survival modes to recover your wife safely.

Price: Free | Download Major Mayhem

Whale Trail Frenzy

One of the surprise hits of the past year and worthy of its T3 Award App of the Year nomination, the psychedelic game is back looking simplistically beautiful once again with a soothing soundtrack courtesy of Gruff Rhys of the Super Furry Animals. A Tiny Wings-esque continuous scrolling level mode has now been added and best of all, it's now free to play.

Price: Free | Download Whale Trail Frenzy

Sonic Dash

That cheeky, spiky blue haired hedge-hog is back again, though unlike in previous adventures, this time he's going all Temple Run with an endless runner. There's one aim here, and that's to reach the highest score, picking up a load of those golden rings as you speed through the 3D environments. Along with the titular hero, there's multiple other characters to play as and a load of tough boss battles.

Price: Free | Download Sonic Dash

Zombie Smash

Brought to you by the makers of Words With Friends, Zombie Smash is all about, well, bashing zombies. Collecting new weapons as you progress, there's two campaigns to wage war against the undead with plenty of gooey (but comical) bloodshed to keep you coming back for more.

Price: Free | Download Zombie Dash

GameFly

GameFly is a service designed to keep you well informed on your upcoming purchases, by providing trailers, screenshots and (p)reviews for your attention. Not content with providing media content, GameFly also has exhaustive information on cheats, achievements, controls and unlockables for those who need a little help.

Price: Free | Download GameFly

R-Type

R-Type was responsible for taking thousands of pounds worth of coins of our nation's children in the 1980s. In a particularly pleasing stroke of genius, the infamously difficult side-scrolling shooter is back on Android and this time, you only have to pay for it once! What you have is eight levels, two difficulties and all the mental power ups that you remember. There's the air laser, ground laser and rebound laser and, of course, the wave cannon. Although one shot and you're dead!

Price: £1.60 | Download R-Type

Shoot U!

A game that sets a standard for other developers, Shoot U! is deceptively simple and plenty of fun - all you have to do is shoot your character from a canon into the red target. It comes with a beautiful hand-drawn quality to it that gives it endearing personality.

Price: £1.23 | Download Shoot U!

Tank Recon 3D

Tank Recon 3D is a great example of a simple concept executed well. The game puts you in a tank (code named 'Alpha') and simply asks you to defend yourself from all manner of angry things, from rocket-chucking go karts to fully-armed fighter jets. As a bonus, Tank Recon looks the part as well and plays as well as it looks.

Price: £0.89 | Download Tank Recon 3D

Bubble Burst 2

From the off you can tell that Bubble Blast 2 is going to be a good game. The graphics are cute but not sickeningly so and the game play is simple but equally addictive. It manages to keep you hooked via the tried and tested method of pitting you against yourself - every time you make a score, you'll feel like you can go one better.

Price: Free | Download Bubble Burst 2

Alchemy

The look of the game is a simple one. Once you get past the complex instructions (Drag element on to other element, double tap, click here, blah blah) the game is actually fairly straight forward. Using the elements of fire, water, earth and air, combine them in the right ways to create more objects, until you have reached the 300 mark.

Price: Free | Download Alchemy

Zombieville USA

Every once in a while, a genius plot appears that we never even would have dreamed of. This is not one of those moments. Rather, your sleepy US hometown has been overrun by zombies. The whole point is to survive for the longest amount of time, with the help of some rather tasty weaponry (how you got hold of it is obviously a question for the prequel to address...). Prolong your life and you get more points. Simple.

Price: £0.62 | Download Zombieville USA

Sheep Impact

Your mission should you choose to accept it is to save the sheep from certain death. Sheep Impact puts your digits to real use guiding the hot air balloon above the abandoned sheep and taking them to safety. It's got a cartoonish charm and the game physics to ensure you'll be going back to it for some time.

Price: £0.60 | Download Sheep Impact

Angry Birds

Angry Birds can sleep easy knowing it is one of the most addictive, time-wasting games to come along since, well, Tetris. Let's break it down. Some pigs have stolen eggs from a load of birds, making them understandably rather miffed about the whole situation. These pigs have then gone into hiding in various rickety buildings. Bad move, pigs. Where do you fit into this, you ask? Well, your job is to take control of said angry birds, and catapult them into said rickety buildings to take out the dastardly pigs. Angry Birds 2 is also available.

Price: Free | Download Angry Birds

Burn the Rope

This is a tricky physics game that uses the accelerometer in your phone to great effect. To begin with you have to light the rope (by touching it) then turn your phone so the flame is always at the bottom. This is fine when there is no flame, but you will soon find there to be many flames, all of which you have to keep alight with your dexterous hands.

Price: Free | Download Burn the Rope

The Cat in the Hat

An app aimed primarily at kids, this interactive game features stories from Dr. Seuss' timeless tales. Featuring great background audio and sound effects, stories can be read by a narrator or by yourself.

Price: £3.34 | Download The Cat in the Hat

Colorix

Sometimes the simplest looking games are the deepest and most complicated of all. On the surface, Colorix is a brainless game of colour-matching. Don't get us wrong, that will get you somewhere in this game, and you're free to play this how you like. But once you start chaining combos together and hitting the really big scores, you'll realise there's more to Colorix than initially meets the eye.

Price: £1.75 | Download Colorix

Contract Killer

As a contract killer, your job involves using initial clues to ascertain your target, as well as finishing them off (usually from a rooftop, just like the movies). Your contractor is far from shy about loaning you some serious fire-power to get the job done. Well, that's true at the beginning, then it all becomes clear why this game is free – as it teases you with in-app purchases throughout the game

Price: Free | Download Contract Killer

Crazy Snowboard

Simplicity is what makes Crazy Snowboard one of the best games available for Android today. There are no Tony Hawk's-like constant wipe-outs, and tricks are easy enough to pull off and levels are just about challenging enough to keep you coming back without intimidating you into quitting. It might be slightly elementary for the boarding-game aficionado, but everyone else is going to love it.

Price: Free | Download Crazy Snowboard

Cut the Rope

This physics-based puzzler is often compared to Angry Birds simply because of it's success. Although it has all the replayability and is just as addictive, it is actually a very different game, requiring more thought that it's fowl-flinging counterpart. The premise is simple enough: you have to get the candy that dangles from a rope into the mouth of Om Nom, a sweet loving monster who lives in a series of boxes. Add in a series of spikes, walls, hand-dryer style air blowers and even anti-gravity and you're in for a serious challenge.

Price: £0.74 | Download Cut the Rope

Diversion

175 levels, 5 Worlds, 600 characters and only one move - jump. Your goal is to get from the beginning to the end of the level whilst collecting as many pink diamonds as you possibly can. Diversion is a tricky mix of puzzle solving and exact platforming but it will definitely keep you coming back for more. And it's free anyway so how can you lose?

Price: Free | Download Diversion

Drag Racing

Ok, we've all seen The Fast and the Furious and for the most part, we know what drag racing is all about. This Android game, cleverly titled ' Drag Racing', does a good job of recreating some of the good times had by Vin Diesel and his band of merry misfits, albeit without being absurdly outside of the law and approaching things from a more sporting perspective. It's good fun nonetheless, and after you get the first few levels out of the way, you'll need to be quick on that gearstick to beat the competition.

Price: Free | Download Drag Racing

Everlands HD

Everlands HD features over 20 levels in which you must save to prevent the woodland creatures from being corrupted by evil forces and turn them back to the light side. Coming at things from a distinctly 'Top Trumps' direction, you must place your good animals on the board next to the corrupted animals and use attack points to redeem them, while hoping your health points are enough to sustain their corresponding attacks.

Price: £1.99 | Download Everlands HD

ExZeus Arcade

ExZeus revolves around a futuristic battle between a bunch of Earth-invaders and you, a robot created by humans to fight the aliens. The all-action pursuit is on and you're drifting between enemy fire and destroying everything in your path, with only your reaction speed to blame if you fail; this is seriously intense, immersive shoot 'em up stuff. Although you'll need plenty of space as this app takes up 57MB.

Price: £1.29 | Download ExZeus Arcade

Fruit Ninja

Picture the scene: you are a ninja and you have to defend yourself from oncoming fruit by slicing and dicing it. All you have to do to play it is swipe your finger over the fruit being flung to slice it open and dodge the myriad bombs which get in the way. From the brilliant cartoon visuals, to the swoosh sound of the sword Fruit Ninja is a flawless and instantly fun game.

Price: £2.09 | Download Fruit Ninja

Galcon

Galcon is all about conquering the galaxy. And the galaxy, happily for smartphone users, is limited to one screen. The point of the game is to fire clusters of missiles at other planets (via a finger swipe) to conquer them, and gain the upper hand over your opponent; one of you will be vanquished. Defending territory gained is tricky since the intended destination of your enemy's slow-moving missiles is impossible to determine until it's too late.

Price: £1.28 | Download Galcon

Green Eggs and Ham

Green Eggs and Ham is another spectacular digital adaptation of a Dr Seuss classic book, from the guys at Oceanhouse Media. The interactive omBook is a smashing tool for parents helping their children to learn to read. The words are accompanied by moving original illustrations and background audio, but perhaps the most useful elements are the interactive images.

Price: £3.34 | Download Green Eggs and Ham

Guns 'n' Glory Premium

You're going to need to ambush a whole bunch of gringos if you're going to progress in this brilliant Wild West defence game. The idea is to stop American white settlers passing through town and alerting the sheriff to your illicit activities by taking them out before they make it (a little bit like Tower Raiders).

Price: £1.69 | Download Guns 'n' Glory Premium

Hungry Shark

From the moment you're dumped into the water from a great height, you have to quench that insatiable thirst for blood. Using the accelerometer and gyro in your Android phone you control the shark by tilting the handset up to swim upwards, down to swim downwards or left and right to change direction.

Price: £2.56 | Download Hungry Shark

iBasket

Simplicity is often the key to a great mobile game, and iBasket certainly fits that description. The premise of the game is to score as many points by getting the basketball into the allotted time. As the ball is designated to different areas of the half court, using finger swipe gestures, you can guide the ball towards the backboard.

Price: Free | Download iBasket

iRunner

Run, Run, Run, jump, duck, pick up bonuses, and run a bit faster. They're so elementary, but we're damned if we can put them down. iRunner is a much more sophisticated version of Free Running. Here you take charge of a fully animated character on a great-looking, traditional platform gaming landscape.

Price: Free | Download iRunner

Jet Car Stunts

Reminiscent of Mario Kart, and not only because of the Rainbow Road-style tracks, Jet Car Stunts has graphics to die for. Like the Nintendo blockbuster, the track is full of traps, gaps and impossible angles. Stuffed with 36 tracks that go from bonkers to brutal, the aim of the game in 'platforming' mode is not to crash, though there's plenty more to think about; drifting, flying and, of course, stunt-ing.

Price: £1.09 | Download Jet Car Stunts

Contre Jour

A beautifully made little puzzler from the school of is-it-a-game-or-artwork, this surprisingly compelling little number places you in control of the landscape around a loveable little creature called Petit. Morph and merge the landscape around Petit to guide him to safety via as many point-providing lights as possible. An orchestrated soundtrack adds to the charm of this quirky brainteaser - a must-have for every Android device...

Price: £1.49 | Download Contre Jour

Fruit Slice

Fruit Ninja made slicing up your favourite nutritious delights on your Android phone (hopefully those ninjas keep them for a nice little fruit salad?) a national past-time, and now the DroidHen gaming studio wants a piece of the action for itself. The major advantage over Fruit Ninja is that it's free, but other than that you won't find much difference.

Price: Free | Download Fruit Slice

Jewellust

The plot is threadbare: you are in Ancient Egypt and you have to blast your way through myriad jewels so that you can clear the pyramid out and go on to the next level/pyramid. Yes, the plot is a load of tosh, but the game play is surprisingly addictive.

Price: £1.82 | Download Jewellust

Jewels

Jewels is highly addictive and you can play it straight from the off. The premise is simple: swap the jewels around until they match and the more you have in a row, the more points you get. With a wide choice of games to go for this app should keep entertained for hours.

Price: Free | Download Jewels

Live Holdem Poker Pro

Fancy getting into a bit of online gambling, despite the advice of your betters? Live Holdem Poker is a good place to start. It's a free app (until you start betting) and caters to players of all levels. Even if you are a beginner, the app will guide you through and teach you how to play.

Price: Free | Download Live Holdem Poker Pro

Must.Eat.Birds

Thankfully Must.Eat.Birds is not an Angry Birds rip-off, but a decent game in its own right. You control a Nomster – which is essentially a hungry monster. Using a catapult you project your Nomster into the path of other Nomsters and eat them like the mental cannibal you are.

Price: £0.59 | Download Must.Eat.Birds

N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance

In NOVA 2 HD you play a space marine, whose sole job is to defeat the enemies of the government. With 12 levels to scope through and with so many guns to use it's just embarrassing, NOVA 2 knows what you want from a FPS and delivers it in spades.

Price: £4.99 | Download N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance

Order & Chaos Online

It is a shameless rip-off of WoW, but it does have enough quirks to make it a decent enough game in its own right. Anyone who's played an MMO before will know the processes involved. If you haven't, it basically goes like this. You get to choose your race and server before you get dropped straight into the game, where you can get cracking with quests such as 'Collect 200 empty milk bottles for Daisy the lactose-intolerant cow' and 'Travel to Somesuchplace and tell someone to do something'. Unputdownable.

Price: Free | Download Order & Chaos Online

Paradise Island

Those who have played the likes of Sim City and Theme Park will feel right at home with Paradise Island, where the object of the game is to create a blissful place that tourists come and visit and pack your pockets with money. The graphics of Paradise Island make the game sparkle.

Price: Free | Download Paradise Island

Racing Moto

Racing Moto is one of the simplest racing games you will ever play. As soon as you load it up you are immediately thrown into a tutorial, which tells you to move your handset left or right to avoid the on-coming traffic. And if you want to speed up then you tap the screen. Once you start the game proper, don't expect the race of your life with Racing Moto, but the game will keep you coming back for more.

Price: Free | Download Racing Moto

Radiant HD

The Android platform has reborn many a retro classic in its short stay in the smart phone world. Radiant HD managed to bring two back to life: Space Invaders and R-Type. This direct cross-pollination of the two sees you saddle up to battle a stream of never-ending alien opponents with just your battle cruiser and the odd weapon to protect you.

Price: £1.69 | Download Radiant HD

Reckless Racing

There's nothing like a bit of old-school racing to get the blood pumping on a morning commute and Reckless Racing has this in spades. With plenty of variety too: the game allows you to take control of six machines, over 10 tracks and five different venues and there are three levels of difficulty on offer.

Price: £1.15 | Download Reckless Racing

Refraction

The premise is simple – using prisms and mirrors you have to manipulate lasers to hit balls – but to do this you have to come up with some complex geometrics. Even the first number of levels are tricky. We bet it will take you some time to figure out just how you should use the mirrors and prism to complete the level.

Price: Free | Download Refraction

Replica Island

Replica Island is a platform that rivals some console games. The object is to get rid of the Island's enemies created by The Source (don't ask) and collect some pearls along the way. With 50 levels of fun and no cost this is one of the best free apps out there.

Price: Free | Download Replica Island

Samurai 2: Vengeance THD

An app that offers a hack-and-slash fare that isn't original but still offers plenty of fun. Utilising a virtual joystick this game allows you to slice and dice your opponents in various ways. Originally Samurai 2 only available to devices with the Tegra chip inside, but another version has since been developed that should work on the majority of Android phones.

Price: £2.59 | Download Samurai 2: Vengeance THD

Shredder Chess

As good as it may be, it isn't one to just brag and hand your rear-end to you and leave you laying in a ditch, it wants to nurture you into a grandmaster. There's an adjustable playing standard that learns from your performance to match you against a computer player of relatively equal standing. You can also learn a lot about the game, by solving computer puzzles to find the best move, which just proved how little we knew.

Price: £5.99 | Download Shredder Chess

Tower Raiders GOLD

Defend! Defend your fortress with all of your military might. Very reminiscent of the old Defence Grid games, Tower Raiders tasks you with taking down the enemy forces before they can steal your crystals and get out of the battle zone in one piece. Graphically, it's a little like the oldest Command & Conquer games, but level design is fantastic.

Price: £1.89 | Download Tower Raiders GOLD

Winds of Steel

Take to the skies in this exhilarating WWII plane combat simulator. Winds of Steel is a historical tour-de-force, taking you from the naval dogfights of the Pacific to the Battle of Britain. The learning curve is a steep one, things start of easy but the difficulty jumps once you start having to deal with multiple enemy pilots simultaneously.

Price: £2.09 | Download Winds of Steel

World of Goo

You have to construct a piping system which carries a black goo substance – really just cartoony blobs, each with their own personality – and the aim is to get it to a pipe where it is sucked up. If you don't create the piping in the right way then you lose all the goo and you won't be able to fill up the pot.

Price: £2.99 | Download World of Goo

YOO Ninja

Yoo Ninja centres around a cartoon ninja on a mission – he needs to get to the end of the level and fast. To do this, you need to tap at the right time, so Mr Ninja jumps over obstacles and continue his frenetic journey. His ninja powers will help you out automatically, but precise timing and good reactions are a must if you want to take your pint-sized ninja friend to the very end of the game.

Price: Free | Download YOO Ninja

N.O.V.A. 3 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance

The first person shooter is back for its third instalment packing a new graphics engine that makes it look as slick as ever. Our hero Kal Wadin is tasked with recovering a stolen artefact and there's hordes of aliens to plough through before you can get your hands on it. It's like a space age Call of Duty for your Android phone or tablet.

Price: £4.99 I Download N.O.V.A. 3 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance

Max Payne Mobile

Rockstar are certainly making a habit of revamping their past glories for release on tablet and smartphone, and fresh on the heels of GTA 3 comes the Android version of Max Payne – again in celebration of the action hero's 10th anniversary. Optimised for the Android devices, Max Payne Mobile never strays too far from the gritty, fast-paced action that made the original so popular.

Price: £2.29 | Download Max Payne Mobile

Dead Trigger

Developer MadFinger Games recently made the zombie shooter free in response to an increase in people pirating the game. Now everyone can enjoy one of the most gorgeous looking Android games currently available on Google Play. Expect added environmental effects like water simulation to make the game surroundings look even more rich and detailed if you own a quadcore-packing Android device.

Price: Free | Download Dead Trigger

Dead Space

Comfortably one of the best games to make the successful crossover from console to mobile, the sci-fi horror shooter has now been optimised for the new Nexus 7 surroundings which means you can now make the most of the Tegra 3 quadcore power. 8GB Nexus 7 owners will need to spare 400MB of precious space to install it, but it will be worth it.

Price: £4.99 | Download Dead Space

Draw Something

Forget Words with Friends, there is a new social game phenomenon in town and it wants you to flaunt your artistic talents. The Pictionary-esque title gives you the words which you then need to draw and hope your friends can work them out just from your scribbles. Take your challenges to Facebook and Twitter and beware, you will get hooked...

Price: £2.46 | Download Draw Something

Angry Birds Space HD

The latest edition of Rovio's Angry Birds series sees you and your army of furious birds leave gravity behind in pursuit of those pesky green pigs. Hitting a record 20 million downloads in the first week of its launch in March, there doesn't seem to be any chance of Angry Birds relinquishing its position as the number one game for tablet and smartphone users.

Price: Free | Download Angry Birds Space

Vector

The slick endless runner takes you up to the rooftops testing your parkour-style skills to evade 'Big Brother' from returning you to a life where you do as you're told. There's new moves to unlock and the Canabalt-esque gameplay should quickly convert Temple Run lovers.

Price: Free | Download Vector

New Star Soccer

One of the biggest iOS gaming hits of 2012 that finally made it to Android, this simple but epic uber-addictive footie sim is like Football Manager, Sensible Soccer and Be A Pro mode from FIFA all beautifully moulded into a Spectrum-esque touch romp that you will truly struggle to put back down. In-app purchases will make the beautiful game go longer, but it is well worth the money.

 Price: £1.99 | Download New Star Soccer

Temple Run

A fast-paced game with swipe controls so simple that even Wayne Rooney has mastered them, Temple Run puts you in the shoes of an Indiana Jones-like explorer who is desperately trying to escape a pack of angry apes. Unfortunately, he'll never succeed in doing so as you keep running until you're either burnt by fire, fall off the temple pathways, or are caught by the mob of primates. The addictive nature of the game will have you continually trying to beat that high score though.

Price: Free | Download Temple Run

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