Whether on the couch, at the bus stop, or while the boss is talking about his vacation: When it comes to killing time, Android games are the best choice. No category is as densely populated in the App Store as that of games, with many top titles being completely free of charge.
We clearly present the top games of the year with regular updates and direct download links at this point. Everything that is currently popular and successful, has high download rates or sets new trends – in short: All games that are mighty fun to play can be found in this picture gallery:
The most popular Android free games (image 1 of 137)
Minimal Dungeon RPG Classic role-playing game with a little twist: Due to extra-minimalistic graphics, we have to imagine a lot of content ourselves in this app. Still addictive.
Without being limited to individual genres, everyone will find their new favorite game. From tricky puzzle games like Two Dots to the adventurous Enigma in a World War II setting to fun adventure titles like King of Thieves or the top-notch beat’em up Shadow Fight 2, there’s plenty of variety to choose from.
The only thing all titles have in common is the price: The games are all free . But often this means that the developers finance themselves through advertising or in-app purchases. That’s fine as long as you can enjoy the games without paying for them – which is definitely the case with our selection. While in-app purchases often bring gameplay benefits, they are not mandatory for reaching level goals or the final boss here. The wallet is happy.
The best free Android games for 2021
No one can say what will happen in 2021 – only one thing is for sure: It won’t be boring. At least not if you follow our app recommendations. Whether you’re a battle strategist, a brain teaser or a skilled finger acrobat, there’s something for everyone here. Even if you are just looking for a relaxing title to get better into the end of the day, you will find it here.
Start charging your battery and throw away your diary, here we go!
Minimal Dungeon RPG
Classic role-playing game with a little twist: due to extra-minimalist graphics, we have to imagine a lot of content ourselves in this app. Addiction risk exists nevertheless.
As the descendant of an ancient and creepy demon lord, we go on a quest for meaning in Minimal Dungeon RPG. We’ll cross mystical valleys and eerie lands, constantly tangle with fierce adversaries – and experience most of it only in our own imagination. As the title suggests, the game is quite minimalistic: Monsters, NPCs, stores and quests are simply presented as rectangular boxes that we interact with by tapping on them. That sounds rather thin at first, but it’s a lot of fun and makes you forget the time very quickly. With harmonious background music, strongly developed role-playing mechanics and an appealing as well as steadily progressing story, many an afternoon can be sunk with the title. Lots of items, varied monsters and many clever game ideas ensure that the minimalist special way in the graphic design is not even noticeable with time.
Rewards via commercial
Minimal Dungeon RPG is free of charge and only pushes ads onto our eyes when we want it – in return, small rewards such as items that we would otherwise have to buy in the app are always waiting for us. A short tutorial gets newcomers quickly on the right track, but so far a German translation of the game is still missing.
Conclusion of the test of the Android app Minimal Dungeon RPG
There is another way: Although we don’t actually get to see monsters, quests and characters here, the role-playing game proves to be a gripping insider tip in the genre.
English language, free of charge
Questions& Reply. The quiz game: QuizzLand
Whether alone or in pairs: This clever quiz game invites you to ponder and imparts a lot of general knowledge along the way.
Questions& Reply. The quiz game: QuizzLand has everything a good quiz game needs: a huge database full of clever questions, many thematic categories, a factual interface and interesting explanations for all answers. Players can even adjust the selection of quiz questions to their own age. In each level we solve questions from random categories on a kind of playing field, correct answers bring us closer and closer to the hidden level exit. This mechanic gives the title a visible game progress, but also keeps you glued to the display: You always want to finish just the one last level – and then you have to puzzle your way through eight more rounds of questions. With three different levels of difficulty, beginners and puzzle pros alike will get their money’s worth here, and for every correct answer there are game coins, which we can also put into new attempts (lives).
Charming extras promise great quiz fun
With catchy quiz show music, solid sound effects and with scenic photos for all questions, this puzzle app has many nice extras on board. We can also rate individual quiz questions while playing and after each answer we can see how we did in comparison to other players. Also nice: Users can suggest their own questions.
Conclusion of the test of the Android app Questions& Answers. The quiz game: QuizzLand.
Exciting questions with vivid explanations promise good entertainment with educational value in this trivia quiz.
German language, free of charge
Wild Castle TD: Grow Empire Tower Defense
Genre hybrid with a high addiction factor: This mix of role-playing game and tower defense hits the bull’s eye with the game mechanics.
Defend the base, bludgeon monsters, collect money – at first it sounds like any other title in the tower defense genre. Wild Castle TD: Grow Empire Tower Defense takes the mowing down of ever-growing hordes of monsters to the next level: not only do we face the enemy onslaught with turrets in a car fire, we also direct a growing squad of quick-witted heroes. With wizards, deadly archers, cunning generals and many other special units we teach goblins, skeletons or towering level bosses the fear. Defensive towers and heroes are naturally upgraded over time, but the latter still have a number of brilliant superpowers at the ready, with which we can decimate enemy hordes in a cinematic and quite satisfying way. Despite all the firepower, Wild Castle TD is anything but easy: Often we have to repeat sections several times, when once again a big super boss comes along and tears everything down.
Great design and lots of content
A harmonious soundtrack, loving graphic design and plenty of upgrades banish any boredom in this defense spectacle. In between the action-packed battles, we dedicate ourselves to building up a small settlement, which provides us with important resources during the course of the game and also offers numerous upgrades. The title thus promises many hours of best entertainment.
Conclusion of the test of the Android app Wild Castle TD: Grow Empire Tower Defense
Almost too good: This genre mix combines the best ideas from role-playing games and tower defense – boredom doesn’t stand a chance.
German language, free of charge
Transmission
A different kind of jigsaw puzzle: In this seemingly simple puzzle game, we connect nodes to form sophisticated and often tricky networks.
Whether in the elevator, at the bus stop, or when the boss is bragging about his vacation: Transmission is a welcome gap filler with simple but clever game mechanics that reliably bridges dull minutes. Simple at first, but soon also tricky challenging, the casual game quickly captivates not only genre fans. Level by level we create increasingly complex networks, which present us with new challenges and difficulties again and again, a lack of ingenuity can not be accused of the developers here. Between finding new paths and bridging tricky obstacles, time flies by in Transmission: The 70 levels promise about ten hours of gameplay. Play Store achievements and level bonuses included.
Great sound, no advertising
With a specially composed soundtrack, Transmission hits the right note right away: Spherical sci-fi sounds allow us to puzzle undisturbed, and the app rewards players with a little melody for completing a level. The title is free, does without advertising and an optional economy mode throttles the energy consumption on weaker Android devices. Top!
Conclusion of the test of the Android app Transmission
Switch off and puzzle undisturbed: Transmission is a creative and challenging puzzle game with a pleasant soundtrack and without any advertising.
English language, free of charge
Grimvalor
Action RPG as it is written in the book: Strong level design and a particularly high addiction factor invite you to lose time in this title. The first act is free.
With magnificent and extensive game worlds full of secrets, hidden extras and exciting levels, the brilliant action role-playing game Grimvalor leaves us no time for boredom. The reason for the gripping gameplay is not only the beautiful graphics or the catchy soundscape: Above all, the combat mechanics make the title a hit. Reliable controls, cool abilities and challenging opponents give not only boss fights a captivating arc of tension here. Even a victory in small battles gets a triumphant touch there. Between exploring the atmospherically designed levels, collecting power-ups, and constantly upgrading your character, trivial things like the time of day quickly become irrelevant in Grimvalor.
Two hours of free content
Only the first act, i.e. about two hours of gameplay, is free of charge in Grimvalor, for all further content the developers ask for payment. We can repeat the free sections as often as we like, but sooner or later the game will reach its limits – especially since the premium version offers a lot of extensive content. Four additional acts of the game are available for €6.99.
Conclusion of the test of the Android app Grimvalor
After just a few minutes with Grimvalor, the time is forgotten. Generous content and gripping gameplay make the title a long-running hit.
German-language, free of charge
Mindustry
Tower defense with ambition: In this defense game, building towers is not enough – we first have to earn the budget.
A breath of fresh air in a dusty genre: Mindustry gives the oversaturated category of tower defense games in the Play Store not only new ideas, but also new game mechanics. Planning and building defenses is only one half of the fun in this complex defense title. Before we can even think about knocking down the "mobs", we first have to mine resources and get them to headquarters via clever transport routes. To do this, we build oil rigs, refineries and conveyor belts. At first, the gameplay seems a bit intimidating despite the tutorial: simply because there are so many ways to do something wrong. As soon as the first mining system is up and connected, the skirmish soon starts: Of course, it is also important not to lose the developed resources, mines and mining routes to the enemy right away.
Patience pays off when getting started
Mindustry also has a detailed tutorial for new players, but that is also necessary here: Behind the simple graphics, there is a comparatively complex mechanic, which generously rewards those who are patient: Once you have understood the gameplay and the rules, you can easily sink many a free hour in both single and multiplayer mode.
Conclusion of the Mindustry Android app test
Attention demanding puzzle fans: This tower defense title successfully expands the often one-dimensional gameplay of the genre with many exciting extras.
German language, free of charge
Asphalt 9: Legends – Epic Action Auto Racing
Also the 9. Part of the Asphalt series sets standards again: The brilliant title brings unadulterated console fun and top graphics to the Android device.
If you can’t afford a Lamborghini Centenario, you can at least get as close to it as possible with Asphalt 9: Legends. The title, which is fast-paced in every respect, features models of many dozens of original vehicles, from the Aston Martin DB11 to the Vencer Sarthe – all with their own driving characteristics and individual engine sound, of course. The developers have kept the gameplay as realistic as the cars: The joyrides and races score with an authentic driving feel and credible controls. We can mess with the artificial intelligence as well as with other players in the online mode. The title comes with sophisticated graphics, deep field of view and elaborate effects especially on modern devices with powerful hardware and strong displays to advantage – weaker Android devices are unfortunately quickly overwhelmed here.
Freemium title full of purchase incentives
The top presentation of this racing game has a (small) price: The graphics package alone takes up around 2 GB of additional storage space for the title. The download is worth it, though: First-class level design, impressively beautiful textures and contemporary effects with an excellent soundtrack create the perfect atmosphere in this cinematic racing game right away. The title is available for free in the Play Store, but offers a wealth of paid in-app purchases.
Conclusion of the test of the Android app Asphalt 9: Legends – Epic Action Auto Racing
Unadulterated racing fun like on the gaming console: Asphalt 9 is one of the best and most gripping racing games for Android.
German-language, free of charge
Tiny Room Stories: Town Mystery
As a private detective, we go in this skillfully staged puzzle game on the trail of the mystery of an abandoned small town. The first chapter is free.
In Tiny Room Stories: Town Mystery, our character follows her father’s call for help and we soon find ourselves in the completely abandoned Redcliff. As expected, the fact that there is not a soul to be found makes our detective a little suspicious, and so we embark on an exciting search for clues to the strange happenings. From now on, while exploring basements, rooftops, living rooms, vaults and many other small areas, we have to solve puzzles, pick locks, find evidence and thus gradually shed light on the initially very extensive darkness of our investigation. Tiny Room Stories: Town Mystery is a mixture of detective game and virtual escape room. Each section of the game requires an individual solution: be it combinatorial skill, logical thinking – or just an open eye.
The first of three seasons is free of charge
Tiny Room Stories: Town Mystery is divided into three seasons with several chapters, the first third of the game is available for free. To unlock all content, you currently have to pay 2.69 € – considering the scope, that’s comparatively cheap. Advertisements also disappear with the upgrade. Even the free content here promises several hours of refined game fun.
Conclusion of the test of the Android app Tiny Room Stories: Town Mystery
Many tricky levels full of clever ideas and a mysterious background story make this puzzle game an interactive mystery thriller.
German language, free of charge
Penguin Island
Relaxed idle game on the ice floe: While we lean back on the couch, the penguins do all the work here.
Perfect game for hot days: no matter what the thermometer says in Central Europe, the inhabitants of Penguin Island are always in a cool mood. In frosty outside temperatures, the droll sea birds waddle busily over a distant ice floe and diligently pursue all the tasks that we assign to them. We are building fishing stations, dolphin farms, Antarctic stations or a real penguin adventure park. This alone is worth downloading the game for. While our penguins then reliably "man" all stations and over time automatically yield profits, we invest every profit in new or old facilities quite typical for the genre and populate our frosty domicile gradually with a cute horde of chattering Arctic inhabitants.
Atmosphere hit perfectly
The gentle silence of motionless frost landscapes provides the perfect ambience for a dreamy idle title on Penguin Island. Quiet background music, leisurely crashing waves and the natural serenity of the petite suits make the atmosphere perfect. The game is free, but offers plenty of in-app purchases.
Conclusion of the test of the Android app Penguin Island
Penguin Island invites you to switch off with relaxed gameplay. The atmospheric title scores with a beautiful game world and doesn’t skimp on the addictive factor typical of the genre.
German language, free of charge
PAC-MAN 256 – Endless Maze
More beautiful, faster, more exciting: This remake of the classic "Pac-Man" revives the well-known gameplay of the aged genre king with exciting new ideas.
With PAC-MAN 256 – Endless Maze the arcade classic par excellence comes back to the Play Store. The free title relies on the same gameplay as 40 years ago, but sensibly freshens up the admittedly somewhat dull mechanics of the original. Levels are now endlessly long and can be traversed via side portals. Sound and design have been thoroughly reworked, but unmistakably recall the charm of the original. We are now allowed to take up to three power-ups into the atmospheric levels, so we can simply turn the tables in an emergency and let the ghosts run for their lives for a change. When the going gets tough, we can unpack a thick laser beam that would make even the Ghostbusters jealous. Also nice: As time goes by, we can improve our superpowers more and more, and if we get hit by a particularly nasty game over, we can watch a commercial and then continue to nibble on colored dots – but this only works once per attempt.
Controller support and energy saving mode
PAC-MAN 256 can be played particularly smoothly with the game controller, and compared to the touchscreen, the controls are noticeably more precise. Commendable: The app’s energy consumption can be throttled in the settings and notifications can also be muted here. Online leaderboards, detailed gameplay statistics and at least 14 achievements round off the casual game in an exemplary way and Nvidia Shield is also supported.
Conclusion of the test of the Android app PAC-MAN 256 – Endless Maze
Good in the past, better today: This Pac-Man remake relies on clever innovations without losing the charm of the original. The title is a great gap filler for in between games.
German language, free of charge
Archero
With the bow against evil: Lots of arrows, wacky superpowers and fast reactions help us in this action spectacle to master insane levels.
Caution, danger of addiction: In Archero we control a trigger-happy archer from the bird’s eye view through varied rooms full of enemies and boss monsters. Shooting is automatic and without much intervention: as soon as we stop, our hero reliably starts with the continuous fire. But don’t worry, this mechanic doesn’t make the game particularly easy. The numerous opponents and monsters in the compact but often challenging game sections are also well armed – and at least as eager to shoot. Even nasty special attacks are familiar to many of the meanies. The gameplay hardly gives time to breathe. In a total of ten game worlds, each with many dozens of levels, we collect new and cool superpowers from Archero again and again or equip our feisty character with armor, rings and new weapons.
Top control with only one finger
Archero can be played effortlessly with just one thumb: With it, we dodge enemy projectiles or take cover behind protective obstacles. Because attacks are fully automatic, the game quickly develops a captivating rhythm: We try to reposition ourselves every few seconds so that we can hit the aggressive enemies with a few volleys before they return fire – and we have to seek cover again.
Conclusion of the test of the Android app Archero
An exciting free shooter with hundreds of game cards, successful controls and cool superpowers.
German-language, free of charge
SHADOWGUN LEGENDS – FPS PvP and Coop Shooting Game
Top title with dazzlingly beautiful graphics: In this action role-playing game, we let the sparks fly from the first-person perspective – even together with friends.
Shadowgun Legends is an action-packed 3D role-playing game that makes us quickly forget the time: Fulminant weapons, fast-paced gameplay, an exciting campaign and, last but not least, the successful co-op multiplayer mode are the main culprits here. If you want to venture alone into the magnificent sci-fi world of Shadowgun Legends, you can spend quite some time in a campaign with over 200 missions on four planets and save mankind on your own. Alternatively, co-op missions and PvP arenas are available. The title also scores with a lot of freedom: Players are allowed to form guilds, create teams and trade with each other. There is generally no shortage of content here: there are more than 600 weapons, over 1000 armor items and more than 250 cosmetic extras, with which we can give our character a distinctive and individual look.
Graphic splendor for modern smartphones
In addition to its playful strengths, this app also shows us what is possible with modern Android devices today: Deep rooms full of HD textures, dazzlingly beautiful character models, complex shadows and coherent lighting games give the title a splendor rarely seen before. The beguilingly beautiful design has its price: To enjoy all the graphic details without jerking, modern and powerful smartphones are required. The title can be run on Android 6 or higher.0.
Conclusion of the test of the Android app SHADOWGUN LEGENDS – FPS PvP and Coop Shooting Game
Crisp sound, top graphics, lots of action and varied game modes make us quickly forget the time with this title. Mid-range devices sometimes reach their limits in the elaborate spectacle.
German language, free of charge
Call of Duty: Mobile
Now finally available for Android: After a long wait, the mobile version of Call of Duty conquers all rankings in the Play Store. This is not only due to the free content.
Almost half a year after the announcement by publisher Activision, the time has finally come: The genre king Call of Duty: Mobile is finally available to everyone in the Play Store – and for the time being, for free. The extensive first-person shooter cuts a similarly good figure on mobile devices as on the gaming PC or console with brilliant HD graphics, gripping sound design and, last but not least, generous settings and adjustments. So the wait was worth it, especially since many popular maps from "Black Ops" and "Modern Warfare" can also be played for free. Outfits, characters, game modes and of course the often realistically depicted weapons and equipment should also look familiar to CoD fans. The controls are surprisingly precise on the touchscreen, but the complex multiplayer spectacle is demanding on the hardware: mid-range devices already have to struggle with low graphics settings.
Rows of varied game modes
Many different game modes provide plenty of variety in mobile CoD, but some of the game variants are already familiar: For example, we team up for wild large-scale battles in "Team Deathmatch", roam freely and alone over cleverly designed maps or really let it rip in the new game mode "Battle Royal": Up to 100 players take aim at each other here – until only one remains.
Conclusion of the test of the Android app Call of Duty: Mobile
Excellent multiplayer game for free: Rarely does an Android title climb to the highest heights of the Play Store Olympus in such a short time.
German language, free of charge
Alto’s Odyssey
Take a deep breath: This sequel to the successful "Alto’s Adventure" invites you to dive in with fantastic gameplay. We glide through fascinating worlds in front of fantastic scenery.
In Alto’s Odyssey, we slip into the role of the sandboard rider Alto and glide over mountains and valleys at breakneck speed, but also in a calming and steady manner. The endless journey in front of dreamlike scenery quickly draws us in with atmospheric design and smooth animations. With a rather simple touch control we let the acrobatic Alto perform jumps and flips, which not only look cool, but also fill up the points account more and more. By completing small tasks and collecting generously distributed coins, we gradually unlock new content such as game characters, power-ups or a new board. The task in the lovingly designed levels is always the same: Hold out as long as possible, perform cool tricks and set new track records. Around 180 mini-missions in a total of 60 levels mean you won’t get bored in a hurry.
Atmospheric level design is unparalleled
Rarely does an Android game come with as much atmosphere as Alto’s Odyssey does. Soft lights, sunsets in front of silhouettes of distant sand dunes and the diversely generated endless levels, create a unique ambience from the first minute of play. There is also praise for the monetization in the app: We can also buy coins for upgrades and extras, but we also get them for watching commercials or simply playing.
Conclusion of the test of the Android app Alto’s Odyssey
Alto’s Odyssey is a dreamy sidescroller with smooth gameplay that also allows skilled players to perform nifty maneuvers and just won’t get boring.
German language, free of charge
Mario Kart Tour
Hotly sought-after title with a rich addiction factor: it has rarely been so much fun to drive around in circles over and over again.
Mario Kart is one of those racing games that is just always fun to play: alone, with friends, or online in a race with other lead feet. The mobile version Mario Kart Tour does almost everything right on Android devices, especially since the base game is available for free. With a whole host of tried-and-true tracks from past titles, as well as plenty of nifty new courses, there’s plenty on offer driving-wise. Once again, there’s no shortage of impressive or completely wacky tools, weapons and extras that can often turn the gameplay upside down in the final moments. The brilliant races with the typical drifts, cheeky overtaking maneuvers and the well-known stars of the series make this clever racing game a must download, and not just for fans of the series. What we don’t like so much: players have to create a Nintendo account here in advance, sometimes painstakingly link it, and can then also only play with an active network connection.
Lootboxes and subscription model
If you want, you can play Mario Kart Tour without spending a single penny on it. But if you don’t want to do that, you can leave quite a bit of money here. On the one hand, this is due to the premium subscription, where we can unlock new racing classes and special missions for €5.49 per month – but on the other hand, it’s also due to the controversial lootboxes in the game. Although these can also be unlocked over time, they also invite careless players to a buying spree in a less than transparent manner. Those who want to unlock these boxes full of lucrative extras themselves often have to invest a lot of time.
Conclusion of the Mario Kart Tour Android app review
Mario Kart Tour is a top-notch racing game that effortlessly fills afternoons. However, controversial lootboxes and an expensive subscription model (both optional) tarnish the positive overall picture.