Gaming on mobile has been improving at a far greater rate than any technology that came before it. Android games seem to hit new heights every year. We see more and more premium game releases that challenge what phones can do and even free to play games are getting better and better. To be honest, mobile has some reasonably impressive titles even now. Without further delay, here are the best Android games available right now! These are the best of the best so the list won’t change all that often unless something excellent comes along. Also, the video above shows our list of the best Android games released in 2020 as well.

1. Best Mobile Games That Pay You
2. What Is The Best Game To Make Money
3. Best Mobile Games To Make Money Without

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9. PUBG Mobile and Fornite

Looking for something new? Check these out:

Call of Duty: Mobile

Price: Free to play

Call of Duty: Mobile was our pick for the best Android game in 2019. We usually wait a while before adding a game, but Call of Duty: Mobile is so intensely popular with such a high rating that we added it more quickly than usual. The game has both a normal FPS online PvP mode along with a 100-player battle royale. That puts it in a rare category where it does battle royale like PUBG Mobile, but also regular FPS PvP like Critical Ops or Modern Combat. There is a surprising amount of stuff to do. It is a free to play game, but most of the in-game purchases are cosmetic items. You can find some more excellent FPS games here or some general shooting games here if you want more options.

Genshin Impact

Price: Free to play

Genshin Impact is an action RPG game with gacha mechanics. The game was also our pick for the best game of 2020. It received wide critical acclaim upon its release for its impressive visuals and excellent game play. It looks and acts a bit like Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but nobody seems to really mind. The game does have a party system and you summon new characters through a gacha system similar to other gachas. However, the visual elements, game play mechanics, and the completely open world (complete with glider) make the game feel a lot less restrictive than most in the genre. Unless the developer messes this one up, it should remain excellent for a long time. Of course, there are other excellent gacha games here if you want to see more.

GRID Autosport

Price: $9.99

GRID Autosport launched in 2019 and immediately became one of the best racing games for Android. The Riptide GP and Asphalt franchises are also quite good, but GRID Autosport hits almost all of the check marks. It’s a premium game with no in-app purchases or advertising. The game also boasts excellent graphics, excellent controls, hardware controller support, tons of content to play through, tons of cars to unlock, and a variety of racing styles. The game is a bit expensive and it’s missing some smaller things racing fanatics tend to like, but it’s otherwise one of the best racing experiences in the Play Store. Our only real gripe is the lack of updates. You can find more great racing games (including the popular Asphalt series) here.

GRIS

Price: $4.99

Best Mobile Games That Pay You

GRIS is an adventure game with puzzle-platformer elements. This is one of those ones you know is good just by looking at it. The game follows Gris, a young girl lost in her own world while dealing with the painful experiences in her life. It doesn’t have anything like player death or anything like that. You simply explore the world, solve some puzzles, and enjoy. The game features almost no text and chooses instead to tell its story through visual elements instead. It’s an artsy game, but one of the best in its genre. You can find more outstanding adventure games here.

Legends of Runeterra

Price: Free to play

Legends of Runeterra is one of the newer Android games on this list. It’s an online battler similar in scope to games like Hearthstone. Players collect cards and heroes, then build decks from those cards and heroes. You then battle opponents online. The game removes as much of the randomness as it can and it leads to a good game play experience overall. The game includes 24 champions, a bunch of cards, and you can invite friends to duel with you as well. Hearthstone donned this list for a long time, but it’s time for a new champion in this space. You can find more great card dueling games here.

Android games for folks who hate in-app purchases:

Levelhead

Price: $6.99

Levelhead is a new platformer from Butterscotch Shenanigans, the same developer of Crashlands. Crashlands was on this very list for a good two or three years, and we expect Levelhead to be here for a while too. It’s a platformer with 90 levels, surprisingly satisfying controls, and some excellent humor. However, this one sets itself apart from others with its truly excellent custom level building. Players can build levels and upload them to the game. Other players download them and the most popular end up in the game’s prestigious vault. Plus, the game has speed running features and each level comes with its own leaderboard (even the custom ones). Finally, the game is cross-platform with cloud saves. It covers all of the bases for a mobile platformer. It’s also free with Google Play Pass if you use that. This is easily the best in its class, but here are some other good platformers to try as well.

Minecraft

Price: $6.99 with in-app purchases

Minecraft is a popular game all around the world for people of all ages. For those who have never played, Minecraft puts you in a giant world where you mine stuff, build stuff, beat up bad guys, and do pretty much whatever you want. There is a survival mode where you must mine your own resources and food along with a creative mode that gives you unlimited everything. Frequent updates have added tons of new content and possibilities. The game is pretty much on par with its PC and console counterparts. In fact, you can play on multiplayer servers with people on those platforms. There are in-app purchases, but they’re just for customization things like skin packs. It’s not only the best sandbox game on Android, but also one of the best survival games as well.

Monument Valley 1 and 2

Price: $3.99 + $1.99 / $4.99

Monument Valley returns to the list with the release of Monument Valley 2. Both games are still very excellent. In fact, they both have virtually identical game play mechanics and graphics. The player adventures through Escher-style puzzles where levels are movable to complete the path using illusions. The premise is still charming and the Monument Valley franchise continues to stand as a couple of the best mobile games ever. The first one runs for $3.99 with an optional $1.99 in-app purchase for the Forgotten Shores DLC. The second game runs for $4.99 right now. You can play both games as part of the Google Play Pass if you subscribe to that. Here are some other great puzzle games as well if you want more options.

Nintendo games

Price: Free / Freemium / Varies

Nintendo has a decent number of Android games and they’re all pretty decent. They have one premium game with Super Mario Run. Many believed it to be too high of a price. However, mechanically, it’s one of the best platformers on mobile. Nintendo also has a couple of freemium options including Fire Emblem Heroes (strategy RPG) and Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (simulation). Nintendo added Dragalia Lost to its repertoire in September of 2018 as well as Dr. Mario World in 2019. Finally, Mario Kart Tour is the second biggest mobile game releases of all time, second only to Call of Duty: Mobile. Nintendo’s games can be a bit rough around the edges sometimes, but they all provide relatively fun and solid experiences.

Pokemon GO

What Is The Best Game To Make Money

Price: Free to play

Pokemon GO exploded onto the mobile gaming scene in July 2016 and immediately became of the best Android games ever. It’s an augmented reality game similar to Ingress where you walk around the real world, catch Pokemon, complete little side missions, battle for Gyms, and hit up Pokestops to restock on items. It beat virtually every record in the books as the world’s most popular mobile game. Thanksfully, the game gets frequent updates with new features. Some more recent features include an AR camera mode, new Pokemon, and a bunch of other neat stuff. Niantic also launched Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, a Harry Potter AR game with similar mechanics. The two games stand alone atop the best augmented reality games on mobile.

Even more games to check out:

PUBG Mobile and PUBG Mobile Lite

Price: Free to play

PUBG Mobile hit the ground running upon its releases. It already has over ten million downloads and nearly a million user reviews. Thankfully, it’s actually a very competent mobile FPS. It features simple, effective controls, decent graphics. and a simple premise. Basically, 100 people drop from a plane onto an island and duke it out until only one is left standing. The island is littered with gear, weapons, and vehicles along with a mechanic that lowers the play area over time to keep matches from lasting too long. Recent updates added new game modes as well as a free to play element. PUBG Mobile Lite is a lighter version of the game with fewer players per match and lower graphical settings. It’s only available for some devices, though. Fornite is another excellent option, but you have to jump through some hoops to install it.. Of course, here are some other satisfying battle royale options as well.

Sky: Children of Light

Price: Free to play

Sky: Children of Light is an excellent adventure game from 2020. The game features seven worlds for you to explore, a variety of character customizations to look how you want, some truly excellent graphics, and one of the most unique social experiences on any game. You can interact with players in the game without a voice or text chat (although text chats are available). Players get your attention to take you where you need to go by grabbing your hand and taking you with them. It’s preposterously adorable. There are a bunch of truly great adventure games here, but Sky: Child of Light is just something different.

Square Enix games

Price: Free / Free to play / Varies

Square Enix is one of the few “big name” developers that took mobile gaming seriously from the start and they have some of the best Android games available anywhere. Fans of jRPG games have remakes of Final Fantasy 1-7 and 9, seven Dragon Quest games, Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition to play and they’re all really good. You have Heavenstrike Rivals, Final Fantasy Tactics: WotL for tactical RPGs, Secret of Mana for an action RPG, and the Deus Ex series for strategy shooter enthusiasts. Even their free to play efforts, such as Final Fantasy Brave Exvius and Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia are pretty good. Some recent titles from the studio (and its affiliates) include Romancing SaGa Re;univerSe, and Dragon Quest Tact. Square Enix is arguably the champion of its genre, but you can find more great RPGs here.

Stardew Valley

Price: $7.99

Stardew Valley is easily one of the best premium games from 2019 and one of the best games overall. It’s a farming simulator with some RPG elements. You start out with a neglected farm and must rebuild it to its former glory. Players catch fish, grow crops, raise livestock, and interact with the various townspeople. You can even get married and have a family. The retro graphics helps keep things simple, but the game has dozens of hours of content. Plus, the controls are simple and most of the in-game interactions are charming and fun. It’s the best farming sim on mobile even if it’s not entirely realistic. It’s also free if you subscribe to Google Play Pass. Stardew Valley sits atop its genre, but there are more good farming simulators here if you want to see more.

The Room series (four games)

Price: $0.99-$4.99 each

The Room is a series of four puzzle games. It was the first franchise that did the puzzle genre really well on mobile. The latest game in The Room series is just as big of a hit as its predecessors and they remain among the best Android games. The Room is a series of escape puzzle games. Each room has bunch of mysterious objects. Your goal is to solve the puzzles and get out. You progress from room to room to find even more unique objects and solve their puzzles until you win the game. The latest one, The Room: Old Sins, includes cloud saving, Google Play Games achievements, and even a small exploration element. That sets it apart from the pure puzzle experience of the first three games. You can’t go wrong with any of these. They’re all very good. There are some other decent escape games here if you want to see more, but The Room is definitely the best one.

Thank you for reading! Try these out too:

If we missed any of the best Android games, tell us about them in the comments!

Best Mobile Games To Make Money Without

How Do Mobile Games Make Money? Most Popular Monetization Models

The meteoric rise in mobile device popularity and tech capability has fueled the extremely popular mobile app industry. Mobile games are amongst the most popular types of apps—in 2017, 80% of all app revenue came from gaming apps for both the Apple iOS App Store and Google Play Store. The global gaming market is targeted to reach $115 billion in 2018; the mobile gaming industry accounts for $50 billion dollars in all of global gaming revenue.

It’s clear that the mobile app industry is lucrative and continuing to grow in size each year. How do mobile games make money? Game monetization is the method by which a game product makes money for its developers and copyright owners. There are various revenue models that mobile games use to generate profit.

How Do Mobile Games Make Money? Types of Revenue Models for Mobile Gaming App Monetization

The Mobile Gaming Industry Is Incredibly Lucrative

Mobile games have come a long way since the days of playing Nokia’s Snake on a tiny screen. The first known mobile game was a prehistoric version of Tetris, installed on a mobile phone called Hagenuk MT-2000 in 1994. The launch of Apple’s App Store in 2007 marks the early days of mobile gaming as we know it today. Developers flooded the marketplace with games, many of which were incredibly addictive. Some early hits have faded from memory (Angry Birds, est. 2009), while others remain dominant in popularity (Candy Crush, released in 2012).

Mobile gaming apps have never been more sophisticated and new developments like real-time multiplayer abilities, livestreaming, and cross-device synchronization continue to drive industry growth. Another growth factor is the explosion of social media interest in gaming on platforms like Twitch and YouTube. As of April 2018, top mobile games like Fortnite and Candy Crush Saga earned more than one million dollars in daily revenue on iPhones alone.

The very first gaming apps fell into one of two broad categories: 1. Free Mobile Games (sometimes monetized through ads); 2. Paid Mobile Games (just a single upfront payment). Now, gaming monetization models have become significantly more complex and varied. The lucrative nature of mobile gaming influences game design and development, so creators can profit from their games.

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Methods Used to Monetize Mobile Game Apps

Free Mobile Games

Free-to-Play (F2P or FTP) games are free to initially download, but require payment for various upgrades.

Freemium games are free to download and play but offer small in-game purchases known as microtransactions. The top grossing mobile games in 2018 have all been freemium model games, for example Clash Royale, Fortnight Battle Royale, and Candy Crush Soda Saga.

Microtransactions allow players to purchase additional virtual goods like extra gameplay levels, cosmetic skins, exclusive gear (e.g. armor, shields), loot boxes, or in-game currency. In-game purchases vary – some enhance the player’s power or speed up their progress within the game, while others are entirely cosmetic. An example of a microtransaction for a roleplaying game (RPG) is a player purchasing a limited-edition potion which gives their character special powers that would be otherwise very difficult or time-consuming to obtain via normal gameplay.

Since the purchases are usable within the game, microtransactions are especially tempting for avid, devoted players. Microtransactions can potentially lower the skills barrier needed to progress within the game, which can make the game feel out-of-whack for those who choose not to spend. Game developers must be very careful in designing microtransactions so that don’t significantly unbalance competition between players or worse, make players feel extorted (i.e. feel like they must spend their money to be able to function within the game).

Advertising model games are typically free, but contain ads as a means of revenue.

• Display ads are the most standard type, which can include static ads, dynamic display ads, banner ads, video ads, and pop-up ads. Neko Atsume occasionally inserts dynamic display ads as a small banner at the bottom of the screen.
• Interstitial ads are ads that are shown automatically in intervals. Interstitial ads are common for games with a level-up progression since they can be displayed between levels where there is a natural break in the gameplay, making them relatively unintrusive. For example, Ray-Man Adventure requires the player to watch a 30-second video after beating a level.
• Incentivized ads offer an in-game incentive, like an in-game currency or a boost, in exchange for interacting with an ad (e.g. watching a video ad). Puzzle game Candy Crush will offer to give users a bonus if they watch a short video before beginning a new level.
• Contextual ads are integrated into gameplay, often as branded gameplay objects or branded storefronts within the scenery of a game. Think branded Pokestops in Pokemon Go or billboards on the streets of Grand Theft Auto.

Shareware model games will allow you to play a free trial or demo version of a game, but require payment to unlock the full game license. Shareware gives free users limited gameplay compared to the full game – the idea is to entice users to pay for the game once they’ve gotten a taste. This model somewhat outdated as the vast majority of mobile game developers have embraced freemium.

Related Posts: The 19 Gaming Terms Every Marketer Must Know

Paid Mobile Games

Up-front payment model applies to games that are purchased via a one-time payment then downloaded directly onto a mobile device. A few popular examples of paid games include Minecraft, NBA 2K18, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.

Subscription model games charge a recurring fee to continue playing them, usually on a monthly basis. It’s uncommon for mobile games to use the subscription model – it’s more frequently used for massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) and other video games that require continuous server hosting and administrative overview in order to operate. Mobile games don’t lend themselves to a subscription model in part because they tend to be fleeting in popularity. Consumers tend to grow bored of mobile games, constantly looking for a novel diversion.

That said, chief marketing officer Al Campa of the business intelligence form App Annie predicts “I think you’ll start to see subscriptions making their way into gaming.” The success of media apps like Netflix and Spotify suggest that there’s a market for paying a monthly subscription to access collections of games. “The gaming world needs to continue coming up with new hits all the time,” explains Campa.

Monetizing Mobile Games IRL

Mobile games with a strong brand and fanbase can tap into revenue streams outside of the app itself.

Event marketing hosted by game creators bring together an army of avid gaming fans.From huge conventions like E3 and VidCon to regional competitions, gaming fiends are eager to connect with fellow fans at events. Other in-person events that draw die-hard fans include charity tournaments, festivals, and one-off experiential events. These photogenic, interactive events create photo-worthy moments for selfies, videos, and tweeting, which helps them to amplify the brand’s message beyond those in attendance. There’s significant opportunity to sponsor an event to further establish a gaming brand.

Merchandise is another outlet for mobile gamers to bring in revenue. Zealous gaming fans will don T-shirts and snap up collectible merchandise as an extension of their love of the game. Popular games, as well as cult indie games, can commoditize their brands by producing merch.

Tricks To Push Users to Make Purchases While Playing Addictive “Free” Games

Game developers have come up with truly ingenious tactics to make their games profitable. Leveraging a sizable pool of user behavior data, game creators learn to push the buttons of their gaming community. Game developer companies with a large roster of titles can test out different tricks and dedicate manpower towards marketing various upsells.

Whales, named after high rollers at casinos, are players who spend a disproportionate amount compared to other players. Although gaming apps aim to draw revenue through all of their players, they tend to make the bulk of their earnings from a smaller subset of devotees.

VIP Programs are an emerging tactic to retain power-users who are deeply devoted to the mobile game. Extra bonuses that come with membership can include performance enhancers that give a competitive advantage, elimination of advertisements, customer service support

In addition, some mobile games [World of Tanks Blitz, Poker King, TMNT Legends] offer a monthly VIP or premium tier accounts, which offer gameplay bonuses within a pre-specified timeframe.

Special offers can lure an apathetic player by giving them a strong incentive to make a purchase and get back in the game. Like an e-commerce display ad showing that an item once abandoned in a shopping cart has since gone on sale, special offers are all about timing and knowing one’s audience.

A once avid player hasn’t opened the app in over a month? Offer a discounted starter pack for a hot new game. Is a player grinding to beat a boss? Tempt them with a special booster pack that will help them build skills more quickly. A user is obsessed with customizing their avatar character? Sell them a pack of limited-edition skins or clothing.

Game creators can market offers via emails, push notifications, and in-game banner ads. This makes the messaging almost inescapable to a heavily invested player. In a sense, it’s unsurprising that mobile games are so lucrative. Considering the domestic market alone, 77% of Americans have smartphones and are virtually always with them. People frequently look at their phones out of habit and boredom and mobile games provide an instant dose of entertainment. The industry is ripe with potential for customer loyalty and a large customer lifetime value.

Influencer Marketing for Mobile Games

Mobile games are a great fit for influencer marketing partnerships because they appeal to all demographics and have a low barrier to entry. Since the majority of people own a smartphone and have access to mobile app marketplaces, a game download conversion can happen with just the tap of a smartphone.

Mobile games lend themselves well to videos and screenshots, meaning that creators can easily develop visually compelling content that will showcase video games in action. More and more video streaming platforms promote gaming as the industry continues to expand. Influencer marketing will continue to play a role in mobile app monetization going forward.

Although freemium is currently the dominant form of monetization, the ever-changing industry will continue to evolve. It’s possible that subscription to access a library of games (ala Netflix) or a new game-changing monetization model will crop up as mobile gaming continues to evolve.

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