Eight of the very best mobile games available on Android phones

To say mobile phones have come a very long way in recent years would be an understatement. And one of the ways this is demonstrated is through mobile gaming.

The more long in the tooth among us will remember when if we wanted to play a game on our phone we had to make do with Snake, or at best a Tetris knock-off. Today some of the games you download and play right in the palm of your hand are so impressive they’d be just as at home on a next-generation console.

The problem is knowing what to play – there are so many choices. Here, with a little help from uk.pcmag.com/, we’ve rounded up some of the very best mobile games available on Android phones. They can all be downloaded through the Google Play store, except one (look out for that below).

Fun to play on your own, but a real party with friends, you’re placed on an abandoned spaceship with between four and 15 players, and must carry out simple tasks like reconnecting electrical systems or clearing out the rubbish. But the problem is a few of the crewmembers are actually alien imposters who will work to sabotage the team’s work – or even kill them.

Each player is told in secret at the start if they’re a crewmember or one of the imposters, and it’s up to the imposters not to raise suspicion. Everyone has the option of calling a meeting where you can vote out a crewmember you think is an imposter – who is then abruptly thrown out of the airlock.

If the imposters are thrown out, the crewmembers win – but remember the alien intruders are always trying to manipulate the situation. It’s free, but there are in-app purchases.

For those who grew up with the original PlayStation, it’s baffling that one of its very best games is now available in the palm of your hand. Part of a long-running series of vampire-battling adventure games, this epic, originally released in 1997, sees the player take on the role of Dracula’s son Alucard, and fight their way through his castle to confront the lord of evil himself.

Often cited as one of the best games ever created, the player explores the vast castle, collecting new abilities and items allowing them to access previously blocked paths. And there’s a devilish twist awaiting players who are stepping into Alucard’s cape for the very first time. At just £2.99 it’s a steal.

Another absolute gem from the 1990s, this ambitious RPG has a plot spanning millenia, from pre-history to the distant future.

If you like an epic story mixing sci-fi and fantasy with some instantly memorable characters – including a frog with a sword named, brilliantly, Frog – this is the game for you.

It might have a charming anime-style appearance, but the story takes you to some dramatic, and in places very serious places, with some developments you definitely won’t see coming. At £9.99 it’s not cheap – but there’s 13 different endings to find, so you get a lot for your money.

A real phenomena which made the battle royale genre the juggernaught it is today. Players are thrown into a chaotic arena, which slowly closes in over time. The last one standing is the winner.

A cartoony visual style and guest appearances from characters and real-life figures from Godzilla and Batman, and from Lionel Messi to Billie Eilish, there’s bound to be something in here you’ll like.

You have to download it directly from a dedicated launcher offered by developer Epic Games rather than the Google Play store, but it’s free, so what’s not to like?

A massive action RPG which would be just as at home on the PS5 or Xbox as it is on your mobile.

An almost endless stream of things to do, along with some top-quality anime-style cinematics and voice acting, it’s developed a rabid fanbase who love its characters.

The soundtrack is surprisingly excellent too. It’s free to download and play – but it does encourage you to spend money to unlock new characters, so be warned if you’re letting someone else have a go on your phone.

The popular Witcher video games and Netflix series sometimes see main character Geralt sit down to play a card game called Gwent.

Developers CD Project RED quickly realised they had a potential hit on their hands, and released Gwent as a stand-alone game, which you can download now and get stuck into.

As a game from within the fictional setting of The Continent, the cards feature fantasical monsters, locations and characters, and a compex set of rules that’ll take you some time to master. Like many mobile games, it’s free, but there are in-app purchases.

Surely Minecraft needs no introduction? The crafting and survival sandbox game was first released in 2011 and is still a massive global phenomenon almost 15 years later.

There’s even a film, starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa.

Often billed as the 21st century’s answer to LEGO, players are free to create anything they can dream of – and what some have come up with is truly mind-boggling. It costs £6.49, but you could be playing this forever.

Another one that needs no introduction, Pokemon Go all-but took over the world when it was released in 2016. Taking the instantly recognisable creatures from the Pokemon franchise – who doesn’t love Pikachu – and placing them in the real world was a masterstroke.

And the fact that it got people out and about, exploring together to find rare monsters and battle created a community the way no other game in history has. It might not be the phenomena it once was, but Pokemon Go is still going strong – and is a great way to pass the time while out walking the dog or just out for some fresh air.

Just make sure you don’t wander onto the road. Free, but with in-app purchases.