27 best Android tablet games
Playing games on Android tablets can be a lot of fun. The larger screen real estate allows many game control schemes to be spread out to a more comfortable distance, graphics can be enjoyed more, and games that require precise tapping can be played easier. Most games that are great on Android phones are also great on tablets but here are the best Android tablet games.
Anomaly 2
[Price: $4.99]
When it comes to gaming on a larger screen, Anomaly 2 has it all. Great graphics, a good story, and controls that translate well to the big screen. If your tablet happens to be packing a Tegra K1 (Nexus 9, Shield tablet) then you’ll have an even better graphical experience. Anomaly 2 is a hybrid tower offense / tower defense game with online multiplayer capabilities and a highly regarded single player mode. It’s $4.99 but there are also no in app purchases which a lot of people will like.
BADLAND
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
BADLAND is a platformer game with an undeniably gorgeous design and addictive game play. You must navigate through a maze of obstacles to keep pace with an ever scrolling screen. If you fall behind, you lose. The game features over 100 levels, 23 levels of multiplayer content (including offline, same device multiplayer), simple one-touch controls, cloud save, immersive mode, and the developers repeatedly promise more content in future updates. The large screens on tablets make this game absolutely enjoyable to take part in and a great way to kill a few minutes.
Baldur’s Gate, Baldur’s Gate II, and Icewind Dale
[Price: $9.99 each]
We grouped these three games together because they were all released by the same developer (Beamdog). All three titles are huge, immersive RPGs that were ported from PC to Android in 2014. They feature very long stories with complex game play and are sure to keep you busy for months upon months. The graphics are decent but not amazing because even by PC standards these games are pretty old. However, these are three of the better RPGs to grace PC and Android. With their complicated control schemes, playing them on a tablet screen makes them infinitely easier to play and enjoy.
The Bard’s Tale
[Price: $1.99 with in app purchases]
This witty RPG from days past has above average graphics, a long story, and it plays amazingly on a tablet. Frankly, playing this on a smartphone is cramped and sometimes downright uncomfortable. On a tablet, you can see more and the controls are spread out and more comfortable. It also has third party controller support if you happen to be packing one of those. It’s one of the best RPGs on Android and it’s relatively inexpensive.
Board Games
[Price: Varies]
With the larger screen of a tablet, you’ll get probably the best virtual board game experience that you are capable of having right now. Board games are excellent games for family days, kids, and some are even tailored for adults. It’s simple enough to put the tablet in the middle of the table and crowd around it to enjoy a board game experience without the risk of a beloved pet eating the game pieces. If you want to see the best board games on Android, the link below will take you there.
Click here to see the best Android board games!
Clash of Clans
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
The world’s most popular free strategy game is a natural choice for tablet gamers. Admittedly, the graphics don’t look much better (or worse) on a larger screen. However, the game does require a lot of precise tapping and dragging which can be done much easier on a large screen. Add to that the gigantic online community, clan wars, and Supercell’s frequent feature updates and you have a great free game to kill a few minutes every day.
Dead Trigger 2
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
Dead Trigger 2 is another game that seems to have all the prerequisites to be an amazing Android tablet game. It sports great graphics which translate well to large screens, easy controls that are comfortable, third party controller support, and fun, addictive game play. Plus you get to mow down fields of zombies and that has been well established as a great way to kill some time. MADFINGER Games has been good about keeping the updates rolling so there is still new content to enjoy every now and then. Plus, it’s free to play.
Emulators
[Price: varies]
Emulators are a natural choice for tablets. The on screen controls are more comfortable (and generally customizable), you have more space to enjoy your old favorites, and the larger screen allows you to play many older games in their native 4:3 aspect ratio while still having plenty of space to see them. There are a lot of emulators for a lot of consoles and thousands of games combined so there is literally something out there for everyone. If you want to check out our best emulators list, click the link below!
Click here to check out the best emulators on Android!
Game of Thrones
[Price: $4.99]
Game of Thrones is the first of three Telltale Games titles on this list. In this title, you play as a lesser known house that plays a peripheral role in the events of the main story as seen on TV. You’ll interact with characters from the TV show, enjoy some decent graphics, dive into a deep story line with enough ethical and moral twists and turns to give it a real Game of Thrones feel. It is episodic so you’ll have to buy more episodes eventually.
Grand Theft Auto III, Vice City, and San Andreas
[Price: $4.99, $4.99, and $6.99 respectively]
Rockstar has had great success in porting their Grand Theft Auto series to mobile. In fact, San Andreas won our best game of 2013 award. These games are huge and provide dozens of hours of game play. The larger touch screens of tablets make controls much easier as you have more space and larger buttons. Each game easily provides dozens of hours of game play which makes them easily worth the money. The older titles have a few bugs here and there, though, so be sure to test them out before the refund time expires!
Heartstone Heroes of Warcraft
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
Hearthstone seems to have been tailor made for tablets. Actually, it literally was because you have to do some hackery just to get this game running on a device smaller than 6-inches. This is a long awaited card game that has you building decks, dueling other players, and there is even some single player missions to get you into the mix. Everything is synced to a Battle.net account so you can play between your tablet and computer if you want to which is a nice touch. It’s wildly popular, especially with the Twitch crowd and there are always plenty of people to duel against!
Injustice: Gods Among Us
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
Injustice: Gods Among Us is among the best fighting games available on Android. It features an extensive cast of DC comics heroes that you use to duke it out against other DC comics heroes. The game play is simple enough to understand. You collect character cards and build teams of three. You then duke it out in an epic 3v3 battle royale between your fighters and the opponent’s fighters. It’s a solid game with graphics that really shine on tablet screens and it’s probably the best DC comic property on Android.
Leo’s Fortune
[Price: $4.99]
Leo’s Fortune gained fame when it was demo’d at Google I/O on Android TV. In case that wasn’t a serious indication, that means this game translates well to larger screens. The game pay mechanics are simple and work naturally on big screens. The grahpics are crisp and clean so it should only add to the enjoyment. It’s $4.99 but there are also no in app purchases and there are Google Play Games achievements for those who want that.
Limbo
[Price: $4.99]
Limbo hit the ground running when it was released in 2015 and it’s already one of the most enjoyed and talked about games of the year. You play as a kid looking for his sister in the creepy, monochrome world of Limbo. The throwback black and white design fits the atmosphere perfect and this is easily one of the best designed games of 2015 so far. The story is okay, but the game play mechanics are solid and it even currently rocks an outstanding 4.8 out of 5 rating in the Google Play Store with over 5000 reviews in total.
Monument Valley
[Price: $4.99 + $1.99]
Monument Valley was the hit game of 2014 on Android and iOS. The simple, colorful graphics meshed well with the amazing geometric illusions that made this game just so captivating to play. The game is a bit short but with the $1.99 Forgotten Shores add on, you can increase the total number of levels to 15. For some, that’s still too short but the majority of players who bought the game don’t regret it. The puzzles and game play really pop on larger screens which makes them great for tablets.
Portal and Half Life 2
[Price: $9.99 each]
Portal and Half Life 2 are two very popular PC games developed by Valve and ported to Android by NVIDIA. You’ll have to have an NVIDIA Shield, an NVIDIA Shield Tablet, or a device rocking a Tegra K1 in order to actually play them so not every tablet owner can take advantage. If you do have those, you’ll be able to play two of the better PC games ever released. Both have a lot of game play and no in app purchases!
Real Racing 3
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
Here by popular demand from our readers is Real Racing 3. This is a racing title that features some pretty fantastic graphics, over 100 cars from Ford, Aston Martin, and other manufacturers, and extremely detailed tracks. This game is pure eye candy but the game play is simple enough to understand and the game has that “easy to play, difficult to master” mechanic that makes it fun for casual gamers and hardcore gamers alike. There is even a pretty active online multiplayer scene. It does have a few issues here and there, but nothing too over the top and it’s definitely worth a shot.
République
[Price: $2.99 with in app purchases]
République is (at the time of this writing) a brand new Android game that features high quality graphics, a thrilling story line, and plenty of content. It was a popular iOS game until it was ported to Android so it’s likely that this will also eventually be popular. It takes place over five episodes and three of them are out currently which means you’ll have to wait for the last two. The great graphics look wonderful on a tablet and many of the mechanics and controls are one touch.
Riptide GP2
[Price: $2.99 with in app purchases]
Riptide GP2 is a wave runner racing game where you must do tricks, use boost, and battle the rocky waters to win races. It uses the accelerometer for control although there is support for touch screen controls and even third party controllers. The graphics are fantastic and the mechanics are easy to understand and use even on tablets. There are also various online multiplayer modes that let you race against your friends along with cloud saves and achievements via Google Play Games services. It’s a favorite around the Android Authority news room.
The Sims FreePlay
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
The Sims FreePlay is another one of those games where it’s actually better to play it on a bigger screen than a smaller screen. As with most Sims games, there are a lot of things to tap and a lot of things to build and control. The more screen space you have, the more precise you move. Plus, the graphics aren’t bad either and it’s a Sims game which are generally pretty fantastic and the developers seem to still be adding new content.
Shardlands
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
Shardlands is an adventure game that will have you solving puzzles, dealing with monsters, and solving the mysteries of an alien world. Shardlands has long been touted for its graphics and they do look quite good. The game play is easy to understand but difficulty in later levels means you’ll have to learn to master the controls to keep going. For some, the later levels are too hard but that can happen sometimes. The game developers tout it as an atmospheric game and that also means the soundtrack is pretty decent. It’s free to play and worth a few minutes of your time.
Square Enix collection (Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, Chaos Rings, Deus Ex)
[Price: Varies]
Square Enix has a lot of games on Android that are just fun to play. The Final Fantasy series, Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest, Chaos Rings, and Deus Ex: The Fall are all great titles even if they are a little bit expensive. Like most RPGs, the controls translate well to large screens and along with 30-50 hours of game play in almost every title, you’ll also get high quality graphics in games like Chaos Rings and Deus Ex: The Fall. The only downside is that they are a little expensive.
Tales from the Borderlands
[Price: $4.99 with in app purchases]
Tales from the Borderlands is the second Telltale Games title on the list and some even consider it to be among the best Borderlands games ever produced. This is intended as an origin story so those new to the series won’t miss out on much and long time fans get a little bit of fan service. The graphics are also pretty good. As with most Telltale Games titles, this is episodic which means you’ll get your content in episodes that you’ll have to purchase separately with episode two having been released in early 2015.
Transport Tycoon
[Price: $6.99]
Last on our list is Transport Tycoon. This is an official port of the old PC classic for Android devices. The reason this is so great for a tablet game is because it has a lot of information on screen which is easier to see on a tablet than on a smartphone and there are a lot of precise movements and clicks that are easier when you have extra screen real estate. The graphics are about the same as they were back when it was first released but they’ve been sharpened for today’s HD screens. It’s a little expensive at $6.99 but there are no in app purchases and the nostalgia value is pretty high.
The Walking Dead Season 1 and 2
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
The Walking Dead series is what put Telltale Games on the map and remains one of their most popular titles to date. Season 1 and 2 are two separate games so there is a lot of content here for gamers to enjoy and each season has multiple episodes to expand the content. The seasons do play off of one another so if you play season 1, you can load that progress into season 2 and your decisions and whatnot effect the outcome of the second game as well as the first which is definitely a nice touch. Best of all, it all falls in the same universe as the TV show.
The Wolf Among Us
[Price: Free with in app purchases]
The Wolf Among Us is one of Telltale Games’ earlier titles and still one of its most popular. It’s a story about fairy tale characters being killed off and you must find the culprit. It falls under the genre of thriller which is something you don’t see every day in Android gaming and it’s also based on the popular comic series Fable (DC). It also comes with good, colorful graphics, a player-driven story (your decisions and actions matter), and plenty of content. There are five episodes in total that you can pick up as in-app purchases.
XCOM: Enemy Within
[Price: $12.99]
XCOM: Enemy Within may be fairly expensive at $12.99 but few who have purchased the game regret its larger price tag. It’s a deep, immersive strategy game where you must play a game of proverbial chess with the bad guys and take them out. You play as the humans defending the world against an alien invasion. You must upgrade your weapons and equipment, recruit troops, and there is even multiplayer modes for gamers to enjoy. It’s based on the 2012 title XCOM: Enemy Unknown except with more content, a longer story, and more upgrades. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart and is truly one of the best “console level” gaming experiences on Android.
Wrap up
If we missed any amazing Android tablets games, let us know in the comments!
To see our full list of our best Android apps and games lists, click here!
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