If you're looking for the best new games available in the Google Play Store, you've come to the right place. We update this list whenever a new game comes out that's worthy of being added to this list, so you'll always know about the latest and greatest games.
Whether you're new to Android and need some fresh, new games to start building out your Google Play library or simply looking for the latest trendy games that are worthy of your time and attention, these are the best Android games as of December 2018!
It's pretty incredible how well PUBG Mobile plays on Android. This is a massive PvP battle royale game that pits 100 players against each other on a massive island loaded with weapons, ammo, tactical gear, and vehicles. You drop in as a solo player or as part of a team and must use all your best skills to take down your opponents until you're the last man standing.
It's not unheard of for a popular PC or console release to find its way to Android, but you'll be surprised at how well PUBG plays on a smartphone. The developers have made it easier for mobile players to pick up and manage items, and have also added bots in the lowest ranks to help ease players into the game experience. Bluetooth controller support would be a nice addition, but the touch controls are some of the best I've seen for a shooter on mobile.
It also allows you to scale back the graphics so you can enjoy smooth gameplay even when playing on an older device. If you've got a newer device, crank those settings to the max and enjoy one of the best looking mobile games I've played in a long while.
PUBG Mobile somehow delivers all the epic moments you'd expect the PC game scaled down perfectly for mobile devices. Best of all, it's free to play and features four unique maps to choose from along with multiple game mode and your choice of playing in first- or third-person view. Get your squad together, and I'll see you on the battlegrounds!
Brawl Stars
It's been a long time coming, but Brawl Stars has finally been launched globally in the Google Play Store. It's a good thing, too, because it means I can include it in our final wrap up of the best games of 2018.
Developed by Supercell, Brawl Stars is a fast-paced arena brawler that is unlike most other games on the Play Store. It's a departure from the Clash of Clans universe that has made Supercell a household name and instead lets players team up in a MOBA game that differentiates itself from others in the genre with it's colorful and cartoony look that's backed by great gameplay variety.
There are multiple game modes available, which rotate every couple of hours so there's always something new to play whenever you log into the app. These modes include:
- Gem Grab: teams collect gems which spawn at the center of the map, and the first team to collect and hold 10 or more gems for 15 seconds win
- Heist: teams must defend their safe of gems while strategically attacking the other team's safe.
- Showdown: a Battle Royale mode with up to 10 players that's available for solo players or duos.
- Bounty: teams battle to collect stars which are earned by kill opponents. The more kills you get without dying the bigger the star bounty on your own head.
- Brawl Ball: a soccer match featuring the Brawl Stars cast. The first team to score two goals wins.
- Robo Rumble: a time-based special event where teams of three take on wave after wave of robot enemies that include boss robots with very high hitpoints and damage.
Individually, each game mode is fun in its own unique way and could easily be its own standalone app, but by including all six modes on a rotating basis Supercell has elevated Brawl Stars to the next level. This is a really well-made game that just recently got a major update that overhauled the graphics with a fresh 3D-style design that looks even better. The only downside is the crate unlocking and card collecting aspects of the game, but at least it's all performance based rewards and doesn't require you to arbitrarily wait hours to unlock each crate.
Download: Brawl Stars (Free w/IAPs)
RWBY: Amity Arena
Based on the Rooster Teeth Animation series RWBY — which, I'll admit, I had never heard of before — RWBY: Amity Arena has proven itself to be a very popular and well-designed real-time strategy tower defence MOBA in the same vein as Clash Royale.
At its core, it's a two-lane brawler where your goal is to destroy your opponents' towers as fast as possible by putting down troop cards on the battlefield. Characters and creatures are based on the RWBY universe, but again you don't need to be familiar with the source material to enjoy this game.
Matches last three minutes and feature a really good balance between the different troop types. This means that winning will come down to strategy and timing your attacks more than just spamming troops down onto the battlefield. You can choose between playing a match just for fun or working to improve your global rank in ranked matches, so there's something for both casual players and more competitive players.
It's a free game to download and well worth your time if you love this genre of mobile game and need more variety in your life, or if you're a fan of the RWBY series.
Download: RWBY: Amity Arena (Free w/IAPs)
Holedown
It's hard to find a fun puzzle game that doesn't try to sell you on power-ups or extra lives or something.
That's just one of the reasons why Holedown is a standout game in 2018. Holedown will have you strategically blasting through to the core of celestial bodies — starting with asteroids and working your way up to the Sun — using the classic gaming formula of bouncing balls off blocks. Each brick has a number that represents the number of hits needed to destroy it, or you can destroying a supporting block clear out everything above it.
This is a pickup and play game that's an easy concept to grasp but you quickly learn there's an amount of strategy and skill involved. All the bricks are curved, allowing you to set up tricky bank shots to clear out massive sections of blocks in one go. This will become quite important as the screen move up one row after every shot. If the blocks reach the top of the screen, it's game over.
Along the way, you will collect crystals which you spend on upgrades that give you more balls per shot, and more shots per round. These upgrades are crucial to completing the later planets but also let the earlier levels become more of a mindless distraction for your subway commute. All told, it won't take you too long to max out all your stats in Holedown, but that's mostly because it's so hard to stop playing this game once you start.
If you're a fan of physics-based puzzle games and are looking for a new obsession, Holedown is well worth your money!
Evoland 2
Evoland 2 is one of those premium games for Android that you just don't want to put down. Initially released in 2015 on Steam, Evoland 2 is a fantastic sequel to the first Evoland and follows suit with graphics and gameplay that evolve as you progress through the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first Evoland game for Android and one of my few criticisms of the game was that the story was a bit short. That's not the case with Evoland 2, which features over 20 hours of gameplay.
While the first game in the series explored the evolution of RPGs, Evoland 2 has expanded its nostalgic scope by incorporating even more gaming genres into the game. It starts out as a pretty typical action RPG, but as you progress through the story both the graphics and gameplay take dramatic shifts which work wonderfully for keeping the game feeling fresh.
Evoland 2 will have you laughing as it constantly breaks the fourth wall and there are more gaming and pop culture references than you can shake a stick at. This is another great game for fans of RPGs and video game culture and well worth the cost to play.
The Room: Old Sins
The Room: Old Sins is the latest epic puzzle game from Fireproof Games and the 4th in the award-winning 'The Room' puzzle game series. You are exploring the home of an ambitious engineer who has gone missing when you find a rather peculiar dollhouse in the attic.
Using a sophisticated eyepiece you're able to explore different rooms in the dollhouse that are filled with incredibly sophisticated puzzle boxes and contraptions. There's something really weird going on here, so maybe if you can solve all the puzzles you'll figure out what happened to the missing engineer and his wife.
If you've never played a game from "The Room" series before, just get ready for one of the more engrossing games you'll ever play on a mobile phone. The graphics and audio come together to create a wonderfully creepy vibe as you carefully inspect intricate objects and unlock secrets to help you on your journey.
If you want to catch up with the other games, you can snag The Room, The Room Two, and The Room 3 at discounted prices.
Download: The Room: Old Sins ($4.99)
Dissembler
Dissembler is a colorful and abstract game that, from the outset, might seem like another standard tile-swapping match three game. Instead, Dissembler unravels itself to be one of those puzzle games that almost transcends the genre, offering a relaxing exploration of patterns in abstract designs.
It starts out nice and easy as the game lays out the basic principles before gradually presenting you with more complex puzzles — check out the trailer above to see what I mean.
With over 120 puzzles to play with no time limits, move limits, or in-app purchases or ads to deal, this game absolutely deserves a spot on this list.
JYDGE
JYDGE is a gritty and violent top-down twin-stick shooter that is an absolute blast to play. You are the JYDGE, a cybernetic enforcement officer who uses his Gavel (see: BIG freaking gun) to dole out RoboCop-style justice.
Each level features different challenges that are required to progress but never feel like a slogging chore. Confiscating illegal cash along the way, you're able to upgrade JYDGE and his gavel with a deep selection of accessories. In that way, JYDGE retains the rogue-like element from its predecessor Neon Chrome by encouraging you to replay levels with different upgrade combinations until you complete all the challenges.
With a game that has you replay levels over and over again, it's imperative for a game to find that mix of great gameplay with an interesting soundtrack that isn't super annoying or repetitive — and JYDGE absolutely delivers.
Check out my full review if you need more convincing.
HQ Trivia
It's the app that started the new craze of live trivia game shows on your phone HQ Trivia is a daily trivia game show where you simply need to answer 12 questions to win a split of the pot. The daily weekday cash pot has risen to $5,000 with Sunday evening games usually around $25,000. 2018 has seen the game introduce HQ Sports and other themed nights that have occasionally featured celebrity guest appearances.
Each game is hosted live by a rotating crew of hosts that deliver the questions along with some entertaining banter. The app itself has steadily improved since launching in 2017 with features that let you connect and play along with friends, and you now have the option to buy extra lives instead of only getting them from referring new players. Millions of people play each week because it's free and you just might win some cash!
That's right, you're playing for real cash via PayPal. Even if you only win a few bucks you can cash out at any time and buy yourself a coffee.
HQ Trivia for Android: Everything you need to know
Download: HQ Trivia (Free w/IAPs )
Death Road to Canada
Death Road to Canada is a $10 game — I want to open with that just to get the sticker shock out of the way before I talk about how awesome this freaking game is. (It's currently on sale for a dollar, though, which makes it an even better purchase.)
Facing a zombie apocalypse, you must lead a scrappy squad of somewhat interesting characters on a deadly mission to the relative safety of Canada. Along the way, you'll need to explore and loot places for supplies, while also managing your team's health and morale.
Everything in Death Road to Canada is randomly generated, making every play-through a unique experience in this dynamic road trip action-RPG. You can randomly generate your character and buddy or custom design your starting characters with different attributes to help them stay alive, but you probably don't want to get too attached unless you're a really good shot.
The controls admittedly take some getting used to, and there's a pretty steep learning curve as you learn which weapons are most effective and which times it's better to fight or run. And you will die, early and often, although that's part of the fun of a zombie apocalypse, right?
There's a ridiculous amount of depth in this game, including 10 different game modes to unlock. The price might seem a little steep, but if you're a fan of rogue-like zombie games, it's well worth the investment!
Download: Death Road to Canada ($9.99)
Stranger Things: The Game
Stranger Things: The Game is the tie-in mobile game that other companies wish they could churn out. It's a full-fledged action adventure game with a full cast of playable characters, tons of collectibles, and a retro graphical style that fits into the show theme and setting.
The game presents the entire town of Hawkins, Indiana along with the adjacent Mirkwood Forest to be explored. It plays like a classic Zelda-style adventure game, with the ability to switch between characters lending itself to creating complex puzzles.
Credit Netflix's marketing team for spending the time to make sure the developers at BonusXP Inc. delivered something special for fans of the series. They've created a real winner here, and a true contender for game of the year — and I'm not even a huge fan of the source material.
The controls are optimized for mobile and there's great game design on display here. The overworld is vast and filled with secret areas to explore and familiar items from the show scattered throughout as collectibles.
There's just so much to appreciate here. Not only is it a faithful adaptation of the show, it's available for free with no in-app purchases or ads — although you can certainly count the game itself as being an ad for the second season of Stranger Things. Here's hoping it ushers in a new trend of substantial mobile games based on TV shows and movies.
Download: Stranger Things: The Game (Free)
Reigns: Her Majesty
Reigns was one of the best games of 2016 and actually won the first ever Google Play Indie Games contest. So needless to say we were pumped to check out the sequel.
In Reigns, you play as the monarch of the land and make decisions that affect four aspects of the kingdom: the church, the people, the army, and the royal wealth. Your goal is to keep all four in balance — if any meter fills to the max or is entirely depleted your reign is over… and a new reign begins!
The sequel plays nearly identically to the first game, except this time you play as the Queen instead of the King, complete with new characters to interact with and multiple branching storylines to discover. The gameplay is as easy as swiping left or right on cards and if it's anything like the first game there's a ton of great easter eggs to find along the way!
I would hate to spoil anything for this new game, but if you played the first one and are afraid that it's going to be too similar, I can assure you there are plenty of new mechanics to make this still one of the best games on Google Play in 2019.
Download: Reigns: Her Majesty ($1.50)
Updated December 2018:Added Brawl Stars, RWBY: Amity Arena, and Holedown to our list. Our final picks for the best games you should be playing in 2018.
