Star Wars is one of the most pervasive franchises out there, spanning movies and television shows to books and even board games. While many players are familiar with the Battlefront series and Knights of the Old Republic for console and PC, there are some lesser-known titles available on Android through the Google Play Store.
Whether you're looking for one of best RPGs on Android or just trying to find something casual like a pinball game, you'll find Star Wars almost always among the lists. There's a little something for everyone, and that's what makes it so great.
The best Star Wars games on Android
The Star Wars franchise has seen some great games come and go over the years. I'd like to take a moment to pour one out for Star Wars: Force Arena, a MOBA-style game that was shut down a while back. It was easily the best Star Wars mobile game I've played on mobile, and it's a shame that it wasn't viable — or whatever the reason the developers had for shutting down the servers.
I'll note that this list does not include any AR-experiences or lightsaber simulators because, despite how cool they might be, they are novelties and not really games that you can get enjoyment out for any true length of time.
I'll also briefly mention Star Wars: Card Trader, which is an app focused on collecting Star Wars cards like some of us used to do as kids. It's less a game than a collectathon with gamified elements. There's a community dedicated to buying, selling, trading, and so on.
LEGO BOOST Star Wars
Arguably the most unique entry on this list, LEGO BOOST has one leg in the physical world and one leg in the virtual world. And yes, I did very much want to make the words "leg" in the previous sentence into "lego," but that might've been a bit much. The point is, LEGO BOOST is an app that pairs with the real-life Droid Commander LEGO set. It's an expensive set (sold separately, of course), but if you're already into LEGO, and Star Wars, and learning to code, then this is the perfect app for you.
Make no mistake, LEGO BOOST isn't just a digital set of assembly instructions. It's also an interactive learn-to-code game with drag and drop programming that's perfect for kids (and curious adults). There are over 40 missions to complete to keep players engaged, and there's even a bit of bonus content thrown in for good measure. Some users have reported some fairly significant bugs, though, so the experience may not be as smooth as possible.
All the same, this fresh take on LEGO's near-endless stream of Star Wars content at least adds something new to the mix and is a good way to get families and kids involved!
LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens
I think we all know by now that there's almost nothing LEGO won't make into a game. LEGO is and has been all over Star Wars for years now, and LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a continuation of that—dare I say—empire.
One of the biggest draws of this title is being able to play through the more recent entries into the Star Wars canon with some interesting new gameplay additions onto the standard LEGO game formula. You've got your blaster battles, your space-based dog fights, and of course, you get to take on these galactic missions as many of the newer characters like Rey, Poe, BB-8, and more.
The game is initially free, but please note that only the first few demo levels are free to play. If you want to continue playing after testing out the demo, then you'll need to pay to unlock the remaining content. It may not be revolutionary, but LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens is at least worth a try for the free demo levels, and if you don't wind up liking it, then hey, no harm, no foul!
Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
Galaxy of Heroes lets you create squads of characters from across Star Wars movies and TV shows — both heroes and villains — including the likes of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Darth Vader, and Boba Fett.
Each character has unique combat abilities that can be upgraded over time and unleashed against your enemies. The game features strategic, RPG-style combat, so you'll need to mix up your squads to make the best use of each character's abilities.
The game has been out since 2015 — just before the release of The Force Awakens — and since then, long-time players have discovered that there's a point at which character progression basically grinds to a halt unless you start spending on in-app purchases. That's disappointing because the game otherwise does a great job of delivering bite-sized Star Wars action that you can play on the go.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (KOTOR) is one of those legendary games that fans still speak highly of so many years after its initial release. This is an epic RPG set in the Star Wars universe that has you playing a force-sensitive character feeling the pull from both the Dark Side and the Light Side of the Force.
Initially developed by BioWare and LucasArts, it features a story that takes place 4,000 years before the rise of the Galactic Empire, where Sith Lord Darth Malak has unleashed an assault on the Republic and left the Jedi unorganized and scattered. It's a fresh story from the movie trilogies, which, depending on the choices you make in the story, have you either fighting for the Light side to try to defeat Malak or going full-on Sith and try to become the baddest MoFo in the galaxy.
Keep in mind that this game was initially released for the Xbox and PC back in 2003, so the graphics haven't aged well, but the gameplay is still fantastic, even on Android. It's still regarded as one of the best games set in the Star Wars universe.
Star Wars Pinball 7
While there's nothing that beats the real-life lights and sounds of a proper pinball table, Star Wars Pinball 7 does a good job of recreating the action on your smartphone. Each table features sights and sounds from the movies and includes fun animations that just aren't possible in real life.
You'll be happy to know that the game features 19 unique pinball tables, each based on different films or characters from the Star Wars universe, but you'll need to pay to unlock most of them. You do get access to one Pinball table right off the bat when you download the app, and most in-app purchases have been discounted down to just $0.99 each, so all hope is not lost.
X-Wing Flight
It's a damn shame there aren't any direct ports of any of the Star Wars flight simulator games, such as the X-Wing vs. Tie Fighter from the late '90s for Android. There's not even a remake of Rogue Squadron from the N64. I'm not sure who owns the rights to those games, but what a missed opportunity!
Instead, we get this unlicensed flight simulator that's not bad but could be way better if Disney threw gobs of money behind the concept.
You get to jump into the cockpit of an X-Wing, A-Wing, or other Rebel ships (including the Millenium Falcon, which is teased as an unlockable ship), and there are 30 attack missions to play through before unlocking harder levels.
The framework for an amazing game is there; it just needs to be fleshed out more. It's still worth checking out if you crave a Star Wars space battle on your phone.
Your favorite far away galaxy in your pocket
From the silver screen directly onto the OLED display in your pocket, Star Wars has had a long journey. You can hop into one of the best RPGs of all time with Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic or play it old school with X-Wing Flight. These games don't always support the best Bluetooth controllers on Android, but touch controls should work just fine.
And just because none of these are of interest to you now doesn't mean there won't be new Star Wars adventures for mobile in the future. Star Wars: Hunters, a team-based game developed by Zynga, is expected to release later this year.
No matter what you decide to play, you'll be having a lot of fun in a galaxy far, far away.
Jennifer Locke is Android Central's Games Editor and has been playing video games nearly her entire life. You can find her posting pictures of her dog and obsessing over PlayStation and Xbox, Star Wars, and other geeky things on Twitter @JenLocke95.
