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In our list of the best free Android games, we look at the some of the Play Store's most impressive free-to-play titles across a number of genres. The games are sorted by category to make it easy to find the type of games you're looking for. Head to the best free Android strategy games section to see our latest picks.
Best free Android strategy games
Subterfuge
Subterfuge is one of the best multiplayer gaming experiences you can get. It's challenging, it's nerve-wracking, and it's perfectly suited to smartphones.
Subterfuge is a strategy title where each game takes place over the course of a week. You are charged with taking control of the ocean using a fleet of submarines: the more outposts and factories you control, the more submarines you can generate, which means more firepower to seize further outposts. It's a familiar setup, but because the events take place in real time there is a constant threat that opponents could be sending submarines toward your bases even while you sleep.
It's a race to see which player can generate enough 'Neptunium' (one of the game's resources) first and, to succeed, your diplomacy skills and interactions with other players are as important as your tactical prowess. Don't miss it.
Clash Royale
Clash Royale comes from the creators of the ever-popular Clash of Clans, and it's sure to steal more hours from your life. It plays something like a cross between a MOBA and a tower-defense title, and it's a highly addictive concept.
In Clash Royale, you take part in one-on-one battles with other players from around the world. You must throw down troops to destroy three of your opponents towers before they do the same to you. However, these towers are only accessible via two lanes which your army must travel along.
The majority of Clash Royale's gameplay revolves around trying to use resources effectively. Each creature has their own unique strengths and weaknesses, so it's your job to pick the right guys for the job and make sure your opponent doesn't outmatch you.
Vainglory
This multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) is as good to play as it is to look at, and while there are the inevitable in-app purchases, the core game is free to play. The game makes it across to Android after a successful run on iOS, and if there's a better developer name than Super Evil Megacorp, we'd love to know what it is.
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Best free Android FPS and third-person shooter games
Dead Effect 2
It may not be wholly original or game-changing, but Dead Effect 2 brings the polish and shine of console first player shooters to Android. Wander around a space station that's riddled with the undead and test your problem-solving skills as you try valiantly to survive.
What really makes this game worthy of inclusion on our list is the graphics. They are simply stunning. If your device is up to the challenge, there's no way you won't be impressed the visuals that Dead Effect 2 has on offer. The controls and mechanics can be customized, so be sure to check out the options for doing that if they feel a little lightweight or clumsy to you.
Dead Trigger 2
Following the success of their first game, MadFinger Games released Dead Trigger 2, which is so zombielicious you’ll be asking for more blood and guts after just a few minutes of playing. You must travel through various undead-infested areas of the world, killing as many zombies with your jam-packed artillery of weapons. It’s positively disgusting, and that’s why we love it.
Hopeless: The Dark Cave
Horror, comedy and cuteness combine to great effect in this shooter about a small group of incandescent blobs in the middle of a dark cave, trying to fight off an endless horde of dark-dwelling monstrosities.
There is no end to the game as such, you just collect coins to upgrade your weapons arsenal for the next go, and do your best to keep the cute little fellas alive. The game is not for the faint-hearted because watching the brave blobs get swallowed up one-by-one by the darkness can be heart-rending.
SHADOWGUN: DeadZone
SHADOWGUN is the best multi-player shooter on Android, and will push powerful Android devices to the limit because of its demanding graphics. There are several classic shooter modes, including Deathmatch, and the Battlefield-style Zone Control. There is also an easy-to-use multiplayer voice chat, to help you better coordinate your team – or yell insults at your enemy.
Best free Android puzzle games
Atomas
Give hydrogen the Midas touch with this captivating little puzzler. Simplicity is often best when it comes to puzzle games, and Atomas works on this very simple foundation. You start with some measly hydrogen, and use plus and minus atoms to turn it into helium, then lithium and so on, until you end up with some of those good old precious metals like silver and gold.
It's easy enough to start out with, but it will soon having you Googling the periodic table in a bid to learn where best to place your atoms to trigger the most satisfying chain reactions.
Angry Birds 2
After what seems like endless variations on the original, Roxio is back with a whole new iteration of Angry Birds. The game itself is free, but it's attracted some controversy over its approach to in-app purchases: while some reviews say the game is a hoot even in its free incarnation, others say that Roxio is more interested in making you pay than having you play. We'd love to know what you think.
Plants vs Zombies 2
Sequel to one of the most successful free-to-play games ever, EA’s Plants vs Zombies 2 retains the spirit of the original while adding more zombies, plants and power ups. This colorful tower defense game will suck up a lot of your time (and potentially money, if you want to make use of its in-app purchases), but you are guaranteed fun along the way.
Wire Defuser
Many puzzle games on Android are of the therapeutic variety; take your time solving a puzzle while everything in game patiently waits for you. You can forget about all that in Wire Defuser, a tense, time-limited puzzle game in which you must dispose of bombs before they blow.
There are more than 80 levels in the game, and once you've conquered it you can unlock a hardcore mode. It's well presented too, with the bomb dials and knobs looking like something straight out of 80s action movies.
ZigZag
Puzzle games that look like they belong on trendy design websites have been pretty commonplace since the fantastic Monument Valley, and ZigZag is the latest to jump on the bandwagon.
Despite its looks, ZigZag is more of a reflex-based game than a puzzler; you guide a ball along thin zig-zagging paths and have to time your taps right to stop it falling off the edge. It's a simple, great-looking game for those quick-fix sessions.
