Most engaging Android smartphone games?

June 23, 2015 3:11 PM

I love Plants vs. Zombies 2. LOVE. But I've finished it, and I need a new game to play on my Android smartphone. What should it be?

I'm not above Candy Crush (but I got bored/annoyed with it about a year ago.)

Other games I've tried:
- Monument Valley (beautiful, don't love puzzle games.)
- Catan (each session is too long)
- Threes (like very much, but bored with it.)
- Minecraft (did not understand it at all.)
- Tower Raiders 2 (loved. Don't understand Tower Raiders 3 at all)
- Pumpkins vs Monsters (a crappy Plants vs. Zombies knockoff. Still, I enjoyed it!)
- Fruit Ninja (silly, plus I am terrible at it.)
- Plants vs. Zombies 1 (delightful, done.)

Requirements: Must be able to play silently. Shortish sessions are good, but the ability to play for longer times is critical. I'm not good at first-person games of any sort; they make me dizzy.

I don't care if it's free or costs money upfront.

I'm an old, so my video game knowledge topped out at about SNES. Super Mario World and Super Mario Bros. 3 (as well as Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past) are about my speed.

Any ideas about what I should try next?

posted by purpleclover to Technology (20 answers total)

If you liked plants vs zombies then you might like others in the "tower defense" genre. There are a TON of these games, but these are my favorites:
- kingdom rush
- kingdom rush origins
- tiny guardians
- fieldrunners 2

other games (not tower defense) on android that i've liked:
- hoplite (loved it)
- plague inc.
- ridiculous fishing (played it on ios, but is available on android as well)
posted by escher at 3:18 PM on June 23, 2015

Dots and Color Tiles are good. Dots can be set to play for an unlimited time. A Color Tiles round last for two minutes but you have the option to keep playing until all the tiles are gone. Both have free versions.
posted by fuse theorem at 3:41 PM on June 23, 2015

The Creeps. 100%. Unique tower defense.
I like Cookie Jam, which is like Candy Crush except not nearly as brutal.
posted by ApathyGirl at 4:21 PM on June 23, 2015

Oh and, Stack the Countries. Simple, but oddly satisfying.
posted by ApathyGirl at 4:23 PM on June 23, 2015

Also in the tower defense genre, I really liked Cursed Treasure and Cursed Treasure 2, both of which I think have android apps.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 4:59 PM on June 23, 2015

I'm really liking Hearthstone on my phone (it's free to play collectible card game by Blizzard) - it's probably the first and only triple A game that's available on mobile. It's the same game as played on PC and Tablet, and you will match seamlessly against those players as well.

It uses virtually no bandwidth to play, matches are a couple of minutes each, and the way the card acquisition is regulated means a typical casual player (like myself) will play maybe 2-3 matches per day and open one booster pack (with 5 random cards) every 2 days, which has the same addictive quality as scratching open a lottery ticket I guess. It's the anticipation of the rare random rewards thing. I've been playing it religiously for nearly two years now, and I find it just as fun playing funny weird decks in the lower ranks or more focused competitive decks at the higher end. It can be played silently, and the card art is gorgeous.
posted by xdvesper at 5:09 PM on June 23, 2015

You must build a boat is a solid entry. Decently engaging puzzler and perfect for short bursts.
posted by Ferreous at 5:55 PM on June 23, 2015

Triple Town is my latest time-waster, recommended in another AskMe.

Tiny Thief is a bit puzzl-y but is also just great fun.
posted by Athanassiel at 7:38 PM on June 23, 2015

Oh yeah, and A Dark Room. More about it.
posted by Athanassiel at 8:00 PM on June 23, 2015

I am so addicted to Twenty.
posted by SisterHavana at 9:32 PM on June 23, 2015

10 Million and
YOU MUST BUILD A BOAT

amazing match three dungeon crawlers with RPG stuff, fun theme, and great art.
posted by kittensofthenight at 11:11 PM on June 23, 2015

Fairway Solitaire. Have played it every day, for just a few minutes or so, for years now. It's part of my daily routine and is so much fun.
posted by jbickers at 3:13 AM on June 24, 2015

Treemaker
Quell - beautiful music and soothing even if it is a puzzle game

Duet - dodge objects with two spinning dots

Badland - interesting side scroller
posted by canine epigram at 5:38 AM on June 24, 2015

Seconding Kingdom Rush.

Also, XCOM Enemy Within is a really great Android strategy game. Each mission is pretty short, but it may be a bit more hefty than you're looking for.
posted by rhamphorhynchus at 10:30 AM on June 24, 2015

Is Angry Birds too passe to still be fun? If you've played it and liked it, you should try Stupid Zombies. The game play is the same, in that there is a shooter on the left and you have a limited number of tries to hit the targets on the right. But Stupid Zombies uses a sniper trying to kill a collection of zombies hiding in increasingly difficult spaces.
posted by CathyG at 10:30 AM on June 24, 2015

Tap Titans? Its just tapping... with a whole bunch of strategy to think about. You can play for as long or as short as you like.
posted by Admira at 10:00 PM on June 24, 2015

Bad Piggies is so much silly fun, it makes me giggle like a kid every time I play. It meets your requirements, but the sound/music adds to the fun so turn it on when you can.
posted by Simon Barclay at 9:21 AM on June 25, 2015

I think one of the things that I liked the most about PvZ is that every level was really different. Too many other games get so repetitive.

Games that I liked (I check the free app deals every day and grab anything that looks remotely good--it takes about five minutes per day and I've gotten piles of good games this way, including probably some that I haven't even gotten around to playing yet):

My Kingdom for the Princess
Jelly Defense
Cut the Rope
Anthill
Peggle
Highborn
League of Evil (hard platformer)
Majesty (games are a bit on the long side)
World of Goo
posted by anaelith at 8:32 AM on June 27, 2015

Another vote for Jelly Defense.

I'll also add Limbo, Hitman, Hitman Sniper, and Counterspy.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 3:58 PM on July 5, 2015

Hearthstone - been playing for 2 years and it's still fun. Maybe more involved than you'd like, but still.
posted by monocultured at 3:37 AM on November 13, 2015