plasdfAction games are among the most popular on any platform. They get the blood pumping, the fingers moving, and it’s a great way to test your reflexes and wits. There is no set of mechanics or styles that define an action game. An action game is more defined by its pace of play and how hard it makes the player work to get to the end. There are vastly more than 15 great action games on Android and this list was rather difficult to nail down. Still, here are some of the best action games for Android. Tell us your favorite in the comments.
The best action games for Android
Ailment and Endurance
Price: Free / $2.49-$3.99 each
Ailment is a classic, retro-style, top-down shooter. It’s more or less your classic arcade action shooter. You have an option between a bunch of different weapons, multiplayer support, and plenty of violence. Obviously, this one isn’t great for younger kids. In any case, the controls are easy enough to learn and the retro graphics are charming. It also has some smaller niceties like secret Easter eggs and a narrative to follow. This one keeps the action going in all of its retro glory, even if you have to watch an ad to revive yourself every time. The sequel, Endurance (Google Play link), is also quite fantastic and features most of the same mechanics
Apex Legends Mobile
Price: Free to play
Apex Legends Mobile is a battle royale-style shooter and one of the most popular. It has both first and third-person modes so we can’t call it a true FPS game. In any case, players have a cast of heroes to choose from, each with their own special abilities and traits. Players stack up in squads of three and try to be the last team standing. There are several game modes, including temporary seasonal game modes. Additionally, there is controller support, surprisingly good on-screen controls, and the graphics are pretty good. It’s definitely a suspenseful game and it’ll get you going.
Bullet Hell Monday series
Price: Free / Up to $6.99 (each)
The Bullet Hell Monday series is, well, a series of bullet hell games. For the uninitiated, bullet hell games feature a top-down perspective and you have to defeat opponents while dodging an ungodly number of projectiles being launched at you. Just check out the trailer above and you’ll see what we mean. There are three games in the series and they all have similar mechanics, graphics, and control styles. The order goes Bullet Hell Monday, Bullet Hell Monday Black, and Bullet Hell Monday Finale.
The developer has a fourth game in the same genre called Decluster Zero Bullet Nocturne and it’s really good as well. Hit the link below to view the developer’s page and all four games.
Call of Duty: Mobile
Price: Free to play
Call of Duty: Mobile is the most popular FPS game on mobile at the time of this writing. It has all of the elements of a good online shooter. There are multiple PvP modes, various things to unlock, and the graphics and gameplay are both excellent. It has a 100-player battle royale mode similar to Fortnite and PUBG Mobile (two more excellent action games) along with the standard deathmatch style like Modern Combat and Critical Ops (another two excellent action games). However, Call of Duty: Mobile is the top dog right now in the genre and so it’s the one we’ll recommend first. Any of the four other games we mentioned would fit well on this list too.
Catalyst Black
Price: Free to play
Catalyst Black is from the developers of Vainglory, one of mobile’s most popular MOBAs. This game has similar mechanics, but Super Evil Megacorp say that it’s not a traditional MOBA. In any case, you choose a hero and go into battle against other players. The game has several game modes, including a chaotic 12v12 mode. There is also gear to level up, social elements so you can play with friends, and more. It has a lot of positives. The only negative is that it’s a newer game and the developers are still working on optimizations.
Dead Cells is one of the newer action games on the list. You play as a failed experiment and platform your way around various levels to reach the end of the game. There are various obstacles, environments, and hack-and-slash mechanics to keep you tapping the screen. It’s also a roguevania so the whole map is connected and you can travel across all of it as you will. The game has customizable controls, hardware controller support, and a single price tag with no in-app purchases. You can also play it offline if you want to.
GRID Autosport
Price: $9.99
GRID Autosport is one of the best premium racing games on mobile. It boasts 100 unlockable cars along with 100 events to race through. Additionally, you get all of the original game’s DLC along with scalable difficulty so you can play at a level that offers challenge but isn’t too difficult. It’s a large and deep game but never loses its arcade racing roots.
This is one of the truly good ones, folks, even if the price tag is a little high. Having all of that content without any pay-to-win in-app purchases just makes it all the better. There is also a version where you can buy the DLC piece by piece instead of all at once. You can find that version on the Play Store here.
Half Brick Studios
Price: Free to play
Half Brick Studios is one of those developers your probably know about. Titles from them include Fruit Ninja 1 and 2, Jetpack Joyride, Dan the Man, Monster Mash, and others. These arcade games make for excellent family-friendly action games and omit most of the violence you generally see in an action game. Jetpack Joyride is an endless runner. Fruit Ninja 1 and 2 are reflex game where you slice fruits being thrown at you. Dan the Man is a platformer with some more mature themes but no blood. They get updated fairly consistently and have been popular for a very long time.
Into the Dead 2
Price: Free to play
Into the Dead 2 is one of the more unique runners on mobile. You run through a field with weapons and defend yourself against the zombie horde. The second game adds a lot from the first game. That includes multiple endings, more weapons, a dog companion, and even some tower defense elements. The game also features daily and special events, but that’s fairly normal for free to play titles. The endless runner style along with the shooter elements combines two excellent action genres into a single experience. This is another one of the really good ones.
Maple Media games
Price: Free to play / Varies
Maple Media is a developer on Google Play with a variety of extreme sports games. That includes classics like Skateboard Paty 3, Snowboard Party, Mike V: Skateboard Party, and the newly released Tony Hawk’s Skate Jam. The mechanics are occasionally clunky. However, this is about as close to early 2000’s style extreme sports games as you can get. The pacing is good and the graphics are about as good as expected for a mobile game. The biggest problems with any of these games are the occasionally clunky controls, but if you can get passed that, these are the best extreme sports games on mobile.
Rocket League Sideswipe
Price: Free to play
Rocket League Sideswipe is a 2D, mobile version of the popular console and PC game. You and another player drive cars around and try to use them to bump a soccer ball into the opponent’s goal. It features both 1v1 and 2v2 modes and games usually only last about two minutes. There is both an online and offline mode. The offline mode lets you play with people in your immediate vicinity without needing to get online. There are also private matches, challenges to complete, and more. It’s one of the better arcade games of the last few years and a lot of people seem to like it.
Rotaeno
Price: Free with in-app purchases
Rotaeno is a rhythm game. Rhythm games make for excellent action games, especially when you get to the higher difficulties. In any case, Rotaeno is one of the newer ones and it’s pretty good. You flick, tap, and swipe like most other mobile rhythm games. However, this one also incorporates your gyroscope so you have to spin your phone as well. There’s a story to follow, songs to unlock, and multiple difficulty levels. You can buy some extra stuff in the game’s shop, but it’s not a pay-to-win kind of game. Rayark (Google Play) also has some outstanding rhythm games in case you want something a little more traditional.
SpongeBob SquarePants Battle for Bikini Bottom
Price: $9.99
SpongeBob SquarePants Battle for Bikini Bottom is a platformer adventure game. SpongeBob and the crew take on Plankton’s evil plot to take over Bikini Bottom. This isn’t the most intense game on the list. However, there are moments where you’re dodging enemy attacks that can be quite fun and perfect for this genre. It’s also a family-friendly game that you can let your kids play without worry. This one is a tad expensive at $9.99, but it comes with all of the content and no in-app purchases to ruin the fun.
Streets of Rage 4
Price: $7.99 + $3.99
Streets of Rage 4 is a port of the original arcade game from the 1990’s. It’s a beat ’em up game where you progress through levels and beat up on bad guys while taking as little damage as possible. Developer Playdigious did an excellent job keeping the original feel of the game while updating it for mobile phones in 2022. Along with the regular game, you also get five new playable characters, secret levels, a DLC, and a few game modes. It’s not the fastest action game, but it’s one of the best ones from 30 years ago and the port is really good.
Xenowerk
Price: Free to play
Xenowerk is a third-person shooter with some dungeon crawling elements. Players descend down 70 levels to the bottom of a science lab to progress through the game’s story. There are also special abilities to use, things to collect, and little niceties like achievements and leaderboards. It does have in-app purchases, but you can earn enough credits via advertising without buying anything if you want to go that route. The graphics are decent, it seems to run well on older and lower-end devices, and there are a ton of bad guys to shoot. It’s great for a list like this.
If we missed any great action games for Android, tell us about them in the comments. You can also click here to check out our latest Android app and game lists.
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