Out of thousands of mobile games released on the Google Play Store, whatoplay presents the
10 Best Android Games of 2020. All arranged by playscore. To see the complete list,
visit our page of the Best Android Games of 2020.
10. Creatures of Aether The first on this year's list is a card game
spin off of the arcade fighting game, Rivals of Aether. Still from Dan Fornace, its sticks to the
feel and gameplay of the original game. After just a short tutorial, it gives you all the basics to
enjoy its fast paced card-based battles. Whoever has the most cards of the same color at the end of
the game, wins. Simple, but with cards that shake things up once in a while, it opens up an array of
possibilities with each battle. With so many card games that take too much investment to get good
at, Creatures is a nice contrast. As gamezebo notes, "The simple core mechanic clicks almost
instantly...leaving you to discover the rest at your own pace." It has a playscore of 8.34.
9. War Tortoise 2 - Idle Exploration Shooter As relaxing as a casual card game is, it's not
quite as relaxing as this idle first-person shooter. Foursaken media's FPS scratches
the destructive itch with a world engulfed in armed conflict on the backs of War Tortoises.
It's a silly premise, but executed beautifully, injecting elements of exploration and incremental
shooting. It's gorgeous, for sure. Unfortunately, it is a free to play game,
and because of it, it has some mechanics that make gameplay a little too repetitive.
As reviewer Harry Slater states: "War Tortoise 2 is a lovely diversion – spend
too much time with it and the cracks start to show, but if you’re dipping in and out
you’re going to be doing it with a smile on your face." It has a playscore of 8.34.
8. Genshin Impact We’ve all had our fill of free to
play open RPGs, but none with the same caliber of this new contender to the genre. Mostly a single
player adventure, the game wows you with gorgeous landscapes and interesting characters. So much so
that its earned comparisons to Pokemon and even Nintendo’s console-selling Breath of the Wild.
To have all of its rich world and narrative available for free for players on the smartphone
is what makes it a truly standout experience. Though, that does come with the unfortunate
downside of monetization. But, as a gacha game within the many gacha games out there, Genshin
Impact has earned its place as one among the best of the best. It receives a playscore of 8.38.
7. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night After the successful return of Koji Igarashi in
his new Bloodstained game, it was only natural for Konami to bring back the original on a platform
everyone can enjoy. With the power of today’s smartphones, we get to relive the excitement of
one of the groundbreaking titles of its time. Renowned for its music and graphics, this port
stays true to its PlayStation counterpart, along with the modern conveniences of controller support
and the “continue” feature. All of that for nothing more than a few dollars. A bargain for
reviewers like Pocket Tactics who said, "At a mere three dollars at launch, this is definitely the
cheapest Symphony of the Night has ever been, it’s worth trying at that price." This new port to the
android is further proof of just how timeless this classic is. It has a playscore of 8.45.
6. Legends of Runeterra It hasn’t been long since
Riot’s debut in the CCG arena but it already looks like they’re here to stay.
Leveraging the popularity of their MOBA, Runeterra unites their champions and their bases,
this time in a turn-based battle of wits. Even with the flat cards, the game explodes
with excitement with every round, thanks to their unique, interactive rounds and diverse collection
of spell and champion cards. It really eases you into the fast-paced yet conversational faceoffs,
while also allowing you to experiment with various faction combinations.
There’s so much happening, yet it all flows with the game’s high quality production and polish.
IGN was right when they said it represented "A new high-watermark for the digital card
game genre." Stirring up the CCG pot for the better, it gets a playscore of 8.64.
5. Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary EditiON
The Danganronpa name makes a return to this list. Ported from its original platform on the
PlayStation portable, Spike Chunsoft revives the visual novel adventure on the mobile.
Telling a murder mystery story that leads to a trial, it packs all of the puzzles and minigames
of the 2010 original. The first of a planned trilogy to come to smartphones, this edition
of the trigger happy havoc improves on both the previous PC and PS4 versions. Polishing off the
UI and optimizing for touch control, this is perhaps the best playable version of the game to
date. According to touch arcade: "It was already a must play for anyone looking for a good story
and great music and it is more accessible than ever before." It receives a playscore of 8.65.
4. The House of Da Vinci 2 A mobile adventure that sets us
free from the 2D perspective of the point and click genre. Fittingly, it’s also the
adventure that introduces to the masterwork of one of the geniuses of the renaissance.
Inviting us into the house of Leonardo, it’s up to us to figure out the cause of his mysterious
disappearance--all in first person perspective. Not only does it change our visual perception,
it also challenges us to think outside the box with their collection of puzzles that
feel unique and cleverly designed. With these two shining features, it definitely feels like
one of the more immersive adventure games on the playstore. From Adventure Gamers review:
"...despite a few hiccups, [House of Da Vinci 2] builds upon the fun recipe of puzzles and
mechanical systems that the first game established so well." It receives a playscore of 8.69.
3. Juicy Realm Despite the number of run and
gun shooters on the mobile, it’s rare to find one that has the qualities of a premium title.
For just a low low price, Juicy Realm delivers on those expectations with its action-packed
gameplay in excellent cartoon visuals. Set in a world where fruits are the enemies, you’ll
use its dual stick shooting to take them down in their many zany environments. Your skills will be
tested in four different arenas, each packed with a number of enemies and a diverse array of weapons
to use against them. 148apps notes that "There's never a dull moment when playing, and you always
have new things to look forward to." For a game first released on the PC, its touch controls and
controller support makes it a standout, even on the mobile, earning a playscore of 8.83.
2. Sky: Children of the Light A year after it’s iOS debut, its making
new ripples on Android . As children of the light, it’s your task to spread hope through the kingdom
by returning stars to their constellations. There is a certain quiet to their design,
balancing dark and dazzling light, that blends beautifully with their simple storyline. What
makes it all the more impressive, is its MMO-like features which allow you to share the experience
with friends and strangers. Also earning high marks from Pocket Tactics, they had this to say:
"Sky: Children of the Light is smart, playful, and relaxing, utilising some of the best ideas in the
MMO genre, but avoiding the obnoxious monetisation that exists in a lot of free-to-plays." It may
have taken a while to get to the Android, but it was worth the wait with a playscore of 8.97.
1. Crying Suns Android’s best new strategy game is also its best
game this year. The roguelite game from Alt Shift lets us live out our fantasies of being a starship
captain. Through a combination of resource management and procedurally generated scenarios,
we get to see the ups and downs of space-life, taking down warring clusters one by one.
Reviewers from Pocket Gamer have praised the game’s event system that pairs well,
and even at times, advances that game’s central storyline. It’s this aspect that takes it to
greater heights compared to other roguelites, most especially FTL, which Alt Shift proudly
takes inspiration from. First releasing on the PC, this port has been fully optimized
to the point of almost surpassing the quality of the original. A beautiful, balanced strategy
made even better on the Android, it’s undoubtedly this year’s best with a playscore of 8.99.