Best Android Games of 2020

Though mobile doesn’t have the impressive backlog and history of RPGs that PC and consoles do, there are still quite a few notably good ones that you can play right on your phone. Some are classics ported over to the touchscreen while others are unique to this platform. These are time sinks, make no mistake, and are well worth the cost to entry.

Sky: Children of the Light

We don’t often see staggered releases between Android and iOS these days, but Sky: Children of the Light took almost a year to arrive on the former. Good thing, too, because it’s a really fun game. It’s worth installing if nothing else but to enjoy the gorgeous art style, beautiful world, and relaxing adventure.

It’s difficult to describe Sky, but I’ll try to be concise. After some time with the game, it’s obvious that the focus is on exploration and socializing. Your goal is to find lost stars and guide them home to their constellations; in return, they teach you new things. There is no combat in Sky, so anyone can feel free to hop in and enjoy without any stress. It’s a very relaxing game with plenty to do for completionists and plenty to see for casual gamers.

Sky’s biggest draw is its art style, world design, and gameplay, all of which are simply stunning. Your character possesses a winged cape sort of thing that you use to fly, glide, and get to places your simple jump can’t. The set pieces on display here are second to none on Android and evoke such a feeling of awe that I almost forgot to grab screenshots. It has a few different graphical options, too, but I chose to run it at 60fps to make sure what I saw moved as smooth as possible.

Overall, I’d say the biggest fault with Sky is that it’s very taxing on your phone. My OnePlus 6 heated up like crazy and my Pixel 4 XL wasn’t much better off. There are also microtransactions to buy Candles, which are a key in-game item. There’s also an in-game currency called Hearts, which is how you buy cosmetics for your character. I’ve put in a few hours already and I haven’t spent a cent, so they’re not necessary or in your face whatsoever.

BattleChasers: NightWar is an award-winning JRPG that offers one of the most complete mobile RPG experiences you’ll play — and that’s complete in the sense that there’s no in-app purchases or paid DLC to worry about. Hallelujah!

Everything about this game is polished and complete, and it starts with a robust overworld that’s filled with hidden dungeons to explore, epic bosses to take down, and other surprises along the way.

The turn-based combat is inspired by all the favorites you remember from the JRPG genre and is a real treat even for a casual fan like myself. Along with the dense and sprawling world to explore that’s teeming with enemies to do battle with, there’s also deep crafting elements as well for upgrading your team’s weapons, armors, and magical jewelry. An RPG is only as good as its story and characters and given that this game is based on a graphic novel of the same name we’re given fully developed characters and a compelling story.

The narrative focuses on the story of a young girl, Gully, as she takes up the quest of finding her long lost father, Aramus. He was a hero to the local village who never returned after setting off into the Grey Line, a near-impenetrable wall of mist that borders their homeland of which nothing has returned from once entering. Aramus had left behind a set of magical gauntlets rumored to grant untold powers to the wearer. Gully must learn to wield her father’s gauntlets as she embarks on her own epic adventure past the Grey Line to uncover the truth behind her father’s final mission.

Gully is joined by a supporting cast that includes Knowlan the wise old mage who always travels with Calibretto, an ancient war golem built for battle that developed his own sentience and emotions but who can still kick ass to defend his friends.

There’s Garrison, a paladin who was friends with Aramus and feels compelled to protect Gully along her journey and lastly Red Monika, a rogue outlaw who manages to toe the line between good and evil. This game is definitely worth checking out if you’re a fan of either BattleChasers or simply looking for a new JRPG to dive into.

Death Road to Canada is a $10 game — I want to open with that just to get the sticker shock out of the way before I talk about how awesome this freaking game is.

Facing a zombie apocalypse, you must lead a scrappy squad of somewhat interesting characters on a deadly mission to the relative safety of Canada. Along the way, you’ll need to explore and loot places for supplies, while also managing your team’s health and morale.

Everything in Death Road to Canada is randomly generated, making every play-through a unique experience in this dynamic road trip action-RPG. You can randomly generate your character and buddy or custom design your starting characters with different attributes to help them stay alive, but you probably don’t want to get too attached unless you’re a really good shot.

The controls admittedly take some getting used to, and there’s a pretty steep learning curve as you learn which weapons are most effective and which times it’s better to fight or run. And you will die, early and often, although that’s part of the fun of a zombie apocalypse, right?

There’s a ridiculous amount of depth in this game, including 10 different game modes to unlock. The price might seem a little steep, but if you’re a fan of rogue-like zombie games, it’s well worth the investment!

Yes, I know I’m cheating here, but both Evoland titles are such excellent games that I had to include them in one entry. Other than classic RPGs, the Evolands account for some of the most time I’ve put into mobile games. They each take you through the history of gaming, expanding and evolving as you go through them. It’s a unique way to present an action-adventure, for sure.

There’s plenty of humor, easter eggs, and general references to the great games of the past that helped define this entertainment medium. You’ll go from 2D monochrome to 3D real-time combat as you progress, unlocking new gaming technologies that change how you play. You’ll be hard-pressed to find something as unique as these.

For $0.99 and $3.99, respectively, Evoland and Evoland 2 should definitely be a part of your library if you: 1. want something to pour a ton of time into, and 2. love video games as an art form and want to play something that appreciates its roots.

I had trouble picking just one classic RPG for this list, since we have several to choose from. Ultimately, I went with Knights of the Old Republic, better known as KOTOR, for this list. For one, Star Wars is a hugely popular franchise and I think this is a game worth playing if you enjoy that universe. Originally created by BioWare in its heyday, KOTOR is a fantastic story.

Going beyond that, I fear I’ll get into spoilers, so I’ll leave it at that. KOTOR is considered one of the best RPGs of all time and I would be hard-pressed to disagree. Ported to Android thanks to the folks at Aspyr, KOTOR has new life on mobile and though it might be a costly price to entry, it’s worth every penny. From the story to the combat, this and its sequel are definitely the best Star Wars games ever made.

There’s gamepad support, achievements, and a revamped UI designed specifically for touchscreens. It’s an excellent port and I haven’t encountered any bugs in the years I’ve been playing this. If you like Star Wars, do yourself a favor and check out KOTOR.