Throughout my years at Android Police, I’ve created my fair share of game roundups, but I’ve yet to generate a list of Android games that support physical controllers. Today I’m going to rectify that long-standing oversight with a huge list of quality Android games that support gamepads out of the box. This means today’s roundup will focus on games that specifically support bluetooth and/or USB controllers. So if you’re looking for some fantastic console-quality ports, or simply wish to extend your library of Android games that support physical controllers, then this roundup is for you.
Games
Dead Cells
I figured why not start today’s roundup with a bang, and so I’ve placed the newly-released Dead Cells at the top of today’s list. This is easily one of the best roguelike platformers released in the last few years, and the Android port is simply fantastic. You can select from 30fps, 60fps, and unlimited FPS in the game’s settings, and there is also an HD graphics option, which means no matter your device, the game should run great. Having spent the last few days putting this game through its paces, I can confidently say it runs like butter at max settings on my OP7 Pro. Best of all, controller support is indeed included, which is where this game shines, thanks to its precise controls.
Monetization: $9.99 / no ads / no IAPs
DOOM
DOOM pretty much started the FPS genre, and so many hold the game dear to their hearts. While I’m sure there are more than a few of you out there that would prefer to run the game through an emulator, Bethesda’s official release on Android is a worthwhile port of the classic to mobile. Sure, the music sounds slightly off, but the touch controls are on point (thanks to a recent fix), and the newly added support for Xbox and PS4 controllers is a welcome sight indeed. Heck, the game even supports keyboard and mouse controls, which makes this a great release for Chromebook users too. Of course, if you’re looking for the second game in the series, it’s available on the Play Store for the same price as the first.
Monetization: $4.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a classic Metroidvania title from Konami, and its arrival on the Play Store came as a bit of a shock to everyone, especially since it’s available for $2.99, which is a fantastic deal. If you’ve yet to play SotN, it’s a beautiful 2D platformer that offers non-linear platforming-based gameplay, so exploration is definitely encouraged. The primary campaign should take around eight or nine hours to beat, and since this port supports physical controllers, it’s a perfect title for today’s roundup. Seriously, don’t sleep on this one, it’s a classic for a reason.
Monetization: $2.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Fortnite
Fortnite is finally available on the Google Play Store. Despite the fact that Epic initially refused to list the game on the Play Store, it’s now here for all to enjoy, and it includes exceptional controller support. You see, some people aren’t fond of the controller support in similar mobile shooters (such as PUBG or Call of Duty), and so Fortnite is considered king in this regard since the Android port includes the same controls you’d find on console and PC. So if you’re looking for a battle royale game with the best physical controller support available, Fortnite is that game.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $4.99 – $99.99
GRID™ Autosport
If you’re looking for a console-quality racer, GRID Autosport is it. The game arrived on Android at the tail end of last year, and you can purchase the entirety of the title for $10. If you’ve yet to play this racer, it mixes many racing styles, ranging from dirt tracks to city streets, and of course, there are a plethora of cars to choose from. In comparison, most racers on Android are free-to-play, and so they often contain questionable monetization systems. Best of all, the game offers a 30-hour campaign, controller support, and exceptional graphics. What’s not to like?
Monetization: $9.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Grimvalor
Grimvalor is an impressive hack and slash platformer. Not only does the game offer superb graphics, but it’s also a premium release. This means you can expect physical controller support, and you can even test out the title’s gameplay without going out of pocket since the first act is totally free. There’s a reason the game’s reviews have remained positive following the original release on the Apple App Store in 2018, and rest assured the Android port looks and plays just as great as it does on iOS.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $6.99 a piece
Oddmar
The devs behind Leo’s Fortune created a more in-depth platformer called Oddmar, and it’s a gorgeous game that improves on everything first fleshed out in Leo’s Fortune. This means the game controls incredibly well with touchscreen controls, though if you prefer physical controls, you can bring your own controller to the party. Much like Grimvalor above, you can play through the first chapter of the game for free to get a feel for its mechanics. If you like what you see, you can purchase the entirety of the title through a single in-app purchase. Trust me. The game is well worth the asking price.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs $4.99 a piece
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a farming and life simulator, a niche genre with a strong fanbase. You can easily spend hundreds of hours in this game. Sure, things start simple enough, by planting a few crops and maybe raising a chicken or two, and that’s all well and good if you prefer to play at a casual pace. But if you’re really looking for a game with some depth, not to mention an endless campaign, then Stardew Valley is my top choice in today’s roundup, especially since the game supports gamepads reasonably well. While I can’t say the controller support stacks up to the console versions of the title, for the most part, the Android port controls just fine.
Monetization: $7.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Call of Duty®: Mobile
When it comes to mobile first-person shooters, Call of Duty: Mobile is one of the best FPS games on mobile. While I can’t say I’m a fan of the title’s questionable monetization, loot boxes, and premium pass, the shooting action feels great, especially when running and gunning through your favorite stages with a controller. The touchscreen controls thankfully work well enough on their own, but there’s nothing quite like physical controller support when precision is needed. Sure, the included controller support doesn’t quite stack up to the mobile version of Fortnite or the console versions of CoD, they’re still better than being limited to touch controls in a shooter.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 – $99.99
Portal Knights
Picture a game like Minecraft, but it comes with a story mode. Now take a look at the pics for Portal Knights. Yep, this game takes the tried and true voxel-based survival gameplay of Minecraft and adds in an RPG-themed story that will surely provide its players with an added purpose. As you would expect of a port for a console game, controller support is included out of the box, and it works exceptionally well. Now, you can still build all manner of crazy structures if that’s your jam, but you can also take on a few boss fights or venture down into an enemy-filled dungeon. The choice is entirely up to you, which is why this game is so well-reviewed.
Monetization: $4.99 / no ads / IAPs $0.99 apiece
Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap
Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is a console-quality port, and it began its life as a 1989 Master System game. In 2017 the original title was remade for modern consoles, and thanks to its newfound popularity, DotEmu brought the game over to Android last year, complete with physical controller support. More or less, the game is a classic 2D platformer, and you can switch on the fly from the old pixel-based graphics to the new hand-drawn art, which is a really cool feature. As you would expect of a lovingly made port, this is a feature-packed release that sports more bells and whistles than I can list, but honestly, I simply love this game because it’s a fantastic platformer.
Monetization: $9.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Dandara: Trials of Fear Edition
Dandara is a wonderful Metroidvania title, and it was recently updated to the Trials of Fear Edition, which brings with it a new ending, a new boss, new areas, and new weapons. The game, of course, supports touchscreen controls as well as physical controllers, and you better believe the controller support will come in handy in this challenging 2D platformer. So if you’re looking for a Metroidvania title that isn’t randomly generated, and offers a solid challenge out of the box, then make sure to check out Dandara.
Monetization: $5.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Disgaea 1 Complete
If you love tactical RPGs, then Disgaea 1 Complete is what you’re looking for. The Android version is a port of the remaster that made its way to consoles in 2018, and it’s easily a title that anyone can spend hundreds of hours with. The title’s graphics have been improved over the original Disgaea: Hour of Darkness and controller support is included. Plus, the newly-added touchscreen controls work well too. Cloud saves are also in the mix, and really, the only problem with this release is the fact that it costs $33, but what you get in return is a quality SRPG that offers a 40-hour campaign, not to mention endless grinding for those that are looking for it.
Monetization: $32.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Oceanhorn ™
Oceanhorn is one of the older releases in today’s list, but it still stacks up. More or less, it’s a game that heavily borrowed the style from the Zelda series, and so it plays similarly. This means you’ll venture out into a colorful fantasy world to solve puzzles and fight enemies, and as you can see, the title’s graphics are exceptional, plus the game supports physical controllers as well as the Shield TV, which makes this a great game to play from the comfort of your couch.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $5.49
Terraria
Much like Minecraft, Terraria hardly needs an introduction. Sadly Terraria has had a bit of a bad rap on Android, thanks to years of neglect from the dev, but luckily the game was completely rewritten for mobile, and this new version works wonderfully. As you would expect of a monumental update, it brought many new features, such as physical controller support, reworked touchscreen controls, 800 new items, an expert mode, and new biomes. And again, much like Minecraft, LAN co-op is supported, which makes this an extremely deep game to dive into if you’re looking for some enjoyable co-op play with friends.
Monetization: $4.99 / no ads / no IAPs
LIMBO
LIMBO started its life on the Xbox but is now considered to be one of the better indie platformers currently available. It’s a game that’s so creepy that it will give you recurring nightmares, but the thing is, the game’s atmosphere and puzzles are what make it so great, which is why many up and comers have copied this title’s black and white formula. Still, I find it’s best to stick with the original, and for a good reason. LIMBO is easily one of the best indie platformers currently available on the Play Store, though this could change if the developer ever decides to bring its followup Inside to the Play Store. Here’s hoping my gaming prayers will one day be answered.
Monetization: $4.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Space Marshals 2
Space Marshals 2 is billed as a space-based tactical combat game, and it exudes a healthy dose of Western aesthetic. The game plays out in a top-down view, which why tactical decisions are so important. So while Space Marshals 2 plays a lot like a twin-stick shooter, you’ll have to think about your placement and attacks accordingly if you want to make it out of each session alive. Luckily gamepads are supported, which makes precision input that much more comfortable, something essential when playing through the more hectic levels in this tactics-based shooter.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $2.99 – $5.99
VVVVVV
VVVVVV took the popular inverse gravity idea and built an entire game around it, but unlike the shallow endless runners on the Play Store, VVVVVV is a no-frills, hardcore platformer where the main mechanic works by changing your blocky character’s gravity orientation on the fly, forcing you to think in three dimensions. As you can see, the game offers very little in the way of art, though you better believe this is a challenging release. Basically, this is a platformer that almost requires a controller if you want to make it to the end.
Monetization: $2.49 / no ads / no IAPs
Reckless Racing 3
My love for Reckless Racing 3 is endless, and seeing that this is a release from 2014, I can confidently say it has aged very well. Sure, it hasn’t been updated in ages, and yes, it’s a paid game that also contains in-app purchases, but none of this matters as you’re flying around corners in your favorite vehicle. First and foremost, the game’s controls are spot on, whether you want to use the touchscreen controls or a physical controller. After all, there’s a reason the game still retains a 4.5-star rating after all of this time. So if you’re looking for a top-down racer on Android, Reckless Racing 3 is still as good as it gets.
Monetization: $1.99 / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 – $18.04
The Deer God
The Deer God is an atmospheric platformer where you’ll play as a deer. If this premise seems odd, it certainly is, but the rock-solid controller support and the stunning pixel graphics make it well worth checking out for just about any 2D platforming fan. What’s interesting is that you’ll also get to play as other animals, which is where the game’s reincarnation mechanic comes into play. This mechanics is what keeps the game’s movement and combat fresh. You’ll also have to solve a series of puzzles that help to flesh out the title’s vibrant world. Just keep in mind that The Deer God is a short game, and so it can be beaten in under 3-hours.
Monetization: $4.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Crashlands
Crashlands is an amusing sci-fi game that offers a ton of exploration and crafting. You’ll also get to tame wild creatures, and build up a home base. This particular setup is not unlike Don’t Starve, but without all the monochrome dreariness. There are over 500 craftable items in this game, and the skill-based combat is definitely ideal for play with a physical controller. Best of all, cloud saving is included, which means you can pick up where you last left off, though you’ll have to use a Butterscotch Shenanigans account to sync your progress, which may be inconvenient if you typically rely on Google’s Play Games support for such things.
Monetization: $6.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Sproggiwood
Sproggiwood is a PC and console release that was ported to Android in 2015, and it’s easily one of the better roguelikes on the platform, not to mention one of the best looking. It’s also a deep game, sporting many different classes and enemies, so a single play-through should take at least eight or nine hours. The game also offers an enjoyable sense of humor, and thanks to its controller support, you can opt for precision controls once the gameplay starts getting hectic.
Monetization: $4.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Teslagrad
Teslagrad is a fabulous indie puzzle-platformer that offers hand-drawn art, a unique steampunk story, and enjoyable platforming gameplay. The game’s touch controls work fairly well, and there’s also physical controller support, should you need it (you probably will). The title’s gameplay resembles that of a Metroidvania, so expect to pick up plenty of new skills as you wind your way through the game’s gorgeous environments.
Monetization: $6.99 / no ads / no IAPs