If you’re looking for a genre with variety, adventure games are the answer. With the best android phones, you have access to a huge library of games ready to test your adventurous side, spanning multiple settings and gameplay loops. Point-and-click adventure is a popular choice on the Play Store, having re-seized popularity in the form of escape room games, and hidden object titles have also amassed success as some of the best Android games around. Whatever your preferred poison, the Play Store has an adventure game for you, and AP would like to share a couple. So if you’d like to revisit some old faces and meet a few new ones, read on.
Thimbleweed Park
LucasArts was well known back in the day for its exceptional point-and-click adventure games, like Maniac Mansion. Two of the very people that worked on those classics created Thimbleweed Park. It lives up to LucasArts’ quality, which is precisely why it’s at the top of today’s roundup. It’s a fresh game that plays like the classics of yesteryear, offering an enjoyable sense of humor with a story that pays homage to the X-Files. Hands-down, Thimbleweed Park is one of the best point-and-click adventure games out there, and it plays perfectly on Android, making it well worth the $10 price tag.
Sky: Children of the Light
Thatgamecompany has seen a few hits on consoles with games like Journey, Flower, and Flow, and it took these successes and created a free-to-play mobile game that actually stacks up to Journey. As a matter of fact, Sky: Children of the Light plays similarly to Journey, offering a similar seamless online experience where you can play with friends, exploring a strange world while piecing together the evolving story. Bordering on a live service game, offering events and continual updates, Sky: Children of the Light is easily unique, and even though it can feel directionless, that’s part of the fun, figuring out what in the world is going on.
80 Days
An oldie but a goodie, 80 Days first landed on Android in 2014. This is an adventure game where you fulfill the role of a rich world traveler’s assistant, so you’ll be making all the plans to help your employer navigate the globe in 80 days. It’s up to you to pick the destinations and where to shop; it all rests on your shoulders. This means you might not make it all the way around the globe on the first, third, or tenth try. But part of the fun is figuring out the best routes while watching as the action unfolds after each choice you make. The game is a delight, and despite its age, it holds up quite well.
Machinarium
Back in 2003, Amanita Design hit the scene with Samorost, a quirky browser-based adventure game that offered gorgeous vistas backed by brain-bending puzzles. But 2009 is when the developer really found success with Machinarium, vastly improving upon its brain-teasing gameplay. To this day, Machinarium is still one of Amanita Design’s best games, thanks to its wonderful art and challenging puzzles. It’s easily one of Android’s best adventure games, precisely why it’s on today’s list. Best of all, if you’ve already experienced Machinarium, Amanita Design offers a handful of similar adventure games on the Play Store, all of which are excellent experiences that are well worth their asking prices.
Layton: Curious Village in HD
The Professor Layton series debuted on the Nintendo DS in 2007, an adventure series where you hunt down clues to solve mysteries by solving puzzles. The first title is called Professor Layton and the Curious Village, which was eventually ported as an HD release for mobile in 2018. While it took a while to see all three titles from this series released on Android, they are all available now. Curious Village is the perfect starting point since this is the game that kicked off the series. And don’t forget, this is a Level-5 game, the same people behind the Ni no Kuni RPG series, and a handful of Yo-kai Watch. Animation is a clear strength of this studio, and Layton: Curious Village in HD displays this talent superbly.
Ace Attorney Trilogy
Since we’re already talking about classic Nintendo DS ports with the Layton series, I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention the Ace Attorney Trilogy. This is a much more recent release, having only landed on Android in 2022, collecting all three titles from the original trilogy, in HD, of course. Similar to Layton, you’ll investigate by solving puzzles, but you’ll also get to argue your case in a courthouse, where things really get interesting. After all, Phoenix Wright is a defense attorney, so you’ll get to present evidence to clear your client. This all plays out in a typical adventure game format, mainly through text and cutscenes, and the move to HD means the game looks great on phones and tablets alike. Sure, the collection is expensive, but it’s a full-featured release from Capcom that offers three separate titles to play through, which is actually a pretty good deal.
Oxenfree: Netflix Edition
Night School Studio’s Oxenfree might not be the most recognizable game in today’s roundup, but it’s well-reviewed everywhere it’s sold, all thanks to its 80s-like adventure where a group of friends accidentally open a ghostly rift. It will be your job to figure out how to close the unnatural phenomenon by traveling through a mysterious island as you solve puzzles. The game is gorgeous to look at, thanks to its moody graphics, but the story is pretty good too. The dialogue between the group is pretty outstanding, especially since your choices influence how the group behaves. This opens up replayability, ensuring the 5-hour story will last much longer than a single playthrough. Just keep in mind the game moving to Netflix means it requires a Netflix sub to play.
Pikmin Bloom
There’s nothing like a game that exploits the portable nature of smartphones. Pikmin Bloom is a roaming adventure game themed around the titular Nintendo series. The gameplay will feel familiar if you’ve played Pokémon GO, you roam around the real world gathering Pikmin and planting flowers. The game tracks how many steps you’ve taken in addition to how many Pikmin you’ve accrued, causing your existing Pikmin to plant flowers and put on various silly hats. The original gameplay of the Pikmin series is acknowledged by the mushrooms, which groups of Pikmin can be sent to swarm for superior loot. Pikmin Bloom is a charming revival of an old series that gets you out of the house; what’s not to love?
Life in Adventure
A perfect example of innovation in mobile game development, Life in Adventure is a role-playing fantasy game that plays out like a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. With a ton of possible endings, story events are presented through text descriptions accompanied by beautiful pixel art. You must make decisions on how to proceed and face the consequences of your actions. The combat is ripped straight from Dungeons and Dragons. Roll a die to determine your attack strength in classic Final Fantasy-style 2D turn-based battles. Adapting this style of tabletop game to the mobile platform is really cool, and it’s highly recommended if you need a western fantasy hit.
Life is Strange
Last but not least is Life is Strange, an episodic adventure game from Square Enix. This release offers the full five-part collection that makes up the first title. The game is free to try, and if you like what you see, you can buy each chapter piecemeal or go all out and unlock all content for $11 through an in-app purchase. Multiple endings are on offer, so your choices matter. Since this is a game that’s won multiple awards for its story, Life is Strange is easily one of the heaviest hitters in today’s roundup. So, if you’ve yet to play, this is certainly one to check out if you’re looking for something a little more modern.
Adventure awaits on the Google Play Store!
So there you have it! After exploring these great adventure games, we hope something on this roundup caught your eye, whether you like sandbox exploration, solving intricate puzzles, or classic point-and-click action on the best Android tablets. AP consistently updates its roundups, so if there are any adventure games that you think should be on today’s list, let us know in the comments below. And don’t forget to check out our best action games roundup if you’re looking for something a bit more stimulating. Take your pick and enjoy.
