The 20 best Android games of 2014... so far
Vikings! Hedgehogs! Aliens! Worms!
This week marks the middle point of the year.
So, to celebrate the occasion, we're going to take a look at Pocket Gamer's top-rated games (the ones that got Gold awards at review) of 2014… so far.
Spoiler alert: most of this article is going to be the same stuff you read on the iOS list. Just, like, three months old and with compatibility issues. HOY-OH!
But, but, but. While Android does still play second fiddle to iOS when it comes to games, it's well worth mentioning that almost every top iOS game from our 2014 so far list has already made the jump to Android.
So while you might have to wait a few weeks or months, you'll see most of those awesome iOS games on Google Play sooner or later. And these days, it's "sooner".
Sorcery!By inkle - buy on Android
Not content with simply recreating a gamebook on your Android, Inkle turned Steve Jackson's Sorcery! into a lavish 3D world, with gorgeous interface design and terrific paper cut-outs during battles.
We said, "A thrilling combination of fantasy novel and RPG, Sorcery! offers a wonderfully fresh take on interactive fiction".
The Room 2By Fireproof Games - buy on Android
The Room was one of the best games on Android: a claustrophobic puzzler that had you pawing at a disgustingly gorgeous 3D cube. This sequel is just as good, but it's bigger, longer, and more challenging.
We said, "A brilliant sequel that expands the lore and scope of its predecessor, The Room 2 is a game that everyone should play".
Icebreaker: A Viking VoyageBy Nitrome - buy on Android
Never content to stick to just one idea, Nitrome's Icebreaker has you chopping up glaciers, slicing ropes, getting stuck in troll snot, and messing with giant physics-based contraptions.
We said, "Witty, varied, challenging and gorgeous to look at, Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage is one of the finest physics-based puzzlers on [Android]".
Card City NightsBy Ludosity - buy on Android
Ittle Dew developer Ludosity combines absurd humour with a smart new card battling mechanic for this funny game.
We said, "Fun, funny, and fundamentally unputdownable, Card City Nights is a fantastic mix of casual strategy and collectible card coolness".
KiwanukaBy CMA Megacorp - buy on Android
A weird physics puzzler about building human bridges from your band of survivors, so you can hop between floating rocks and reach safety. Weird, but oh so good.
We said, "Enigmatic and inviting, challenging and intuitive, Kiwanuka truly is a game of alchemy".
Threes!By Sirvo - buy on Android
No game this year has sapped as much time and productivity as Sirvo's compulsive number-crunching time-sink. It's still my go-to game when I need to kill a few minutes or hours or days.
We said, "Despite some frustrating chaotic elements, Threes! is a dashing, intelligent, and deceptively simple treat. This is your next essential puzzler".
VVVVVVBy Terry Cavanagh - buy on Android
Super Hexagon creator Terry Cavanagh took his time when porting his nutso-hard, retro-styled, gravity-flip platformer VVVVVV to touchscreens. It was worth the wait.
We said, "A brilliant port of a brilliant game. VVVVVV on [Android] is well worth a first, second, or third download".
LYNEBy Thomas Bowker - buy on Android
This elegant puzzler has you tracing your finger to link up nodes of the same shape. A graceful difficulty curve will gradually ramp up the challenge and introduce new concepts without overwhelming you.
We said, "LYNE is a slick, contemplative puzzler that you'd be a fool to miss".
Monument Valley
By ustwo - buy on Android)
We knew this atmospheric puzzler was destined for greatness ever since we first laid eyes on it at Eurogamer Expo last year.
We said, "A brilliant, breathtaking, and brief adventure, Monument Valley is every bit as good as it looks".
Shadow BladeBy Crescent Moon Games - buy on Android
Shadow Blade was a surprise. It's a little rough around the edges, and it's trying to be a speed-run platformer on a device that's really not suited to such a thing. But it works, and it works really well.
We said, "A vibrant, fast-paced, special platformer that works perfectly on touchscreen, Shadow Blade is well worth as much of your time as you have to spare".
Walking Dead: Season 2 (Episode 2: A House Divided)By Telltale - download for free on Android
Telltale took a huge risk in The Walking Dead's second season, by breaking up the relationship that made season one so deeply engrossing. But it worked, albeit briefly, when episode two won a Gold Award.
We said, "A House Divided picks up the threads of the previous Walking Dead chapter and weaves them into a rich, satisfying, and suspenseful follow-up".
Doug dug.By The Electric Toy Company - buy on Android
A charming, retro-inspired mining game that I honestly haven't played. Maybe now's the time to rectify things. Spanner said, "We deeply dig Doug dug. Dig Dug, meanwhile, is downright dung".
Only OneBy Ernest Szoka - download for free on Android
A feisty fighting game, inspired by the final scene in Jet Li movie, The One. Knocking little pixelated people off a giant tower is a pure delight. We said, "A brilliantly paced, sharp-edged brawler that isn't afraid of a bit of silliness. Only One is well worth a play".
Sonic & All-Stars Racing TransformedBy SEGA - download for free on Android
We don't get Mario Kart on Android, and Angry Birds Go! isn't an appropriate stand-in. But Sega's mascot racer does an admirable job of giving us a goofy cartoon kart racer on mobile.
We said, "An incredibly slick kart racer that marks a new high point for [Android] kart racers and stands as another exemplary console conversion".
Fighting Fantasy: Starship TravellerBy Tin Man Games - buy on Android
More gamebook love, now. This one, re-created by Tin Man Games from the 1984 book of the same name, takes us into space with a Star Trek-inspired romp through the cosmos.
We said, "The original gamebook has been beautifully revived, and now stands shoulder-to-shoulder with its sci-fi peers across all entertainment media".
Out ThereBy Mi Clos Studio - buy on Android
A feisty little space survival game, that has you managing resources and yapping to aliens, and then getting your finger lopped off in some dodgy machinery.
We said, "A vast, lonely game about space and time and death, Out There is by turns funny, exciting, and fresh".
XCOM: Enemy UnknownBy 2K - buy on Android
It's a game of two halves. You've got tense turn-based battles against aliens. Then, back at base, you've got to build your base, set up a satellite network, and protect every country from alien attack. It's hard to know which half is hardest.
We said, "XCOM's battles are tense and rewarding, and are married to a clever base-building meta-game. All this, in a solid and eminently playable [Android] port".
Worm RunBy Golden Ruby Games - buy on Android
A cracking little game about out-running a rampaging worm, using a handful of clever gesture-driven controls.
We said, "A brilliant variation on the endless-runner genre, Worm Run is breathless, addictive fun of the highest calibre".
Grand Theft Auto: San AndreasBy Rockstar Games - buy on Android
The fact that one of the PlayStation 2's biggest and most impressive games can now work on your phone is pretty incredible. Will we be talking about Grand Theft Auto IV's Android port in our best of 2015 article?
We said, "San Andreas is an enormous, funny, varied, and sometimes frustrating PS2 classic that has come to mobile with few compromises and surprisingly good controls".
Joe Dever's Lone Wolf (Act 2: Forest Hunt)By Bulkypix - buy on Android
This swish gamebook turns into an impressive 3D role-playing game when you enter into battles. The debut act was brilliant, and Act 2 doesn't falter.
We said, "Forest Hunt continues the gripping and well-presented tale which began in Act 1, and while it doesn't bring any groundbreakingly new features, fans will find that it's just as entertaining and action-packed".
Want more? Then check out our scientifically accurate and automatically updated list of the best Android games.
