It seems we’ve been spending way too much time scrolling through the Google Play Store lately, but it’s hard to blame us. After all, the current crop of mobile releases is ridiculously good, so we thought we’d share the joy and give you a list of 10 new games that deserve your time — and hard-earned money.
As a quick disclaimer, you won’t see recent releases like Warhammer Survivors or Booster Pack Heroes on this list since we already covered them in a separate article. The same goes for Saints Row: The Third and Sifu, though you should definitely give them a try; they are fantastic ports that deserve to be played on any system. With those honorable mentions out of the way, here are 10 recently released titles worth trying if you own an Android device.
- Absolum. If you took the fluid brawling of Streets of Rage 4, which we still play every now and then, and smashed it into the roguelite progression of Dead Cells, you would get Absolum. You pick from four distinct heroes and chain together elemental magic combos in a gorgeous fantasy setting. It just landed on mobile, and the action holds up surprisingly well on a touchscreen (but you can play it with a physical controller, too).
- Lil’ Guardsman. Think of this as a much cozier, comedic take on Papers, Please. You step into the shoes of a 12-year-old girl covering her dad’s shift at the castle gates, interrogating fantasy creatures to decide who gets in. You get to use weird gadgets to catch goblins in a lie, making every shift unpredictable.
- Thrifty Business. This ’90s-inspired simulator strips away the anxiety of profit-chasing, letting you focus entirely on curating a vintage thrift shop. You spend your time digging through boxes of donated goods, customizing furniture, and chatting with the locals. We think it’s an excellent low-stakes palate cleanser to play in short bursts during your daily commute.
- DuneCrawl. This open-world adventure hands you the keys to a giant mechanical crab and drops you into a sprawling sandy wasteland. You can explore secret dungeons solo or bring a few friends along for chaotic crustacean combat against rival crawlers. Upgrading your ship with spike armor and guided torpedoes never gets old.
- The Spotter: Dig or Die. By day, you drill into the Nevada dirt for scrap; by night, you defend a post-apocalyptic gas station from glowing mutants. It blends chill mining mechanics with frantic tower defense, forcing you to constantly adapt your tech tree. Jumping behind the main turret yourself to hold the line feels incredibly satisfying.
- Hillthorn. Dive into a gripping, card-based mystery tackling the disappearance of a child in a remote mountain town. The twist? Nobody speaks; you piece everything together through clue cards while racing against a ticking clock. Every move you make pushes time forward, leading to multiple endings based on how you investigate.
- Football Manager 27 Mobile. The popular football sim returns with another addictive tactical deep dive, letting you dictate every aspect of an elite soccer club from the dugout. The interface feels snappy on smaller screens, making it way too easy to lose hours tweaking your team’s formations. It’s free for those with an active Netflix subscription, so downloading this is a no-brainer, especially if you’re a fan of the beautiful game.
- Dome Keeper. The brilliant indie hit has finally made its way to phones, dropping you into a hostile alien world. You split your time mining for upgrades deep below the surface and rushing back up to blast monsters attacking your glass ceiling. The touch controls translate well to the claustrophobic and tense gameplay loop.
- Caravan SandWitch. Epic Games gave this away on their mobile app store recently, but it’s entirely worth the asking price if you missed out. You get a van, a lush sci-fi desert to explore, and a beautiful community to help while searching for your missing sister. There are no timers or combat here — just a peaceful road trip you can take at your own pace.
- The Roottrees are Dead. This nostalgic late-’90s puzzle game asks you to figure out the bloodline of a deceased billionaire family after a tragic plane crash. You sift through an old dial-up internet interface, hunting for photos and articles to fill out a sprawling family tree. Obviously, connecting the dots requires actual deduction, making you feel like a true internet sleuth.
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