Smartphones have improved every year, but the same cannot be said about the games available for them. Despite occasional good releases, most games are low-effort and filled with advertisements. Amidst the million apps on the Play Store, a handful of high-quality PC titles are designed to work with a smartphone on the go. With the right game controller, you can enjoy the vast landscapes of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas or engage in a competitive battle royal in Fortnite.
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8 Minecraft
Build, explore, and survive
Minecraft is one of the most popular sandbox-style games you can play. There are several game modes to choose from, and you can play single-player or join other players online. From there, the sky is the limit. You can mine for different materials, build structures, and fend off creepers. Minecraft for Android also supports cross-play, so you can join in and play with your friends on a PC or console.
Building about anything you desire in an open-world game on your phone is what Minecraft allows. The game is optimized for touch controls and controller support. With add-ons for Minecraft, you can enjoy new content on your servers, too.
7 Stardew Valley
Countryside adventures
As a kid, I spent countless hours playing Harvest Moon on my Game Boy. Stardew Valley offers a familiar experience, and its pixelated art style makes it ideal for screens with smaller footprints. The game is a farming simulator with many other elements, like building relationships, joining communities, and exploring the world.
With so many characters to interact with and pets to domesticate, the story can be played out in various ways. Stardew Valley for mobile is specially optimized for touch controls, making taping and selecting items on the screen easier. If you’re tired of fast-paced action games and want a more casual and serene experience, then Stardew Valley is a good pick.
6 Grand Theft Auto Series
Vice City’s glam, San Andreas’ chaos
The Grand Theft Auto series needs no introduction. Rockstar Games has some of the finest titles in its catalog. While we all wait for the upcoming GTA 6, loading a few classics on our phones cannot hurt. Though the games have been optimized with touch controls, you may want a dedicated controller for the best experience. You can also customize the on-screen controls to your liking.
You will notice a few GTA games on the Play Store. The popular ones like San Andreas, Vice City, and GTA III have remastered versions at a higher price. If you prefer sticking to the original graphics, the regular versions of these games are also available.
5 Fortnite
Build or no build, it’s fun
Fortnite is a game you can never grow tired of playing. As you get used to the current assortment of weapons and items, a new season or chapter refreshes all the content. You may prefer to use a controller with your phone since you will be going against players on PCs and consoles in the same match.
The game has several modes to choose from. If you prefer not to use the build mechanics, which can be challenging on a phone, the popular Zero Build mode offers a distraction-free third-person shooter experience. There’s even a Valorant-inspired 5v5 game mode or one that replicates the world of Minecraft but in a Lego style. At this point, Fortnite is the only game you need installed.
Unlike the other games on this list, Fortnite is not available on the Play Store. Go to Epic’s official website and download the Fortnite installer to play the game. The instructions are self-explanatory, and you should soon have the game loaded up on your phone.
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4 Among Us
Blue vented
Among Us is another gem from the pandemic times. It’s a multiplayer whodunit-style game that shows you don’t need fancy graphics to attract the masses. For the uninitiated, you are part of a crew on a spaceship that is assigned tasks.
Up to three impostors pretend to be regular crew members and must silently take down all players. If only one innocent crew member remains, the imposters take the victory. As a crew member, you can report suspicious activity and vote off who you think is the impostor.
Among Us’s simple play style and controls make it one of the best PC games optimized for mobile. Any budget Android phone should also have no problem running this game.
3 Getting Over It
Man on a mission
A game as frustrating yet addictive as Getting Over It is hard to come by. There are references to Greek mythology in the game. A guy in a cauldron tries to climb over challenging environments using nothing but a sledgehammer.
This sounds simple in practice, but the game picks up difficulty and never stops being challenging. Unlike other games that use a checkpoint system, a single mistake in Getting Over It will send you back to the beginning.
Commentary by the game’s creator, Bennett Foddy, is sprinkled throughout the game. With no background score and repetitive gameplay, this game is not for the faint-hearted.
2 Genshin Impact
Adventures across Teyvat
Released in 2020, Genshin Impact launched across all platforms and wowed gamers with its anime-inspired art style. The world Genshin Impact is set in is worth exploring for its environment alone.
At its core, Genshin Impact is an RPG open-world game where you explore various landscapes, complete quests, and collect items to craft weapons. There are several characters you can unlock and play as, with each having a unique set of abilities and fighting style.
If you take pride in owning a flagship smartphone, chances are that Genshin Impact can bring it to its knees. The game looks as stunning as it does on PC at the best graphical settings. One of my favorite parts of the game is its music. With a good pair of truly wireless earbuds, experiencing Genshin Impact is an astounding experience.
1 Alien Isolation
Deadliest game of hide-and-seek
The only horror game on this list, Alien Isolation, is a classic PC title optimized for mobile. It supports game controllers and on-screen customization options. The game is set in a space station, where you, the player, are on a mission to seek answers to a mystery.
The game’s antagonist is an alien making rounds on the space station. What makes the game genuinely terrifying is that the alien’s AI constantly learns of your movements and habits, leading to unpredictable moments. This game is best experienced with a pair of headphones.
While the games on this list are free-to-play or locked behind a purchase, Alien Isolation lets you experience the first two missions for free. You must purchase the DLC to access the game beyond that.
Quality games for mobile
Despite the oversaturation of uninspired games that seem to be clones of one another, the Play Store is home to some great new games. While PC titles like Genshin Impact and Fortnite are compatible with a range of Android phones, they require significant horsepower to deliver an enjoyable frame rate.
