Feature: 15 Paid Android Games Worth Your Money

Gaming on smartphones has become commonplace now these days. Back when the first iPhone and Android devices released we were all playing some primitive touchscreen games that at the time seemed to be the pinnacle of mobile gaming, but now look less like gaming experiences and more like cheap gimmicks.

That’s all changed in the last few years, with publishers and developers opting to create deeper experiences and games that are more than just one-off novelties. Whilst there’s many a game to choose from in the free section of the Google Play store, the best of the best rest within the paid section, and we’re going to give you the run-down of whats hot.

So, in no particular order…

CounterSpy

Price: £3.05

CounterSpy recently released for the PS4, PS4 and PS Vita, but has now been ported to iOS and Android device. CounterSpy takes the stealth gameplay to different dimensions, with side scrolling happening in 2D and shootouts being played in 3D over the shoulder, it’s a steal at just over three quid. CounterSpy also has one hell of a unique art-style to it, quite appealing if we say so ourselves.

Sonic The Hedgehog

Price: £2.11

SEGA’s mascot back in 90’s has been on Android for a while now, and those who know the little blue dude from back in the day will get all nostalgic when you hear the soundtrack start up. It’s classic Sonic on the go, what more could you ask for? Better controls would be one, but with a plug-in controller it’ll be like the Mega Drive (or Genesis) never got chucked away…

Riptide GP2

Price: £1.29

Riptide GP2 is the sequel to Riptide GP and improves in every single way. Super-fast water racing, blazing graphics and a thumping soundtrack make this one of the best racers available on Android, without costing a bomb. There’s also full controller support for those who aren’t too fond of touch screen controls and want the responsiveness of a console game.

Carmageddon

Price: £0.69

Faithfully recreated cult-classic from the 90’s era of gaming, Carmageddon is as gloriously gory and satisfying on Android. The graphics are more or less the same as back when it first released in 1997 for PC, but with a bit more clarity. Racing plus mayhem equals hours of fun. Perfect for relieving pent-up stress… There’s also a free version on the Google Play Store if you want to give it a go before investing the whopping 69p asking price.

Men’s Room Mayhem

Price: £1.49

We never really grow out of toilet humour, we just suppress it in public. That’s a little harder to do with Ripstone’s Men’s Room Mayhem… You’ll need to practice men’s room etiquette to avoid getting bust ups between blokes wanting to go to the loo, manage your patrons paths before they ruin your floors and make sure they wash their hands for a cheeky bonus! We’ve previously reviewed the PS Vita version, and it’s a delightful little title, especially for toilet enthusiasts who must take their gaming to the porcelain throne…

Crazy Taxi

£2.99

Craaaaaaaaaaaazy Taxi! There’s something strangely satisfying about smashing through hot-dog stands to deliver a fare to their destination on time. Maybe it’s the destruction, maybe it’s the sense of reward by getting their in good time, or maybe it’s imagining the same experience in real life and how that would pan out. Either way, it’s all good fun. It’s crazy taxi that you know and love from the days of the Dreamcast (R.I.P) complete with a massive town to smash your way through, as well as 16 mini games for quick bursts. Driving games don’t far especially well with touch-screen controls, but Crazy Taxi does a good enough job, but there is also full controller support should you need it.

Game Dev Story

Price: £1.60

Kairosoft created a masterpiece with Game Dev Story, literally. The management sim puts you at the head of your own video-game company and tasks you with creating the best games possible. Anybody with a passing interest in the video-game industry will be sure to enjoy the simplistic yet deep gameplay on offer. Plus you can name your games whatever you want, cue naughty words…

Hitman GO

Price: £2.99

Hitman GO isn’t quite the Hitman game that you’d expect to see, but it’s a damn fine effort. Instead of playing out in the familiar fashion of previous Hitman games, Hitman GO is a puzzle/strategy game where you need to move your diorama-style pieces throughout the grid in order to avoid enemies or kill them, hide or infiltrate a guarded location. It’s different and at times bloody difficult, but it’s a good looking game that challenges players to use their brain a bit.

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Price: £4.99

Back when GTA: San Andreas released in 2004 for the PS2, Xbox and PC, we’d have laughed if somebody told us that we’d be able to reach into our pocket and play the game on a mobile phone. Yet here we are, 2014 with GTA: San Andreas readily available to download onto your smartphone or tablet. Crazy.

For £4.99 you get the whole package, the entire game has been repackaged with high-res graphics and improved character models (they were awful back in the day, even on PC.) Best thing is, you can play with your controller and get the best possible experience, all whilst sat on the loo! Or wherever…

Minecraft

Price: £4.99

Perfect if you can’t get enough of Minecraft at home, you can now live in your digital world anywhere within the real world. The game recently got a huge update on Android, bringing infinite worlds, (yes, infinite!) caves, wolves, loads of new blocks and much more. It’s crazy how they’ve managed to do it, but we don’t need to know the technical details.

Plants vs. Zombies

Price: £0.69

If you’re a fan of tower-defense games, zombies and gardening then you’re probably one of the strangest people on earth. However, the three elements do combine well into a video game worthy of your cash. Plants vs. Zombies is packed with 5o levels where you’ll have to stop the zombie menace from overrunning your garden. It’s a simple game, but it’s one of the best out there.

Rayman Jungle Run

Price: £1.99

Side-scrolling greatness at it’s best is what you get for your cash here. The 2D sidescrolling is the smoothest we’ve seen on a smartphone, and arguably the best looking with the vibrant colours and crisp graphics, it just oozes simplicity. It’s not an easy one though, so if you have a tendency to throw your controller when you play on consoles, best give this a miss.

Farming Simulator 14

Price: £2.20

Ever wondered what it would be like to be a farmer? Wonder no more, Farming Simulator 14 is just what you need. The scaled down port of the PC version may not have all the features you’d find in the big-boy release, but there’s enough to keep you playing. It may seem like an odd game at first, but once you get into it and have invested some time into your farming, you struggle to let it go. Seriously. Typing this with one hand here.

Modern Combat 5: Blackout

Price: £4.99

No list of games would ever be complete without at least one first-person shooter, so here’s ours. Modern Combat 5 is basically Call of Duty on your phone, albeit a little different. The gunplay is quick and fast, with the touchscreen controls actually being decent for a change, though there auto-aim does aid you quite a bit. The story, whilst nothing spectacular is fun to play through, but it’s the online that holds the real value. Duking it out online in Squad vs. Squad matches is good fun, but be sure to get the upper hand by using a real controller, else you’re looking at one poor kill/death ratio.

Well that’s our top 15 paid android games. Anything missing from the list? Or do you think some entries didn’t deserve a place at all? Let us know what you think down in the comments section below.

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