We all know that free Android games aren’t always free these days, but many of them are very close if you have a little patience. Most free to play bottlenecks occur when players get impatient and waiting for the game out can usually get around those pitfalls. What we have here are the best free Android games that you should be able to play comfortably without engaging in too many in-app purchases and we hope you enjoy them! If you want free Android games with no in-app purchases, Let’s get started.
1. Call of Duty: Mobile
Price: Free to play
Call of Duty: Mobile is the top game on this list. We usually wait a while before adding a game, but Call of Duty: Mobile is so intensely popular with such a high rating that we added it more quickly than usual. The game has both a normal FPS online PvP mode along with a 100-player battle royale. That puts it in a rare category where it does battle royale like PUBG Mobile, but also regular FPS PvP like Critical Ops or Modern Combat. There is a surprising amount of stuff to do. It is free to play the game, but most of the in-game purchases are cosmetic items. It still has some bugs, but it’s relatively new so that’s only natural. It’ll get better over time.
2. Another Eden
Price: Free to play
Another Eden is an interesting Mobile JRPG. It has the same writer as Chrono Trigger along with the same composer. The interesting part is how many elements of Chrono Trigger’s story end up in this game. It has time travel to various eras in history and there are some throwbacks to smaller scenes from Chrono Trigger. The game itself is a step above your standard Mobile RPG. You roam around the game world with your companions instead of accepting missions like most. However, there are still gacha elements and simplified battle mechanics. There is no energy so you can play as much as you want to. However, our big gripe is the lack of Google Play Games cloud saving. It was a surprise hit of early 2019 and an easy shoo-in for a list like this. We do recommend preparing in advance if you trade in your phone and need to backup your data.
3. Evoland 1 and 2
Price: $0.99 and $7.99
Evoland 1 and 2 are two of the most unique Android games. They both use a variety of game mechanics. That includes puzzle, RPG, top-down shooter, classic fighter, trading card, and platformer mechanics. The games pay ode to the proverbial good old days of gaming. Each switch in mechanics also changes the graphics to better suit that part of the game. It’s really a unique experience. Both games also offer hardware controller support, no in-app purchases, no ads, and plenty of the story to play through. These are definitely excellent. The publisher, Playdigious, also has Cultist Simulator, OK Golf, Teslagrad, and a couple of other above average (and premium) Mobile games.
4. GRID Autosport
Price: $9.99
GRID Autosport launched in 2019 and immediately became one of the best racing games for Android. The Riptide GP and Asphalt franchises are also quite good, but GRID Autosport hits almost all of the check marks. It’s a premium game with no in-app purchases or advertising. The game also boasts excellent graphics, excellent controls, hardware controller support, tons of content to play through, tons of cars to unlock, and a variety of racing styles. The game is a bit expensive and it’s missing some smaller things racing fanatics tend to like, but it’s otherwise one of the best racing experiences in the Play Store.
5. Critical Ops
Price: Free to play
Critical Ops is among the newer generation of first person shooters and it’s one of the best. In this title, you’ll battle terrorists in a variety of urban-oriented levels or you can play as the terrorists if you want to. It has a strong online multiplayer community where you can play with your friends as well. It’s still a work in progress, but it seems to hit all the right marks and it’s updated frequently. If you’d like a first person shooter that’s completely free, NOVA 3: Freedom Edition is quite good as well. They’re both free Android games worth checking out.
6. EA Sports games
Price: Free to play
EA has the market cornered on sports games. They are the only developer with yearly launches for most sports, including their Madden NFL Overdrive game, FIFA Soccer, NBA Live Mobile, EA Sports UFC, and others. These games all have very similar elements. You can play the actual sport and there is a sim mechanic in all of these games. The graphics are usually pretty decent and the controls are generally good. However, EA sports games have heavy freemium elements. That is a frequent frustration for many players and it makes it difficult to recommend EA in general. Unfortunately, EA is the only developer that makes games for most sports so that makes them the best by default. There are a few soccer games (Dream League Soccer) and Motorsport (Motorsport Manager Mobile 3) that are really good too. EA also has some popular freemium games like Star Wars: Galaxy of Heros that people seem to really like.
7. PUBG Mobile
Price: Free to play
PUBG Mobile hit the ground running upon its releases. It already has over ten million downloads and nearly a million user reviews. Thankfully, it’s actually a very competent Mobile FPS. It features simple, effective controls, decent graphics. and a simple premise. Basically, 100 people drop from a plane onto an island and duke it out until only one is left standing. The island is littered with gear, weapons, and vehicles along with a mechanic that lowers the play area over time to keep matches from lasting too long. Recent updates added new game modes as well as a freemium element. PUBG Mobile Lite is a lighter version of the game with fewer players per match and lower graphical settings. It’s only available for some devices, though. Fornite is another excellent option if you don’t mind downloading the game directly from Epic Games instead of Google Play.
8. Pokemon Go
Price: Free to play
Pokemon GO exploded onto the Mobile gaming scene in July 2016 and immediately became of the best Android games ever. It’s an augmented reality game similar to Ingress where you walk around the real world, catch Pokemon, complete little side missions, battle for Gyms, and hit up Pokestops to restock on items. It beat virtually every record in the books as the world’s most popular Mobile game. Thanksfully, the game gets frequent updates with new features. Some more recent features include an AR camera mode, new Pokemon, and a bunch of other neat stuff. Niantic also launched Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, a Harry Potter AR game with similar mechanics.
9. Final Fantasy Brave Exvius
Price: Free to play
Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is perhaps the best Final Fantasy-themed freemium game out there. It features tons of elements from the original games, including actual town and dungeon explorations, hidden treasures, secret dungeons, and tons of lore. The game play is simple to learn but you’ll need to think critically in order to beat bosses and hard opponents. You’re frequently rewarded for logging in daily and additional missions, quests, and activities helps keep the game fresh. This is about as good as it gets for free to play titles. Square Enix launched a spiritual successor, War of the Visions: FFBE in early 2020 and it’s an excellent strategy RPG game that takes place in the same universe.
10. Stardew Valley
Price: $7.99
Stardew Valley is easily one of the best premium games from 2019 and one of the best games overall. It’s a farming simulator with some RPG elements. You start out with a neglected farm and must rebuild it to its former glory. Players catch fish, grow crops, raise livestock, and interact with the various townspeople. You can even get married and have a family. The retro graphics helps keep things simple, but the game has dozens of hours of content. Plus, the controls are simple and most of the in-game interactions are charming and fun. It’s the best farming sim on Mobile even if it’s not entirely realistic. It’s also free if you subscribe to Google Play Pass.