I know the feeling – you want to play a quality game on your phone but you don’t want to fork up the money to do it.  I don’t know about you, but I’m really picky about mobile games.  I just feel that the market is oversaturated with derivative games that mostly look the same.  While some games are great even though they are derivative, it’s just hard to pick an app on the Google Play store that feels investing enough to actually sink time into.  It’s known that there aren’t many games out there on the Google Play Store that play like AAA console/PC quality games, let alone free ones.  In this list, we’re going to explore some games that you may be interested in playing during the month of April.  I made a similar article over half a year ago, and a lot has changed in the market since so I figured I’d do an update article.  Here are the top ten free games games for Android for April of 2017.

10. Super Mario Run

Super Mario Run finally puts the iconic video game character to mobile.  Honestly, I always thought Nintendo would get around to it, and I loved it… for about an hour.  This game barely makes it in this because of the pure fan service that comes with it, but make no mistake – Super Mario Run only qualifies as a free game because the first level is free and the rest is paid.  The nostalgic rush of playing as Mario on something as accessible as my phone is amazing, but I wish I could continue that rush.  I would honestly prefer the game to have ads than be completely paid past the first level.  If this game’s source of revenue was primarily ads instead of paid levels, I would have put this much higher on the list.  Regardless, if you want to have a short and fun experience, Super Mario Run is a great addition to the Mario game lineup.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nintendo.zara

9. Asphalt Xtreme: Rally Racing

I pretty much only put this on here because of the graphics increase from Asphalt 8.  Asphalt Xtreme is a step up from the rest of the mobile racing genre due to it’s extremely well crafted graphics.  The models for each car are so detailed that the game truly feels like it is a AAA title.  Sure, there have been a ton of other Asphalt games and Gameloft does like to show off this popular series.  While I thought Asphalt 8 was a huge improvement over the previous games, Asphalt Xtreme ups the ante a little bit, making its way on this list.  The tracks are pretty fun, the cars are customizable enough, multiplayer is still great, and the soundtrack is pretty neat for a mobile game (if you don’t know already from my other reviews, I pay really close attention to soundtracks).  The controls are the same as most other racing games, but I think racing games get better as the colors and graphics become more advanced.  I mean there’s really not much else that can be improved upon.  Still, there are some tweaks in gameplay that made the cars feel more real.  Asphalt Xtreme: Rally Racing reminds us why racing games are fun in the first place.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gameloft.android.ANMP.GloftMOHM

8. Implosion – Never Lose Hope

Implosion actually marketed itself as a AAA title – the very first line of the description is “Bringing AAA console gaming experience to mobile devices.”  Boy, do I agree.  Implosion is a hack and slash game with impressive visuals and fantastic animation.  This game presents us with a do or die situation – humanity is about to face extinction so we need to prove our worth by fighting a ton of monsters.  I really like how you have both a sword and gun as weapons to use in the game and that you have to strategically switch between your weapons to fight off specific enemies.  Implosion did a great job of immersing me in a content-rich world that felt intense… almost like I was gonna implode… okay I’ll stop.  Seriously, if you want to play the a great sci-fi hack ‘n slash on Android, Implosion is the game for you.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rayark.implosion&hl=en

7. Modern Combat 5: Blackout

If you can get past the download/connection issues, I think that Modern Combat 5 is the best free First Person shooter in the Google Play Store.  It’s the closest thing we have to a free mobile AAA Call of Duty (there is a Call of Duty: Black Ops Zombies, but it’s $6.99).  The maps are similar, the gameplay is similar, and the game just feels like CoD on Android.  The multiplayer works great – I had a great time teaming up with random people to defeat random people.  While I think I’m underselling the game a tad bit, trust me, it’s fantastic.  If you like first person shooters, this is the perfect Android game for you.  The developers over at Gameloft did a great job of taking the scope of FPS and scaling it down while keeping the intensity.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gameloft.android.ANMP.GloftM5HM&hl=en

6. Mortal Kombat X

While a few months ago I would have argued differently (probably in favor of Injustice), I think Mortal Kombat X is the pinnacle of fighting games on Android so far.  The game is a quality port of the massively popular AAA console version of the same name.  While it’s features simple touch based 1v1 combat, I think that’s why the game is so fun – it takes full control of the capabilities of touch screens.  Some fighting games think it’s better to jam a ton of buttons in the game, but that makes the game more cluttered.  Mortal Kombat takes the simpler route and does it better with fantastic animations and a huge roster of classic as well as new characters.  As far as graphics are concerned, this game looks almost as good as the console version.  My only concern was that it ran a little slow on my phone, but maybe my phone is just a little outdated.  And oh are the fatalities/brutalities just amazing to see.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.wb.goog.mkx&hl=en

5. HIT – Heroes of Incredible Tales

Like most action RPGs, HIT allows you to hack and slash your way through hordes of enemies.  I think that the game has some of the coolest visuals ever put to a mobile game – the artwork for HIT is incredible.  The game features amazing Unreal Engine 4 visuals that most mobile companies don’t stretch to the limits.  I personally really liked the PVP arenas and the raids in the game – it’s like a mobile Diablo, which is awesome.  If you want to grind for rewarding loot in a mobile game, HIT is a cut above most of its competition.  I said most because HIT is just moments away from being the best RPG in the mobile industry if it weren’t for a few other games you’ll read about later in the article.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nexon.hit.global&hl=en

4. Star Wars: Force Arena

Star Wars: Force Arena allows you to assemble your own team of heroes, scoundrels, and villains to fight enemy forces.  I only put this game so high because it is a nerdgasm of a mobile game.  While it doesn’t really feature a story, you get to collect cards featuring Star Wars characters from all parts of the galaxy.  Like Super Mario Run, this game has a lot of up front fan service that immerses you into an addictive game with fantastic visuals and easy-to-learn gameplay.  If you want to start something right now on Android and dive right into an investing game with all your favorite Star Wars characters (seriously, this game is packed with characters), Star Wars: Force Arena is for you.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.netmarble.starwars&hl=en

3. Dungeon Hunter 5

Dungeon Hunter 5 is one of the most impressive mobile RPGs to date with its stunning visuals, compelling story, and diablo-style gameplay.  While HIT had that Diablo feel, I think Dungeon Hunter 5 perfected it for mobile.  The past Dungeon Hunter games were great as well, but this one stands out because of its graphics.  I kept asking myself: How are these visuals so freaking good?  The game definitely has that AAA title and the best part is: you don’t have to fork over a ton of cash to really enjoy the game.  Sure, you can pay to get awesome gear, but you can also earn that gear yourself.  Moreover, the multiplayer on this game is fantastic – you have to make it through your opponent’s castle defenses to even prove your worth to your opponent.  This game is truly the best dungeon game on Android, and it would be the best Android RPG if it weren’t for another game later on in this article.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gameloft.android.ANMP.Gloft5DHM&hl=en

2. Order and Chaos 2: Redemption

Order and Chaos 2 is the closest thing we have to a mobile World of Warcraft.  Please that sink in for a moment – a mobile WoW!  This game is undoubtedly the best RPG in the industry (let alone the best Android MMORPG), surpassing it’s great yet faulty predecessor (Order and Chaos Online) with updated graphics, a better story, more well written characters, more weapons, and much better gameplay.  You have five distinct classes to choose from in this game and all of them are so much fun to play around with.  Even the PvP system in the game is a ton of fun as it really makes you utilize the touch capabilities of the game.  As with many of the other games on this list, OCO2 is really hardware intensive and requires massive amounts of space, but I had a great time once I got past that.  Gameloft truly reached the summit with this game, which makes me want to delve into its immersion for hours – no other game makes me do that except for the #1 on this list.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gameloft.android.ANMP.GloftO2HM&hl=en

1. Hearthstone Heroes of Warcraft

Hearthstone is one of my favorite games period.  In my opinion, the game is the best card game in the gaming industry right now (surpassing even Magic: the Gathering).  While the game started out as a spinoff of World of Warcraft, its success was so massive on PC that Hearthstone is now going toe to toe with all of Blizzard Entertainment’s other properties (including WoW).  Hearthstone has some of the best strategy ever, phenomenal artwork and voicework, and one of the greatest player bases ever in gaming.  The community for this game is huge!  I know that the PC version came first, but there isn’t any difference between PC and mobile as Blizzard seamlessly integrated the game to mobile devices.  It’s very rare that a mobile game is cross-platform with PC/Mac, and I have to applaud Blizzard for doing such an excellent job with Hearthstone.  This is a game that has transcended its isolated genre to include gamers of all types and it’s a great testament to why I play games in the first place.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.blizzard.wtcg.hearthstone&hl=en

So those are my picks for the top 10 free games for Android for April 2017.  What do you think about these choices?  What’s your favorite free Android game?  Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments section!  Thanks!

Twitter: @MohitPuvvala

Instagram: @MohitPuvvala