Keep original intro copy with new lead image.
Thrilling MOBA—that’s multiplayer online battle arena—action shouldn’t only be limited to rabid favorites like ague of gends Dota 2. That is Vainglory’s philosophy, anyway: it takes the team-centric design of those free-to-play computer games streamlines everything for touch, letting you jump into exciting online battles wherever you are.
As part of a three-hero team, you’ll try to topple the base on the other side of the screen, all while defending your own turf from the opposing squad. th no restrictions on play time for intense back–forth battles that can last upwards of 30 minutes, Vainglory delivers big fun in a rather small package. And the free-to-play design doesn’t feel punitive against non-spenders.
Vainglory (Free)
Not content to simply release a free-to-play mega-smash like y Road, Hipster ale also put a fresh twist on c-Man that’s well worth your attention. c-Man 256 takes some cues from y Road, being an endless, blocky-looking arcade affair, but here you’ll guide the gaming icon up up through mazes as you chomp dots enemy ghosts alike.
Heading northward isn’t simply about boosting your score with dots power-ups, but also avoiding the constant creep of broken code from below—a clever homage to a classic c-Man arcade glitch. c-Man 256 is the rare c revival that doesn’t feel like a lame knock-off or trend chase, offering up a game you’ll actually want to play again again.
c-Man 256 (Free)
Soothing, serene, straight-up beautiful, to’s Adventure is a delightfully mellow twist on the endless runner, tasking you with going the distance down the slopes as you snowboard collect your runaway llamas. You’ll tap to jump hold to perform backflips as you see fit, but the game isn’t overloaded with tons of tricks, power-ups, or distractions.
That’s a good thing, although some might find the core experience a bit simplistic. It is, but beyond providing an entertaining downhill experience, to’s Adventure continuously impresses with its gorgeous animation, dazzling weather day/night transition effects, ultra-catchy music. It’s also a very friendly free-to-play game, which fits well with its otherwise chill attitude.
to’s Adventure (Free)
FIFA 15 was on the previous version of this list, now FIFA 16 is here to take its place. No surprise there: EA Sports’ long-running console favorite makes a smooth transition to mobile free-to-play alike, letting you enjoy a nicely robust soccer simulation on a smaller screen.
The star here is the Ultimate mode, which pairs on-the-pitch action with a deck-building, collectible card component. You’ll build a squad by earning, buying, trading player cards, then take control as you try to dominate your opponent. The hybrid swipe-or-button controls work well the game looks even sharper this year, although paying to access better better cards does provide an advantage for big spenders. There’s a lot of fun to be had for free, though.
FIFA 16 (Free)
o knew the next great twist in word games would be adorable, exping bears? Spry Fox did, apparently, which is why the studio graced us with phabear. It’s an odd little concoction: essentially, you’ll create words from the available Scrabble-like tiles on the board, once they’re cleared, the score increases used tiles turn into cartoon bears.
Each bear type is based on the power-ups you pick before each round, they provide score boosts other perks based on how large they get—which is why you shouldn’t let the limited-life letter tiles expire. tting a tile go to waste turns it to stone, which prevents nearby bears from getting any larger. Sound confusing /or weird? Give phabear a shot: it all makes sense once you start playing.
phabear (Free)
Traditional solitaire can get crowded on a small phone screen, but Sage Solitaire puts a totally new spin on the classic card game. It’s essentially a single-player version of poker, tasking you with building the best hs to boost your points, but there’s more to it than that. Every h must also use cards from at least two different rows, you can only “trash” two cards in a row before it’s game over.
Sage Solitaire is challenging clever, has a really clean, attractice design as well—plus it’s downright addictive, even if you don’t typically play card games. Two core modes are totally free without restrictions, while a $3 in-app purchase unlocks bonus modes kills all ads.
Sage Solitaire (Free)
It began life on then tablets, but free-to-play smash Hearthstone: Heroes of rcraft is also available on Android phones, letting you get your fix anywhere. Spun off from the classic strategy game franchise, Hearthstone takes that fantasy world into a new direction with a ravenously addictive collectible card game that’s attracted millions of fans.
Brainy tactical, yet colorful accessible, it’s an ideal game to fall into— then continue obsessing over. Hearthstone includes online play solo content, while advanced play requires either a huge investment of time or entertaining the temptation of spending money, the freemium model doesn’t feel overbearing or unfair.
True, a smartphone may not be the most ideal place to play a Call of Duty-like first-person military shooter—but if you’re going to do it, Modern Combat 5 does a pretty good impression. And it does so across the board, with cinematic missions to play on your own great online multiplayer showdowns to test your skills.
Blackout actually started life as a premium game, but eventually shed the price tag added a pesky energy system. That’s a pain, it can restrict extended play sessions as a result, but now you’re getting a large entertaining shooter for nothing. And the multiplayer battles really are the highlight, delivering great free-for-all team-based showdowns alike.
Modern Combat 5: Blackout (Free)
