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15 best board games for Android
Board games have been around for a long time. The oldest board games date back to 3500BC and have come a long way since then. Most of us can remember playing the classics like Monopoly to the more modern games like Pandemic. There are a host of other, newer, more modern digital board games available now. If you want to use your Android device to play them, here are the best board games for Android!
The best board games for Android
AI Factory Limited
Price: Free / $0.99 each
AI Factory Limited is a developer on Google Play. They specialize in basic board games and card games. They have exceptional versions of chess, checkers, backgammon, reversi, go, sudoku, and even tic-tac-toe. The designs are a little basic. However, the games function much better than average. They are also inexpensive and the free versions are usually more than good enough for most. This is the spot to try first for the basic stuff. You can also buy a super basic chess set for under $30 if you want the real deal.
Armello
Price: Free to play
Armello is a bit of a wild card. It doesn’t play quite like a board game, but has a ton of board game and card game elements. The game includes a story mode along with more competitive game modes. Players can choose their heroes, do quests, and do a bunch of other stuff. Quests are presented as cards that characters collect and do. The game world is very reminiscent of a board game and players move around it like one. It’s not quite a full-on board game, but it definitely plays like one. It’s free to play and it’s pretty fun overall.
Elder Sign: Omens
Price: $3.99 + $2.99 for DLC
Elder Sign: Omens is one of the older mobile board games. It’s a mystery game. You search the board for various clues, arcane items, and other stuff. There’s only so much stuff on the game board. Each player must compete to get the most. That adds to the challenge. The point is to defeat the final boss. The game’s difficulty setting determines the final boss. The game includes multiple difficulty ratings, extra content (as an in-app purchase), and more. It’s a rough game sometimes, but that’s part of fun, probably. Of course, you can find the physical copies on Amazon here!
Exploding Kittens
Price: $1.99
Exploding Kittens is a fairly good mobile port of the physical board game. The game is pretty simple. Everybody gets cards and then draws a card on every turn. If the player draws the exploding kitten, they have to diffuse the kitten or lose the game. There are various cards to mess with your hand or the hands of your opponents. It’s not terribly difficult to play and it’s also pretty quick.
The game goes for $1.99 and includes some DLC content that adds more cards to the mix. Yes, it’s technically a card game, but there is still a physical version that you can play.
Fleet Battle
Price: Free / Up to $5.49
Fleet Battle is a variant of the popular board game Battleship. The premise is much the same. You place your ships around a map as does your opponent. The first person to sink all of the boats wins. Some of the game’s other features include online PvP via WiFi, Bluetooth, or on the Internet. You also get quick matches, medals (achievements), a chat, and more. It’s not quite as charming as the original. That said, it’s about as close as it gets on mobile. You can find the real Battleship game by Hasbro on Amazon here.
Galaxy Trucker
Price: $4.99 + $4.99 for DLC
Galaxy Trucker is one of the newer board games comparatively speaking. Players build ships to survive the harshness of space. You simply draw tiles and place them to build your ship. You also have to dodge obstacles and fight off bad guys. The game also features local multiplayer, online multiplayer, a campaign mode, and a couple of gameplay modes. The base game costs $4.99. There is an optional DLC available for an additional $4.99 as an in-app purchase. The physical copy is also available on Amazon.
The Game of Life 2
Price: $3.99 with in-app purchases
The Game of Life 2 is a sequel to Hasbro’s popular Game of Life. Players progress through the game and build themselves a life, including things like a job and a family. The game features a solo player mode along with two multiplayer modes. You can play online or pass-and-play with friends in the room. It’s a decently fun game and it plays much like its real-life counterpart. The only downside is the cost. The purchase price nets you the base game, but the developers nickel and dime you a little bit for extra content. Luckily, the base game is fun on its own so you don’t have to buy anything.
Mini Metro
Price: $0.99
Mini Metro is a simple game with a simple premise. You basically design a subway map for a city transit system. The game includes 18 cities, various upgrades, and three game modes for varied gameplay. It’s not too different from Ticket to Ride. Both require you to build a transit infrastructure. This one just has simpler graphics and a slightly different set of mechanics. We especially like the colorblind mode, night mode, and minimal graphical style. It’s $4.99 with no in-app purchases or ads. This game is also available for free for Google Play Pass subscribers.
Oceans
Price: Free / $0.99
Oceans is one of the newer board games on the list. Players create creatures with various traits and do battle to see who wins. There is a mechanic where you feed your fish from a reef and steal fish from other players as well. The game unlocks more traits as you progress and the winner is decided from there. It’s a fairly easy game to play, but the rules do take a few rounds to work out. Plus, it’s cheaper than most Android board games.
One Night Ultimate Werewolf
Price: Free / $14.79 for the actual card game
One Night Ultimate Werewolf is actually a companion app for the board game. The game is actually pretty fun. Players get assigned various roles in the game. Some are villagers and others are werewolves. The app tells players what they need to do. Then players spend a few minutes trying to figure out who the werewolf is. This one technically requires the actual game pieces to play. However, players can make their own cards and use the app to control everything. We do recommend getting the actual game, though. It’s good to support the makers and you can buy the base card game here.
Potion Explosion
Price: $3.49 + $1.99 for the DLC
Potion Explosion is one of the newer Android board games. Each player has a set of potions to make. They gather ingredients, make the potions, and score points. The game features three difficulty levels for the versus AI mode along with an online multiplayer. The base game goes for $3.49 and you get the whole game. There is an expansion available as an additional $1.99 in-app purchase. It includes more potions, ingredients, and playable characters. It had a bit of a rough launch, but it’s pretty decent now. You can find the physical version here if you would rather have that.
Really Bad Chess
Price: Free / Up to $3.99
Really Bad Chess is a chess variant with some different rules. All of the pieces still move as you would expect. The big difference is which pieces you start with. You can start a game with eight knights and four queens if you want to. This riff on the popular board game forces you to play a lot differently than you would with the traditional setup. The game also features daily and weekly challenges along with a versus mode if you buy the premium version. You can also undo moves, which is a nice feature for beginners. It’s definitely something different from traditional chess but in a good way.
Ticket to Ride
Price: $6.99 + $4.99 for the DLC
Ticket to Ride is one of the most popular board games right now. Players control a railroad. The goal is to build the longest railroad and complete the most challenges. The player with the most points at the end wins. The game includes seven maps, solo play, local and online multiplayer modes, and even leaderboards. The DLC contains additional maps and variants to play with. This one is excellent on both mobile or in real life. It’s not too difficult to learn and it’s fun to play. There are a bunch of physical versions of this game. You can find them here.
Tsuro
Price: $0.99
Tsuro is a tile-style board game. The game board is different every time you play. Players set tiles as they move in order to continue the game. They also lay tiles to try and derail their opponents. The game includes a solo mode, a loop battle mode, and the longest path mode. It supports up to eight players via local or online multiplayer modes. It’s also among the cheapest board games on this list. As a cherry on top, there are also 50 achievements to collect. This is actually one of the cheaper physical board games we’ve seen as well.
Words With Friends 2
Price: Free to play
Words With Friends 2 is the third game in the acclaimed board game franchise. This one is a riff off of the popular Scrabble game. You and your friends take turns putting words on a game board. The person with the most points at the end wins. This version of the game includes an online multiplayer mode, a single-player mode, and various challenges to complete. Additionally, it has a rather large library of words that includes pop culture and other stuff. It’s a free-to-play game and that’s not great. However, it’s still the best Scrabble-style game on mobile. You can always opt for the actual Scrabble game as well if you want!
If we missed any of the best board games for Android, tell us about them in the comments! You can also click here to check out our latest Android app and game lists.
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