Adventure games are among the most unique of any games. They don’t fit into any one category or genre and often times they’ll fit into several genres at once. The only real prerequisite for a game to be an adventure game is that it must take you on an adventure. That describes most games.
However, adventure isn’t a genre defined by a mechanic like RPGs, first person shooters, or sandbox games. Thus, an adventure game could be anything. We listened to reader comments for years after writing this one so we’re hoping we found some decent games that will take you on a fictional adventure. If you’re ready for a list of games that will do just that, here are our picks for the best adventure games on Android!
Amanita Design is a Google Play developer. They have a few really good adventure games under their belt. They include the legendary Machinarium, Samorost 3, Suchel, and Botanicula. Machinarium is a very popular puzzle game. You play as a robot. Your goal is to solve puzzles and save your girlfriend from vagabonds.
Samorost 3 is an adventure puzzle game surrounding a gnome and his magic flute. Botanicula is about a group bugs trying to save their tree's seed from bad guys. Suchel, the newest entrant in Amanita's collection, is a comedy adventure game. These are some of the best puzzle-adventure games available on Google Play.
Another Eden is a JRPG from 2019. It features the same writer and composer as Chrono Trigger and there are many callbacks to the popular game. Another Eden doesn't play like your normal mobile RPG. It doesn't use a mission-style story progression and there are virtually no menus. Players go on an adventure through multiple points. There are some gacha elements as well as some non-story missions to complete, but they all take place as side quests in the game structure. This feels like those JRPGs in the late 1990's and early 2000's. It's a rare freemium game that is just fantastic to play.
Beat Cop is a neat little retro game. It plays heavily on the 1980's in both looks, game play, and story. You play as a former detective. The detective was accused of murder and now must make his bones as a beat cop. You investigate the murder to figure out who framed you while also performing your normal cop duties.
Decisions you make affect certain parts of the game. The graphics won't win any awards, but it's definitely an entertaining game otherwise. You can demo the game for free. The full game costs $4.99 with no additional in-app purchases or ads.
Price: Free / $2.99
Chroniric is one of several excellent texting games. You start the game by intercepting a message from a past that isn't like the one you were taught. From there, you help a time traveler do various things. It plays very much like those old Choose Your Own Adventure books. The decisions you make affect where the story goes from there.
It is a text-adventure game, though. Thus, there aren't a ton of graphics and, therefore, a ton of reading. The game is free with advertising or you can buy the premium version for $2.99. The Lifeline series and Bury Me, My Love are also excellent text adventure games.
Crashland is already among the best adventure games from 2016. You play as a space trucker named Flux. The game starts with you crashing onto an alien planet. Your job is to retrieve your cargo, build yourself a base, fight bad guys, and save the world.
It has a lot of game elements, including crafting, combat, RPG-style character leveling, and you can even tame creatures to fight for your side. It’s a deep game with a ton of content that you can play on both mobile and PC. It’s 4.8 rating on Google Play is accurate.
Doom and Destiny Advanced is a jRPG style game where you form a party of adventurers, fight monsters, and save the world. Unlike most, this one doesn’t take itself too seriously. There is quirky, humorous dialogue. There is also a fun little story to play through.
The game boasts dozens of hours of storyline, 500 places to explore, 15 character classes, 22 character outfits, tons of bad guys, 150 special powers, and more. There is also online play supported for both PvP and co-op so you can play online with or against friends. It’s inexpensive and there’s a ton of adventuring to do!
Evoland 2 is easily one of the best adventure games in recent memory. It transcends genres by including a whole bunch of them. That includes 2D RPG, 3D fighter, trading card, hack-and-slash, and many others. The game basically progresses through the various eras of gaming and each new mechanic also brings a new graphical style as well.
Its unique game play keeps you guessing and it's an enjoyable overall experience. We recommend playing with a physical controller for best results, though. The game runs for a single $7.99 purchase. The first game is relatively cheap and is also quite fun.
Monument Valley 1 and 2 are two of the most popular puzzle-adventure games available. You move levels around because each level is the puzzle. Players are treated to optical illusions, a vague but fun story, and a consistent experience through two games.
The first game includes the standard story with a DLC ($1.99). The second game is currently $4.99. The only gripe we have is the length of the game. These games are a little short. They're still very much great games, but those who don't like short games may be frustrated with these.
Old School RuneScape is one of the most popular MMORPGs on mobile. It uses a free and subscription model instead of freemium like most MMORPGs and some players really appreciate that. In any case, it's just like old school RuneScape. Players run around, complete quests, trade stuff with one another, and various skills to master.
You can play solo or with teams and there is content for both types of play. There is a free to play world. It has less content than its premium counterpart. The premium version adds a bunch of extra stuff. If you want adventure, this game has it in spades.
Pokemon Go is one of the more ambitious adventure games. You actually go out into the real world and catch Pokemon, fight at Gyms, loot the Poke Stops, and much more. The adventure element is a little more literal in this game than others. It does require you to go places on your own and play the game in those locations.
Players wander the open world and catch Pokemon, battle in gyms, battle each other, trade Pokemon, collect various items, and do all kinds of other stuff. Recent updates also added some fun AR content as well. It's a freemium game, but patient players can circumvent it.
Pokémon Go
Most of The Room games aren't adventure games. The same can't be said for the newest game in the series, though. The Room: Old Sins incorporates exploration elements along with its iconic puzzle structure. That gives it an extra dimension that the prior games don't have.
For the uninitiated, The Room is a series of games with gorgeous graphics, complex puzzles, and arcane themes. The latest one, One Sins, also supports Google Play Games achievements, cloud saving, and more. This is going to be one of the best puzzle-adventure games of 2018 for sure.
Cube Escape is a series of mystery-adventure games where you must solve puzzles to find out what’s really going on. It’s also known as the “Rusty Lake story” and it’s actually playable online as a web game as well. The mechanics are fairly simple and each game has you solving a variety of puzzles in order to progress in the story.
It’s technically they are escape games which means the majority of the time you’ll be solving puzzles. Still, it’s an excellent series of games and all of them are mostly free with no in-app purchases with a few premium games available as well. They all make for excellent adventure-puzzle games.
Square Enix can pen one heck of a narrative and its storytelling is among the best in all of gaming. As such, most of their mobile games make for excellent adventure games. Some examples include Adventures of Mana, Secret of Mana, Lara Croft GO, Hitman GO, Deus Ex GO, Life is Strange, Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition, and many, many others.
The aforementioned games span several genres, including RPG, puzzle, slice of life, and hack-and-slash. For some reason, half of Square Enix's library is under a different developer name than everything else. We have the one linked up with all of the Final Fantasy games and mobile ports of old RPGs. You may have to search for the Tomb Raider and Life is Strange stuff on Google Play. Don't worry, it's easy to find.
Swordigo is an platformer-adventure game and something a little more traditional in this genre. You jump through levels, solve puzzles, and defeat bad guys. The game features customizable controls, tons of locations to explore, various gear and magic, and decent graphics. It is a tad short like most indie games. However it's also fairly inexpensive. It should take most people a week or two at the very most to finish this. Still, it's an excellent experience.
However, adventure isn’t a genre defined by a mechanic like RPGs, first person shooters, or sandbox games. Thus, an adventure game could be anything. We listened to reader comments for years after writing this one so we’re hoping we found some decent games that will take you on a fictional adventure. If you’re ready for a list of games that will do just that, here are our picks for the best adventure games on Android!
Amanita Design
Price: $4.99 eachAmanita Design is a Google Play developer. They have a few really good adventure games under their belt. They include the legendary Machinarium, Samorost 3, Suchel, and Botanicula. Machinarium is a very popular puzzle game. You play as a robot. Your goal is to solve puzzles and save your girlfriend from vagabonds.
Samorost 3 is an adventure puzzle game surrounding a gnome and his magic flute. Botanicula is about a group bugs trying to save their tree's seed from bad guys. Suchel, the newest entrant in Amanita's collection, is a comedy adventure game. These are some of the best puzzle-adventure games available on Google Play.
Another Eden
Price: FreemiumAnother Eden is a JRPG from 2019. It features the same writer and composer as Chrono Trigger and there are many callbacks to the popular game. Another Eden doesn't play like your normal mobile RPG. It doesn't use a mission-style story progression and there are virtually no menus. Players go on an adventure through multiple points. There are some gacha elements as well as some non-story missions to complete, but they all take place as side quests in the game structure. This feels like those JRPGs in the late 1990's and early 2000's. It's a rare freemium game that is just fantastic to play.
Beat Cop
Price: Free / $4.99Beat Cop is a neat little retro game. It plays heavily on the 1980's in both looks, game play, and story. You play as a former detective. The detective was accused of murder and now must make his bones as a beat cop. You investigate the murder to figure out who framed you while also performing your normal cop duties.
Decisions you make affect certain parts of the game. The graphics won't win any awards, but it's definitely an entertaining game otherwise. You can demo the game for free. The full game costs $4.99 with no additional in-app purchases or ads.
Chroniric
Price: Free / $2.99
Chroniric is one of several excellent texting games. You start the game by intercepting a message from a past that isn't like the one you were taught. From there, you help a time traveler do various things. It plays very much like those old Choose Your Own Adventure books. The decisions you make affect where the story goes from there.
It is a text-adventure game, though. Thus, there aren't a ton of graphics and, therefore, a ton of reading. The game is free with advertising or you can buy the premium version for $2.99. The Lifeline series and Bury Me, My Love are also excellent text adventure games.
Crashlands
Price: $4.99Crashland is already among the best adventure games from 2016. You play as a space trucker named Flux. The game starts with you crashing onto an alien planet. Your job is to retrieve your cargo, build yourself a base, fight bad guys, and save the world.
It has a lot of game elements, including crafting, combat, RPG-style character leveling, and you can even tame creatures to fight for your side. It’s a deep game with a ton of content that you can play on both mobile and PC. It’s 4.8 rating on Google Play is accurate.
Doom and Destiny Advanced
Price: $4.99Doom and Destiny Advanced is a jRPG style game where you form a party of adventurers, fight monsters, and save the world. Unlike most, this one doesn’t take itself too seriously. There is quirky, humorous dialogue. There is also a fun little story to play through.
The game boasts dozens of hours of storyline, 500 places to explore, 15 character classes, 22 character outfits, tons of bad guys, 150 special powers, and more. There is also online play supported for both PvP and co-op so you can play online with or against friends. It’s inexpensive and there’s a ton of adventuring to do!
Evoland 2
Price: $7.99Evoland 2 is easily one of the best adventure games in recent memory. It transcends genres by including a whole bunch of them. That includes 2D RPG, 3D fighter, trading card, hack-and-slash, and many others. The game basically progresses through the various eras of gaming and each new mechanic also brings a new graphical style as well.
Its unique game play keeps you guessing and it's an enjoyable overall experience. We recommend playing with a physical controller for best results, though. The game runs for a single $7.99 purchase. The first game is relatively cheap and is also quite fun.
Monument Valley 1 and 2
Price: $3.99-$4.99 / $1.99Monument Valley 1 and 2 are two of the most popular puzzle-adventure games available. You move levels around because each level is the puzzle. Players are treated to optical illusions, a vague but fun story, and a consistent experience through two games.
The first game includes the standard story with a DLC ($1.99). The second game is currently $4.99. The only gripe we have is the length of the game. These games are a little short. They're still very much great games, but those who don't like short games may be frustrated with these.
Old School RuneScape
Price: Free / $10.99 per month / $99.99 per yearOld School RuneScape is one of the most popular MMORPGs on mobile. It uses a free and subscription model instead of freemium like most MMORPGs and some players really appreciate that. In any case, it's just like old school RuneScape. Players run around, complete quests, trade stuff with one another, and various skills to master.
You can play solo or with teams and there is content for both types of play. There is a free to play world. It has less content than its premium counterpart. The premium version adds a bunch of extra stuff. If you want adventure, this game has it in spades.
Pokémon Go
Price: FreemiumPokemon Go is one of the more ambitious adventure games. You actually go out into the real world and catch Pokemon, fight at Gyms, loot the Poke Stops, and much more. The adventure element is a little more literal in this game than others. It does require you to go places on your own and play the game in those locations.
Players wander the open world and catch Pokemon, battle in gyms, battle each other, trade Pokemon, collect various items, and do all kinds of other stuff. Recent updates also added some fun AR content as well. It's a freemium game, but patient players can circumvent it.
Pokémon Go
The Room: Old Sins
Price: $4.99Most of The Room games aren't adventure games. The same can't be said for the newest game in the series, though. The Room: Old Sins incorporates exploration elements along with its iconic puzzle structure. That gives it an extra dimension that the prior games don't have.
For the uninitiated, The Room is a series of games with gorgeous graphics, complex puzzles, and arcane themes. The latest one, One Sins, also supports Google Play Games achievements, cloud saving, and more. This is going to be one of the best puzzle-adventure games of 2018 for sure.
Rusty Lake (Cube Escape) series
Price: Free / VariesCube Escape is a series of mystery-adventure games where you must solve puzzles to find out what’s really going on. It’s also known as the “Rusty Lake story” and it’s actually playable online as a web game as well. The mechanics are fairly simple and each game has you solving a variety of puzzles in order to progress in the story.
It’s technically they are escape games which means the majority of the time you’ll be solving puzzles. Still, it’s an excellent series of games and all of them are mostly free with no in-app purchases with a few premium games available as well. They all make for excellent adventure-puzzle games.
Square Enix games
Price: Free / VariesSquare Enix can pen one heck of a narrative and its storytelling is among the best in all of gaming. As such, most of their mobile games make for excellent adventure games. Some examples include Adventures of Mana, Secret of Mana, Lara Croft GO, Hitman GO, Deus Ex GO, Life is Strange, Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition, and many, many others.
The aforementioned games span several genres, including RPG, puzzle, slice of life, and hack-and-slash. For some reason, half of Square Enix's library is under a different developer name than everything else. We have the one linked up with all of the Final Fantasy games and mobile ports of old RPGs. You may have to search for the Tomb Raider and Life is Strange stuff on Google Play. Don't worry, it's easy to find.
Swordigo
Price: Free / $1.99Swordigo is an platformer-adventure game and something a little more traditional in this genre. You jump through levels, solve puzzles, and defeat bad guys. The game features customizable controls, tons of locations to explore, various gear and magic, and decent graphics. It is a tad short like most indie games. However it's also fairly inexpensive. It should take most people a week or two at the very most to finish this. Still, it's an excellent experience.