Favorite Android (Google Play hosted) games -- premium & IAP

[Tanooki]

I've had my tablet for a time now and I dig it, going to go for a better controller on it too. I've noticed Google Play pretty much is the standard though Amazon gets its perks too, yet even the Nvidia shield based options seem to favor Google Play too.

Does anyone have any particular favorite titles worth mentioning, perhaps even giving a reason why? I know it will be easy to jump to the go to console ports (Square Enix stuff, GTA games, Soul Caliber, etc) or stuff ported to consoles (like Terraria.) I'm hoping to find a genuinely nice list of things that are just on android or were later carried over to other formats (like how Choplifter HD jumped to PC/PSN/XBL.)

I think a good notable one worth mentioning would be Out There Omega as it's always random and odds are you'll never make it, but the ride trying to get home to Earth is amazing. A great resource and destination manager mixed with a horrible string of bad luck with the good. QuestLord I recently discovered and it's a pretty nice turn based 3D(yet pixel based) RPG. A few others worth note would be Star Command, Sky Force 2014(great vertical shooter), and the mobile/browser game Vega Conflict too. It would be easy to bring up all the slick Capcom, Namco, SNK arcade ports too but they're well known.

I find I use my tablet more than other stuff these days so I'd like to really find some interesting goodies, hopefully that work on a controller but could function still find on the tablet if I can't have that with me and I think others would benefit from a list too.

[noiseredux]

Bubble Witch Saga 2... it's basically Bust A Move.

[Anapan]

Seems we've done this before, but, Okay!
I mostly play emulators, but I'll list some I keep going back to:

Death Worm
Worm-type game but you can jump out of the ground to snag camels and helecopters out of the air for points.

Gish Reloaded
Gish for PC went open-source and it was ported to Android. It's a great physics-platformer and this port can use the accelerometer if you choose.

Grabatron
Abduction game that uses the accelerometer well. Tap the screen to grab people, and things to complete missions. Throw or drop heavy things to destroy buildings or kill.

Momonga
Pinball game with incredible graphics and well-built levels. A few light mini-games between stages and cutscenes.

Plasma Tennis
Vs. Computer Pong, but with fluidic physics added and shown.

Sonic (1,2, CD)
Option for spin-dash=fixed gameplay.

Super Hexagon

Temple Run 2

Gear Jack
This platformer auto scrolls - you control when to slide or jump. That means I can play it on a small screen without a controller. Click bonuses for attacks and points. Well designed levels.

Ridiculous Fishing
Guns and bombs and chainsaws to get the big ones at the bottom. Very addicting.

Cut the Rope HD
Kinda reminds me of The Incredible Machine. Really well designed puzzles.

Fun Putt (original & Deluxe)
Ya, I like mini-golf games. I play Fuzzy's Golf in Dosbox more, but these are great.

Hexagon Unlim
The Puzzles are so complex, but fun!

Hexxagon (Blind Logic)
I love Hexxagon (originally for dos) and this is the best upgraded one I could find. Levels with multiple enemy colors are really well designed, and there's so many levels!

JezzBall Classic
Just like the old Windows 3.1 version!

Monument Valley
Uses optical illusions for uncanny/impossible terrain you have to modify to navigate through.

Tangram
So many Levels!

Tetris
Touchscreen controlled Tetris.

Uncle Worm
The worm game (Pizza Worm, etc) with many control options.

Puzzle Prism
Kinda like 3D tetris?

Mr.AahH!!

Glow Snake
Another worm game...


Canabalt HD

Catbug!
Love Catbug, so this is the "chopper" game I keep on my phone.

Ground Effect Pro

MX Mayhem
One of those motorcycle throttle physics games. I tried a few and like this one best. Customizable controls and accelerometer optional.

Riptide GP2
Like Waverace

Speedx 3D


Some Interpreters:
OpenTyrian
GemRB (Baldur's Gate)
Ur-Quan Masters (Star Control II)
Wargus (Warcraft II)
Dune 2
OpenXcom


Dunno which are exclusive, and many are just rehash/ripoffs of previously released games, but I play all of these occasionally.
edit: Added details...

[Exhuminator]

I've spent a lot of time browsing the GooglePlay store, which is not an easy task because its internal search engine is terrible. I've played a lot of crap. But I've also played some games I honestly think are pretty good if not great even. So here's what I can point you towards in that regard:

Ravensword: Shadowlands
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... avensword2
Basically a mini-Skyrim on your phone. I loved it.

Aralon Sword and Shadow
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... mes.aralon
An impressive and immersive action-WRPG.

Devil's Attorney
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... m.senri.da
A strategic lawyer sim with a great sense of humor.

Wayward Souls
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... ywardsouls
Kind of like Secret of Mana mixed with Diablo.

Rusted Emeth
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... .rustgolem
Steampunk mech battlin' JRPG.

Destroy Gunners SP
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... de.DGunsSP
Fun little real time mech action shooter.

Epoch
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... ames.epoch
Mech cover shooter.

Layon Brothers Mystery Room
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... eryRoomENG
If you enjoy Professor Layton this is kind of in that vibe.

Arcane Soul Plus
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... neSoulPlus
The closest thing you'll find to Odin Sphere on Android.

Shattered Pixel Dungeon
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... xeldungeon
The best roguelike on GooglePlay.

Monument Valley
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... mentvalley
Super awesome modern art puzzle game.

Cyberlords - Arcology
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... cyberlords
Cyberpunk RPG in the vein of Shadowrun.

Delver
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... dungeoneer
Really fun (and hard) first person roguelike.

MinuteQuest
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... .himatsubu
If you enjoy Half-Minute hero, you might like this.

Princes of Persia
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... POPClassic
Remake of the classic.

Princes of Persia - Shadow & Flame
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... dflame.ggp
Remake of the classic.

ぼうりん☆【本格ボウリングで女の子キャラクターを育成☆】
https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... gun.bourin
The sexiest bowling game you'll ever play.

That's all I can think of right now. I'm sure there's lots more great games buried within the piles of crud on the storefront though. If the links don't work blame Google.

[noiseredux]

Oh and Hearthstone, natch.

[nullPointer]

One that I rarely see mentioned, but that I really enjoyed is Reaper which is a side scrolling action RPG. It gets brutally difficult at times, but not impossible and ultimately a nice diversion.

http://www.hexage.net/reaper/

I'll also second the mention of the Cut The Rope series which were my favorite public transportation/airplane games for a good long while.

[ExedExes]

I'll be watching this thread even though I have an Amazon device, with my new Fire wireless controller compatible with it now, if there's a game that's in Google and Amazon's store I could always use a few suggestions. I've got a lot of games stored in the Amazon cloud thanks to their Free App of the Day. For example, I've got a few for free on Amazon that were on Exhuminator's list.

Here's some that I've enjoyed on Amazon and are also available on Google. (I'm linking to the full versions, the first 2 games also have free versions on Google.)

Sparkle HD
One of the best Zuma knockoffs I ever played. It's also got a sort of quest mode.

Draw A Stickman Epic
A game where you draw your own stickman and then use special pens to draw objects to advance through the stages.

Riptide GP
Racing with super responsive tilt controls (think Wave Race) This is a paid version only.

[Anapan]

I'll be watching this thread even though I have an Amazon device

I can understand not wanting to root and force Play Store onto it, but you should be able to sideload.
Maybe using this and borrow someone's Android phone?

[Tanooki]

Glad I made this post now seeing these long responses. There's some really cool suggestions, and I'll admit I am surprised to see UrQuan Masters made it to Android. Love that game and have since the 90s.

I'm not too worried about exclusives, I don't think Google/Amazon have too many that really are. I just know that google play gets picked up a bit more than amazon on third party devices so I put that. As it was well put in an earlier post, there's good stuff missing under a lot of crud.

[fastbilly1]

The only thing I can added is Arcane Quest 2. It is a handheld version of Heroquest/Warhammer Quest one of the best boardgame series ever created.