Fans of role playing games don’t have to be confined to big titles like Skyrim or Fallout -- or even their consoles or PCs -- to experience some truly engrossing worlds and gameplay. There are plenty of great RPGs out there designed for your mobile device that don’t skimp on story, music, or graphics.
With the Google Play store virtually saturated with free-to-play and paid games with similar ratings, it can be hard to choose which game to play next. Here at GameSkinny, we’ve got you covered. We've put together a list of the top 10 RPGs playable on Android devices. This diverse mix ranges from mobile spin-offs of big names to smaller titles which poke fun at Dungeons and Dragons tropes -- and even let you get in touch with your inner spirit animal. There’s bound to be something to suit you within this eclectic mix.
The Wolf
Developer: Swift Apps LTD
Where to Get It: Google Play
Price: Free
In this unusual RPG, which is a bit off-the-wall even by RPG standards, you wander the forests as a white, gray, dhole or Mexican wolf hunting prey such as deer, raccoons, and bobcats. I wasn’t very sure what to make of the app before I played it, but the luscious 3D environments and realistic animals certainly set it apart from the crowd – this isn’t a riff on these types of games, unlike Goat Simulator. The Wolf can certainly get challenging when you stumble on a group of other strong animals such as bobcats, emulating the difficulties lone wolves often encounter in the wild.
I enjoyed hunting down prey and strengthening my claw attack, and after an hour, I was at a high enough level to participate in the Battle Arena, which pits you against an entire wolf pack.
Another bonus of The Wolf is that it’s pretty easy to “git gud” without resorting to micro transactions, which act as an add-on rather than a necessity. Try this game out to see if the wolf is indeed your spirit animal.
Gurk III - The 8-bit RPG
Developer: Larva Labs Ltd.
Where to Get It: Google Play
Price: $1.99
This affordable mobile RPG sees you playing in a world of glorious 8-bit graphics. You are given three characters – an archer, a wizard, and a warrior – and you’re pretty much left to your own devices, with no extensive pieces of text or cutscenes explaining the plot.
I appreciated the “bare bones” approach to Gurk III, but fans of easy mobile games may be put off because the difficulty level ramps up very quickly. Unlike many RPGs, you are unable to heal mid-battle, meaning you will have to heal in town shrines before heading out on quests to level up your characters or use an HP boost during battle, costing you a turn in the process.
Some people may also be put off by the game's button layout, which seems to be designed for older mobile phones with keypad buttons (remember those?). If you’re a fan of the classics like the original Legend of Zelda, then at $1.99, this is definitely worth your time.
Angry Birds Epic
Developer: Rovio Entertainment Ltd.
Where to Get It: Google Play
Price: Free
Rovio’s take on the RPG genre with their colorful avian friends has a straightforward turn-based formula. You start off in Angry Birds Epic as the red bird, and along the way, you unlock different birds who have different abilities. For example, the yellow triangle shaped bird (known as Chuck) casts spells on your pig enemies.
On top of that, some of the game's mechanics are interesting. For example, if your avian party gets hit enough times, then the chili pepper at the bottom of the screen will fill up, triggering a rage attack. It’s not obvious what the connection is between chili peppers and birds, but it’s a novel way, at least, of introducing special move mechanics to the player.
Angry Birds Epic is on the whole easy to pick up and fun to play, but like the various Angry Bird incarnations, there is an emphasis on micro transactions. Coins take a while to accrue, and you will be nagged a lot by the game to buy coins with you hard-earned IRL cash.
Endless Frontier
Developer: ekkorr
Where to Get It: Google Play
Price: Free
A hidden gem from South Korean developers, Endless Frontier is quite unusual – you watch your party battle, headed by protagonist Erin, and level up using money accrued during their battles. In other words, the app is an incremental or idle game with RPG elements. In total, there are 1,500 stages in which your pixelated characters can fight. Throughout, you can buy different units such as golems using in-game currency, and change your special moves.
Once you are revived, the game also lets you participate in dungeon battles, which basically involve more tapping on the screen. Like Angry Birds Epic, micro transactions can get you ahead faster, or alternatively, you can watch an advertisement, which lasts around 10 to 20 seconds.
There is also a PvP mode, where you can battle online opponents. If you enjoy your action RPGs, then Endless Frontier probably isn’t for you. But if you like watching your characters fight while tapping the screen to boost their stats, then the game is worth a try.
Knights of Pen and Paper 2
Developer: Paradox Interactive
Where to Get It: Google Play
Price: Free
In Knights of Pen and Paper 2, you play as a group of characters gathered around a tabletop RPG as the Dungeons and Dragons-esque Dungeon Master tells you where you are and on what quests you can go. Your first couple of quests involve getting rid of mouse traps -- essentially for target practice and to level up your skills. So it's got a relatively low learning curve when it comes to RPGs.
I love the humor in this game, which pokes fun at RPGs and has tons of pop culture references. Also, much like The Wolf, you really won’t need to buy extra coins, as your rewards for completing the quests are pretty substantial.
Your classes are also pretty cool – instead of the usual magician or warrior, you can be a science lab rat, hipster, or rocker. The quests are pretty straightforward, too, and you can easily progress through the story without having to grind.
Interestingly, this game was developed by a different company than the original (KYY Games), but I feel that this doesn’t detract from the overall experience.
Pocket RPG
Developer: Crescent Moon Games
Where to Get It: Google Play
Price: $2.99
Pocket RPG is a unique 3D RPG was a big hit when it launched in 2011, and it continues to be a popular game to this day. You can play as a battle mage, dark ranger, or blade master across a number of levels, from battling gelatinous creatures similar to the blobs in Dragon’s Quest, to green skeletons and more. Another unique feature in Pocket RPG is the way you control your character, which is similar to a twin stick shooter in that you use the left side of the screen to control your character and the right side of the screen to perform your special attack.
Don’t let the cutesy visuals fool you – this game is far from easy. Your skills carry over from one level to the next, but you don’t get to carry over your weapons, meaning that strategically planning your next move, and often hiding behind that wall to regain health is the best thing to do.
AdventureQuest 3D
Developer: Artix Entertainment
Where to Get It: Google Play
Price: Free
This MMORPG sees you play as either a warrior, mage, or rogue in the AdventureQuest franchise’s first foray into 3D. The game has impressive graphics for a mobile title and puts you in the middle of the action to defeat a number of skeleton soldiers in order to save Dragonwatch Keep. I liked the straightforward combat in what is essentially a scaled down action RPG.
I didn’t like the camera though, which took a bit of getting used to – it took me a while to center it behind my character. It can also be hard to figure out where to go, as there is no minimap in AdventureQuest 3D – there's just an arrow pointing on the screen to the destination for your current quest or who you have to talk to. The comic book style cutscenes are pretty cool, too, and the buildings within the world are rendered well. This game is worth playing if you were into some of the lesser known PS1 RPGs back in the day.
Kingdom Hearts Union Cross
Developer: Square Enix LTD
Where to Get It: Google Play
Price: Free
The mobile spin off to the Kingdom Hearts series, Union Cross was originally released in the U.S. and Europe as Kingdom Hearts Unchained X.
Union Cross is essentially an update of the original game, adding an exciting multiplayer mode, where you can battle others online, as well as additional challenges such as special quests which are only available during a certain time frame. The characters in the series pop up as medals, which you use in your turn-based attacks.
The “tapathon” nature of the title may disappoint players who were expecting a handheld version of the series, but the characters and backgrounds are beautiful renditions of the game – especially the scaled down versions of Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. The story quests do drag on and after a while, you do run out of energy, so this is another one where micro transactions are encouraged.
The fun mostly lies in forming teams with other players and defeating Heartless in boss raid battles, which earn you extra EXP. Fans of the series will enjoy it, and special medals periodically appear in the game to tie in with Disney and Pixar IPs. Definitely worth a download.
Mobius Final Fantasy
Developer: Square Enix LTD
Where to Get It: Google Play
Price: Free
In this 2016 mobile title from Square Enix, you star as a silver-haired warrior guided by Vox, who will in time become the Warrior of Light in the mysterious world of Palamecia. Unlike other mobile RPGs, the emphasis in battle in Mobius Final Fantasy is on a card system, which will be familiar to anyone who played Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories.
Via lengthy tutorials, you are told how to build cards and use special attacks to weaken enemies and “break” their defenses. With the card system, each card has an element, such as fire or water, and you use the attacks based on your enemies’ elemental weaknesses.
The cutscenes, voice acting, and music are what you’d expect from a Final Fantasy title, and once you get past the tutorials, the game is essentially just a “tapathon” at heart. The story, like most Final Fantasy entries, is confusing and nonsensical, but the combat is enjoyable and the quests, like Union Cross are broken into very small chunks that you can easily play on the go.
Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes
Developer: Electronic Arts
Where to Get It: Google Play
Price: Free
This turn-based RPG brings the fun elements of Star Wars Battlefront to mobile, where you fight various Imperial enemies in locations throughout the Star Wars universe. In Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, your party is essentially a series of background characters, like Wookies and clone droids, and you won’t really play as any of the main filmic characters unless you are willing to shell out money.
That said, the simple gameplay makes this a fun RPG to play during your lunch hour and perhaps due to IAT (in-app transactions) criticism, the game is pretty generous off the bat with the awards and rewards it doles out. I also appreciated that my guide was a strong female lead – long may the series head in that direction, as it did with Rogue One (and will possibly be doing with Rey in Episode VIII)!
We hope you’ve enjoyed our roundup of the weird and wonderful RPGs that your Android device has to offer. Deciding which ones to cover was as difficult a choice as is deciding which ones to play.
If you have to take the bus or subway to work, instead of reading a book or playing Candy Crush Saga, you can become a wolf, angry bird, Keyblade wielder, Jedi, or hipster warrior!
What did you think of our list? Do you have any other RPGs that you would recommend for Android users? Let us know in the comments below.
