While we saw fewer games arriving on the Play Store in May, there were still plenty of titles to get excited about that will easily make up many of the best games on Android. The return of World of Goo is exciting for many, but we have also seen sequels to popular franchises such as Dumb Ways to Die and Super Cat Tales. Notably, these aren’t very demanding games, so you should be able to play all of these on a budget Android phone.
We’ve rounded up the best games in this roundup. But if you want to see what else has arrived this year, also check out our roundup of the best games for April.
1 Dumb ways to die 4
Dumb Ways to Die 4 brings the wide variety of bizarre mini-games we’ve come to expect from the franchise, but rather than introducing any meaningful gameplay mechanics, it reverts to the style of the first Dumb Ways to Die game. It’s a refreshingly fun game; you won’t be disappointed if you enjoyed any of its predecessors.
Dumb Ways to Die 4 is free-to-play with microtransactions and ads. These go up to a staggering $134.99 for in-game currency, but thankfully, these are mostly cosmetics locked behind paywalls. Overall, these don’t detract much from the experience, making Dumb Ways to Die 4 the perfect way to cut down on time on your commute.
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In-App Purchases: $1.99 – $134.99
2 Laya’s horizon
With Laya’s Horizon, game development studio Snowman has taken everything we loved about Alto’s Adventure and Alto’s Odyssey and bumped it up to 11. Despite offering completely different gameplay, Laya’s Horizon feels like a sequel to the Alto games, pulling the same trick to calm you down while dodging obstacles at high speed.
Laya’s Horizon is a 3D wingsuit adventure that we can’t recommend enough. While there’s a relatively steep learning curve, the final product may be Snowman’s best yet. However, it was purchased by Netflix Games, so you’ll need a subscription to play.
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Netflix games exclusive
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In-App Purchases: None
3 Mia and the dragon princess
An FMV game starring some famous actors, Mia and the Dragon Princess takes us on an action-packed adventure where we can influence the narrative as we play. FMV games tend to be fairly mellow adventures, but Mia and the Dragon Princess is full of brilliant fight scenes; worth playing just to watch the choreography.
You’ll need to pay $4.99 to unlock the entire game, but you can play the first two chapters for free.
4 Valiant force 2
Despite frustrating monetization, Valiant Force 2 is a challenging turn-based strategy game with plenty of depth. While you’ll have to rely on the game’s gacha system to spawn heroes, the sheer variety of heroes means you’ll be hard-pressed to run out of strategic options.
Fans of the original Valiant Force game should definitely play this sequel, but it’s worth checking out if you enjoy playing one of the best strategy games on Android. Just be aware that this is a gacha game, which can be frustrating for some.
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In-App Purchases: $0.99 – $99.99
5 Peridot
In May, Niantic returned to its pre-Pokemon Go roots by releasing an AR game with an all-original IP. Peridot might look like a Pokemon Go on the surface, but digging a little deeper, you’ll find a more Tamagotchi-like experience. The goal is to develop a closer bond with your creatures, and the result is undeniably adorable, even if microtransactions taint the experience.
Peridot is on the same path as its predecessors as a free-to-play game with microtransactions. However, they are particularly egregious here. But if you can deal with obnoxious in-app purchases, Niantic’s first original IP in years is worth a look.
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In-App Purchases: $0.99 – $99.99
6 Lost Words: Beyond the Page
Lost Words: Beyond the Page launched as a Stadia exclusive in 2020 and has since been ported to various platforms. It’s finally available on Android, so now you can experience this amazing narrative platformer on your phone. The atmosphere is the most impressive feature but the gameplay and storytelling are adequate to keep your interest throughout.
Like Antivine, you can only play a few chapters of Lost Words: Beyond the Page before a paywall blocks you. Still, $5.99 is a reasonable price for this amazing game.
7 Torch: Infinite
Torchlight Infinite is Diablo Immortal’s biggest competitor on the Play Store, and there’s a lot going on here that sets it apart from last year’s biggest mobile ARPG. As we noted in our review, Torchlight Infinite offers fairer monetization and an extensive combat system. However, an obscure perk system and lackluster content keep it from being a Diablo Immortal killer.
That said, casual ARPG fans will be engrossed in Torchlight Infinite for hours. It’s free-to-play as it relies on good old-fashioned microtransactions to make a profit, but to its credit, these are easily ignored for the most part.
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In-App Purchases: $9.99 – $104.99
8 Antiwine
Antivine is part casual, part puzzle game. If you’ve played Monument Valley before, you can expect similar gameplay here, but there’s a distinctly different aesthetic. It’s simpler than most of our favorite puzzle games, but its relaxing gameplay is the real draw.
Antivine is free to download, but you have to pay $3.99 to play past the first few levels. This is not listed in the play store of the game, so please note that this is not a free game before download.
9 The Legend of the Keepers
A dungeon management game with a humorous twist, Legend of Keepers is a port of the 2021 game for desktop and Nintendo Switch. In Legend of Keepers, you take the place of an ambitious dungeon manager attempting to climb the corporate ladder by building the best dungeon. You will try to protect your dungeon from gold-hungry heroes; it is easily one of the best roguelikes available on the Play Store.
Legends of Keepers is a premium game with no microtransactions or ads. However, you will eventually be able to purchase the DLC released in the desktop and Switch versions. The game interface has been completely redesigned for mobile devices; however, you might find the UI slightly overwhelming without the benefit of one of the big screens on our favorite budget Android tablet.
10 Aether Observer
The number of free-to-play gacha games on the Play Store can seem overwhelming at times, but many excellent titles lurk in the sea. Aether Gazer is a recent addition to the crowd, but its smooth gameplay and (as of this writing) the right monetization have already made it stand out.
While Aether Gazer has superficial similarities to games like Honkai Impact, its mechanics are refreshingly unique. However, we recommend starting with our beginner’s guide, as Aether Gazer is just as difficult to figure out as her siblings.
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In-App Purchases: $0.99 – $89.99
11 Farming Simulator 23 Mobile
Farming Simulator games have had an irregular release on Android; the Play Store is missing five of the games released in the last ten years. However, Farming Simulator 23 is here, introducing new crops, farms and vehicles to fulfill your farming desires.
The last Farming Simulator game on Android was in 2020, and this year’s iteration is a major upgrade. The gameplay remains the same, but the improved graphics and expanded content are reason enough to buy. While some content is locked behind paywalls, the Switch version costs $44.99, while buying all game content on Android will cost you $34. This is still cheaper than the Switch version, even when price is taken into account of the base game.
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In-App Purchases: $0.99 – $3.49
12 World of Goo remastered
World of Goo will be a household name to anyone who enjoyed mobile gaming in the foggy days of 2011, and thanks to Netflix, we were blessed this month with a remaster that brought HD to the venerable puzzle game. Thankfully the core gameplay loop has remained intact, so you can relive the classic game on your Android tablet without squinting at the blurry graphics.
World of Goo Remastered boasts HD graphics and cross-platform saves, but this comes at the cost of requiring a Netflix subscription. However, as a Netflix Games exclusive, the game has no ads or microtransactions.
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Netflix games exclusive
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In-App Purchases: None
13 Super Cat Tales: PAWS
The latest installment in the Super Cat Tales series, Super Cat Tales: PAWS, is the same Mario-style platform game we’ve grown to love. In fact, it might be too similar, but longtime fans might see it as a positive feature.
Super Cat Tales: PAWS is free-to-play with ads, but these can be removed with an in-app purchase. While it doesn’t make any significant changes to the series, it’s hard not to recommend this adorable platformer.
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In-App Purchases: $1.99 – $5.99
Play the best Android games released in May 2023
While it was great to see classics like World of Goo return, some amazing original games were released in May, including Antivine and Laya’s Horizon.
2023 has seen many exciting games hit the Play Store, so check out our roundup to see the best games on Android.
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