UPDATE: added controller support indicator ๐ฎ to more games, portrait mode ๐ฑ, and 120FPS.
Latest entries - April 15th, 2025:
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Prince of Persia: Lost Crown - Action platformer/hack-n-slash
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TMNT: Shredder's Revenge - Beat 'em up
Other recent entries:
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Donut County ๐ฌ - Puzzle adventure
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Knock-Knock ๐ฌ - Survival horror
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Leo's Fortune ๐ฌ - Platform
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Anodyne - Adventure
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Solitairica - Roguelite solitaire
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Lara Croft: Guardian of Light - Action
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Introduction
(scroll down for the actual list)
This is a list of all games, sorted by category, that I've purchased and finished (or played extensively) over many years and I'd like to recommend as they're all excellent and without predatory monetization or gacha system.
Edit: now I'm also including the most recommended titles by the community - which I haven't playtested yet or I'm not particularly interested in - marked with ๐ฌ.
If you want your entry to have a chance to be listed, these are the criteria:
- paid Play Store games compatible with recent Android versions
- no ads or microtransactions except ads-removal, full-game unlock, or proper DLCs
- you love the game and think it's worth the price
- include link and genre
I will still use my discretion and judgment to filter the entries, in an effort to try and keep the list's quality high.
[If you want to recommend free games, without ads or microtransactions, here is the list for you.]
Some of the games may be free with IAP's, but EXCLUSIVELY to unlock the full game, DLCs, or remove ads (no gacha or energy/gambling mechanics, "diamonds", pay-to-win, or any recurrent cash-grab bullshit of sort).
[Disclaimer: chances are some items in this list will inevitably be removed from Play Store as time goes by, or will not be compatible with future Android versions. I'll do my best to always keep it updated, but feel free to PM me if you come across any unavailable title and I'll make a correction]
I'm planning to keep the list updated for personal reference with the new games I'll play and like, or old games I've played that will come to mind later. So feel free to save it and check out new entries every so often.
My ultimate goal is to promote worthy content and honest/talented devs, hoping to see more quality games in the future, rather than the cancerous cash-grab machines the Play Store is regrettably riddled with. And, of course, to let everyone have a great time playing great titles ;)
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THE LIST
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Legend
๐ - top favorite ย
๐ - top favorite and a timeless masterpiece ย
๐ฑ - portrait game (or can also be played in portrait)
๐ฎ - controller supported and, usually, strongly recommended ย
๐ฎโ๏ธ - controller recommended but not supportedโyou need a controller mapping app like Panda) ย
120FPS - 120 FPS on supported devices
๐ฌ - recommended by the community, but I haven't played it or not my favorite ย
~~[Game title]~~ - delisted, but you might still see it in the store if you've purchased it ย
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Action shooter
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Lara Croft: Guardian of Light ๐ ๐ฎ
120FPS -
Door Kickers: Action Squad ๐ฎ (2D side-scroller action shooter)
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Space Marshals ๐ ๐ฎ (3rd person shoooter - top down/isometric; space-western theme - touch controls work great)
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Space Marshals 2 ๐ ๐ฎ (touch controls work great)
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Space Marshals 3 ๐ฎ (touch controls work great)
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Neon Chrome ๐ ๐ฎ (3rd person shoooter - cyberpunk theme, top down/isometric view - touch controls work great)
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Time Recoil ๐ฎ (3rd person shoooter - top down/isometric with slow-mo mechanics - touch controls work great)
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Smash Hit
120FPS(first-person rail shooter) -
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath ๐ ๐ฎ (1st person shooter/3rd person platformer - adventure, bounty hunter - fantasy western setting; ported from Xbox)
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Hitman: Blood Money โ Reprisal ๐ฌ ๐ฎ
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Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas ๐ฌ ๐ฎ
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Action-adventure platformer/hack-n-slash
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Prince of Persia: Lost Crown ๐ ๐ฎ
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Grimvalor ๐ ๐ฎ '120FPS' (2.5D hack and slash medieval fantasy platform/RPG)
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Shadow Blade ๐ ๐ฎ (2D hack and slash action platform)
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Swordigo ๐ฎโ๏ธ (2D RPG action-adventure platformer; requires controller mapping app if you want controller support - free with 2 IAPs that add compass or coin doubler, and either of them remove ads too)
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Oddmar ๐ฎ
120FPS(2D action-adventure platformer) -
Ninja Arashi ๐ฎ (2D hack and slash action platformer - free with IAPs to remove ads)
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SAMURAI II: VENGEANCE (top down/isometric hack and slash) ๐ฎ
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Dead Cells ๐ฌ ๐ฎ
120FPS(roguelite action platformer)
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Platformer
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Dadish ๐ ๐ฎ (2D platformer, pixel graphics, easy)
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Dadish 2 ๐ ๐ฎ (2D platformer, pixel graphics, medium difficulty)
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Dadish 3 ๐ฎ (2D precision platformer, pixel graphics, hard difficulty)
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Suzy Cube ๐ฎ (3D platformer, good rip-off of Super Mario 3D Land)
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MouseBot ๐ (3D platform-like)
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Sonic Runners Adventures ๐ (2.5D platformer)
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Leo's Fortune ๐ฌ ๐ฎ
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Levelhead ๐ฌ ๐ฎ
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Metroidvania
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Carrion ๐ ๐ฎ (inverted horror, pixel art - touch controls are recommended over a controller)
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Castlevania: SotN ๐ฌ ๐ฎ
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Dandara Trials of Fear Edition ๐ฌ ๐ฎ
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Turn-based RPG
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Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince ๐ (3D monster-collecting turn-based RPG - ported from Switch. Great game and touch controls. It includes all DLCs. No controller support, but no need here. I recommend this game for flagship devices from 2023+ and with a TEC cooler)
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Final Fantasy V - Pixel Remaster ๐ ๐ฎ (2D turn-based RPG)
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Final Fantasy VI - Pixel Remaster ๐ ๐ฎ (2D turn-based RPG - the best version of the best 16-bit FF)
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Final Fantasy IV (3D Remake) ๐ ๐ฎ (3D turn-based RPG)
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Final Fantasy Dimensions ๐ (fantastic 2D turn-based JRPG, old school graphics, totally worth it)
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Chaos Rings III ๐ (excellent 3D turn based RPG by Square Enix. A bit pricey, but totally worth it)
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Chrono Trigger ๐ ๐ฎ (2d turn-based RPG - best 16-bit JRPG in history, originally on SNES. This mobile portโfrom the Steam versionโis excellent and I haven't had a single issue with touch controls, bugs, or glitches whatsoever)
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Epic Battle Fantasy 5 (2D turn-based RPG with funny dialogs, adult jokes, 4th-wall breakers - it contains a couple IAPs to unlock extra content, remove ads)
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Monster Hunter Stories ๐ (3D turn-based RPG)
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Doom & Destiny ๐ (humorous 2D turn-based RPG)
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Doom & Destiny Advanced ๐ฎ (humorous 2D turn-based RPG. Touch controls work great)
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Action RPG
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Trials of Mana ๐ ๐ฎโ๏ธ (it's a port from console/PC but critically lacks controller support. You can use Panda Gamepad Pro - recommended - or Mantis to achieve that)
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The Bard's Tale (3D action RPG adventure - this game has some optional IAPs: they can easily be ignored but they're there. Also, some users experienced an auto-save bug that corrupts ALL save files, so I recommend disabling auto-save altogether. I'm keeping the game listed here for now as I still consider it a true premium game and I haven't personally experienced any bug)
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Evoland ๐ฎ (action/adventure RPG with 2D and 3D graphics and a mix of genres. Touch controls work great)
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Evoland 2 ๐ ๐ฎ (action/adventure RPG with 2D and 3D graphics, mix of genres; controller recommended)
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Pascal's Wager (soulslike) ๐ฌ ๐ฎ
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Star Wars: KOTOR ๐ฌ ๐ฎ
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Star Wars: KOTOR II ๐ฌ ๐ฎ
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CRPG
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Atom RPG ๐ฌ
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Eldrum: Black Dust ๐ฌ ๐ฑ (text based)
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Roguelite cards, dice, or deck builder
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Solitairica ๐ฑ (surprisingly engaging and perfect for quick games)
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Balatro ๐ (poker-inspired roguelike)
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Indies Lies ๐ (inspired by Slay the Spire; free and with three paid DLCs which will also remove ads, add extra story modes, characters, and new mechanics)
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Meteorfall: Journeys ๐ฑ
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Slay the Spire (legendary deck builder; PC port)
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Dicey Dungeons (there's no actual deck of cards but rather equipments and dice; it plays like a roguelite deck-builder)
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Slice & Dice ๐ฌ ๐ฑ
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Dawncaster ๐ฌ ๐ฑ
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Zelda-like adventure
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Anodyne ๐ ๐ฎโ๏ธ ๐ฑ (lanscape/portrait. Adding controller support through Panda is a must if you want to finish the game)
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Legend of the Skyfish 2 ๐ ๐ฎ (Zelda-like with a fishing rod for weapon)
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Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion ๐ฎ (humorous, Zelda-like, pixel art adventure; achievements didn't work correctly, but they might have been fixed after I played it)
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Oceanhorn ๐ ๐ฎ (3D Zelda-like action adventure)
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Afterplace ๐ฌ ๐ฑ
120FPS
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Crafting/Survival
- Crashlands ๐ฌ ๐ฎ
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Beat 'em up
- TMNT: Shredder's Revenge ๐ ๐ฎ (beat 'em up with story mode and fun multiplayer - IAP to unlock complete edition with all DLCs - free if you have Netflix)
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Survival horror
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Knock-Knock ๐ฌ
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Alien: Isolation ๐ฌ ๐ฎ
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Point-and-click adventure
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Fran Bow ๐ (point and click/puzzle - psychologic soft horror) Excellent story and gameplay. [Edit: the old one, divided into chapters, is here]
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Lost Echo (point and click/puzzle adventure)
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Broken Sword 5 ๐ฌ
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Tangle Tower ๐ฌ
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Puzzle adventure
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Ghost Trick ๐ (story based)
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The Almost Gone ๐ฑ puzzle mistery
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Lumino City 3D puzzle in a beautiful hand-crafted world
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Framed re-arrange the panels of a noir story comic book
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Little Nightmares ๐ ๐ฎ (horror puzzle platformer, great port from consoles, not too scary)
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Very Little Nightmares ๐ ๐ฑ (horror puzzle platformer, isometric; little jump-scares; good simple puzzles)
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DISTRAINT: Deluxe Edition ๐ (story-driven puzzle) incredible atmosphere and psychological story
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DISTRAINT 2 (story-driven puzzle)
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Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty ๐ ๐ฎ (puzzle-platformer adventure)
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Starman (isometric puzzle) work of art in sound, visuals and gameplay; creative and minimalistic, very relaxing
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Fractal Space HD ๐ ๐ฎ (3D first person puzzle. Touch controls work great) this game has an insanely good story and great gameplay
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Monument Valley (1&2) ๐ ๐ฑ (3D isometric puzzle)
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Limbo ๐ ๐ฎ (2D puzzle/platformer. Touch controls work great)
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Toby: The Secret Mine ๐ฎ (2D puzzle/platformer, inspired by Limbo. Touch controls work great)
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The Room series (3D puzzle) some of them may have non-necessary IAPs to unlock hints, I can't remember honestly
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Lara Croft Go
120FPS(turn-based puzzle) -
To The Moon ๐ (story-driven puzzle RPG) this is not for everyone, but I loved the story and the music
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Old Man's Journey (stress-free puzzle game with an emotional story)
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Donut County ๐ฌ
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There Is No Game: WD ๐ฌ
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Strategy
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Final Fantasy Tactics: WotL ๐ (strategy/RPG)
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Ticket to Earth (puzzle/strategy with some RPG elements)
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Tower defense
- Cursed Treasure Tower Defense (it contains a single IAP to remove ads)
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Management
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Game Dev Story ๐ฑ (game company management)
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Stardew Valley ๐ฌ
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Tropical Resort Story ๐ฌ ๐ฑ
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Dream Town Island ๐ฌ ๐ฑ
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The Pyraplex ๐ฌ ๐ฑ
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Dream House Days DX ๐ฌ ๐ฑ
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Ninja Village ๐ฌ ๐ฑ
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Dungeon Village ๐ฌ ๐ฑ
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Sid Meyer's Railroads! ๐ฌ (tycoon, management)
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Idle
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Magic Research ๐ฌ ๐ฑ
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Magic Research 2 ๐ฌ ๐ฑ
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Racing
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Horizon Chase ๐ ๐ฎ (arcade car racing - modern retro style. Touch controls work great)
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Riptide GP: Renegade ๐ฎ
120FPS(jet ski arcade race. Touch controls work great) -
GRID Autosport ๐ฌ ๐ฎ
120FPS -
GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition ๐ฌ ๐ฎ
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Wreckfest ๐ฌ ๐ฎ
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Golf
- OK Golf ๐ฑ
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Netflix games
(require an active Netflix subscription)
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TMNT: Shredder's Revenge ๐ ๐ฎ (beat 'em up with story mode and fun multiplayer)
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Monument Valley 3 ๐ฑ (puzzle adventure)
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Arranger (puzzle adventure)
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The Case of the Golden Idol ๐ฌ (point-and-click mystery)
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The Rise of the Golden Idol ๐ฌ (point-and-click mystery)
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Delisted or outdated
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~~JYDGE ๐ (3rd person shoooter)~~
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~~Shadowgun (3rd person shooter)~~
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~~Space Invaders Infinity Gene (shoot 'em up) ๐ฑ~~
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~~Ys Chronicles I ๐ฎ (2D action RPG)~~
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~~Ys Chronicles II ๐ ๐ฎ (2D action RPG)~~
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~~Haipy (2D platformer, pixel graphics) (platformer)~~
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~~The Silent Age (point and click adventure) contains IAPs to unlock episodes (point-and-click adventure)~~
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~~Sally's Law (puzzle platformer)~~
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~~Pool Break Pro 3D Billiards Snooker (online and offline pool/billiard with single player and multiplayer modes) (pool/billiard)~~
Extras and emulators
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AppSales is an app that will make you save some money by notifying you when specific games (or apps) in the Play Store go on sale. Just add the games you wish to buy to the AppSales' watchlist and you'll get notified when the price gets cut.
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Panda Gamepad Pro ๐ฎ is a tool that allows you to map your controller for touch inputs, practically adding controller support to those game that don't have it.
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Retroarch ๐ฎ (emulator for almost all consoles) "jack of all trades" emulator, the only one that supports analog triggers for Xbox One S controller. It has a bit of a learning curve, and other individual emulators might offer better performance
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Dolphin ๐ฎ best emulator for GameCube and Wii
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DraStic DS Emulator ๐ฎ
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Delta Touch [9 x Doom engines] ๐ฌ (engine for Doom games)
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Quad Touch ๐ฌ (engine for Quake games)
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Happy gaming ;)
ps: please let me know if there's any wrong information about the games included in this list (especially regarding IAPs or availability) so that I'll fix the post if necessary.