The best Android games of 2021 according to the Xataka Android team

As the end of the year approaches, the time has come to take stock of these 12 months and collect the best that 2021 has left us. Google Play has already announced the best games and apps, and Google itself has made a selection of indie titles for Android, but in Engadget Android we’re not happy with this ranking and decided to make our own.

Then you have the best games the team members enjoyed during 2021, either because they were released this year, or because, although they arrived a long time ago, they have been rediscovered these months to hang on again. There are recommendations for all tastes, what are yours?

Beatstar – Touch your music

Shared by Iván Ramirez

There is one type of game that has always caught my attention, musical games like Nintendo DS ‘legendary Osu Tatakae. ‘Beatstar’ is one of the few decent mobile rhythm games, quality and that you don’t get confused with the ads every time you press a button, which is appreciated.

In a way it’s like ‘Guitar Hero’ and so on: you have to play at the right time in the right place, to the beat of the song. The difference is that for once it is well developed it has many songs of all styles and a level of difficulty that is neither very easy nor too diabolical except at the extreme level, which is the main cause of tendonitis in players.

The battle of Polytopia and Genshin Impact

Recommended by Amparo Babiloni

Go ahead, I barely use my mobile to play, maybe that’s why my choice fell on a game that was launched in 2016. It’s ‘The Battle of Polytopia’, a strategy game in the purest ‘Civilization’ style I was addicted to years ago and a few months ago I relapsed.

At the start of the game, you have to choose a tribe, improve your empire, expand the territory, learn new skills, and create an army that defends it from outside attacks. It is played in turns, and like the design, the mechanics are very simple, although you have to be a good strategist to succeed, I think that’s why it hangs so much.

My second choice is the game I use to test the performance of the mobiles I analyze and it is none other than ‘Genshin Impact’. It is a game with a great graphics load and it is ideal for tighten the nuts on any high end smartphone, but it is also a very complete game that hooks. I’m not used to playing titles like this as the console type touch controls are uncomfortable for me, but in this case you have to admit that the gameplay is very good.

match the numbers

Shared by Samuel Fernández

I don’t use my mobile too much to play games, I leave that for the game console and other non-Android devices, so I generally don’t discover too many games in the ecosystem. Although recently I have become addicted to “Merge Number Puzzle” or “Combine Numbers”. A small number grouping game for a very cool honeycomb board that is powerfully reminiscent of Threes or 2048 in its mechanics.

These are the games I like the most for mobile, what are we going to do, which can be played with one hand and with short and / or paused games. It’s ad-free, and you can buy inside if you feel like it, but advertising is not intrusive, one ad or another between games and that’s it. If you’ve never played it before and love these mechanics, give it a try. You are still addicted.

Pikmin Bloom y Pokémon Unite

Recommended by Iván Linares

I’m still not sure if this is a game or an app, so it’s worth it for me to categorize it in both sections. As a game, and despite the fact that its mechanics are not 100% entertaining, Pikmin Bloom got me hooked: it’s perfect to motivate me to take this tour what he might not have given otherwise.

You can plant flowers, explore the surroundings, make friends, and most importantly, breed Pikmins. It’s quiet and do not force constant attention, are two of the keys where it stands out the most. Did I already say you have to breed Pikmins?

It seems I stuck to Nintendo’s land for my recommendations. Despite my double Nintendo recommendation, Pokémon Unite is this game that can mark a before and after after installing it on the phone: it’s as fun as it is frenetic. Pokémon fights, evolution, online games that can only be decided at the last second … To try it is to fall into their networks.

Genshin Impact and PUBG New State

Recommended by Ricardo Aguilar

For me, the best Android game of 2021 (and by far too) is “Genshin Impact”. After playing ‘Zelda: Breath Of The Wild’ on Switch, I find it surprising that there could be such an ambitious proposal and it even works on mid-range phones. ‘Genshin Impact’ is the first game that’s exactly the same on PC and PlayStation as well as mobile (except ‘Fortnite’, which is more graphically limited).

If I have to choose a second option, I will stick with “PUBG New State”. It’s a very good evolution of PUBG of a lifetime, with better graphics, improved game dynamics and user experience. Plus, it’s free, which ends up being important to a lot of us.

Sparklite and Donut County

Recommended by Cosmos

Sparklite is for me one of the best games on our Android devices this year. This is an adventure game full of exploration and puzzles It’s very reminiscent of a retro-styled Zelda, with some very elaborate Pixel Art graphics and a story that captivates you.

This title originally released in 2019 on PC and consoles, but now we can also enjoy it on the screen of our mobile. The game is free to download, but you will have to pay 6.99 dollars to unlock all the levels.

Another title that surprised me in 2021 because of its playability is the Donut County puzzle game. From the creators of the famous Florence, this game is perfect for going out thanks for your quick games.

Throughout a fun story, all you have to do is move a hole that will get bigger as we gobble up the objects in each setting. The challenge is succeed in swallowing all objects, combine different objects inside the hole to create funny effects and solve their little puzzles. The game is priced at 4.29 dollars.

Sky: children of light

Shared by Laura Sacristán

I admit that I’m not a huge fan of mobile games, but there is one title that, for its beauty it hooked me for a long time: ‘Sky: Children of the Light’. I already liked it on iOS, and since its arrival on Android, it hasn’t been missing on any of the phones I’ve tested.

I think aesthetically it is one of the best games that exist in the App Store and Google Play, but beyond its graphics, I am attracted to his social charge and his elaborate way of telling the story. As if that weren’t enough, it’s free and ad-free.