Android phones make up over 70 per cent of the global smartphone market, with over three billion active users, and so when an Android game takes off the numbers are stratospheric. Currently, the Android Play Store has around 500,000 games available for download, covering everything from simple boardgame remakes to advanced story-driven games with realistic graphics that surpass PC games of only a few years ago, and so rising to the top of the charts will generally take not only a great game but also some help from mobile game growth solutions. Here are five games that have reached the top and have been downloaded hundreds of millions of times.
Subway Surfers
First launched all the way back in 2012, Subway Surfers is an infinite runner game where players sprint through vibrant landscapes, dodge obstacles, and collect coins. In the game, you play a character trying to escape from an inspector and his dog after they caught you spraying graffiti on the subway, and you run along the tracks and on top of train cars gaining points the longer you avoid being captured. As the game has evolved, each new iteration comes with new characters to play and a variety of new tools to help you escape from hoverboards to magnets.
Candy Crush Saga
Also released in 2012, Candy Crush Saga became a global phenomenon, with politicians even struggling to put it down when in the Houses of Parliament! The goal of the game is simple – you must match three of more sweets (candies) to score points and continue to the next level, with the game speeding up as you go. There are an infinite number of levels, and the gameplay is incredibly addictive, and so with the games social features, where you can connect with other players via Facebook and share your progress with friends, the viral network effects made Candy Crush Saga grow at an unbelievable rate.
Free Fire
Free Fire is the most popular of the numerous “battle royale” style games available on the Play Store, where you compete against 49 other players in a battle with the last man standing crowned the victor. Throughout each 10-minute session, each player is given challenges to complete and supplied with a variety of weapons to help then take on their opponents. And as the clock ticks down the area for gameplay shrinks, forcing the players into tighter combat situations, driving up the energy and adrenaline of the game into a crescendo.
My Talking Tom
As the name suggests, My Talking Tom gives players a virtual pet cat called Tom that they need to take care of just like a real pet. To keep Tom happy and healthy, players are required to feed, groom, and play with him, as well as complete a variety of mini-games to help pass the time. Originally released back in 2013, My Talking Tom is a gentle game that is reminiscent of playing with a Tamagotchi back in the back in the late 90s, but on your phone and with better graphics.
Temple Run 2
Temple Run 2 takes a lot of inspiration from the Indiana Jones films, with players playing a character that is an intrepid explorer who has stolen a golden idol and must escape from demonic monkeys that are trying to catch him and take it back. You run through a wide variety of environments, from jungles to cliff tops, down mines, and over bridges, all while being pursued by the same demonic creatures looking to take back what is theirs. The gameplay is relatively simple, with players able to run, jump, slide, and turn as needed to avoid numerous obstacles in their path and collect gold coins along the way, and it is very addictive – which is how it has managed a top 5 spot on our list.
