Google Play Games

My options:

1. play store, full of evil dev's gachas and black hat tools. It's organized as a store you can browse, but the algorithm and ads are terrible. FFS, I don't want monopoly bullshit, stop showing it to me, I want to block it or hide it from the store

2. apks, ports from GitHub or other repositories. Free. No store, surf the web, follow recommendations, good luck finding a version that works for your phone.

3. itch.io, there's an app, Mitch, that serves as store app. 99% are indie games, not centered around android, there's a filter though. Some are free to pay, some have price. Quality varies.

4. epic. it has like 4 games?

5. steam doesn't actually have a store, afaik. I wish they did.

Any other option?

I've been browsing many past threads with users asking for free game recommendations to make a personal wishlist and I thought it would be nice to share it.

Aiming to put together a small "very best of", I started including titles mentioned by at least 2 Redditors and with very positive comments, then kept only games rated more than 4 on the Play Store and available for the latest Android OS. I then asked Chat GPT to add a short description and 3 keywords to describe the mood - I hope it didn't hallucinate too much!

I divided the titles that made it to the final list in 3 groups based on the presence of ads and data treatment - however ads and in-game purchases should not be disruptive in any of these based on everyone's comments.

If I missed any beloved free title I'll be happy to add it - and try it!

Free games with no ads and no data shared with 3rd parties:

Shattered Pixel Dungeon - A rogue-like RPG with dungeon crawling, turn-based combat, and random level generation. [Strategic, punishing, engaging]

Mindustry - A resource management and tower defense game where you build and defend factories against waves of enemies. [Strategic, complex, rewarding]

Unciv - A mobile port of the classic Civilization game, where you build and manage a civilization from the ground up. [Deep, immersive, expansive]

OneBit Adventure - A minimalist RPG with pixel art and random dungeon generation, focusing on exploration and combat. [Retro, simplistic, engaging]

Data Wing - A fast-paced, minimalist racing game where you control a winged ship racing through neon tracks. [Elegant, fast, engaging]

Contains ads, doesn't share data with 3rd parties:

Vampire Survivors - A rogue-like survival shooter where you fend off endless waves of enemies. [Addictive, challenging, intense]

Alto's Adventure - A snowboarding game where you explore scenic environments, perform tricks, and avoid obstacles. [Serene, peaceful, beautiful]

Alto's Odyssey - A serene, visually stunning endless runner where players glide through beautiful landscapes. [Peaceful, immersive, relaxing]

My Friend Pedro - A fast-paced action game where you control a protagonist guided by a talking banana. [Chaotic, stylish, fluid]

Contains ads and could share data with 3rd parties:

Magic Survival - An action-packed survival game with magic powers to defeat waves of enemies in an arena. [Fast-paced, chaotic, fun]

Soul Knight - An RPG set in a mystical world where you fight enemies and collect powerful loot. [Epic, deep, immersive]

TheoTown - A city-building simulator with intricate management of resources, zoning, and citizens. [Detailed, creative, relaxing]

Sword of Xolan [edited, thank you] An action platformer in pixel art style where a brave knight fights the darkness. [Retro, good paced, entertaining]

Idle Iktah - A casual idle game where you manage the growth of a village through strategic resource allocation. [Relaxing, simple, addictive]

Tiny Rails - A railroad management game where you control a train, expanding routes and completing missions. [Relaxing, immersive, nostalgic]

[IMPORTANT EDIT: IF THERE ARE ANY GOOD PAID OFFLINE GAMES TOO THEN PLEASE RECOMEND THEM] there any good offline single player mobile games to play, i don't care about the graphics, i just care about the concept, i don't want games like 1,2,3,4 player games or 100 offline games, tictac toe,word games,hangman etc, i want simple great games i really don't care about the graphics but yeah plz recomend free apps cause i am broke

Most downloaded games on the google play store:

1, subways surfers (1.5 billion)

2, Free fire (1.3 billion)

3, candy crush (1.3 billion)

4, My talking tom (1 billion)

5, 8 ball pool (880 million)

6, ROBLOX (802 million)

7, Ludo king (791 million)

8, temple run 2 (671 million)

9, clash of clans (670 million) / my talking tom 2 (670 million)

10, Talking Angela (639 million)

11, Pou (634 million)

12, PUBG MOBILE (611 million) / temple run (611 million)

13, hill climb racing (604 million)

14, mobile legends: bang bang (574 million)

15, talking tom cat (538 million) / magic tiles 3 (538 million) / Talking Tom Gold Run (538 million)

16, fruit Ninja (515 million) / Extreme Car driving simulator (515 million)

17, Among Us (514 million)

18, slitherIO (513 million) / candy crush soda saga (513 million)

19, tiles hop EDM rush (510 million) / Sniper 3D (510 million) / Traffic Rider (510 million)

20, minion rush (501 million)

21, Angry birds classic (deleted) (499 million)

22, Pokémon go (490 million)

23, Helix jump (480 million) / bubble shooter (480 million) / join clash 3D (480 million)

24, fifa soccer (470 million)

25, free fire max (432 million)

26, Clash royale (407 million)

27, Brawl Stars (358 million)

28, Stumble Guys (355 million)

29, Glow Hockey (319 million) / Drag Racing (319 million)

30, Bridge Race (304 million)

31, Farm Hero’s saga (295 million)

32, Hungry shark evolution (291 million)

33,Real racing 3, (290 million) / Lords mobile (290 million) / street racing 3D (290 million)

34, Jetpack Joyride (288 million)

35, Pubg mobile lite (264 million) /

36, Plants Vs Zombies (262 million)

37, Kick the buddy (251 million)

38, HayDay / shadow fight 2 (242 million)

39,Homescapes (235 million) / PaperIO 2 (235 million)

40, Race master 3D (231 million)

41, Gardenscapes (230 million)

42, Township (229 million)

43, call of duty mobile (217 million)

44, Zombie tsunami (213 million) / AquaParkIO (213 million)

45, Asphalt 8 (194 million) / SnakeIO (194 million)

46, Angry birds 2 (182 million)

47, geometry dash lite (175 million)

48, Miraculous: Ladybug and cat noir (146 million)

49, super Mario run (145 million)

50, Social Hero (144 million)

How many of these have you played?

NOTE: information about Fortnite and Flappy bird downloads was bugged since they were fully removed unlike angry birds classic.

Since people will ask for sources:

1. Google play store

2. AndroidRank.org

3. Sensortower