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It's the wild west of ports out there, and you never know what games may make their way to Android.
We're rounding up the best console games with ports you can pick up in the Google Play Store. Nowadays, there are so many options, but we've compiled a list that includes the best of the best across all genres. Platformers? We got 'em. RPGs? Are you kidding me? Of course, we've got those. No matter what kind of mood you're in, you're bound to find something here that will wow you.
Keep in mind that this is a list of best ports, so the quality of the port itself is a defining factor in whether or not a game makes the list. Not every game translates well into the mobile space, and some developers succeed where others fail. These have passed the test and have earned their place in the victor's circle.
You'll find many of these titles on our list of favorite Android games overall, too. Ready? Let's jump in!
The games
- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
- Chrono Trigger
- Dead Cells
- Gorogoa
- GRID Autosport
- Gris
- Limbo
- Slay the Spire
- Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
- World of Goo
- My Time at Portia
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Castlevania is such a cornerstone of gaming at this point that it has transcended the concept of mere platforming and ascended to its own sub-genre, the hallowed Metroidvania. This is my personal favorite way to game, so I am fiercely biased, but the majority of gamers can agree that the mobile port of Symphony of the Night is pretty darn good.
Jordan Palmer pointed out in his review that the touch screen controls aren't ideal, but they are at least serviceable. If you have small hands and a huge phone, you might not even notice that the controls' placement is a little cramped. However, if you have a controller to pair with your phone, you'll be able to have a better mechanical experience thanks to controller support provided by Konami.
For a whopping $3, you get the entire game without any microtransactions, options for English or Japanese voice acting, multiple languages supported for the captions, more replayability thanks to the addition of achievements, controller support, and a steady framerate. I'd say that's a pretty incredible deal for one of the best-regarded Castlevania titles of all time.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
You deserve the best, don't you? Of course you do! So you just go ahead and treat yourself to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and get a taste of one of the pinnacles of platforming faithfully ported to a mobile phone near you.
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger is exactly the kind of game I turn to when I want to be reminded of what makes the turn-based JRPG so fun. It has larger-than-life storytelling, charming and memorable characters, fantastic world-building, killer art design, and of course, strategic and engaging gameplay that will keep you coming back for years to come.
Chrono Trigger has held up well to the test of time, and the mobile port brings this legendary game into the hands of players who may otherwise have never been able to access it. The port has been optimized for mobile devices, so don't expect a straight 1 for 1 comparison between the original and the port. The graphics have been smoothed out a bit, and the audio cleaned up a bit for modern eyes and ears. They even threw in an autosave feature and a couple of totally new dungeons for good measure! The touch-screen controls are decent, but controller support is there for those that prefer it.
All told, Chrono Trigger stands among the greats of the JRPG genre for a very good reason. If you haven't been able to experience it before, then now's your chance. And that's for a measly FIVE BUCKS, no less. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up.
Chrono Trigger
A timeless piece of gaming exists in Chrono Trigger. Stellar gameplay, gripping plot, and charming characters make this a game for the books. The legend lives on in this excellent mobile port.
Dead Cells
We're starting to catch up to modern times now and boy howdy, have we just got to talk about Dead Cells. Just in case you've been living under a rock and missed the hype, Dead Cells is a side-scrolling roguelike that follows in the footsteps of the Soulsborne tradition with its notoriously high difficulty. This one isn't for those of us that are easily frustrated rage-quitters. Patience and learning from your mistakes will get you much farther in Dead Cells, so maybe do a few minutes of deep breathing before you fire this one up.
There are many different playstyles that you can explore in Dead Cells, but you can't afford to be lazy here, even with the little baddies. You'll need to use all of your skills, which you can tweak with each new run following your inevitable death, like parries, dodges, and learning enemy behaviors to succeed. And the bosses? You know what, don't even ask about those right now. You'll find out when you get there.
Dead Cells' port has been fully optimized for mobile and is notable for having touch screen controls that are actually good. Slap on top of all that a great soundtrack and some truly gorgeous graphics, and buddy, you've got yourself one hell of a good game. It'll cost you $8.99, but I can promise you it's worth it.
Dead Cells
Dead Cells isn't for the faint of heart, but if you can face up to the challenge to try and try again, then this roguelike belongs in your arsenal of best Android games. Period.
Gorogoa
You didn't think it was going to be all action-packed, wild rides over here, did you? Good, because Gorogoa is here to slake the thirst of puzzle junkies the world over! You may have missed it, but Annapurna Interactive has been quietly putting out some of the best indies on the market in recent years. Florence, Donut County, Sayonara Wildhearts, Maquette, and even the grandmother of all walking-sims, Gone Home — you name it, and if it's a legendary indie, then I bet you five bucks that Annapurna backed it.
A fair number of Annapurna's games are originally created for mobile, but Gorogoa counts itself among the ports. A fascinating puzzle game comprised of breathtakingly illustrated panels, Gorogoa asks you to re-arrange and combine these panels in unique ways to solve puzzles. The more nuanced appeal of Gorogoa, beyond its stellar visual presentation, tells a deeper narrative through its thousands of hand-drawn illustrations.
Just about the only bad thing that I can say about this game is that it's one of the shorter entries on this list, but Gorogoa earns its place among the stars with its exceptional creativity and vibrant flare. The hyper-visual focus makes it a no-brainer for Android, as the controls transfer very easily to the mobile space. If you're searching for that next puzzler, then search no more. Here it is, the glorious Gorogoa!
Gorogoa
The puzzle-game space can get rather crowded at times, but Gorogoa cuts through the noise with its truly exceptional presentation and execution. One of the better indies of the past 5 years is now on mobile, and you should give it a try.
GRID Autosport
Can triple-A console gaming actually be ported to mobile and work well? Yes, and GRID Autosport is the proof. GRID has held its title as one of the best mobile racing games out there for years, and its consistently high ratings are further evidence of how well-received this port has been by racing game enthusiasts.
At a whopping $10, the cost of entry is pretty high with this one, but for that price, you get a whole lot of game. GRID Autosport on mobile includes all of the original game's DLC, 100 maps, 100 cars, killer gameplay, and multiple options for control schemes and difficulty settings. Plus, the graphics here are quite simply jaw-dropping, ensuring that every race and, of course, all of your lovingly souped-up vehicles look absolutely incredible.
This is also among the few games listed here that really pushes the limits on the technical side of mobile gaming, so there's a chance your phone may not even be able to run this behemoth. The Google Play Store will let you know if your phone isn't up to the task of handling this too fast, too furious monster. In short, there's a reason GRID Autosport is still one of the top mobile racing games out there, and we should all consider ourselves lucky that the port is as high quality as it is. Feral Interactive knocked it out of the park with GRID Autosport on mobile.
GRID Autosport
Check out this mobile port of a AAA console racing game and be amazed. Not only is it beautiful, but it packs in a ton of value for $10. Race to your heart's content in GRID Autosport.
Gris
Gris is a no-brainer port to Android. This casual adventure-platformer made quite a splash when it launched for consoles in 2018, largely thanks to its incredible art style. I've never taken more screengrabs of a game in my life, believe me. You play as the title character herself, Gris, as she traverses an evolving watercolor world on a quest of self-healing.
Having lost her voice after an unknown trauma, her world has become washed out, empty, and grey. As you progress through the levels, though, helping Gris work toward an emotional reckoning along the way, the world begins to change in beautiful new ways. The journey is the whole point of this short but sweet indie, so that's all I'll say about that. You'll have to discover the rest for yourself.
In contrast to its ambiguous yet impactful themes of overcoming internal conflict, Gris is free of danger or death. There are no enemies in the traditional sense, no creatures you have to fight to surpass. The gameplay consists of some interesting, smooth platforming and exploring your 2D side-scrolling world, which has some appreciated secrets built-in for you to find. The already simple controls transfer to mobile very well, so this is one where you may find that you don't even want a controller. Gris could take as little as 3 or as much as 6 hours to finish if you're a completionist, and those will be hours well-spent.
This indie is truly an accomplishment of art in motion, and I would recommend it to absolutely every gamer, no matter who you are or what you normally like to play. Gris is an experience and for only $4.99, it's one worth having.
Gris
One of the most stunning adventure-platformers out there, Gris is a journey through a watercolor world of emotional growth. Smooth platforming, gorgeous environments, and a great soundtrack make this a must for your game library.
Limbo
Let's be real for a second; Limbo is just a give-in when it comes to the best mobile ports. Similar to the straightforward, no-frills gameplay featured in Gris, Limbo's side-scrolling platforming combined with its stark black, white, and grey art direction allow it to transition seamlessly to mobile.
If you somehow don't know about this award-winning indie game yet, Limbo has you play as a young boy searching for his sister through, you guessed it, limbo. The haunting atmosphere encapsulates the even more haunting narrative with laser-like precision. The puzzles are inventive and engaging. The sound design adds an immersive depth that makes you feel every last creepy crawly right down to your very bones.
I don't want to tell you anything else about Limbo so that you can experience the game for yourself if you haven't had the privilege yet. It has a free demo available on the Play Store and Play Pass holders can even pick up the game for free. Without Play Pass though, you'll still only pay a reasonable $4.99. Limbo is, and probably always will be, worth it.
LIMBO
Limbo's creepy, disturbing atmosphere put it on the map back in 2010 and has kept it there all this time. Some say that the ending is a bit polarizing, but you'll just have to determine that for yourself, now, won't you.
Slay the Spire
Slay the Spire is a more recent game than most others on this list and is, by extension, one of the most recent ports featured here, having just made its way to mobile in February 2021. A roguelite with deck-building at the core of its battle system, Slay the Spire skips the slog that some roguelikes fall prey to by throwing you straight into the action.
You start each run by choosing from a handful of playable characters with their own base deck and specialties. You then build out your deck as you progress by defeating procedurally-generated enemies and replacing weaker cards in your deck with better ones when you win. This is where Slay the Spire can get so addictive, as the combos you can craft with decks are impressively expansive. Cards have various effects, such as buffs for you, debuffs for your opponents, or regular ol' offensive/defensive maneuvers. There are also various relics you can pick up along the way that help give you a greater edge over your competition.
The biggest issue with Slay the Spire on mobile is that its UI can feel cramped at times, particularly when it comes to visually smaller items, like the relics. However, being able to swipe your cards at your enemies has a nice tactile feel that helps save the UI from being a dealbreaker for me. All the same, those with larger phones or tablets (or smaller hands) may have an easier go of it.
At $9.99, Slay the Spire will cost you more than your average mobile game, but considering that many players wind up logging hundreds of hours of playtime, you're likely to be getting your money's worth.
Slay the Spire
A roguelite with an intricate deck-building system, Slay the Spire is both challenging and hypnotizing. Be prepared to spend many hours in this incredible port.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
One of the best things about ports is that they can often save older games that are hard to access with modern technology. Not everyone knows how emulators work or still has their old console kicking around that they can dust back off to replay some beloved titles, so ports can bring classics more easily back into the hands of those who love them.
Case in point, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (aka KOTOR). One of the most beloved games bearing the Star Wars name, KOTOR is an immersive role-playing game where you are the last hope of the Jedi Order. Packed with nuance and choices for you to make, destiny isn't set with KOTOR. You can choose your alignment and affect your outcome by joining the light or dark side of the force.
Jam-packed with all the light-saber action you could want, there are over 40 moves that you can learn throughout KOTOR, 8 planets to visit, and 9 possible NPCs that you can recruit to your party. If Jedi: Fallen Order got you interested in Star Wars games, then consider giving good ol' KOTOR a try! It's even free for Play Pass subscribers.
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Considered by many to be the definitive Star Wars gaming experience, Knights of the Old Republic is available on Android in all its glory. The file size is massive, but it's worth the storage to gain access to one of the classic Star Wars RPGs.
World of Goo
World of Goo feels like one of the OGs of the physics-based puzzlers by now. Originally a Wii game, World of Goo made its way to Android nearly 10 years ago, which is a feat in and of itself. The premise of World of Goo is simple: drag and drop living globs of goo to build structurally sound pathways that the goo folks can then traverse to get from point A to point B.
Naturally, the infusion of physics leads to some silly fun and shenanigans, but keep in mind that you'll need to be fairly strategic with your goo-building since you'll need to get a certain amount of goos into the proverbial goal to succeed at each level.
World of Goo is an oldie but goodie and has held up well over the years, maintaining its fun and charm with aplomb. Be warned, though, some folks have more recently reported game-breaking issues like progress being lost and crashes, but this doesn't seem to be a consistent problem for everyone. For $4.99, you too can join the World of Goo!
World of Goo
A physics-based puzzler that has you building structures of questionable integrity out of goo critters. Build your structures as efficiently as you can to maximize your score and get on the worldwide leaderboards.
My Time at Portia
It's been a little over 2 years since My Time at Portia launched on consoles. During that time, it has carved out its own niche in the increasingly flooded realm of life sims. I don't love the comparison (because it's not truly accurate), but MTaP is most adjacent to games like Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, and even the old Harvest Moon games.
Taking a little bit from several genres, Portia rolls hack-n-slash combat, collecting/gathering, crafting, farming, and relationship-building mechanics all into one giant game. Completely redesigned for mobile in terms of its controls and UI, Portia has done a surprisingly decent job of making the jump to Android. The virtual controls are perfectly acceptable, and the UI is okay if a bit small at times. You can potentially put over 60 hours into this massive title, and it's a great world to sink a few minutes into every day, or even a few hours if you get into a groove.
Portia isn't without its faults, though. It's known for having severe performance issues on the Switch, and some of those issues have made their way to mobile as well. The loading times thankfully aren't horrendous, but the lag and frame drops can be pretty bad sometimes. There are also a few minor bugs here and there, but nothing truly game-breaking. All told, Portia performs perhaps better than the Switch version, so the port has done a good job of learning and improving on past mistakes.
My Time at Portia is premium priced at $7.99, but considering how much time this game is worth, that's a deserved price point.
My Time at Portia
A massive contender in the world of life sims, My Time at Portia combines elements from many different genres to create a unique life sim experience.
Taking stock
Ports can be a little polarizing at times, and not all games make the jump with grace. But as phones continue to make technological advancements and gain the ability to handle bigger and better games, you'll find some truly stellar games accessible without the need for a console now. This list is not exhaustive yet, so expect to see some future additions as more and more ports make their way to Android devices.
Updated August 2021: Added My Time at Portia to our list!
by Rachel Mogan