Photo: Android

Google’s growing mobile phone platform ranges from various mobile apps, dealing with issues like productivity, augmented reality and search. This article takes a look at some marquee Android games.

Retro Defense

A tower defense game whose art style was borrowed wholesale from Geometry Wars, Retro Defense has the one often elusive characteristic all tower defense games need to survive – addictive gameplay.

Doom

There was once a time when Doom was the most advanced, most popular, most addictive first-person shooter on the planet and it cost a lot to buy brand new. Its popularity has waned and its graphics look dated but it is still a heap of fun to play. Best of all, this community developed port of the game is absolutely free! It’s Doom as a mobile game.

Foursquare

Photo: Android

While not strictly a game so to speak, Foursquare’s gaming elements are what has helped the service rise above most of its competitors. This geolocation service encourages users to “check in” at the locations they visit. This diligence is then rewarded with badges, awards and the coveted “mayor of a location award”. This, an almost holy circle, proves that the service is as popular as it is because playing the “check in” game reinforces the service.

Radiant

Radiant is essentially Asteroids 2010, which is to say a lot of fun. The game, a simple top-down shooter, has a beautiful yet true to its inspiration art style, while also introducing modern shooting mechanics. It’s a must-have mobile app for all retro games fans.

Mystique

Photo: Android

Mystique, being revolutionary in that it’s both a 3-D horror game as well as the first dedicated episodic game on the platform, is an unsettling game. The dark theme, combined with the technical achievement means all Android owners should at least try it out. The premise alone makes this mobile game worthwhile and, on top of that, it’s absolutely free.

Android games have finally gathered momentum and while they’re not being churned out at the rate iPhone games are being churned out, the quality of the games is improving daily. It is now well known that Android, as a platform, is here to stay, and developers are doing all they can to improve your device’s use and fun factor post- purchase.