Best Open-World Games You Can Play On Android And Other Mobile Devices
We often take digital technology so much for granted that open-world games have become underappreciated these days. Sometimes, you just have to sit back and take in the bigger picture. It’s a living and breathing world in a digital space. Put it in a mobile phone and that world easily fits in the palm of your hand or your pocket. That’s how far gaming has come from the 2D days of Pong.
How viable a platform is for gaming is sometimes measured by how fun its open-world games are. In that regard, mobile phones are very much a fully-fledged gaming platform. Of course, to save yourself from the trouble of weeding out which of those games best represent the open-world genre in mobile, then take a vacation to these top contenders’ worlds.
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Updated on January 21, 2023 by Quinton O’Connor: The mobile gaming market isn’t exactly going anywhere, and new games are being added all the time. Some are wholly original titles; others are long-awaited ports of classics. Open-world fare goes either way, so there’s a veritable ton to sift through. Here are some of the best.
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21
LifeAfter
Genres
Zombie
Survival
LifeAfter is a little bit of everything. It has the graphics of PUBG and Fortnite and also has the gameplay elements of the most compelling zombie survival games. As always, the game is all about fending for yourself in a zombie apocalypse where every former bastion of civilization is now littered with military hardware.
It’s up to you to shore up your base defenses and scavenge for some precious resources. LifeAfter merely takes an old concept and makes it more ambitious by turning it into a mobile open world game for Android and other devices. The best part is that it’s also an MMORPG and you can team up with other players.
20
EVE Echoes
Genres
Science Fiction
Flight Sim
Speaking of ambitious projects, EVE Echoes does the impossible and puts one of the most complicated MMORPGs ever in a pocket-sized computer. EVE was known for its vast open space where thousands of players can wage war with one another with their armadas in tow.
EVE Echoes brings that exact experience into smartphones but is more streamlined and more accessible. It’s also free, though that can be a downside as the game has a premium currency that you’ll have to work hard for if you don’t want to spend real money.
19
18
Perfect World Mobile
Genres
Fantasy
MMORPG
Before gacha games became all the rage, traditional Korean MMORPGs where what best represented the Eastern online RPG market. Among them was Perfect World, and it was one of the finest ever made as it allowed unprecedented freedom with character creation which was impressive for its time.
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Fast-forward to today, and we can thankfully relive that experience once more with Perfect World Mobile. It’s a mostly identical setup except it’s a lot easier to play now with all the automation mechanics that ensure you get to the meat of the game if you don’t have much time to play.
17
Wilderless
Genres
Exploration
Casual
Sometimes all those quests and killing can be numbing when all you really want is to appreciate the scenery and relax. Wilderless is all about that kind of casual gameplay. In here, there are no missions to save the world, no evil creatures, and no pressure to become powerful.
There’s just you and the wide open world made for your viewing pleasure and curiosity. All you have to do is explore the boundless and beautiful nature presented right before your very eyes, except it’s all in the comfort of your smartphone.
16
Frostborn
Genres
RPG
Survival
Frostborn is right for you if you prefer your open-world games to have some Norse or Viking flavor to them. It includes many intricate open-world systems and mechanics and is an amalgam of many genres such as RPG and survival with many multiplayer elements.
In Frostborn, you assume the role of a Viking hero who must rally their friends to rebuild the once great Viking nations after Midgard fell to the undead. To do this, you’ll have to harness the power of the gods while also attending to your settlements.
15
MadOut2 BigCityOnline
Genres
Action-Adventure
Driving Sim
Don’t be fooled by the rather unrefined titling scheme, MadOut2 BigCity Online is a good and competent GTA clone especially if you don’t like the price tag on the old GTA games for handheld devices. It’s free and comes with a big territory to explore, around ten square kilometers.
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It’s also a crime drama similar to other GTA clones on Android or iOS, but it has the added advantage of having online multiplayer for up to 100 players. That very well means you can recreate and host battle royale games.
14
Off The Road
Genres
Exploration
Driving Sim
If you find GTA clone cities to be a little too hectic or noisy, perhaps driving a monster 4×4 through the countryside or sailing a yacht in the wide-open 3D-rendered seas can provide a respite? Off the Road gives you that digital vacation you may or may not have needed.
Off the Road is a fully-realized 3D open-world game that’s all about vehicles instead of people. Most of the in-game locales are all countryside scenery. You can explore all of that in trucks, cars, tractors, and of course, boats.
13
Second Galaxy
Genres
Space Sim
RPG
For something that’s wholly unique and likely never been done before on mobile, Second Galaxy should sate your craving for novelty. It’s a space simulator that lets you commandeer your own spacecraft as you find your place in the vast galaxy.
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There’s plenty to do in this 3D maneuverable universe where your ship also serves as your characters and the one you will progress. You can do missions for galactic factions, hunt down pirates, or simply bask in the majesty of the open space.
12
Six-Guns: Gang Showdown
Genres
Crime
Action-Adventure
Ever wanted to try out something like Red Dead Redemption but for mobile? Six-Guns: Gang Showdown provides the closest experience to that. It’s practically GTA mobile but set in the Western Frontier of the United States.
So yes, you get to be a cowboy or a gunslinger under the breezy sun of the Western deserts. Roam around in your horse or look for some punks that are feeling lucky. The game has its own story and is free to play.
11
Minecraft
Genres
Zombie
Survival
You just can’t get rid of this one no matter how hard you try. Minecraft is both an exercise in creativity and freedom. Not many games can achieve the same level of modularity and customization that Minecraft readily gives.
It’s not free though and that’s alright, the PC and console counterparts weren’t that generous anyway. Regardless, this is just about the same experience as in bigger and beefier platforms, complete with multiplayer.
10
Goat Simulator
Genres
Casual
Goat… Sim?
Some games tend to forget that the best thing it can give their players is devious, destructive, and dumb fun. That’s what Goat Simulator offered when it was released as a seemingly dysfunctional game about a wayward goat in a small town.
Now, that same goat can terrorize the small screen of your Android or iOS phone. The graphics weren’t that demanding, to begin with anyway so it easily fits into mobile hardware. It’s a good way to blow off some steam.
9
Stardew Valley
Genres
Farm Sim
Dating Sim
Speaking of blowing off some steam, doing it with more sophistication and with less nihilism is an ever-present allure in the hit farming game/dating simulator, Stardew Valley. The game has seen much success on PC and console.
On mobile, it gives the same features all in the comfort of your hands. The graphics are the same and the players can treat the game as their dream retirement in some remote farmland brimming with hot single countryfolk stereotypes straight out of romance anime.
8
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
via Rockstar
Genres
Crime
Action-Adventure
Even before Grand Theft Auto 5’s massively popular multiplayer mode transformed the way we look at the series, bringing in ceaseless boatloads of cash and handily becoming the game so many players purchase with new consoles, Grand Theft Auto was already a huge name in the gaming scene. The single-player campaigns have long been celebrated for their blend of cutting wit and compelling escapades.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the second in the old PlayStation 2-era trilogy, has arguably stood the test of time the best of the bunch. Its hero, Tommy, is a captivating guy with a story worth experiencing. More to the point, Vice City’s celebration-slash-defamation of everything 1980s gives it the kind of vibe you can’t find elsewhere in the franchise — or anyplace else on this list, for that matter.
7
Gangstar Vegas
Genres
Crime
Action-Adventure
Then again, you might also want to check out some Grand Theft Auto derivatives that are doing better on the visual aspect. Gangstar Vegas is an open-world game that borrows much from the GTA series.
The difference, however, is that it’s a game made solely for the mobile platform, making it feel less clunky and more forgiving for casual players, especially when one considers that notorious train mission from San Andreas. Gangstar Vegas follows the same gameplay and story structure where you get to control a budding criminal as he rises from rags to riches.
6
Crashlands
Genres
Co-Op Survival
Action-Adventure
Crashlands might look cute and follows the same visual style as Stardew Valley but don’t get too confused, this open-world game is a fight for survival. You begin the game as a galactic trucker who became stranded on an alien planet.
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After that, you’re all on your own as you try to scrounge on the planet searching for whatever materials can aid you in your journey. Don’t expect the local population to be warm though, they mostly consider you as a free meal.
5
Sky: Children Of Light
Genres
Casual
Exploration
Are survival games too stressful? Then why not try something more serene and tranquil? Why not try Sky: Children of Light. It’s an award-winning game that can be played solo but the magic is finding random people to play with in the game world.
The game at its core is an exploration-based theme park. You can fly in the game world and bask in its majestic and sometimes solemn environments. If you’re lonely or sad, then this should probably a priority in the list of mobile games you ought to download.
4
ARK: Survival Evolved
Genres
Survival
PvP
For some people, it’s the thrill of outsmarting others and being the king of the hill that makes games so exhilarating. That describes ARK: Survival Evolved, and it has proven itself to be one of the most dominant titles on the PC and consoles. It lets players run rampant in a chaotic dinosaur-ridden island to see who’s the best.
A mobile version might seem far-fetched but here we are, ARK was ported to Android and iOS. The graphics took a hit as expected but the gameplay of the original is represented well enough for hardcore survival fans to enjoy it.
3
Oceanhorn
Genres
RPG
Retro
The Legend of Zelda games have always been a solid framework for any developer looking to make a decent traditional adventure game. The makers of Oceanhorn went above and beyond. It’s a nod to the classic Zelda games both in gameplay and graphics.
Oceanhorn stands out on its own though with a strong story and a memorable soundtrack courtesy of a Japanese composer. Apart from exploring the seas and islands, players can also partake in calming activities such as fishing.
2
Genshin Impact
Genres
Fantasy
RPG
Speaking of games that take after The Legend of Zelda, Genshin Impact is by far the most successful one at the moment. It took all that made Breath of the Wild a unique RPG and put its own twist.
It throws the player character in the world of Teyvat after a weird god exiled them. Now it’s an open-world co-op RPG that compels people to spend hundreds of dollars just to get the best characters they can find. That’s not a bad thing.
