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Friday, August 13, 2021

Play on — these are the best sports games for Android

Get your game on — even in the offseason — with the best sports games available for Android.

After a few golden years of fantastic entries, it seems like most mobile sports games have succumbed to the freemium model. There are far too few quality titles available that just let you jump into the game without having to deal with player cards, pointless upgrades, or waiting for stamina meters to refill. Nearly all the top mobile sports game franchises have switched over to a team-building system that requires you to unlock (or buy) card packs to upgrade your team.

However, there are still great games to be played. We've tried to cover the five major North American sports here with some extras thrown in for fun. Be sure to note which games are more sim-based for the hardcore sports fan and which ones offer a more arcade-like option for casual players.

Want something a bit less sporty? We have a list of the best Android games overall, too!

The games

NBA 2K20

NBA 2K20 is a rare premium sports title for Android that doesn't rely on microtransactions and loot crates, which automatically makes it a great game, in my opinion. The graphics and presentation are top-notch and compare nicely to the console versions.

NBA 2K20 offers multiple game modes including the MyCareer Run story mode, Run The Streets, and NBA Stories for reliving some of the greatest moments in NBA History. There's also online multiplayer and full support for Bluetooth controllers.

This game is a rare treat as far as sports games on Android go. Even if you're not the biggest basketball fan, this is your best bet for a premium sportsball title on your phone.

NBA 2K20

$6 at Google Play Store

Not something you see too often, NBA 2K20 is a premium sports game that packs in a lot of content all while looking pretty.

NBA Jam

NBA Jam is a classic title that continues to be updated by the developers and remains one of the most polished and fun sports games in the Google Play Store. This remake of the 90s arcade classic features all the fast-paced two-on-two action you remember with upgraded graphics and rosters.

There are four modes for you to dive into, including local and online multiplayer. Touch controls are simple and responsive, making it super easy to set up an epic alley-oop, or sink three shots in a row and hear Tim Kitzrow — the original NBA JAM commentator — yell his infamous line, "HE'S ON FIRE!"

NBA Jam

$5 at Google Play Store

Enjoy one of the best throwbacks on the Play Store to the golden era of arcade games. NBA JAM is a nostalgia fest that is also really good.

MLB 9 Innings 20

The 2020 edition of Nine Innings builds on the franchise's great graphics and gameplay, featuring all 30 MLB ballparks and over 1,700 players carefully rendered in 3D for an authentic gameplay experience. There are multiple ways to play with gameplay optimized for one-handed controls.

You have the choice to play on offense or defense or let the game run on autoplay. You can go against other players across the world in the Ranked Battle, Clutch Hits, and Club Battle modes. Or you can also just stick to the League Mode — whichever appeals to you.

Microtransactions here are what you'd expect. You have a selection of different player packs, going all the way up to $99.99. These packs contain different tiers of players and gear, or you can pay to upgrade your existing players with a Grade Increase Ticket. Time limitations, like "Players of the Month" for the Preferred Player Pack, exist to increase FOMO, too. All of that being said, this is easily the best baseball game available for Android.

MLB 9 Innings 20

Free w/ IAPs at Google Play Store

If you like baseball, then this the Android game for you. Enjoy one of several modes and plenty of choice on how you play.

eFootball PES 2020

Konami's celebrated football franchise is back for 2020 with enhanced dribble controls and options for local and real-time online matches against friends or strangers. It's all part of the developer's focus on taking this mobile soccer game into the eSports realm with competitive online play that's responsive and rewarding.

The Inspire system lets you influence how your teammates play, adding new levels of complexity. This game tries its best to provide you with a tailored experience based on your playstyle. I'd say the biggest downside with eFootball PES 2020 is that it's another freemium sports game; it's also a very large download.

Like other games of its kind, eFootball PES 2020 contains the usual spread of microtransactions. Your main purchase options are to buy myClub Coins, ranging from $0.99 to $99.99 with the normal bundle deals to get you "free" additional Coins. These Coins let you recruit better players quicker, sign better managers, borrow players from other people for longer, renew contracts, and you probably guessed this one, refresh your stamina. You can also buy Squad packs, like Manchester United, ensuring that you'll always have the latest players for your in-game squad.

eFootball PES 2020

Free w/ IAPs at Google Play Store

One of the better soccer games on Android, eFootball PES 2020 is a fun title with the best controls yet.

Kick Hero

One of my personal favorites on this list, Kick Hero blends a side-scrolling brawler with a sports game. Honestly, the latter descriptor is pretty loose, but hey, the game involves kicking soccer balls at people. It's hilarious and I recommend you give it a try.

The main gist is to tap the screen once the ball hits the circle and score combos with perfect timing. You kick fireballs, drop lightning, and other cool effects. There are boss battles, the art style is awesome, and Kick Hero is otherwise just a wonderful game.

You can pay a mere $1.99 to remove ads or spend a few extra bucks to unlock different characters. Otherwise, you earn coins during the game to unlock additional goodies. So if you like Kick Hero, you remove the ads and get the two DLC characters at your leisure.

Kick Hero

Free w/ ads, IAPs at Google Play Store

Kick Hero is a side-scrolling brawler meeting a sports game. Really, it's more so the former, but man is it a fun time.

Motorball

Motorball is the closest we've gotten to Rocket League on Android. The goal is to launch a giant soccer ball into your opponent's goal, while protecting yours, using the RC car you control. It's on a much smaller scale than the incredibly popular Rocket League, but that makes it perfect for mobile gaming.

From the cartoony graphics to the ultra simple gameplay, Motorball is easy to pick up and play, but somewhat difficult to master. It's still in beta at time of writing, but I didn't notice any kinks or bugs. Being a free-to-play game, Motorball does feature microtransactions to purchase in-game currency. This lets you buy new cosmetics like different cars, new wind-up keys, and alternate boost trails and decals.

While not really soccer per se, the spirit of the sport is here in Motorball. There are many ways to score on your opponent, or even score on yourself if you're not careful, and it's all-in-all a really fun game to kill some time.

Motorball (Beta)

Free w/ IAPs at Google Play Store

Taking the spirit of Rocket League and tuning it down for the touchscreen, Motorball is a wildly fun game where you use an RC car to push a giant soccer ball into your opponent's goal.

Australian Open Game

This is the best tennis game I've found for Android. Developed by Big Ant Studios for Tennis Australia to help promote the Australian Open, this free title delivers a surprisingly robust number of gameplay options. You can play a quick match, beat the AO tournament to unlock the other Grand Slam events or play career mode with your customized player.

The default controls automatically position your player to return shots with swipes used to perform different shots, but there are settings for more advanced controls as well. You can also unlock all of the 2019 Australian Open players. As you might expect, the career mode gets progressively more difficult as you carry yourself to victory.

Australian Open Game

Free at Google Play Store

This is by far the best tennis game on Android, Australian Open lets you create your own star player and progress through to victory.

Madden NFL 21 Mobile Football

Whether we like it or not, Madden NFL Mobile Football reigns supreme among the few playable American football games available for Android, with the latest edition adding a redesigned GM mode.

This is the only way to play as or with your favorite NFL players and teams on Android. For your time, you get competitive play, dynamic football seasons, and new strategies to build your gameplay style around. There's also a co-op mode for you to help out your friends in their seasons or for them to help you.

The microtransactions are your typical fare. You start off with Madden Cash, the main in-game currency (there's also Gems). The prices start at $4.99 and go all the way up to $99.99, which isn't too unusual. Cash goes to buying in-game card packs, which unlock new players. You can also buy Stamina so that you can play more once you run out of energy. As I said, it's the usual stuff that we'd expect from a freemium title.

Madden NFL Mobile Football

Free w/ IAPs at Google Play Store

For better or for worse, Madden is the quintessential American football video game experience. There just isn't much else on Android.

Ted Ginn: Kick Return Football

If Madden wasn't to your taste, but you still want some American football action, then check out Kick Return Football. It's a fun and unique take on the sport and reminds me of those old handheld football games from the '90s and '00s. Draw and swipe your way to the endzone!

This game is built for touch controls, and they're really easy to pick up and learn. Soon enough, you'll be managing your team and outwitting your opponent to victory. There are tournaments and startling good rewards for touchdowns and wins. There's still some real football strategy here, and even as someone who doesn't like football, I had fun with this one.

Sadly, there are microtransactions in Kick Return Football, some of which are blatantly pay-to-win. There's one that starts your team off with 21 points from the get-go, or another that adds an extra point to each touchdown. You can also double your in-game earnings. All of these seem to be one-time purchases, but there you go. And, of course, you can buy more of that in-game currency.

Ted Ginn: Kick Return Football

Free w/ ads, IAPs at Google Play Store

Enjoy a different take on American football with Kick Return Football. There's plenty to do with some of the best touch controls I've seen in a sports game.

Golf Star

Golf Star is the best golfing game on Android, featuring excellent graphics and intuitive controls. The game lets you customize your golfer and jump into Career Mode, where you learn the ropes and hone your skills. It's going to take you a bit of time to figure out the intricacies of the physics and how to properly read the greens and aim your putts, but you'll pick it up in no time.

Beyond Career Mode, there are multiplayer modes such as Tournament Mode and Goodwill Match Mode that let you compete in one-on-one competitions against live opponents. It's a big game, though, so be sure you have space and bandwidth to install it.

The microtransactions involve buying Coins and GP to purchase cosmetics (some of which boost stats), consumable items to make playing the game easier, and VIP memberships to unlock better items each week.

Golf Star

Free w/ ads, IAPs at Google Play Store

The best golfing game on Android, Golf Star may come with ads and IAPs, but it features some beautiful graphics and great golfing physics.

OK Golf

OK Golf hearkens back to the simpler golf games from the arcade days. There aren't any fancy drills, clubs, and tournaments to worry about. Just drag back on the screen, aim, and let loose to watch the golf ball fly toward your intended destination. That's really all there is to it.

The graphics are simplistic, but they look great. The courses are varied and the simple gameplay keeps you hooked. I'm not really a golf fan, and I'm consequently deplorable at anything that has to do with the sport, but I liked OK Golf. It's pretty chill and it's only a couple of dollars on the Play Store. There aren't any additional ads or IAPs to worry about, either.

OK Golf

$3 at Google Play Store

OK Golf lets you relax while you send golf balls off into oblivion on one of many beautiful courses. This premium game is a one-time purchase.

Grow in the Hole

Grow in the Hole is a minimalist golfing adventure where the ball grows bigger with each failed shot. You line up the trajectory and strength of each attempt and let it fly! Hopefully you make it in the hole because the larger the ball gets, the harder things become. The wacky physics engine doesn't help you much, either.

This is a side-view, procedurally-generated game that's a ton of fun. It supports local multiplayer, too, so that you can laugh at you and your friends' failures. There are a lot of different ways to play Grow in the Hole, including some plain weird modifiers that change up how things will play out. Seriously, give this one a try.

Grow in the Hole

Free at Google Play Store

Check out this side-view "golfing" game where each failed shot means the ball grows bigger! Things can get pretty wacky so strap yourself in for a game that's fun and wild.

Grand Mountain Adventure: Snowboard Premiere

Grand Mountain Adventure feels like the spiritual successor to the 90s classic SkiFree, offering endless and calming gameplay. You get to explore the first mountain for free, completing timed runs to unlock new ski lifts that let you access new areas of the mountain.

There is a lot to explore just on the first mountain, let alone on the others. An in-app purchase unlocks the other seven mountains, along with the ability to shred powder on a gnarly snowboard. Featuring a ton of content, Grand Mountain Adventure is one of the best winter sports games for mobile.

Grand Mountain Adventure: Snowboard Premiere

Free w/ IAPs at Google Play Store

This is one of the best winter sports games on Android. Explore the first mountain for free but unlock the full game for the total experience.

Snowboard Party: World Tour

Snowboard Party: World Tour is easily the best snowboarding game available on the Play Store. The graphics are great, the pop-punk soundtrack is fitting, and the touch controls are surprisingly tight. There are also four different modes to choose from — Time-Attack, Freestyle, Big Air, and Halfpipe, along with a multiplayer mode for playing against your friends.

Master all of the fancy tricks, collect the different snowboards, and earn the highest score. There are 16 snowboarders to customize and upgrade, which you can do without spending a dime — although in-app purchases are included, which let you speed up progress, unlock additional XP or get temporary boosters, and remove ads. Snowboard Party is also compatible with controllers, too.

Snowboard Party: World Tour

Free w/ ads, IAPs at Google Play Store

Another fantastic winter sports game for Android, Snowboard Party: World Tour features a ton to do and collect.

Skateboard Party 3 Pro

Fans of the classic Tony Hawk Pro Skater games from back in the day who lament the storied franchise's current state (not counting the upcoming remasters) should check out Skateboard Party 3. It's a throwback to those classic skateboarding games we loved before things went awry.

The game physics and controls feel very familiar and you're given a couple of game modes to choose from. In Career Mode, you get four minutes to explore the eight different locations and rack up a huge score, collect P-A-R-T-Y scattered around as floating letters, and find other hidden items.

Things are unlocked by spending experience points, which you collect by completing challenges and landing tricks. Another throwback to the good ol' days!

Skateboard Party 3 Pro

$2 w/ IAPs at Google Play Store

If you grew up with the Tony Hawk skateboarding games, Skateboard Party 3 Pro is just for you. There's plenty to do and see, and it feels like the classics while being a new experience.

Bowling Crew

The only game I ever really played on Wii Sports was the bowling one, especially once I figured out how to do so without standing up. Speaking of bowling, our next game on this list is Bowling Crew. This is one of the best bowling games I've managed to find on the Play Store.

First off, Bowling Crew is a gorgeous 3D bowling game. Second, it's PvP-based. Third, it involves plenty of progression to keep you interested as you go along. You can unlock new bowling balls (through gameplay and microtransactions) so you have something nice to look at while you play. It's a ton of fun, easy to play, and there's a lot of replayability.

Of course, it wouldn't be a mobile game without the typical microtransaction gotchas. Your stamina meter is based on the chips you earn (which you can buy, of course). Gold is how you buy cases, which give you unlockable items like new ball cards, chips, and so on. There's a bunch of boosters and unlocks you can purchase, too.

Bowling Crew

Free w/ ads, IAPs at Google Play Store

One of the best bowling games I've found on the Play Store, Bowling Crew is a gorgeous and fun time.

FIE Swordplay

Ever wanted to try your hand at virtual fencing? I sure did as soon as I heard of FIE Swordplay, a game that focuses solely on the fine art of fencing. There's a lot of content to play through as you learn legitimately real fencing techniques. Controls are simple to grasp and make the gameplay easy to get into.

FIE Swordplay features both a PvE campaign and PvP so you can test your skills. I wasn't very good, but I never had trouble finding a match. There's a lot of customization here, so you can fine-tune your gear and your appearance.

Of course, there are microtransactions, as you might expect from a free-to-play game. These let you purchase in-game cosmetics, but I found that I often had more currency than I had things to purchase in-game. The microtransactions feel like an afterthought, but in a good way. You can also buy new skins, like a musketeer and a knight, for five bucks each.

FIE Swordplay

Free w/ IAPs at Google Play Store

FIE Swordplay has a lot going for it, even for a free-to-play game. If you like fencing, this is a game you should check out; it has both PvE and PvP.

Pocket Run Pool

From the brilliant creators of Really Bad Chess comes Pocket Run Pool, a reimagining of the classic billiards games we've seen in the Play Store for years. The end goal is still the same: sink balls in various pockets. However, it's more of a high score seeker game than your standard pool.

Scores are determined by where and when you sink a ball, so there's some good strategy involved. Each pocket has a different score assigned to it, which changes after each shot. A scratch will cause you to lose a life and you only have three. Lose them all and it's game over. Besides being a unique way to play pool, it's just a good mobile game and great for killing time.

Pocket Run Pool

Free w/ ads, IAPs at Google Play Store

Get the high score in this new take on pool for mobile. Each pocket has a different score assigned to it, so go for the best. It's risk versus reward and you definitely don't want to scratch.

Touchgrind BMX 2

As an avid fan of the X Games and a person with absolutely zero talent for sweet stunts, BMX games are a rare opportunity for me to live out my impossible dreams. In Touchgrind BMX 2, you control a riderless bike through some incredibly sick environments, doing just as many sick moves as you can using Touchgrind BMX's signature two-finger controls. This game is native to mobile, so the touchscreen controls are excellent.

The bike customization options are decent and a fun way to tweak your ride to suit your style. What's more, the graphics are really quite nice and the massive environments are candy for the eyes. Audio quality is good overall and the soundtrack is okay. I didn't personally love the OST, but that's an opinion not a condemnation of the game's quality.

Touchgrind BMX 2 is free on Android with ads and in-app purchases, but if you're a Play Pass subsciber then you'll have no ads and you can bypass the IAPs. Touchgrind BMX 2 is one of the highest rated sport games on Android for good reason. Check it out and get your X Games fix while you can!

Touchgrind BMX 2

Free w/ ads, IAPs at Google Play Store

One of the best BMX games you can find on mobile, Touchgrind BMX 2 takes everything that made the first game good and cranked it all up to 11.

Fishing Life

Fishing is a terribly underrated sport in real life, and is perhaps even more so in the virtual world. This is a real tragedy, as fishing can run the gamut from a relaxing, almost meditative experience, to a heart-pounding struggle between man and nature. Fishing Life knows what it's about and chooses to go the route of a more soothing take on fishing. The soundtrack is a low-key acoustic affair which pairs very well with the game's beautiful minimalistic graphics and art style. Enjoying the passage of time and watching the sunset turn into a starry sky from your boat is just one of the many nice touches in this quaint, yet engrossing, game.

In Fishing Life, you set out onto the water as a man looking to escape his woes for a little while and relive the childhood joys of fishing with his father. The controls are very simple, there are a variety of craft you can fish from, and of course there are tons of fish that you can catch. From basic little fishies to tuna, to shark, and even all the way up to whales, there's not much that you can't catch in Fishing Life.

This charming title is free with ads and in-app purchases. If you're looking for a chill game to wind down with, I can highly recommend Fishing Life.

Fishing Life

Free w/ ads, IAPs at Google Play Store

Escape the troubles of everyday life out on the open waters of Fishing Life. With simple controls, good graphics, more fish than you can count, and great atmosphere, you can easily sink hours into this delightfully soothing game.

Nine Elements: Action Fight Ball

A name as incredibly ridiculous as Nine Elements: Action Fight Ball seems like the kind of thing that could only have come from a fever dream. Seeing the game reinforces that feeling, but actually playing Nine Elements is a surprisingly fun and action-packed experience. A fascinating take on volleyball, Nine Elements reminds me of Tekken Ball mode from the Tekken fighting games. Nine Elements is a combination of volleyball infused with moves and special abilities that make it feel almost like a fighting game. Boasting 16 playable characters and colorful, cartoon-like graphics, Nine Elements is a bizarre, yet exciting contender in the field of sports games.

Using virtual touchscreen controls, you move your character from side to side to position them around the court and then drag your finger in different directions (upward right diagonal, straight right, upward left diagonal, etc) to execute different types of hits like spikes, drop shots, and power spikes. You can also guard against enemy attacks, which is crucial to maintaining control of your side of the court. You've also got a special move gauge, which can fire off two different types of special attacks depending on how full it is, one of which is your ultimate move.

One of the few downsides here is that in spite of its popularity and great ratings, Nine Elements seems to have lost any continuing support from its developer. The last update was all the way back in 2016, so you won't get any new characters or added features at this point. That being said, Nine Elements is free with ads and in-app purchases, so there's no harm in giving it a try.

Nine Elements: Action Fight Ball

Free w/ ads, IAPs at Google Play Store

Volleyball meets fighting game in Nine Elements: Action Fight Ball! Unleash your special moves and battle it out on the court to reign supreme.

Boxing Star

One of the better mobile boxing games available right now, Boxing Star is easy to pick up, is packed with interesting features, and boasts some pretty great gameplay. Using intuitive virtual and touchscreen controls, you can dodge and guard against your opponent's fists while doling out your own straights, hooks, and uppercuts. Stunning an opponent opens them up to a frenzied special attack.

Winning matches in Story Mode will net you some in-game currency and new gear. You can customize your boxer's physical appearance and all of the "swank" that comes with boxing stardom. You can choose what ride you're sporting, the crew you roll with, and even where you live. Some of the really good gear comes from PvP rewards, which are implemented in a way that incentivizes IAPs. For example, you might win a package after a PvP match, but you can't actually open it until 5 minutes have passed. These timers start to increase the higher your rank goes, so it can get annoying if you're not a patient person.

Boxing Star is free-to-play but some items can also be purchased with real money. However, the game gets a brownie point in this category for including a rarely seen feature: the ability to turn IAPs off. You can simply disable them from the game settings menu, which is a superb quality-of-life measure in my book. With regular updates still being implemented by the dev team, Boxing Star just keeps getting better and better.

Boxing Star

Free w/ IAPs at Google Play Store

Throw out a few straights, dodge a fist to the face, and counter with a sick left hook! Become the best boxer in the business with Boxing Star for Android.

Updated August 2021: Added Nine Elements: Action Fight Ball and Boxing Star to our list!



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