Board games have been going through a renaissance over the past decade, and it doesn't take a lot of digging in the Google Play Store to see that's the case on Android as well. If you're having trouble getting everybody together under one roof or just don't have any more shelf space for another box, pick up your Android phone or tablet to grab these board games.
It should be noted that finding highly-rated board games on the Play Store is an uphill battle. Whether it's because new updates broke the UI, fundamental aspects didn't get ported over correctly, or the spirit of the original was lost in translation, many of the board games here barely pass my muster. However, there are a few gems.
We've also included a couple of great apps to have on hand when you do get the gaming crew together. And when you're done here, be sure to check out the Best Games for Android!
The games
- Carcassone
- Sea Battle 2
- Risk
- Ticket to Ride
- Splendor
- Wild Jack: Card Gobang
- Elder Sign: Omens
- Galaxy Trucker
- Tsuro
- Stratego
- Tokaido
- AI Factory Limited games
- Better Settlers
- Chwazi Finger Chooser
- RPG Simple Dice
Carcassonne
Carcassonne is a polished adaptation of the classic board game from highly-esteemed developer Asmodee Digital. It was recently re-released in 3D and it looks and plays better than ever! It's a tile-based, kingdom-building game where players each take turns trying to complete roads, cities, and cloisters.
Each turn, players also drop a limited number of "meeple" onto landmarks in an attempt to claim points once the feature has been completed. If you can't fully enclose a city or finish a road by the end of the game, you can still get a few points.
Carcassone also features six expansions at the time of writing, all available via in-app purchases. These expansions change up the game, adding new elements and landscape embellishments, or even ways to greatly increase the number of points you can earn. That all sounds awesome, but they're totally optional.
Carcassone: Official Board Game
Enjoy one of the classics, come again on Android. Build your city and compete with your friends to see who can amass the most points!
Sea Battle 2
Don't let anyone sink your battleship! This reimagining of the classic game lets you play against AI, a random online opponent, or the person sitting next to you. It goes beyond mere battleships to include planes, radar, mines, and submarines.
All the while, you climb the ranks from a lowly recruit to an admired admiral. Name your proud fleet, watch your scores on the global leaderboard, and use the in-app chat feature to discuss strategy. There are also arenas, gameplay over Bluetooth with friends, tournaments, and the choice between classic and advanced game modes.
The old-school graph paper design will take you right back to playing sneaky Battleship rounds during junior high study hall. Going against random people online is a blast; it's a perfect example of how the internet can integrate with the old school.
Sea Battle 2
Free w/IAPs at Google Play Store
A classic reimagined, Sea Battle 2 is basically Battleship on your phone. Play versus AI, local opponents, or online baddies.
Risk
Risk is a classic board game that's incredibly fun to play, but it's a pain to set up and typically takes hours (or even days or weeks) to complete. The mobile version automates most of the more tedious aspects of the game and lets you play on your own against AI, offline with friends using pass and play, or online for remote play against friends or strangers.
It's the classic strategy game action you know and love, but enhanced with fun animations and a faster pace of play. If you're one of those people who really enjoy playing Risk but can't find friends to play in person, this is a great version to take with you. It's amazing what technology can do, eh?
Risk: Global Domination
Get a Risk game up and going right on your phone! No need to set up times to gather at friend's house or in a classroom after school, just load up Risk on the go wherever you are.
Ticket to Ride
Ticket to Ride gets players to build sprawling rail empires by gathering colored cars to connect cities. Every turn, a player gets to either pick two cars, claim a line by spending cars, or take on a new ticket, which challenges players to connect two cities before the first player runs out of cars.
All the while, your fellow players will be trying to build their own railways and impede your progress, so it's in your best interest to keep them from succeeding. There's a single-player as well as local and online multiplayer.
On the whole, Ticket to Ride is a fine combination of competition and construction. The in-app purchase grants you access to a new bundle of maps and boards, all of which are totally worth the price.
Ticket to Ride
Enjoy another fun and competitive board game experience on your phone. There's plenty of enjoyment to be had with Ticket to Ride.
Splendor
Splendor is a game that's fast and easy to learn, but hard to master. You play as rich merchants during the Renaissance with the goal of earning 15 prestige points before your opponents. The game requires you to collect gems, which are in turn spent on cards as you build out your empire.
You pay an upfront price for the full experience with optional expansions that you can purchase separately. Unique to Splendor on mobile is the Challenges mode, which is based on historical events and letting you act out various in-game scenarios. Each challenge has its own goal for you to complete, such as earning points or completing a specific card combo within a limited amount of time or moves. There are 48 Challenges for you to tackle.
The mobile version is a faithful adaptation of the tabletop version and lets you play pass-and-play style with friends, solo against the AI, or in online multiplayer matches. The game is fairly quick to pick up and great to play with the whole family.
Splendor
Undertake this fun game set in the Renaissance. Experience all of the classic modes and check out the additional Challenges, which add a whole new element of gameplay and value.
Wild Jack: Card Gobang
This is my current favorite card-based board game that I can now play on my phone. You may know this game as the 80s card-board game Sequence. This is a game for two or three players where the goal is to make two lines of five chips on the board by playing cards that correspond to the spots on the board.
If you're up against just another player, you only need to complete one sequence. However, if it's you and two others, then you need two sequences to win.
It sounds really lame to explain it in text, but it's a ton of fun to play. You can play against AI and online opponents, whichever suits you. You'll get automatic matchmaking to keep your gameplay experience as smooth as possible.
Wild Jack: Card Gobang
Relive the Sequence of your childhood on your phone. Pit yourself against AI or other players, whether you're in a 1v1 or 1v1v1 match.
Elder Sign: Omens
It's one of the oldest entries on this list, but Elder Sign: Omens is nonetheless one of the best board games available on Android. For a mere $2 upfront, you get a spectacular arcane mystery where you're competing to find the most magical items, clues, and more.
You're in a fight to stand against the approaching Ancient Ones, like Yig, Azathoth, Cthulu, and Ithaqua. Though the focus is less on the eldritch horrors, it's still a fun game and worth the price to entry and cost to unlock the additional Ancient Ones. This game was adapted from the old school Elder Sign dice game, but it's gotten a few changes to make it more palatable for modern mobile audiences.
Though there are a slew of things to do, Elder Sign: Omens is a standout title that's worth your time if you like mystery board games with a Lovecraftian setting.
Elder Sign: Omens
Race to save mankind from the approaching Ancient Ones. Join the hunt and solve the mystery.
Galaxy Trucker
So far, the board games on this list have been rather... grounded. So let's take the fun to space with Galaxy Trucker. Build your ships as you battle the final frontier and all of its harshest attempts to kill you. You assemble your ship using a variety of tiles and then you're off to face terrors like meteors, pirates, and smugglers. Whoever ends up with the most credits at the end of the game wins.
The game features a real-time and turn-based mode, depending on your preference. Of course, you can play locally with your friends, or go online and try your skills there; you can even run multiple online games at once! This mobile rendition of the board game of the same name features some extra goodies, like a campaign, special parts, and so on.
You can get started with Galaxy Trucker for $5 and grab the optional expansion for another $5. For the kind of experience this game offers, that's quite the deal.
Galaxy Trucker
Join this awesome space adventure as you build your ship and brave what lies in the dark. The player with the most credits at the end wins.
Tsuro
Want a totally new game experience each time you load a board? Then Tsuro, a tile-based game, is for you. Lay your tiles and follow the path you created while you also try to derail your opponents as they lay their own paths. It's a wildly fun adventure of patience and gall. Did I mention that it's also a gorgeous game?
Tsuro features achievements, local and online multiplayer (up to eight players!), and new modes exclusive to the mobile version. It's another one of those easy to learn, difficult to master types of game and it's well worth your time. If you want to hone your skills, there are three different AI levels to pit yourself against before taking on human opponents.
This is one of the best games on this list by far and well worth the money. If you're looking for a new board game to pass the time during this pandemic and quarantine, then be sure to check out Tsuro.
Tsuro - The Game of the Path
An incredible value and a very fun game, Tsuro is one of the best board games on this list. Lay your path and follow it, but beware of your enemies leading you astray.
Stratego
When it comes to strategy board games, Risk and Stratego are two that come to mind. Though I spent far more time with the former as a child (Lord of the Rings Risk, anyone?), Stratego always felt like a close second. Much like Risk, it has seen new life on Android.
There are two versions of Stratego, a single-player and a multiplayer. The former pits you against an AI opponent in classic 40v40 or a quicker 16v16 mode. There's a ton of replayability in the single-player mode, but if you fork over a few more dollars, you can get the multiplayer version.
With multiplayer, you get ranked matches, a friends list for some quick play, and the same choice between 40v40 and 16v16. Between the two versions, there's a lot of Stratego to go around.
Stratego: Single Player
Enjoy some classic Stratego action against AI, whether it's in classic or quick mode. Unleash your strategic creativity!
Stratego: Multiplayer
Take your Stratego skills out into the open world in the multiplayer version of the classic strategy game. Enjoy endless games as you pit yourself against other players.
Tokaido
In this digital rendition of the popular tabletop game, you play a traveler attempting to walk from Kyoto to Edo. Despite having a destination though, you'll be focused on the journey. Stop to take in beautiful landscapes, try new foods, find the best hot springs, and partake in other things that make Japan such a lovely place along the way.
The player who has the most satisfying journey — i.e. finds all the coolest stuff along the road — wins. How you go about your trip is up to you, but your goal is to discover as many hidden marvels as you can.
Tokaido is in an inexpensive game that's relaxing, fun, and great for multiple players. but it has a huge leg up just based on the visuals alone.
Tokaido
Journey from Kyoto to Edo along the Tokaido road. The player who finds the coolest stuff wins!
AI Factory Limited games
I had trouble just picking one game from this excellent developer, so we're featuring its whole library. AI Factory Limited pushes out the traditional games a lot of us grew up on — chess, checkers, backgammon, and so on — but it does so in great ways. AI's chess, for example, is my go-to chess game on Android, and I've had it installed on my phone for many years.
There are also card games, sudoku, tic-tac-toe, and more. If you like the classic stuff, AI Factory Limited has you covered. Most, if not all, of the games have free versions available, or you can pay a couple of dollars to unlock the ad-free version if you so choose.
AI Factory Limited games
From Free at Google Play Store
If you're looking for classic board games, then look no further than AI Factory Limited's library. With both free and paid versions available of classics like chess, checkers, backgammon, and more, you're bound to stay entertained.
Better Settlers
There are a couple of versions of Catan available in the Google Play Store, but they seem to be hopelessly broken these days, even after countless user complaints and reviews. It's a real shame because, in my opinion, Catan is one of the greatest board games ever made.
Better Settlers is an app that aims to fix any unfairness by using algorithms to create a board that encourages fair play. While it's not a standalone Catan emulator that you can play on the go, it is a great option if you're a Catan fan and want a new way to enjoy a classic game with your friends and family.
Yes, this app used to be called "Better Catan Board Generator," but I'm going to guess that the developer got a request to change the name.
Better Settlers
Free w/IAPs at Google Play Store
Add some new flair to your Catan board games with this board generator. You still need the full physical game to get anything out of Better Settlers, though.
Chwazi Finger Chooser
Choosing who goes first in a game or splitting a group into teams has never been easier or more fun than with the Chwazi Finger Chooser app. With Chwazi, everyone just places a finger on the phone or tablet screen and the app randomly selects one finger. It's like drawing straws, but using technology!
Alternatively, you can have the app choose more than one finger and eliminate someone. There's also an option for creating groups. Chwazi says they can support up to 32 fingers at one time, but you might be limited to the number of simultaneous inputs your phone or device can handle.
Chwazi Finger Chooser
Need to randomly select someone to go first, pick groups, and whatnot? Try out Chwazi, which randomly picks a person.
RPG Simple Dice
There's nothing more frustrating than setting up to play a board game only to find that the dice are missing. Fortunately, there's an app that's also packed with other thoughtful features. The RPG Simple Dice app gives you an endless selection of virtual dice to roll, and lets you roll up to 100 dice at one time with a single tap. There's also a history feature, so you can check what your last roll was.
As the name suggests, this is also an ideal app for any tabletop RPG fans or for games that require dice of all sorts — from standard six-sided die to all the way up to d100s. There's even the option to create a custom die to fit whatever need or situation you could possibly want.
It's absolutely crazy that this app is free, especially with no ads to be seen. If I had any D&D friends, this would be a must-have app on my device.
RPG Simple Dice
A must-have for any tabletop RPG players out there, RPG Simple Dice lets you simulate a dice roll for any kind of dice you can think of. Best of all, this app is completely free with no ads.
Avoid boredom with these board games
Nothing truly beats the experience of sitting down with some friends and family to play a board game, but when that's not possible, these mobile versions do just as well. I'd recommend all the games on our list, but in particular, I think Carcassonne and Tsuro are some of the best board games for Android you can buy. The games themselves are really fun and they've been lovingly recreated in full 3D for smartphones.
Another game that I'd highly recommend is Elder Sign: Omens. I adore Lovecraftian fiction and even though there isn't any kind of eldritch horrors in Elder Sign, it's still a fantastic game. And Galaxy Trucker is another great way to kill some time, especially since its premise is unique in this list.
Lastly, I have to give a shoutout to Chwazi which is the best and simplest way to choose who goes first in any board game situation or also for dividing a group into teams for other fun games around the holiday season. It's a free download and an absolute must-have app if you love to play board games.
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Updated August 2020: Added Tokaido and AI Factory Limited games to the list.
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