Top 8 Most Beautiful Games Android

There are few games out there that inspire the player to stand back and just admire what they are seeing, but with the increase in opportunities for more small developers these days (platforms such as Steam, for example) we’re now seeing independent games that are free of the general conventions of the gaming industry and can therefore presents content that is both original and in many cases quite astonishing. When it comes to mobile gaming, I use my Android most of all – closely followed by the Nintendo 3DS, which my daughter insists on us using all the time – and there are many games out there on the Play Store that fall into these particular categories when it comes to originality. But what about the best looking mobile games out there on Android? We’ve seen one or two fantastically designed games in the last few years, including the likes of Monument Valley which really becomes more of an experience than it is just a game to play and eventually beat. Check out our picks for the most beautiful games on Android below, and feel free to suggest your own in the comments section!

8. Godus (Free)

Let’s start with one of my favorites on the Android platform: Godus, which was initially released a couple of years ago and allows you to play God. I’m a huge fan of strategy games, and the outspoken designed Peter Molyneux so I was all over Godus well before it came out. Unfortunately, its release seems to have gone unnoticed by a few of my friends in particular, who I’ve been cajoling to check it out for some time. Godus is also proof that Kickstarter can be a good thing, because it’s through that particular crowdfunding site that this project became a reality. What are your favorite crowdfunded mobile games for Android? That gives me an idea for another list!  – Download from Google Play

7. Entwined Challenge ($0.99)

Many of the more successful mobile games out there initially existed on consoles as downloadable games, such as those made for the Xbox Live Arcade such as Limbo. One game that came to mobile from the PlayStation is Entwinted Chanllenge, which is one of the more aesthetic driven games we’ve come across on any platform – and with the added aspect of music, this becomes a must have for Android gamers everywhere. It is the way in which the music becomes such an important interactive feature here that sets it apart from other games, and which makes each time you play it such an original experience. – Download from Google Play

6. Two Dots (Free)

I did think about including the original Dots game here, since the concept itself and also the design have been carried over in Two Dots – yet, this second edition is a much more complete experienced and also represents one of the best looking games you will find in all corners of the Play Store. Dots could get a little too simple at points, but Two Dots more than makes up for this with fully fleshed characters and more distinct features to give a true sense of progression. Perhaps the most enjoyable thing about the original Dots game was the design aspect, which has only been honed here to create something that is perhaps even more pleasing on the eye. – Download from Google Play

5. Thomas Was Alone ($5.99)

Thomas Was Alone is a game that was originally intended to be released on some of the more traditional gaming platforms, but as with many games of this type ended up finding a specific home – in this case, on the mobile format. So many of the better looking games we’ve come across on Android are undeniably simple at heart yet with an unseen depth and a level of prestentation that you can only marvel at. Thomas Was Alone is easy enough to pick up and play, but each time you play it the game becomes a slightly different beast which makes us want to return to it over and over again. By far one of the more simple but also original games to make this list. – Download from Google Play

4. Machinarium ($1.99)

We here at Top 8 are huge fans of the folk over at Amanita Design, and this much is reflected in our lists of games for both Android and iOS devices. One thing about the point and click adventures that Amanita has come up with for both platforms is the beautifully designed backgrounds, such as that seen in Machinarium. While these are mere drawings and not an entire 3D aesthetic as in Monument Valley for example, they help to create an entire game world that really does come alive as you play through and interact with it. – Download from Google Play

3. LIMBO ($2.26)

The time of year when I typically pull out LIMBO for yet another play through (Halloween) has passed, though that doesn’t mean it’s not time to discover this one if you haven’t already. It’s another console turned mobile game, and is another of these that seems to have turned people onto thinking about games as works of art rather than mere plot or graphics or realism. LIMBO is a simple platformer at heart, if you could call it that, but the black and white silhoette style can be likened to everything including the German expressionist movies of the 30s. – Download from Google Play

2. Superbrothers Sword & Sworcery ($4.99)

Sword and Sworcery is one of those games that has an aesthetic unique to itself; despite the pixel-based approach to these backgrounds, there’s nothing out there that you can compare it to and that’s a good thing – especially in a world where sequels and ports are what sell the most. Again, this would be for nothing if it weren’t for the core game behind the artwork, which fortunately more than lives up to what you see. – Download from Google Play

1. Monument Valley ($3.99)

We mentioned Monument Valley at the top of this list, so you knew it was coming it some point! This is one of those cases where something new comes out and seems to change everything, and we begin draping big and important words around it – despite it not even existing a while ago. That is certainly the case with Monument Valley, which seems to have inspired more than a few “most beautiful game” lists just as this one, as players begin to realize that just about anything is possible these days when it comes to tackling the modern day gaming aesthetic. Minimal is good, and it certainly works here, but we wouldn’t even be talking about Monument Valley if there wasn’t a lot of depth behind it – a game that is both engaging and infinitely playable. I’ve heard some describe this one as shallow, and that the visuals are there for no reason but to distract from the lack of depth and short nature of the story. I can’t do anything really but disagree with such claims, and state that Monument Valley is a the same time a celebrated mobile game but also a celebration of mobile games, bringing together existing aspects from popular genres in order to create something wholly new and exciting. – Download from Google Play