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Mobile gaming has come a long way. We now have full-fledged console-quality games available for Android. These games require some serious time to play. Despite all of these hardcore games, the majority of mobile games available can be labeled as “time killers.” They are great for killing time when you have nothing to do, but beware: they can kill much more time than you intend.
These are the games we’re talking about today. The super addicting games that seem dead simple on the surface, but quickly trap you inside. It’s happened to us all. You start playing a simple game. “Oh, this is pretty easy.” Since most games take up the full screen you can’t see what time it is. The “Low Battery” warning wakes you from your daze as you realize it’s been over an hour since you started playing. There are many addictive games available for Android, but these are my Top 10.
More: Most Addictive Android Games (2015)
Dragon, Fly!
First up is a game called Dragon, Fly. The goal of this game is to help a baby dragon run away from its mother. Since the baby can’t fly very well you have to use the slopes of hills to ramp yourself into the air. Timing is key to hit the slope at the right angle and maintain all of your speed out of the ramp.
What makes it addictive? This game has two addicting aspects to it: simplicity and game length. It’s very easy to play. All it takes is one working finger. It’s also very easy to evade the mother for a substantial amount of time. If you’re really good just two games could take 15-30 minutes.
EDGE
Edge is a puzzle game that puts you in control of a single block on a floating map with no edges. The goal is to safely reach the end of the map without falling off. The camera angle and controls make it harder than it seems. This game also requires some thought and problem solving to solve each level.
What makes it addictive? You can fly through levels pretty quickly at first, but then it gets more difficult. This lures you into thinking you can beat each level. When you fall off the edge you’re immediately re-spawned at the last checkpoint, so there is never any “end of game” screen to give you a chance to quit.
Grabatron
Grabatron gives users the opportunity to play a game in the role of the aliens. Instead of defending the earth you get to destroy things and pick up your alien buddies. The goal is to rack up enough points to advance to the next level and hopefully upgrade your flying saucer and claw.
What makes it addictive? Grabatron is very open-ended. You can fly around and abduct people, or just destroy stuff. Random challenges will pop up occasionally to keep you busy, but you can easily just wreak havoc on the town and citizens for hours if you so choose.
Jetpack Joyride
There are tons of games that use the “hold your finger to go up” mechanic, but Jetpack Joyride is my favorite. There are plenty of unique power-ups, like the Gravity Suit, and you can buy items to improve your character as well. You can be doing really well, but one mistake and all your progress is erased.
What makes it addictive? Jetpack Joyride is incredibly simple, but that makes it so frustrating. Every time you die your immediate next thought is “I can do better than that,” and you try again. Since there are no checkpoints you have to do it all over again to try to beat your score.
Osmos HD
Bubbles are a lot more exciting than you might think. In Osmos HD the goal is to collide your bubble with smaller bubbles to grow, but every time you move your bubble it shrinks a little bit. If you touch a bubble that is bigger than your bubble it will start absorbing you. Sometimes there are different tasks, but it usually revolves around absorbing bubbles,
What makes it addictive? This game is hypnotic. The game moves a little slow and the music is very soothing. If you’re not careful it will pull you in for hours.
Smash Hit
Breaking glass is fun, and that is all you do in Smash Hit. You are given a limited amount of marbles that can be flung at glass obstacles. You need to break them in order to safely pass through. To collect more marbles you can smash glass cones and collect other power-ups along the way.
What makes it addictive? It’s very satisfying to break things, especially glass. You’ll find yourself playing over and over again just to hear that shattering noise.
Stupid Zombies
There are many games that have similar gameplay to Angry Birds, but Stupid Zombies is my favorite. Instead of flinging birds at pigs you get to headshot zombies with a shot gun. The goal is to factor in the ricochet of the bullets to kill all the zombies in as few shots as possible.
What makes it addictive? The same thing that makes all games like this so addictive. It’s super simple, and the star system makes you replay levels over and over until you get it perfect.
Super Hexagon
Super Hexagon is a classic time killing game. All you have to do is keep your arrow from running into the closing walls. It sounds so easy, but it’s actually one of the hardest and most frustrating games on this list. It’s remarkably simple in concept, but brutally difficult when you actually play it. You have been warned.
What makes it addictive? The difficulty. You can easily die several times in just a minute’s worth of gameplay. When you do manage to stay alive for a while it’s exhilarating.
Threes!
Threes! is a cute puzzle game unlike any other. The idea is to combine blocks to create multiples of 3, but you don’t need to be good at math to play. 1’s combines with 2’s to make 3, 3’s pair up with other 3’s, 6’s with 6’s, and so on. The goal is to make blocks with big numbers until there are no moves left.
What makes it addictive? It’s so casual. There is no timer or real goal to “beat the game.” All you do is combine blocks until there are no more blocks to combine. This can take 1 minute or 30.
Tiny Tower Games (Original/Star Wars)
The last game on our list might be the most addicting of them all. In Tiny Tower games the main goal is to build your tower as high as you can. In order to do this you need bitizens to work in your shops and earn money so you can buy more levels. The bitizens themselves also require your attention in order to do good work.
What makes it addictive? It’s so busy. There is almost always something that requires your attention. You’ll say “I’ll just do this one thing and be done,” but then something else pops up. Next thing you know 60 minutes have passed and you’re still playing.
The Classics
When you hear “addictive games” there are certain titles that come to mind. These are games that have exploded beyond popularity among just the tech crowd. You can see them on t-shirts, TV shows, and candy wrappers. Since these games are so well-known we didn’t bother mentioning them in our Top 10, but here are a few just for old times’ sake.
- Angry Birds
- Candy Crush Saga
- Cut the Rope
- Doodle Jump
- Fruit Ninja
- Plants vs. Zombies
- Subway Surfers
- Temple Run
- Tetris
- Words With Friends
Of course, there are tons of other games that can be called “addictive.” What are your favorites? How long have you played an addictive game?
andddddddddd there goes my work day.
Yep, me too.. sorry @robjackson81:disqus.
My new favorite addictive game … hating @stevealbright:disqus
Trending in my house is 2048 Puzzle and I just got an amazing update from Carcasonne which has been a major time killer for me.
Marvel Puzzle Quest……
Radiohammer
Don’t see your favorite addictive game in our list? Suggest it it in the comments! But DON’T DOUBLE POST… if someone else has already posted a game you want to suggest, UPVOTE IT!
Snake!
Yes! You’re awesome!
Clash of clans
surprised this wastn mentioned…prob only game i play right now or been for past couple of months
Ditto… Haven’t touched another game all year
I’ve been playing CoC for over 2 years, recently I have been consumed by Samurai Siege. At first glance, Samurai is a blatant CoC knock-off, but there are some very nice original touches that CoC should take note of.
I need a new tower game, anyone know any good ones?
RBI 14 is pretty darn addictive!
I’m glad you guys had Dragon Fly! on there. I’ve been playing that for years and it’s still entertaining every now and then.
TripleTown.
Pathogen – Very addicting but not well known
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=air.com.BirnamWoodGames.Pathogen
What about Ski Safari! Cant believe that didn’t get a mention :(
Dragon Coins is a new one from Sega and for whatever reason, I can’t stop playing it. It’s an RPG, mixed with card games, mixed with Pokemon, mixed with that dozer coin game at Chuck-E-Cheese. Sounds weird and I don’t normally like games like these, but it’s WILDLY addictive.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sega.DragonCoins.en
dragon fly sees like a blatant rip off of Tiny Wings
Only Dragon, Fly came first. I remember my younger sister playing it years ago.
Not so sure about that, some ‘Googling’ shows that Dragon Fly came out in august/september 2011 while Tiny Wings came out in february 2011.
I stand corrected, my apologies.
Modern combat 4 anyone ? No? Ok fine !
Oh my gosh!! Tiny Tower took SO much time from me!! LoL!!
And Super Hexagon on here too!? Mmmmmmhmmmm!!
It took me FOREVER to beat Hardestestest. LoL!! That game be OP. I still play it. I LOVE the music.
Actually, y’all got me. Ima install Tiny Tower back on my phone again. Dang it!! >,.,<
Ingress!
I know it is sadistic, but Plague Inc stole so much time from me. Other addictive games include Simpsons’s Tapped Out, Chu Chu Rocket, and my personal favorite, Game Dev Story.
Battle Run :D nuff said!!
I’m a big fan of Zombirds. So indicting
Puzzle & Dragons is my current drug (though I’m cold turkey with as busy as life has been, and due to issues getting it to function on my older hardware).
Tap To Death on iOS. So addictive.
Zombies Ate My Friends I find is quite addictive. Never really played it much last year but now that 2.0 has be released I can’t stop playing.
CastleStorm! Almost like a Contra/Angry Birds hybrid. Lots of fun. Machinarium. Puzzle game that is just hard enough to frustrate you. Beautiful graphics.
Another great one is Impossible Road
Isn’t there another game very similar to dragon fly, except it’s a bird that you control, does anyone know what I’m talking about? And if so what was it called? I think I had it on my iPod.
Tiny Wings
Monsters ates my condos, Punch Quest, Pac-Man Monsters, Badland… Etc. ;)
Nice list, thanks for the post!