39 Phone Games That Our Readers Say Are Worth Downloading
Including Stardew Valley, Two Dots, and UNO.
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1. Alto's Adventure, a surprisingly beautiful skiing game so you can hit the slopes without leaving your bed.
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2. UNO! if you're a sucker for the classic card game but want to make it even more competitive.
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"I love the UNO app! It's actually a little more competitive than the UNO you would play in person because you get to play on teams, see your partner's hand, and make game move decisions based on your hand AND your partner's hand. You can also play UNO on the app w/ your IRL friends too. Just copy/paste your UNO ID # in the "Social" tab and send it to your friend so they can search you up and add you (or have them send their UNO ID # to you). My bestie and I just whipped some butt together in UNO last week and it was so fun." —Marquaysa Battle
3. Two Dots, a color-matching game with more than 2,600 levels that'll keep you and your fingers busy for awhile.
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"I've been playing it since it came out almost six years ago when it only had 85 lil' levels. It's pretty, puzzley, and is the perfect thing to do with your hands while watching TV." —Maitland Quitmeyer
"It’s constantly adding new mechanics, but here’s the big thing: during the Coronavirus crisis, they’ve been constantly giving away hours of free lives, so you can just keep playing. When I was on bedrest with my last pregnancy, this was one of the games I actually paid money to continue, and they’re just trying to help by giving away lives." —rachelolsonw
"It’s a color-matching game but has a ton of different obstacles, which are introduced as you level up. If you are bored of that component of the game, they also feature between two to three different mini challenges, which are all very different than the main game to keep it diverse. It’s very relaxing and aesthetically pleasing." —cdpatterson92
"There's a sort of companion game from the same company called Dots & Co that's also really good." —calyma
4. Plants vs. Zombies 1 and 2 to satisfy your inner urge to kill some zombies...with corn kernels and flaming walnuts.
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"Plants vs. Zombies 1 and 2 are great." —ThatOneSheerio
"I have been playing a lot of Plants vs. Zombies since rediscovering it on an airplane TV back in February. I immediately downloaded it once I got home and I've been logging in ever since. It's a great game when you want something mindless to play." —Melanie Aman
Available for free for iOS (PvZ1 and PvZ2) and Android (PvZ1 and PvZ2).
5. Bloons Tower Defense, a classic strategy game for millennials who want to relive their mid-00s memories of playing this Flash game on their desktops. (Of course it's fun for all ages!)
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"Bloons is the most addicting mobile game I've ever played, and I always go through phases with it. I haven't picked it back up in awhile, but there's so many different maps and items to unlock, and it's super quick to play a few rounds before bed!" —Samantha Tomaszewski
"Bloons Tower Defense all the way. In this game, balloons (known as bloons) travel down a set trail and you have to keep them from getting to the other side by setting up towers and monkeys that will pop them. The higher the level gets, the more bloons will come, and they’ll get harder to pop. There is a wide variety of towers to put down that have different effects, and you can upgrade them as you get money from popping the bloons. It’s hella addicting." —sgslug5
"I LOVE Bloons Tower Defense! It costs, and I NEVER pay for apps or in-game purchases and I bought this game. Seriously, best purchase ever." —a4c37f031f
6. Origame, a relaxing paper-folding game because it sounds easy enough but it'll actually give your brain quite the challenge.
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7. 80 Days, a text-based strategy game so you can lose yourself in Phileas Fogg's journey around the world in 80 days.
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"It’s a text-based game (but don’t sleep on it even if you don’t normally play games like that!) that’s a modern take on the Jules Verne classic. You’re in charge of taking Phileas Fogg around the world in 80 days, and there are INFINITE ways to do it. It has the best writing of any game I’ve ever played, and there’s so much story that you can play it dozens of times and have each play through be totally different! Also, it has a strong anti-colonialist viewpoint and complex, fascinating characters, including great LGBTQ representation. Hot tip: sometimes the best way around the world isn’t 'around' at all — it’s through the North Pole!" —sf7312
8. It's Literally Just Mowing if you find the experience of mowing a lawn to be quite zen. The best part: you won't actually get sweaty and dirty while mowing these virtual lawns.
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9. Charm King, a match-three puzzle game that'll let you lose yourself in the magical storyline.
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"I love Charm King! Been playing that a lot. Also Mahjong City Tours (available for iOS and Android)!"—melaniemermaid91
10. The Sims Mobile for fans of the PC version but who don't want to wait ages for their machine to boot up.
11. A Street Cat's Tale, an open-ended survival game because this is your chance to live out your fantasy of being a cat.
"A Street Cat's Tale is absolutely wonderful. You WILL cry the first time you play it. You start out as a kitten all alone on the street. There are several different possible endings. Your job is to try to get all of them. Your kitty lives for a week on the streets and depending on the different choices you make in the game, you'll get a certain ending. It's really fun and adorable. It's also very sad at times." —ThatOneSheerio
12. Or, Last Day on Earth: Survival, a more intense survival game you'll have trouble putting down.
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"Last Day on Earth: Survival is the perfect apocalypse game." —ThatOneSheerio
13. Love Nikki-Dress UP Queen so you can sit on your couch with unwashed hair and in dirty sweatpants (no judgment bc this is me rn) and dress your character in lavish outfits.
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"It's a fashion dress up–type game with an actual storyline. I've been playing it for three years and still love it! There are no ads, and you don't need to pay any money to enjoy it, but it's one of the very few games that I have paid money in, because I enjoy it so much!" —alysseberry14
"Love Nikki is a really cute dress up game with a captivating storyline." —ThatOneSheerio
14. Disney Emoji Blitz if you eat, sleep, and breathe Disney. Now you can text with it, too!
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"Disney Emoji Blitz! I’ve been playing for years (to the surprise of no one). It’s my favorite way to kill time, but I love that the items you 'win' are Disney emojis you can then use after in text message conversations. They also feature themes based on holidays or whatever movie is about to come out." —Heather Braga
"Disney Emoji Blitz is a fave!" —a4c37f031f
15. Bricks n Balls, a deceptively engaging brick-breaking game that'll quickly replace iMessage as your most-used app.
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"It seems so simple, but it is challenging and relaxing at the same time. There are multiple modes (I play the gravity mode when I am having trouble falling asleep), and it's something that you can pick up and put down easily when your need a little something waiting at the doctor's office, laundromat (or whatever you need to kill time doing)." —bigbadkateladd
Available for free for iOS.
16. The Room, a 3D mystery game to put your brain to work so you can escape ~the room~.
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"My absolute FAVORITE game on my phone is The Room (and its three sequels: The Room Two, The Room Three, and The Room: Old Sins). If you love escape rooms, these are the games for you. They're a series of puzzle-solving games set in different rooms, with creepy atmospheres, a mysterious narrator leaving you notes, and some challenging puzzles. Would highly recommend!" —arathersadhorseradish
17. Stardew Valley, a simple and relaxing game for players who don't want to be asked to make tough in-game decisions. Your only to-dos are to farm, fish, forage, and earn money.
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"I honestly love Stardew Valley. My daughter was playing it and I ended up having multiple surgeries last year so I had a lot of down time; this sadly came with a lot of depression. She encouraged me to try it to distract myself. It is simple and fun. I can put it down and come back a week later and it's still where I left it. It's not a daily grinder like most phone games. It has story lines, and you can marry, have babies, or not. You can make friends or not. You can marry male or female, and each one has a flaw and a story. It's simple when things where difficult. I needed that right now; I play because anxiety is high and farming fake food and petting fake goats is fun. Also no in-game purchases is a plus." —r4732565ca
18. Homescapes, a match-three puzzle game because Austin the butler and his family need your help renovating their mansion.
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19. Grim Fandango Remastered, a game you'll love not only for its challenging puzzles, but also for its beautiful artistic style.
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"Easily one of the most frustrating but amazing PC puzzle games from the '90s. It mixes Day of the Dead mythology and hard-boiled detective noir. It's super funny, unique, and so so fun when you're not screaming at the screen. It's super hard but satisfying when you finally beat it. Also Pamela Adlon (Bobby Hill) is one of the voice actors so it's perfect." —Bek O'Connell
Available for $4.99 for iOS.
20. Pocket World 3D so you can build something with your hands. Who cares if it's just miniatures on your phone.
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"Pocket World 3D is a cute puzzle game that lets you create 3D landmarks and things." —ThatOneSheerio
21. BitLife, a simulation game if you're tired of always making the right decisions. Now you can play the game of life however you want!
"It’s so stupid and so fun all at the same time. Plus you can live vicariously through your character who gets to vacation and cruise anywhere they want." —kxllynxcxlx
"The game is definitely not boring with all of its free features, but for a small fee premium just elevates your experience to a whole new level" —madisonm4bed942f3
"BitLife is amazingly stupid and that’s what makes it playable for hours." —josiahmacchi
22. Aquapark.io, a waterslide racing game that'll provide you with your daily adrenaline rush as you try to surge past your competitors and obstacles to slide into first place.
"It’s a weird little game, but Aquapark.io has been a favorite lately. You’re basically a kid on the most dangerous water ride since Action Park’s loop slide was decapitating crash test dummies in the '80s. I’m no good at it, but I am having fun trying." —angels4d4906ef4
23. Woody Block Puzzle, a block puzzle game to make sure your brain isn't slacking.
"I love Woody, which is kind of like Tetris, but with no clock and no ability to rotate the pieces (you get three pieces to choose from at a time instead). Despite that, it’s just as addictive. Yes, I’m old." —angels4d4906ef4
24. Mario Kart Tour, a multiplayer game for fans of racing and all things Nintendo. I call dibs on Toad!
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"It's addicting AF and brings me back to my teenage days." —pandabear14
25. Mystic Messenger because I promise this isn't one of those games that you download and delete a day later. It takes place through an interactive messaging app, which is a format you've probably never tried before.
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"Still playing Mystic Messenger! Even after three years, it's still the most interesting storyline in a game and I'm still discovering new things! The developers still do events for character birthdays and holidays. The game is FREE and engaging and despite being 3 years old, the fandom is still out there, making content daily!" —zemt
26. SuperCity: My Town Life, a world-building game so you can spend your time crafting your perfect city instead of rearranging the fridge for the 50th time.
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"It's a fun and over the top!" —gverykoukis
27. Nonogram if you love number puzzle games.
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"My favorite game is Nonogram. You have to fill in squares of a grid based on the numbers that determine how many need to be filled in the rows and columns. There are three levels of difficulty, daily puzzles, and often they put out themed challenges based on the time of year. It keeps me entertained for hours." —folivora
28. Knighthood, an RPG that'll let you develop your own hero and test your skills against other players.
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"Knighthood is a free game that is also an editor pick from Google Play. It's super fun and addictive; you battle monsters, gain different maps, upgrade your hero, and sidekicks have different powers. Plus, there is a wide variety of new enemies, roaming monsters, or you can battle other players! It's kept me sane!" —isabelamogo
29. Covet Fashion to make up for the fact that you haven't changed out of your pajamas...and it's 5 p.m.
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"You complete fashion challenges and dress up models/dolls using real-life brands. It's super fun, though when you first start you need to be strategic about how you enter challenges so you don't run out of money. It's a great time-waster and creative outlet! I've been playing for five years." —bcadiza
30. The Elder Scrolls: Blades for fantasy fanatics. It's made by the same company that released Skyrim.
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"The Elder Scrolls: Blades for the Skyrim fans." —serenamarieh
31. Township because transforming your town into a bustling metropolis will keep you busy for many, many hours.
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"I'm obsessed." —sharpcallie06
32. Choices: Stories You Play, a decision-making game you'll love because updates are released weekly, meaning you'll never get bored with it.
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33. The Witch's Isle an adventure game so you can finally get immersed in something after running out of shows to stream. Your task is to lift the witch's curse by returning her stolen urn. Can you do it?
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"I could play nothing but The Witch's Isle for the rest of my days. Just the dreamy atmosphere alone make it worth it." —cheyennes6
34. Words with Friends if you're almost finished with the crosswords in your NYT crosswords book.
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"Words with Friends for some minor interaction with real people." —serenamarieh
35. Stranger Things: The Game, an action-adventure experience that'll fill the hole in your heart left behind after the ending of season three.
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"I've beaten the Stranger Things game like six times. Hours of gameplay, just the right amount of challenge, great soundtrack, great graphics, no bugs, no ads, no paywalls. You don't even need to be a fan of the show to enjoy it." —cheyennes6
36. I Love Hue, a beautiful puzzle game to help you de-stress before bed.
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"I Love Hue for the color-obsessed people." —serenamarieh
37. Puzzle Glow for gamers who get bored easily. This app is 16 games in one!
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"I love Puzzle Glow!! It has 16 games in one app with over 900 levels for some. You get Number Link (match each color), Tangram, Maze Run, Square Block, Rolling Paint, Escape (move blocks up or down to get one out), Untangle, Fill Line, Sliding Puzzle, Hexa Block, Touch and Connect, One Touch Puzzle, Colors (match each color gradient), All Light (connect light bulbs) Sudoku, Link, and Bridge." —jennies4783ed5b8
38. Bounzy, another brick-breaking game you'll play non-stop. This one has a magic theme, and your goal is to beat back the beasts that are invading.
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"Bounzy is fun!" —a4c37f031f
39. And, of course, Candy Crush Saga because it's a classic and you already probably downloaded it ages ago. Well, it's time to dust it off!
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"Candy Crush anything, duh." —serenamarieh
You grabbing your phone to download these games ASAP:
Submissions have been edited for length and clarity.