One of the best cellular video games of 2025 that you need to play in 2026

2025 was a loopy 12 months for cellular video games, with new releases providing console-quality experiences for the primary time. With the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset providing unbelievable efficiency within the 12 months’s flagship telephones, it’s nice to see video games lastly make the most of all that energy.

We additionally noticed a number of nice light-weight cellular video games launched in 2025, though once more, they had been largely ports. The Steam Body hasn’t even been launched but, and we’re already seeing a blurring of the strains between Android video games and PC video games, and that pattern is about to proceed within the new 12 months. 

With all that stated, right here’s an inventory of all of my favourite cellular video games that dropped in 2025 that you just would possibly wish to decide up earlier than all the brand new video games of 2026 begin to seize headlines. Word that the record isn’t in any specific order, because it covers a wide range of genres and value factors (together with a number of which might be free). The bulk have full controller assist, so that they’re additionally nice for Android gaming handhelds.

Our first decide wants no introduction. Rockstar Video games’ Purple Lifeless Redemption was an enormous hit when it dropped in 2010 on the PS3 and Xbox 360, and now you may play the complete sport in your smartphone. What a time to be alive!

In case you have got been dwelling beneath a rock for the previous twenty years, Purple Lifeless Redemption is an open-world motion sport set within the Wild West. It one way or the other succeeds in changing the Grand Theft Auto gameplay that put Rockstar on the map with an immersive cowboy narrative that may follow you effectively after the credit roll. Or you may simply play the sport as a sandbox, using round in your horse, searching bounties, and navigating random world occasions.

The Android launch options the complete sport and the zombified Undead Nightmare growth, but it surely isn’t low-cost. The sport prices an eye-watering $40 to purchase outright, but it surely’s included free of charge with a Netflix subscription, which is an unbelievable deal to expertise this sport.

Subnautica is one more PC port, but it surely trades a Western open world for the watery depths. Nominally a survival horror sport (particularly if you happen to endure from thalassophobia, like me), it has you crash-land on an oceanic alien planet, foraging for no matter you may to discover a manner dwelling.

Aside from being a unbelievable sport, the Android port of Subnautica could be very effectively carried out. The UI is ideal for contact controls (it helps controllers, too), and efficiency is optimized sufficient that it might run on any flagship system from the previous 5 years.

The complete sport runs simply $10, however there’s no demo or trial before you purchase. Contemplating you may dump actually a whole bunch of hours into this sport, it’s definitely worth the value of entry.

At first look, you would possibly assume Persona 5: The Phantom X is a cellular port of the 2017 RPG, but it surely’s really a gacha-styled revamp of the world and gameplay in a manner that retains issues contemporary and accessible. Most significantly, it nonetheless appears and seems like a full-fat Persona sport, with alternate actuality ties to the unique Persona 5’s story and solid, however a model new crop of Phantom Thieves to combat as and befriend.

P5X’s international rollout had a barely rocky begin because it adopted the identical beats and schedule as its Chinese language launch in 2024. That meant new gamers needed to endure a gap storyline that combined cringey dialogue and a ridiculously uninspiring villain who checks notes slammed into individuals on the subway (see the trailer above… it’s very foolish). Nonetheless, issues have improved dramatically since then, with new characters and content material dropping frequently, notably because the debut of chapter three, which noticed the introduction of a writing workforce that wasn’t a fan of subway slamming.

There’s definitely a variety of sport right here, and the Tokyo-hopping, dungeon-crawling, and social hyperlink facets from the unique have been neatly tailored to really feel acquainted but in addition match the revised format. It even has full controller assist, though the contact controls greater than suffice because of the turn-based gameplay.

Whereas the reside service and gacha components might flip off some Persona followers seeking to play via a conventional Persona RPG, our resident Persona addict (our Managing Editor Ollie Cragg) says there’s sufficient DNA and elegance in there to maintain followers of the collection going, endlessly. It’s additionally very free-to-play pleasant, with loads of non-premium characters who’re greater than sturdy sufficient to get you thru the story and the various different modes. In reality, it’s at the moment celebrating its one-year anniversary and is giving freely a bunch of freebies. So if you happen to like RPGs or stunning anime-inspired worlds (and one way or the other aren’t already hooked on Persona), give this one a obtain.

My favourite cellular video games of 2025 had been dominated by PC ports, however The place Winds Meet is particular as a result of it’s greater than only a port. It’s the identical sport because the PC and PS5 variations, launching lower than a month later with full cross-progression assist.

The open-world wuxia sport places you within the footwear of an unnamed protagonist, finishing quests and serving to locals through the use of a mixture of martial arts and mystic arts. It undoubtedly takes itself somewhat too significantly typically, however the surroundings and graphics are among the many finest I’ve ever seen in a cellular sport. It’s additionally absolutely controller-compatible, with a number of quality-of-life enhancements for cellular.

Not like most NetEase video games, monetization in The place Winds Meet is pretty mild, and it’s largely restricted to cosmetics. The one draw back is that it’s very demanding to run, with the devs recommending a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or above for the perfect expertise. 

The indie darling DREDGE was tailored to cellular early in 2025, with the stress-free Eldritch fishing gameplay smoothed out with contact controls and simplified minigames to go well with cellular gadgets. It’s additionally appropriate with controllers, which stays my favourite approach to play.

If you happen to haven’t heard of it, DREDGE has you taking management of a fishing boat in a low-poly world. Through the day, you leisurely reel in fish to promote available on the market, however if you happen to don’t make it again to shore earlier than dusk, a thick fog rolls in, bringing terrifying monsters with it.

The sport is enjoyable and progressive, but it surely’s additionally costly. The bottom sport runs $25 (not together with paid DLC content material), which is just too a lot for a cellular sport. Fortunately, the sport is included as a part of Google Play Go. If you happen to can’t get it on sale, a month’s subscription is greater than sufficient to play via the entire sport.

Cassette Beasts was first launched on PC and console in 2023, but it surely arrived on cellular as a premium title early in 2025. The colourful pixel artwork RPG is clearly impressed by Pokémon titles, with turn-based fight and an inventory of strikes that grows as you degree up.

Nonetheless, as a substitute of gathering the monsters themselves, you accumulate cassette recordings of them. Then, you and a companion rework into these monsters to combat first-hand. You additionally use skills within the overworld to entry new areas and progress via the sport.

It’s a enjoyable tackle a well-worn style, and you’ll play the primary 20 minutes or so free of charge earlier than having to shell out $5.99 on the complete sport. The sport has controller assist, however I discovered it to be somewhat wonky, so that you’ll nonetheless want the touchscreen for some elements.

Followers of the FPS MMO Future 2 received somewhat deal with in 2025, with Future: Rising bringing the collection to cellular for the primary time. It’s a remarkably trustworthy adaptation, with the entire menus and weapon customization of the primary sport, for higher or worse.

The sport appears nice, and it performs very effectively with a controller. It’s additionally absolutely free-to-play, though it has the annoying monetization methods NetEase is thought for. Nonetheless, it’s a enjoyable approach to kill a while in your telephone, whether or not you wish to play casually or extra significantly.

Enter the Gungeon and Exit the Gungeon dropped concurrently on Android in 2025, bringing the addictive roguelike to your fingertips wherever you go. The previous is a top-down bullet hell sport the place all the things is weapons, and the follow-up swaps issues up by bringing the chaos to 2D platforming.

I spent a variety of hours revisiting Enter the Gungeon, and if you happen to haven’t performed it, I’d suggest beginning there. It’s addictive and fast-paced, with each touchscreen and bodily controller assist that largely works effectively. You may play the primary degree as many instances as you need, however the full sport will value you $8.99. Exit the Gungeon is cheaper at $4.99, but it surely doesn’t fairly land the identical as the unique.

The Umamusume franchise has been round in some type since 2016, however in 2025, Fairly Derby launched globally on Android, iOS, and PC to astronomical success. The sport, which is deeply rooted in Japanese horse racing, manages to transcend all cultural boundaries with one easy trick: Anime waifus.

Okay, so there are many different themes that resonate right here, like perseverance and overcoming obstacles. The characters are additionally based mostly on actual horses, with their storylines, personalities, and even appears tailor-made to match. However additionally they dance round like J-pop idols, so there’s somewhat one thing for each kind of nerd right here.

Prince of Persia: The Misplaced Crown won’t have made waves when it landed on consoles and PC in 2024, however the slick 2.5D motion platformer took lower than a 12 months to make the leap to cellular, the place it stands out way more from the group.

The Misplaced Crown is the primary new Prince of Persia sport in over a decade, and it’s a notable departure from the 3D titles from the early 2000s. As an alternative, it combines the early titles’ platforming with Metroidvania components to create a cultured and satisfying expertise that also feels at dwelling on cellular. Not solely does it have full controller assist, it additionally has new high quality of life and accessibility options unique to cellular.

You may play the primary degree of the sport free of charge, however the full sport is unlocked through an in-app buy. It usually prices $15, however you may continuously get it for $10. It’s additionally absolutely playable offline, which is more and more unusual for cellular video games.