State of Subscription Apps 2025 by RevenueCat

State of Subscription Apps 2025 by RevenueCat

Latest entries - March 15th, 2025:

• Cursed Treasure Tower Defense - Tower defense

Latest entries Netflix - March 15th, 2025:

• The Case of the Golden Idol 💬 - Netflix, Point-and-click mystery

• The Rise of the Golden Idol 💬 - Netflix, Point-and-click mystery

Other recent entries:

• Ghost Trick - Puzzle-adventure

Introduction

(scroll down for the actual list)

This is a list of all games, sorted by category, that I've purchased and finished during the years and I'd like to recommend as they're all excellent and without predatory monetization or gacha system.

Edit: now I'm also including the most recommended titles by the community - which I haven't playtested yet or I'm not particularly interested in - marked with 💬.
If you want your entry to have a chance to be listed, these are the criteria:

• paid Play Store games compatible with recent Android versions
• no ads or microtransactions except ads-removal, full-game unlock, or proper DLCs
• you love the game and think it's worth the price
• include link and genre

I will still use my discretion and judgment to filter the entries, in an effort to try and keep the list's quality high.

[If you want to recommend free games, without ads or microtransactions, here is the list for you.]

Some of the games may be free with IAP's, but EXCLUSIVELY to unlock the full game, DLCs, or remove ads (no gacha or energy/gambling mechanics, "diamonds", pay-to-win, or any recurrent cash-grab bullshit of sort).

[Disclaimer: chances are some items in this list will inevitably be removed from Play Store as time goes by, or will not be compatible with future Android versions. I'll do my best to always keep it updated, but feel free to PM me if you come across any unavailable title and I'll make a correction]

I'm planning to keep the list updated for personal reference with the new games I'll play and like, or old games I've played that will come to mind later. So feel free to save it and check out new entries every so often.

My ultimate goal is to promote worthy content and honest/talented devs, hoping to see more quality games in the future, rather than the cancerous cash-grab machines the Play Store is regrettably riddled with. And, of course, to let everyone have a great time playing great titles ;)

THE LIST

Legend

🌟 - top favorite  

👑 - top favorite and a timeless masterpiece  

🎮 - better played with a controller  

🎮❗️ - better played with a controller, but you need a controller mapping app (recommended: Panda)  

⌛️- outdated  

💬 - recommended by the community, but I haven't played it or not my favorite  

~~[Game title]~~ - removed from Play Store, but you might still see it in the store if you've purchased it  

Action/Shooter

• Door Kickers: Action Squad (2D side-scroller action shooter)

• Space Marshals 🌟 (3rd person shoooter - top down/isometric; space-western theme)

• Space Marshals 2 🌟

• Space Marshals 3

• Neon Chrome 🌟 (3rd person shoooter - cyberpunk theme, top down/isometric view)

• Time Recoil (3rd person shoooter - top down/isometric with slow-mo mechanics)

• Smash Hit (first-person rail shooter)

• Space Invaders Infinity Gene ⌛️

• Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath 🌟 🎮 (1st person shooter/3rd person platformer - adventure, bounty hunter - fantasy western setting; ported from Xbox)

• Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 💬

• ~~JYDGE 🌟 (3rd person shoooter - cyberpunk theme)~~

• ~~Shadowgun (3rd person shooter - single player campaign)~~

Hack and slash

• Grimvalor 🌟 🎮 (2.5D hack and slash medieval fantasy platform/RPG)

• Shadow Blade 🌟 🎮 (2D hack and slash action platform)

• Ninja Arashi 🎮 (2D hack and slash action platform - free with IAPs to remove ads)

• SAMURAI II: VENGEANCE (top down/isometric hack and slash)

• Dead Cells 💬 🎮 (roguelite action platformer)

Platform

• Dadish 🌟 (2D platformer, pixel graphics, easy)

• Dadish 2 🌟 (2D platformer, pixel graphics, medium difficulty)

• Dadish 3 (2D precision platformer, pixel graphics, hard difficulty)

• Suzy Cube 🎮 (3D platformer, good rip-off of Super Mario 3D Land)

• MouseBot 🌟 (3D platform-like)

• Swordigo 🎮❗️ (2D RPG action-adventure platformer; requires controller mapping app if you want controller support - free with 2 IAPs that remove ads, add compass, and coin doubler)

• Oddmar (2D action-adventure platformer)

• Sonic Runners Adventures 🌟 (2.5D platformer)

• Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty 🌟 (puzzle-platformer adventure)

• Levelhead 💬

• ~~Haipy (2D platformer, pixel graphics) (regional availability)~~

Metroidvania

• Carrion 🌟 (inverted horror, pixel art)

• Castlevania: SotN 💬 🎮

• Dandara Trials of Fear Edition 💬

Turn-based RPG

• Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince 🌟 (3D monster-collecting turn-based RPG - ported from Switch. Great game and touch controls. It includes all DLCs. No controller support, but no need here. I recommend this game for flagship devices from 2023+ and with a TEC cooler)

• Final Fantasy V - Pixel Remaster 🌟 🎮 (2D turn-based RPG)

• Final Fantasy VI - Pixel Remaster 👑 🎮 (2D turn-based RPG - the best version of the best 16-bit FF)

• Final Fantasy IV (3D Remake) 🌟 (3D turn-based RPG)

• Final Fantasy Dimensions 🌟 (fantastic 2D turn-based JRPG, old school graphics, totally worth it)

• Chaos Rings III 🌟 (excellent 3D turn based RPG by Square Enix. A bit pricey, but totally worth it)

• Chrono Trigger 👑 (2d turn-based RPG - best 16-bit JRPG in history, originally on SNES. This mobile port (from the Steam version) is excellent and I haven't had a single issue with touch controls, bugs, or glitches, despite what the Google Play reviews say)

• Epic Battle Fantasy 5 (2D turn-based RPG with funny dialogs, adult jokes, 4th-wall breakers - it contains a couple IAPs to unlock extra content, remove ads)

• Monster Hunter Stories 🌟 (3D turn-based RPG)

• Doom & Destiny 🌟 (humorous 2D turn-based RPG)

• Doom & Destiny Advanced (humorous 2D turn-based RPG)

Action RPG

• Trials of Mana 🌟 🎮❗️ (it's a port from console/PC but critically lacks controller support. You can use Panda Gamepad Pro - recommended - or Mantis to achieve that. If you will use the Panda app, check this out)

• The Bard's Tale (3D action RPG adventure - this game has some optional IAPs: they can easily be ignored but they're there. Also, some users experienced an auto-save bug that corrupts ALL save files, so I recommend disabling auto-save altogether. I'm keeping the game listed here for now as I still consider it a true premium games and I haven't personally experienced any bug during my playthrough)

• Evoland (action/adventure RPG with 2D and 3D graphics and a mix of genres)

• Evoland 2 🌟 🎮 (action/adventure RPG with 2D and 3D graphics, mix of genres; controller recommended)

• Pascal's Wager (soulslike) 💬

• Star Wars: KOTOR 💬

• Star Wars: KOTOR II 💬

• ~~Ys Chronicles I 🎮 (2D action RPG - old-school action JRPG which doesn't really hold your hand, bump combat, level cap is 10, yet it's fun!)~~

• ~~Ys Chronicles II 🌟 🎮 (2D action RPG - fantastic old-school action JRPG! Continues where Ys I left off and offer a longer, more flashed out experience. The pixel art is simply beautiful, with real-time lighting effects. Dungeons get very "labyrinthy" and challenging towards the end (I needed to follow a guide), but the effort was fully repaid)~~

CRPG

• Atom RPG 💬

• Eldrum: Black Dust 💬 (text based)

Roguelite tabletop

• Balatro 🌟 (poker-inspired roguelike)

• Indies Lies 🌟 (inspired by Slay the Spire; free and with three paid DLCs which will also remove ads, add extra story modes, characters, and new mechanics)

• Meteorfall: Journeys

• Slay the Spire (legendary deck builder; PC port)

• Dicey Dungeons (there's no actual deck of cards but rather equipments and dice; it plays like a roguelite deck-builder)

• Slice & Dice 💬

• Dawncaster 💬

Adventure

• Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion (humorous, Zelda-like, pixel art adventure; achievements didn't work correctly, but they might have been fixed after I played it)

• Oceanhorn 🌟 🎮 (3D Zelda-like action adventure)

• Afterplace 💬

Crafting/Survival

• Crashlands 💬

Survival horror

• Forgotten Memories: Remastered 💬

• Alien: Isolation 💬

Point-and-click

• Fran Bow 🌟 (point and click/puzzle - psychologic soft horror) Excellent story and gameplay. [Edit: the old one, divided into chapters, is here]

• Lost Echo (point and click/puzzle adventure)

• Tangle Tower 💬

• ~~The Silent Age (point and click adventure) contains IAPs to unlock episodes~~

Puzzle-adventure

• Ghost Trick 🌟 (story based)

• The Almost Gone puzzle mistery

• Lumino City 3D puzzle in a beautiful hand-crafted world

• Framed re-arrange the panels of a noir story comic book

• Little Nightmares 🌟 🎮 (horror puzzle platformer, great port from consoles, not too scary)

• Very Little Nightmares 🌟 (horror puzzle platformer, isometric; little jump-scares; good simple puzzles)

• DISTRAINT: Deluxe Edition 🌟 (story-driven puzzle) incredible atmosphere and psychological story

• DISTRAINT 2 (story-driven puzzle)

• Starman (isometric puzzle) work of art in sound, visuals and gameplay; creative and minimalistic, very relaxing

• Fractal Space HD 🌟 (3D first person puzzle) this game has an insanely good story and great gameplay

• Monument Valley (1&2) 🌟 (3D isometric puzzle)

• Limbo 🌟 (2D puzzle/platformer)

• Toby: The Secret Mine (2D puzzle/platformer, inspired by Limbo)

• The Room series (3D puzzle) some of them may have non-necessary IAPs to unlock hints, I can't remember honestly

• Lara Croft Go (turn-based puzzle)

• To The Moon 🌟 (story-driven puzzle RPG) this is not for everyone, but I loved the story and the music

• Old Man's Journey (stress-free puzzle game with an emotional story)

• Sally's Law (chill little puzzle-platformer with an emotional story; short; offers an IAP for skins)

• Gorogoa

• There Is No Game: WD 💬

• Cube Escape Collection 💬

Strategy

• Final Fantasy Tactics: WotL 👑 (strategy/RPG)

• Ticket to Earth (puzzle/strategy with some RPG elements)

Tower defense

• Cursed Treasure Tower Defense (it contains a single IAP to remove ads)

Management

• Game Dev Story (game company management)

• Stardew Valley 💬

• Tropical Resort Story 💬

• Dream Town Island 💬

• The Pyraplex 💬

• Dream House Days DX 💬

• Ninja Village 💬

• Dungeon Village 💬

• Sid Meyer's Railroads! 💬 (tycoon, management)

Idle

• Magic Research 💬

• Magic Research 2 💬

Racing

• Horizon Chase 🌟 (arcade car racing - modern retro style)

• Riptide GP: Renegade (jet ski arcade race)

• GRID Autosport 💬

• GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition 💬

• Wreckfest 💬

Golf/Billiard

• OK Golf (minigolf)

• ~~Pool Break Pro 3D Billiards Snooker (online and offline pool/billiard with single player and multiplayer modes)~~

Netflix games

(require an active Netflix subscription)

• TMNT: Shredder's Revenge 🌟 (beat-em up with story mode and fun multiplayer)

• Monument Valley 3 (puzzle adventure)

• Arranger (puzzle adventure)

• The Case of the Golden Idol 💬 (point-and-click mystery)

• The Rise of the Golden Idol 💬 (point-and-click mystery)

Extras and emulators

• AppSales is an app that will make you save some money by notifying you when specific games (or apps) in the Play Store go on sale. Just add the games you wish to buy to the AppSales' watchlist and you'll get notified when the price gets cut.

• Panda Gamepad Pro 🎮 is a tool that allows you to map your controller for touch inputs, practically adding controller support to those game that don't have it.

• Retroarch 🎮 (emulator for almost all consoles) "jack of all trades" emulator, the only one that supports analog triggers for Xbox One S controller. It has a bit of a learning curve, and other individual emulators might offer better performance

• Dolphin 🎮 best emulator for GameCube and Wii

• DraStic DS Emulator 🎮

• PPSSPP Gold - PSP Emulator 🎮

• Delta Touch [9 x Doom engines] 💬 (engine for Doom games)

• Quad Touch 💬 (engine for Quake games)

Happy gaming ;)

ps: please let me know if there's any wrong information about the games included in this list (especially regarding IAPs or availability) so that I'll fix the post if necessary.

TL;DR

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TL;DR

• Google Play Store has started rolling out a new “Pause” feature for Play Protect, allowing users to temporarily disable app security scans.
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