This is a list of all premium games, sorted by genre, that I've purchased, loved, and finished (or played extensively) over many years and I'd like to recommend as I found them excellent and without predatory monetization, gacha, battle passes, daily logins, or infinite microtransactions of any kind.
I'm also including the most recommended premium titles by the community—which I haven't playtested yet or I'm not particularly interested in—marked with 💬. Please check the entry criteria below before recommending a game.
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 delisted from the 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 fix the entry]
I'm planning to keep this 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 horrible cash-grab machines the Play Store is regrettably riddled with. And, of course, to let everyone have a great time playing good games ;)
Entry criteria for user recommendations 💬
Paid Play Store games compatible with recent Android versions
No ads or infinite microtransactions. Allowed: ad-removal, full-game unlock, proper DLCs
You love the game and think it's worth the price
Must include link and, possibly, genre
I will still use my discretion and judgment to filter the entries, in the attempt of keeping the list's quality high.
[If you want to play or recommend free games, without ads or microtransactions, here is the list for you.]
THE LIST
Legend
🌟 - top favorite
💎 - AA or AAA production
👑 - masterpiece
💬 - recommended by the community, but I haven't played it yet or not my taste
🎮 - controllers are supported and, usually, strongly recommended
🎮❗️ - controller recommended but not supported—you'll need a controller mapping app like Panda
📱 - portrait orientation (either exclusively or optional)
👥 - includes multiplayer
120FPS - 120 FPS on supported devices
[Game title] - delisted, but you might still see it in the store if you've purchased it
Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath 🌟 🎮 (it might crash on Adnroid 15/newer phones - 1st person shooter/3rd person platformer - adventure, bounty hunter - fantasy western setting; ported from Xbox)
Grimvalor 🌟 🎮 120FPS (2.5D hack and slash medieval fantasy platform/RPG)
Shadow Blade 🌟 🎮 (2D hack and slash action platform)
Swordigo 🎮❗️ (2D RPG action-adventure platformer; requires controller remap app; free with 2 IAPs that add compass or coin doubler, and either of them remove ads too)
Prince of Persia: Lost Crown 🌟 💎 🎮 (platform hack-n-slash - if bugs, try one of these: copy save onto a different slot; load game and save w/o connecting controller, then connect; backup+reinstall)
Carrion 🌟 🎮 (inverted horror, pixel art - touch controls are recommended over a controller)
TMNT: Shredder's Revenge 🌟 💎 🎮 👥️ (beat 'em up with story mode and fun multiplayer - IAP to unlock complete edition with all DLCs - free with a Netflix subscription)
Chaos Rings III 🌟 (excellent 3D turn based JRPG by Square Enix. A bit pricey, but totally worth it)
Chrono Trigger 🌟 👑 🎮 (2d turn-based JRPG - 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 whatsoever)
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)
Trials of Mana 🌟 💎 🎮 (added controller support and achievements!)
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 game and I haven't personally experienced any bug)
Evoland 🎮 (action/adventure RPG with 2D and 3D graphics and a mix of genres. Touch controls work great)
Evoland 2 🌟 🎮 (action/adventure RPG with 2D and 3D graphics, mix of genres; controller recommended)
Indies Lies 🌟 (cards, deck builder; inspired by Slay the Spire; free and with paid DLCs which will remove ads, add extra story modes, characters, and new mechanics)
Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion 🎮 (humorous, Zelda-like, pixel art adventure; Play achievements didn't work correctly, but they might have been fixed later on)
Fractal Space HD 🌟 🎮 (3D first person puzzle. Touch controls work great) this game has a very good story and great gameplay. There's a free non-HD version
Limbo 🌟 🎮 (2D puzzle/platformer. Touch controls work great)
Point-and-click adventure
Fran Bow 🌟 (point and click/puzzle - psychologic soft horror) Excellent story and gameplay. [Edit: the old one, divided into chapters, is here]
This War of Mine 💬 (DISCLAIMER: as of April 2025 multiple users still report crashes, but I'll keep the game here because it is otherwise worth it, and devs often donate part of the profits to victims of various wars)
AppSales - add the games you wish to buy to AppSales' watchlist and you'll get notified when it's on sale. Ka-ching! 🤑
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.
Gamedeck 🎮 (game launcher/front-end for controllers)
Beacon Game Launcher 🎮 (game launcher/front-end for controllers. Also optimized for emulators)
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
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.
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