5 must-play Android games released in November 2024

03 Dec 2024, 13:59 by Jon Gilbert · Android Police

Feral Interactive's stunning mobile port of Total War: Empire is one of the most impressive Android games released in November 2024, but it's got plenty of competition for the best game of the month. The complete edition of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is a refreshingly microtransaction-free experience, and The Abandoned Planet is a mesmerizing RPG from start to finish.

Whether you like to keep up with the best Android games, or like exploring new genres, read on to discover the latest and greatest mobile games. Most of these won't push your phone's hardware to the limit, but you'll want to immerse yourself in their fantastic soundtracks by blocking out all external audio, perhaps with a good pair of earbuds.

1 Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete

Seven years of updates for one price

In-app purchases

None

Subscription
❌ No
Controller support
❌ No
ChromeOS support
✅ Yes
Publisher
Nintendo Co.
Publish date
November 8, 2024
Genre
Life Simulation
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$9.99 at Play Store

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp has been one of AP's favorite mobile games since it launched in 2017, but its microtransaction-heavy gameplay marred the otherwise brilliant game.

Nintendo eventually ended support for the game on November 28, but rather than consigning it to the scrap heap of unsupported mobile games, it replaced the free-to-play game with a brand-new version that comes with no microtransactions. This new "Complete" edition requires a $9.99 one-time purchase, but you can transfer all your old data from the old free-to-play version.

For those who never played the free-to-play version of Animal Crossing, this is the perfect time to jump into this mobile version of the popular simulation game. While it doesn't have anywhere close to the amount of content its console counterparts do, there's plenty of opportunity to decorate your campsite, make friends, and collect bells. It's one of the best casual games on mobile. Did we mention that there are no more microtransactions?

2 The Abandoned Planet

A retro-inspired pixel-art adventure

In-app purchases

$5.99 to unlock the full game

Subscription
❌ No
Controller support
❌ No
ChromeOS support
✅ Yes
Publish date
November 12, 2024
Genre
Adventure
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See at Play Store

Modern games that try to recreate the charm and wonder of classic PC point-and-click adventure games are nothing new, but now and again a new entry in the genre catches our eye. The Abandoned Planet is packed with pixel-art charm, and the voice acting is some of the best we've seen.

The Abandoned Planet is designed to appeal to the generation nostalgic for the old LucasArts adventure games, but there's plenty here for newcomers to the genre to enjoy. Unlike some other point-and-click adventure games, The Abandoned Planet flows seamlessly between levels so you can enjoy it without suffering from awkward controls. And the puzzles, while challenging, aren't so frustrating that you'll stop playing.

3 Abalon: Roguelike Tactics CCG

A roguelike packed with strategic gameplay

In-app purchases

$7.99 per item

Subscription
❌ No
Controller support
✅ Yes
ChromeOS support
✅ Yes
Publisher
D20Studios
Publish date
November 7, 2024
Genre
Turn-Based Strategy
Expand
See at Play Store

Abalon's combination of roguelike, turn-based strategy, and card-building mechanics could easily have resulted in a stale experience. After all, deck-building games are a dime-a-dozen on the Play Store, and there are more roguelikes than you could ever play. However, Abalon manages to stand out with strategic and challenging gameplay that offers endless opportunities for experimentation.

Abalon's biggest appeal is its strategic depth, so it's a must-play if you're on the hunt for a strategy game that will push you to experiment with new tactics. It's cross-platform, too, so you can switch between mobile and PC, where it's also available on Google Play Games for PC.

4 Total War: EMPIRE

An impressive mobile adaptation of a complex strategy game

In-app purchases

None

Subscription
❌ No
Controller support
❌ No
ChromeOS support
❌ No
Publisher
Feral Interactive
Publish date
November 19, 2024
Genre
Turn-Based Strategy
Expand
$18 at Play Store

Total War: Empire isn't the first Total War game Feral Interactive has ported to mobile. It joins Total War: Rome and Total War: Medieval 2 on the Play Store and, despite a frustratingly limited set of compatible devices, it is a fantastic achievement for the company. It is one of the most substantial strategy games on mobile, and while the touch-screen controls take some getting used to, your perseverance will be rewarded with hundreds of hours of gameplay.

Total War: Empire for Android is much more than just a mobile port

Feral Interactive has produced its finest port yet

Posts

Feral Interactive didn't stop at porting the game to mobile, as it added a host of quality-of-life improvements and gameplay changes, making this the definitive version of the venerable strategy game. However, due to the sheer amount of information on display, we recommend only playing Total War: Empire on compatible Android tablets, not phones.

5 Dungeon Clawler

Claw machines meet RPGs in this bizarrely great game

Price
$4 .99
Subscription
❌ No
Controller support
❌ No
ChromeOS support
✅ Yes
Publisher
Stray Fawn Studio
Publish date
November 21, 2024
Expand
See at Play Store

Yes, Dungeon Clawler is another deck-building roguelike game, but this time there's a claw machine, which is much more than an irrelevant gimmick. During battles, you'll control a claw machine to grab weapons, shields, and upgrades to help your character defeat their enemies. It's challenging, silly, and fantastic fun.

If we have one gripe with Dungeon Clawler, it's that the game is still in development. However, there are many hours of gameplay to enjoy, and you can return regularly to see what the developers have added. So if you're looking for a fun, light-hearted, but challenging mobile game, Dungeon Clawler is the best you can play right now.

Honorable mentions

While the above games are our top five titles from November, these games were close contenders. Don't forget to try them out too!

Knights of Pen and Paper 3	Knights of Pen and Paper 3 changes so many elements of the series' formula that die-hard fans may be disappointed. However, it's still a fun pixel art RPG through and through.
Honey Grove	Honey Grove is a relaxed gardening simulation where you'll design, nurture, and show off your dream garden. There are light puzzle elements to keep the game engaging and plenty of unique characters to meet.
Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit	Cozy Grove: Camp Spirit is an Animal Crossing-like game where you'll bring a campsite to life with friends, decorations, and buildings. It's a cute, relaxing game that fans of games like Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon will enjoy. You'll need a Netflix subscription to play.

Play the best new Android games

This list contains the cream of the crop of new Android games. While many more games were released, we've ignored the forgettable free-to-play titles to only bring you the best of the best. However, we also recommend exploring the best games from October to see what else launched this year.