The Google Play Store has almost one million different games that can be downloaded to compatible smartphones and tablets. This catalogue has grown to such an enormous proportion that Google had to separate games from other apps back in 2016. At the time of writing, some of the “top free” titles include Among Us, Roblox, and Sushi Roll 3D, while Candy Crush Saga, Clash of Clans, and Homescapes lead the list of “top grossing” games.
While each of these games offers something unique, they all have one thing in common: they were all created in the last decade. They’re all modern inventions, sometimes borrowing ideas and taking inspiration from older releases, but distinct enough to qualify as a completely new game.
Most of the games that hog the headlines are also new. Fortnite has been a frequent feature on tech sites in recent months and has even grabbed the attention of news sites because of its creator’s on-going public war with Google and Apple over commissions. Call of Duty: Mobile is another example of this, hogging the limelight in late 2019 and throughout 2020 for breaking several records for most mobile game downloads.
Yet, new games aren’t the only options for players. The Google Play Store is chock-full of classic titles that are anywhere from a couple of decades to several centuries old. Yet, despite their age, they continue to be just as fun today as they were the very first time they were played.
If you’d like to enjoy some of these classic titles, perhaps to reminisce and enjoy some nostalgia, or to try something different, then here are some of your best options.
Pac-Man
Pac-Man was a cultural phenomenon back when it was first released back in 1980 as an arcade game. It was such a success that several dozen sequels have been released with versions available for just about every platform from consoles to smartphones.
Most versions followed the same 2D maze format as the original game, but some, like Pac-Man World Rally, used the Pac-Man branding in a different genre. A recent addition to the library is Pac-Man 256, a game that offers a significantly larger maze to create a new challenge for even the most experienced Pac-Man player.
There are numerous Pac-Man games available for Android. In fact, a search on the Google Play Store will return five official titles and countless copycat creations.
Sudoku
Sudoku is a number-based puzzle game that requires players to exert copious amounts of patience and logic to place the numbers 1 to 9 in a 9×9 grid. Sounds simple, but it’s deceptively complicated because each of the smaller 3×3 grids within the larger box, each row, and each column must each contain each number only once.
Sudoku puzzles are believed to have first been created back in the 19th century, though they didn’t gain much popularity until the late 1980s. It became mainstream in the mid-2000s when a computer programmer created a tool to rapidly generate unique sudokus.
Today, you no longer need to purchase a puzzle book or newspaper to enjoy this brain-teasing number puzzle. There are plenty of sudoku apps available for Android devices, with many free options.
Many sudoku apps contain thousands of unique puzzles to test your skills with, and most allow you to add notes that can help you through the process of elimination and deduction. Some can even give you hints for when you get stuck on a particularly challenging grid.