Android games of the year, 2015

This week on Click-Swipe-Play I look back at 2015s three best Android games. And - like every other roundup we have done this year - there were an overwhelming amount to choose from. I am pretty sure we managed though, so here are the three games you absolutely must buy from the Google Play Store.

Fallout Shelter

With many eyes turned to Fallout 4 for game of the year, it is easy to forget the wonderfulFallout Shelter. This little resource management game had me, and everyone else in the office, hooked for weeks as we tried to rebuild civilization in a vault under the wasteland.

In fact, I am still checking in as Overseer of Vault 578. With 200 dwellers, all fully leveled, life is good there. I still enjoy micromanaging the existence of my wards, building them new rooms to inhabit, and sending them into the wilderness for supplies. Unfortunately, with more people comes more technical issues, and you will need a powerful device for a smooth late-game experience.

Despite this small issue, it is still great fun thanks to its intuitive interface and wonderful faux 50’s sci-fi look – making it easy to place among our three favorite Android games of the year.

Horizon Chase

Horizon Chase offers a wonderful hit of 80s nostalgia. Inspired by classics such as Outrun, this high-speed arcade racer feels both fresh and fast thanks to its crisp, modern visuals.

Tracks are stuffed full of opposition racers to start weaving your way through the moment the green light blinks on. With the car auto accelerating, all you have to worry about is steering down the winding track and knowing when to occasionally tap the break or unleash your turbo.

If there is a problem, it’s that Horizon Chase’s controls are a little too binary and don’t allow for too much finesse in the challenging later stages. A little practice, however, and you can master the art of gently feathering the break and directional controls to perfectly angel yourself through the crowds of cars.

Terra Battle

The last must have Android game of 2015 is Terra Battle, a game that offers an amazing blend of RPG and puzzle gameplay. You slide characters around a grid-based board to build your attacks, with the power stacking depending on your characters, their positions, and their specific abilities. This allows for a huge range of tactics as you build your squad of warriors and learn how they interact together.

Japanese RPG fans will also be interested to know that much of the game’s art and design concepts come from Hironobu Sakaguchi and with music from Nobuo Uematsu, bothveterans of the Final Fantasy franchise.

Sadly, for all of its fantastic design, it should be mentioned that the story is pretty forgettable and filled with generic tropes – luckily the deep gameplay makes this easy to look past.

That’s our list, but as always if you think we missed something let us know the comments. We are taking a few weeks break for the holiday, but we will be back in the new year with the top Window exclusives of 2015 - subscribe not to miss that, and I will see you then!