Top 25 best board games for Android phones and tablets

Wingspan is a really beautiful mobile adaptation of the board game with the same name. It can be played in a single-player mode, against AI or up to four other players. You are looking to discover and attract birds to your wildlife preservers, using their abilities and chaining together combinations to create a better habitat for them.

The subtle animations and transitions within Wingspan bring everything to life, not only highlighting it but also making this version so much more enjoyable. If you are a fan of cards or birds, try out this title.

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Raiders of the North Sea is a Viking-filled worker placement title that ticks all of the necessary boxes, with stunning artwork and brilliant mechanics. You'll develop your own village by picking the cards that are going to boost one building or another. Raising a raiding party is another logical step on the way, as you'll be raiding your opponent, while also defending your settlement.

It's one of the finest board game conversions we've ever played, and we've stated that in greater detail in our Raiders of the North Sea review, so make sure to take a look!

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Antihero looks and feels like a slick and pacy turn-based strategy, and it even has a fully fleshed-out single-player campaign mode. Look a little deeper, though, and you'll find a super-tight digital board game at its core. You'll play as a leader of the local thief's guild in Victorian London. Your utmost goal is to hold control of the city through scouting, theft, extortion, and other shady actions.

Not sure how Antihero plays out exactly? We've got a Antihero review where we give you some further details about the playstyle!

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Maestro Playdek here tackles one of the best board games ever made - with predictably ace results. Twilight Struggle encapsulates the Cold War's complexities in a strategically rewarding experience. You'll play at the edge of a knife, trying to gather allies and divert your opponent's moves. Events that play out are real events that history buffs will welcome and recognise.

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Award-winning in physical form and similarly awesome on mobile, the Isle of Skye takes the tile-laying land-grab concept of the original and adds a decent tutorial and a suite of modes. You'll play as one of the clan chiefs trying to take control of the said isle. Of course, similar to Monopoly, you'll be able to build improvements on your tiles, so you can be an animal herder, build ships, or even (my favourite) make whiskey!

We even got a Isle of Skye review that covers every aspect to the single bit!

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Oceans Lite is about the vast world hidden underwater, it is a beautiful and immersive experience with close to infinite replay value. You'll explore the depths of the ocean and evolve different species through the cards you get. Simple concept, but you'll have an opponent, which spices things up significantly. We have to note that the full version can be unlocked for $1, so if you like the free version, it's definitely worth unlocking around 80 cards more.

The beautifully drawn cards and several features (pass, weekly challenges) make it enjoyable no matter if you're a single-player or you're playing with friends.

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Monopoly Go is a new way to play Monopoly, bringing the game to a more multiplayer, online mode where you can do a lot of classic Monopoly things like roll your dice, move around the board, draw cards, and hopefully not land on a place to pay rent to another player. However, Monopoly Go also has mini-games, where you can match items to steal money from another player, or destroy bits of their town. It is a fun version of Monopoly and one that you do not need to play in one solid sitting.

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Another one that puts the lie to the idea that board games are boring, Galaxy Trucker is heart-pumpingly frenetic. Race to build your spaceship against the clock before embarking on an event-filled sci-fi mission. Similar to the board version, you'll have empty tiles to fill with some of the cards you're getting and attach them to make the best possible spaceship/truck. Of course, there are basic rules and you can't just attach pieces wherever you like, there are different types of connectors.

Then you and your buddies will form a convoy and turn event cards. Some events are cool, but some are rather dangerous, like meteors and hostile ships. The first one in the convoy gets the most loot, but also gets attacked first, so it's high risk and high rewards. The player with the most money made wins.

It is absolutely stunning, and our Galaxy Trucker review expresses it perfectly. Download Galaxy Trucker

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This is the second digital take on board game legend Carcassonne, and it's a much better version than the 2011 original. Take turns laying tiles to build a map of medieval France, but pick your moment to launch a treacherous land grab. The difference is that the digital version is in 3D and there are some quality-of-life improvements. You'll get random cards and you'll put them on one of a few empty tiles. Sometimes, you'll place people instead of improvements and land tiles. It's great that you can play with friends, but we prefer the board version if you have people to play with already. Otherwise, you'll all have to pay for this one.

We even have a Carcassonne (Asmodee) review for you, but if you're a board games enthusiast, chances are you've already heard of Carcassonne - it's a classic!

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A beautiful title from every single point of view, Tokaido follows the player through Japan, while trying to fulfill the trek. It's a relaxing experience with astounding music that will leave you in a 'feel-good' momentum the second you dive in.

From characters to the narrative and even achievements, Tokaido is easily one of the top board games on Android you need to check out.

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An enticingly verdant title that casts you as a deceptively cute creature, and tasks you with conquering your local forest. Featuring four distinct factions and deep strategic potential, Root gets appropriately deep.

While Root is not outstanding in terms of graphics or mechanics, it is simple and encompasses all the key elements of a competitive board play. Just don't let the cartoonish graphics fool you - it is a lot deeper than it gives off at first glance.

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Here we have a stripped-down card-based version of the popular tabletop role-playing game Pathfinder, and it feels perfectly suited to mobile. Pick your team, kit them out, and embark on a series of combat-filled quests. This adventure contains over a thousand cards that will make sure you don't get bored soon. PC players can already enjoy the big brothers - Kingmaker and Wraith of Righteous!

You guessed it - in our Pathfinder Adventures review, we'll talk about all of these key elements that make it such a successful tabletop RPG.

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This port of a 2016 physical board game is a classy slice of interactive sci-fi, as players cooperate to make Mars habitable. As you skip along its hex-shaped board, though, you must also vie for corporate supremacy.

Both the original and this digital adaptation look stunning, but we'd urge you to play it on a bigger screen. It is one of the best board games for tablets because you really get to enjoy every single detail that went into the making of Terraforming Mars.

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This wonderful abstract strategy has you taking turns with your rival to place the blocks in an ever-expanding tower. It's got that 'easy to learn, tough to master' thing going on and a surprisingly involved single-player campaign.

Santorini is exactly how you'd have imagined. Of course, it is a little lacking in the graphics department - the original looks slightly better - but it's not a strong enough reason to pass it. It's still one of the best Android board games ever created, and we've stated that clearly in our Santorini review.

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Dire Wolf Digital manages to make this port of a unique dice-drafting title feel suitably tactile on the small screen. Sagrada has you rolling dice to build the best-stained glass window. The player who creates the most compelling work of art, wins.

The board game might not be as popular as the mobile adaptation, hence we've chosen to add this one to the list. It's a fun little strategy title that you can enjoy on quick breaks at work or when you just want to relax with friends.

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This conversion of a highly regarded cooperative board game sees you taking on the role of an elemental god and strategically defending your island home from colonial invaders. Of course, there can be up to four gods, each taking one element and trying to protect the land with a variety of magic cards that have different effects. Of course, the more players there are, the bigger the island that you're trying to defend, increasing the difficulty immensely.

It's got every element that you need in a simple but colourful rendition and the simple yet goal-oriented gameplay keeps it true to the original.

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You know this Agricola, we know this Agricola and every seasoned board game enthusiast knows it. Suitably enough for a title that concerns itself with running a farm, Agricola takes a fair amount of graft before you'll reap its rewards. But this engaging and beautifully presented title is well worth the effort. You'll send your workers to the market, breed animals and try to grow the farm before the time runs out. In the end, a player with better farm wins!

Never heard of it before? Don't worry - we've got a Agricola review where we cover every aspect of it in great detail and share our honest opinions.

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As the name suggests, Evolution is all about adapting to your environment in order to survive. You do this through a delightfully tactical card-driven title filled with countless agonising decisions. In a campaign, you'll stack your creatures against AI, fight bosses and similar stuff. However, there's a multiplayer where you can compete against other players or AI. We recommend going through the campaign first to get a good grip of the basics. There is always something to be done, a new feature to be learned - and if you want to learn more on why we're so biased towards Evolution, then we've got a Evolution Board Game review for you.

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A brilliant asymmetrical multiplayer contest of cat and mouse. One player is on the king's side, the other the would-be killers and the result is an impossibly tense board contest.

Since you already know how much we love Carcassonne, it shouldn't come as a surprise that we've chosen another one of Asmodee's mobile creations to feature on the list of best board games on Android. And that's exactly the case for Kings and Assassins - check out our Kings and Assassins review for more!

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The next one on the list is well-known by many players. Monopoly is a fantastic digital board game with many great features. One of the best things about it is the video chat that allows you to play face-to-face with your friends.

The other option is offline multiplayer, which allows you to play on one device with up to 4 other players. Moreover, you can test your skills against AI or play a quick mode if you do not have enough time for a regular game.

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Ah, D&D - we cannot have a board game list without it!

Though it's set in the classic Dungeons and Dragons tabletop RPG universe, Lords of Waterdeep is actually a worker-placement game that sees you strategically occupying spaces and resources on a board. It's a very attractive and accessible example of the form, too. As one of the masked lords, you'll try to hustle your way through all 8 rounds through various shady and clean strategies to make the most of the given quests and situations. At the end of those 8 rounds, the lord with the most points wins!

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Elder Sign: Omens is a deep tactical title that takes ages to master, but it also has the added spice of a universe based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft. All you have to do is explore the arcane museum and save the world against the Ancient One, no biggie. At least you'll have a team of investigators to help you out!

In the Elder Sign: Omens review we've spilt all the tea when it comes to gameplay - it's stunning but requires a little bit of learning in order to be enjoyed to its utmost extent.

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You're probably familiar with the famous GoT - be it the books or the TV show. Well, did you know there is also a board game? A GoT: The Board Game is an absolutely massive and beautiful adaptation of the physical GoT board play, and it's all that you have ever wanted in a digital adaptation. Of course, that's partly because it's another Asmodee creation.

The idea is pretty simple - conquer land and reach the Iron Throne... but the path is pretty difficult, so if you're up for the challenge, it's definitely worth paying for.

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This sequel to Hasbro's casual family favourite updates the formula of wanton materialism with a rather more varied spread of goals and events. In a further nod to its fresh Generation Z audience, you can also unlock a bunch of cosmetic customisation items. For those who aren't familiar, it's a simulation of life. Some choices are up to you, and some are random. Are you looking to head straight into the corporate world, or are you going to finish college? Will you get married, have kids, get pets? The main difference between this one and the first one is the end goal. It's no longer necessary to get most money, the goal is to be happy!

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Turn-based battles with unique dice, skills and challenges every step of the way make Armello one of the best board games of all time - both online and offline (in non-digital format). This fantastical RPG urges players to become the king by following the path through the forest (the board) and trying to overcome all the challenges that lay ahead.

We've already said that in our Armello review, but we'll say it again. It's a unique experience that feels at home on mobile.

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