In this article, we will be covering 14 Android games with the best story storylines. If you want to skip our detailed analysis of the mobile gaming market, you can go directly to 5 Android Games with the Best Story Storylines.
In one of our recent articles about countries with the most smartphone users, we discussed that the smartphone industry has seen remarkable growth and innovation. The mobile gaming industry is set for growth because of the steady increase in the number of smartphone users year after year, among other factors.
Emerging Trends in the Growing Mobile Gaming Market
The gaming industry was one of the few industries that was positively affected during the COVID-19 crisis. Mobile gaming helped reduce stress and provide entertainment as well as social connection, which was much needed during those challenging times. The global gaming industry is growing, and mobile devices are playing a huge role in this expansion.
According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, the mobile gaming market was valued at $141.71 billion in 2023. Looking forward, the market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 16.22% during 2023-2028, propelling the market to reach a value of around $300.47 billion by the end of the forecasted period. Smartphones are becoming increasingly powerful, with better graphics and faster processors, which means that mobile games are more accessible than ever before and more people can play mobile games on the go, anytime, anywhere. Mobile devices offer an extremely convenient and accessible gaming platform. With improved features and advanced graphics, mobile gaming also provides a rich gaming experience to appeal to a much larger audience, including casual gamers who may not want to spend money on dedicated PCs or gaming consoles.
Moreover, multiplayer gaming experience with friends and other players from around the world is expected to positively influence user engagement. The social aspect of mobile gaming combined with the evolving smartphone technology is expected to further augment market growth. Unlimited data plans offerings as well as growth of high speed 5G is expected to complement the success of mobile gaming worldwide. According to a report by Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC), 5G subscriptions are anticipated to increase to 4.6 billion to account for over half of all mobile subscriptions in the world by the end of 2028.
Market Players on the Move
Growing smartphone penetration rates and the easy availability of app stores makes it easier for mobile game developers to distribute and monetize their games. With billions of smartphone users around the world with app stores on their devices, game developers have access to an extensive user base and opportunities to generate revenue through in-app purchases and ads.
Some of the key players in the mobile gaming market are developing more immersive and sophisticated mobile games to attract large audiences and boost their profits. On September 25, Reuters reported that gamers are installing and engaging with the mobile game “Monster Hunter Now”, developed by Capcom Co. Ltd. (TYO:9697) and Niantic, the company that developed “Pokemon Go”. The new game, which was launched on September 14, combines monster fighting action with the location-based gameplay of “Pokemon Go”. According to Niantic, the game has already been downloaded 5 million times. The report also mentions that the “Monster Hunter” franchise has a loyal following in Japan, where “Monster Hunter Now” is the highest grossing app on Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iOS. The Japanese video and mobile game company, Capcom Co. Ltd. (TYO:9697), is expected to benefit from the continuing engagement with the new game.
On September 27, Reuters reported that the popular mobile game app Candy Crush Saga, developed by King.com Limited which has been owned by Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI) since 2016, has reached $20 billion in revenue since its launch in 2012. The game first appeared on a website, but took off when it was made available as a mobile game app. It has now been downloaded as a mobile game 5 billion times. The game allows players to watch ads to gain moves and also spend money to boost their performance. For the last 6 years now, Candy Crush has been the highest-grossing franchise in US app stores and the developer King.com Limited is planning to release levels up to 15,000 for the most committed Candy Crush players. President of King.com Limited, Tjodolf Sommestad, stated in an interview:
“We’ve proven to ourselves and to the industry that it is possible to reignite games that are years old and keep them relevant for a decade or longer, and break records even a decade in.”
In other news, Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI), the parent company of King.com Limited, has agreed to a $69 billion takeover by Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT). Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI) is one of the most popular video game developers and it is known for franchises like Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, and World of Warcraft. On September 27, Reuters reported that the US Federal Trade Commision will be arguing its case on why Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) should not be permitted to acquire the popular gaming giant Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI) for $69 billion. The Federal Trade Commission had previously argued against the takeover deal, which they believe is a threat to competition, in district court but lost and have now appealed.
On June 27, Reuters reported that NetEase Inc. (NASDAQ:NTES) and Warner Bros Games, a subsidiary of Warner Bros Discovery Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD), announced the worldwide launch of “Harry Potter: Magic Awakened”, which can now be downloaded for free on iOS and Android platforms. The game allows players to experience life as a student at the fictional school of wizardry, Hogwarts, where they can learn magic spells and call for Harry Potter characters like Rubeus Hagrid and Hermoine Granger to join forces in their fight against the challenges in the new role-playing game.
Global version of Harry Potter: Magic Awakened has seen much success since its launch. Here are some comments from NetEase Inc.’s (NASDAQ:NTES) Q2 2023 earnings call:
“At the end of June, we also rolled out Harry Potter: Magic Awakened to the global market, including Japan, North America, and Europe. Well, it topped the download chart in more than 50 regions. The game was well received by Harry Potter fans across the world and has been acclaimed for its world-class design and authentic representation of the original IP.“
On August 24, NetEase Inc. (NASDAQ:NTES) reported strong earnings for the fiscal second quarter of 2023. The company reported earnings per share (EPS) of $1.91, surpassing EPS estimates by $0.66. The company generated a revenue of $3.3 billion.
Now that we have discussed some of the trends in the global mobile gaming market and taken a look at what some of the major market players are up to, let’s take a look at 14 Android games with the best story storylines.
Copyright: olegdoroshin / 123RF Stock Photo
Methodology
There are no objective criteria for ranking the best Android games with a good storyline and what constitutes a good storyline can vary from person to person. Some people may prefer stories that are more character-driven and emotionally rich, while others may prefer games that are full of twists and turns and are action-packed. Therefore, for this article, we compiled a list of 14 Android games with the best story storylines using a consensus approach.
We analyzed rankings of Android and mobile games with the best story storylines on 4 different gaming websites – TheGamer, GamingonPhone, 60fps, and CBR. We counted the number of times each game is listed in these sources. We also calculated the average ranking of each of these games by adding up their rankings in each of the sources and then dividing that figure by the number of times each game’s name came up. We then ranked the 14 Android games with the best story storylines based on how many times their name came up in the sources as well as their average rankings.
Please note, the number of mentions is our primary metric and the average ranking is our secondary metric. A lower average ranking is better since it means the city was ranked at the top among our sources. In the case where multiple games had the same number of mentions across our sources, tie breaking was done on the basis of average rankings. 14 Android games with the best story storylines are listed below in ascending order.
14 Android Games with the Best Story Storylines
14. Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath
Number Of Mentions: 2
Average Ranking: 10.5
First up on our list of 14 Android games with the best story storylines is Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath. The game has a classic storyline where the hunter becomes the hunted. The players play as a bounty hunter who’s looking to capture bounties to collect money for a mysterious surgery, but when old foes begin to hunt the player down, the player needs to improvise and try to survive by all means.
Some of the best mobile gaming stocks to invest in include Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), NetEase Inc. (NASDAQ:NTES), Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI), and Capcom Co. Ltd. (TYO:9697).
13. Leo’s Fortune
Number Of Mentions: 2
Average Ranking: 9.5
Leo’s Fortune has stunning and realistic graphics. In the game, the players will take on a character, named Leo, then go on an adventure to try and find his lost fortune. The storyline is amazing, emotional, as well as thought provoking, mainly because of the traps and riddles that stand in Leo’s way.
12. Forgotton Anne
Number Of Mentions: 2
Average Ranking: 8.5
Forgotton Anne offers an absolutely beautiful gameplay and storyline. The game takes place in a fictional world called Forgotten Lands, where all non-living things that have ever been lost come to life and want to be remembered and return to their owners. Anne is the enforcer who keeps order in the Forgotten Lands, and has to stop that from happening. As a beautiful cinematic puzzle and adventure platform game, Forgotten Anne ranks at the number 12 spot in our list of Android games with the best story storylines.
11. Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons
Number Of Mentions: 2
Average Ranking: 7
Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons has an emotional storyline filled with adventure. Two brothers, Naiee and Naia, embark on a journey to the Tree of Life to find a cure for their drying father’s illness, having just recently lost their mother. The players encounter aggressive dogs, wolves, orcs, and bullies on their emotionally charged journey.
10. Superbrothers: Sword And Sworcery
Number Of Mentions: 2
Average Ranking: 6
Superbrothers: Sword and Sworcery is a 2D-pixelated exploratory action adventure game with an emphasis on audiovisual style. The players take up the role of a traveling warrior monk, and have to solve an abundance of mystical and musical mysteries in a mythic realm. The game can be played alone, or with friends, and ranks among the top 10 Android games with the best story storyline.
9. The Wolf Among Us
Number Of Mentions: 2
Average Ranking: 6
The Wolf Among Us revolves around a series of mysterious murders and the game is based on finding clues and making choices, allowing the players to not only move forward with the game on their own but also unveil the games ending in their own way. Players control the sheriff of Fabletown, Bigby Wolf, to investigate a series of murders in an episodic graphic neo-noir mystery-drama adventure game.
8. Batman: The Telltale Series
Number Of Mentions: 2
Average Ranking: 5.5
Batman: The Telltale Series is set within the city of Gotham, which is a city overrun with both corruption and crime. The story involves both Batman and Bruce Wayne, so the character is not stuck within its costumed identity. The mobile game’s graphics, characters, and story has been subject to praise. Batman: The Telltale Series ranks among the top Android games with the best story storylines.
7. Genshin Impact
Number Of Mentions: 2
Average Ranking: 5
Genshin Impact has a very interesting and interactive storyline. As an open world and action fantasy role-playing game, it allows players to choose between Aether (male) or Lumine (female) as their traveler. The player takes on a journey in search of finding their missing sibling, but every country that the player travels through has its own characters, adventures, and challenges.
6. Lonewolf
Number Of Mentions: 2
Average Ranking: 5
Lonewolf is an intense sniper game in a neo-noir setting. The players take on the role of a dangerous assassin, who is part of the Assembly, a criminal group. Over the course of numerous missions, the players learn about the character and his motives for joining the criminal group. The gameplay offers a wide variety of weapons to battle enemies with, and the game ranks high among Android games with the best story storyline.
Prominent companies that are leading the global mobile game industry include Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), NetEase Inc. (NASDAQ:NTES), Activision Blizzard Inc. (NASDAQ:ATVI), and Capcom Co. Ltd. (TYO:9697).
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Disclosure: None. 14 Android Games with the Best Story Storylines is published on Insider Monkey.