Another year is almost over, but how's 2012 been for Android gamers? Pretty good, as it turns out, with a fine selection of titles to keep everyone busy. On that note, check out the top 10 Android games for smartphones and tablets.
10. Doors & Rooms
Doors & Rooms is a fine example of one of 2012's most popular genres, the room-escape puzzle game. Spread over five chapters of increasingly tricky challenges, you'll need to explore every nook and cranny of each room to uncover clues and solve the puzzles that keep each door firmly shut. This free game is continually updated by the developers, and will keep you hooked over the holiday break.
Download Doors & Rooms (Android)
9. Clay Jam
Clay Jam had to take a spot on our top 10 for its sheer inventiveness and technical accomplishments. This Katamari-like game has been created purely from Claymation technology, and is packed with original characters and fantastic music. That the technology works at all is a thing of wonder – that it also supports an amazing game makes this one very easy recommendation.
Download Clay Jam (Android)
8. Dragon Slayer
Swapping mystical medieval combat for fantasy dragon-slaying, Glu Mobile's take on the classic hack, swipe, and dodge mechanics of Infinity Blade is an outstanding freemium title that will give you hours of gameplay before you find yourself having to spend a single cent. There's great variety in the ferocious opponents, along with a deep upgrade system to keep you coming back for just one more fight.
Download Dragon Slayer (Android)
7. Sleepwalker's Journey
Sleepwalker's Journey is a game that doesn't just look fantastic, it plays just as well. Set in a surreal and beautiful world, you'll need to guide a sleepwalking boy to the comfort of his bed, dodging traps, manipulating platforms, and even making use of tightropes to get him through the perils of each level. A wonderfully atmospheric game, Sleepwalker's Journey deserves your time and attention.
Download Sleepwalker's Journey (Android)
6. Dead Trigger
Developer Madfinger Games had a rollercoaster year with its outstanding shooter, Dead Trigger. First, it succeeded in delivering one of the finest zombie shooters that mobile gamers had ever seen. Then, sadly, an enormous amount of people pirated the game, forcing the developer to ultimately switch to a free-to-play model for both iOS and Android players alike. Grab this fantastic free game now, then show the developers some love in the cash store.
Download Dead Trigger (Android)
5. Angry Birds Space
When you've delivered one of the most successful games in the world, where do you go next? Rovio's answer in the case of Angry Birds Space was 'up', even dragging the residents of the International Space Station into promotional duties along the way. You'll need to juggle traditional Angry Birds gameplay with the introduction of multiple gravitational fields to succeed at the game's extensive selection of levels. Was it popular? The game passed the 100 million downloads mark within three months of its release.
Download Angry Birds Space (Android)
4. Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour
The Modern Combat series has slowly but surely stepped out of the shadows of its obvious console inspirations, to the point where it now stands proudly on its own two feet. This fourth installment of the shooter series packs in a bigger campaign, deeper multiplayer maps and game modes, and some of the most extraordinary visuals you'll ever see on your Android mobile or tablet.
Download Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour (Android)
3. Asphalt 7: Heat
CSR Racing might have swept the board when it came to making money, but our favorite racing game of the year has to go to Asphalt 7: Heat. Packing in 60 cars (including licensed appearances from the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini), as well as 15 perfectly designed tracks spread around the world and a handful of game modes, Asphalt 7 is the best installment in the series yet, and deserves a home on every Android gamer's device.
Download Asphalt 7: Heat (Android)
2. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
What can you say about one of the greatest games that hasn't already been said? Well for starters, the good news is that this 10-year anniversary edition of Vice City brings a number of improvements to the controls that took some of the shine off last year's release of GTA 3 for mobiles. Tighter controls accompany the slickest visuals the game's ever enjoyed, and of course there's that classic soundtrack that will cause many a tear of nostalgia to be shed towards the end of 2012.
Download Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (Android)
1. Angry Birds Star Wars
No analyst, gamer, or critic would have predicted in January that before the year was out, we'd see one of mobile gaming's biggest franchises team up with what is arguably the most popular film series of all time. Where Angry Birds Space turned the physics-puzzling mayhem upside down with its gravity-defying mechanics, this Star Wars edition paid a fine tribute to the characters and locations of the fan-favorite franchise.
Download Angry Birds Star Wars (Android)
