Android racing games are among the most popular in all of Android. So popular, in fact, that they have their own genre section in the Google Play Store. That means there are a metric ton of racing games. Some of them are pretty good and others are not all that great. So which ones are the best? Keep reading to find out!
[Price: Free]
First up is the venerable Asphalt series. Currently the latest release is Asphalt 8: Airborne which is a Freemium title. When most people think of a benchmark for how good a racing game should be, many think of the Asphalt series. It’s competitive in nearly all categories, including game play, graphics, and multiplayer support. The game itself is pretty fun
with a lot of cars to unlock, lots of tracks to race on, and plenty of in-game stuff like ramps and drifting to keep you having fun. It’s a must have for racing fans.
[Price: Free]
Beach Buggy Blitz is a great option for people who may want something a little less serious in the racing genre. With its colorful, cartoony graphics and Mario Kart feel, it’s a great option for people who just want a racing game to goof around with. It’s developed by Vector Unit, the same people who did Riptide GP2 (which is also on this list), so you know already that the game is well done. It’s free to play and also utilizes Google Play Games services for cloud-saving, achievements, and leaderboards.
[Price: $ 0.99]
Carmageddon is the definitely of the phrase “and old one but a good one.” The game has been around for quite some time but time has done little to diminish the quality of this title. It’s still among the best and highest rated racing games out there. Included is 36 levels, 28 opponents, 11 tracks, an option between analog and tilt controls, and a twisted sense of humor. It’s a little too old for things like Google Play Games services and online multiplayer which is a shame, but don’t let that stop you from giving it a closer look. This is a classic.
[Price: Free]
CSR Racing was one of my first video-app reviews and it remains a favorite to this day. The reason is because it’s a legitimately fun and well done game. It’s undergone some changes since our initial review, such as the addition of Facebook-based online multiplayer and the addition of new cars. This game is is a drag racing style game so there are no tracks to get through. Each race takes anywhere from 8 to 45 seconds depending on your car and the length of the race. That makes this a great title for people who only pick up games occasionally and don’t play for very long. It’s free so if you’re in the mood for a good drag racing game, this is a great option.
[Price: Free]
Death Rally can be summarized in three glorious words my friends: racing, weapons, and explosions. That’s essentially what you get from Death Rally. It’s a top-down style racing game where you race through levels, shoot your opponents until they explode, and grind it out until you win the race. With a penchant for violence that you won’t see in many of these other titles, it’s the perfect game for people who enjoy both explosions and the competitive spirit of racing. If Michael Bay played racing games, we imagine he’d play this one.
[Price: Free]
Drag Racing is not altogether different from CSR Racing. It’s a drag racing style game where proper shifting and attention to things like RPMs matter. The graphics aren’t as good as CSR, Asphalt, and others on the list, but what it lacks in graphical content it makes up for in car tuning. Not only can you unlock a variety of cars and purchase upgrades for them, but you can also tune your car to your specific taste. Things like gear changing, torque, and others help you build the car that acts how you want it to act. If that sounds like something you enjoy, the download button is right there.
[Price: Free]
It’s a well known fact that video games based on movies usually aren’t very good, although that trend has been changing in recent years. Fast & Furious 6: The Game does a little bit to help change that stereotype. It’s not the best game on this list, but it is a really decent racing game with a lot of features that are genuinely enjoyable. It features a couple of game modes, including Heist Mode which lets you commit crimes for money. It also features a number of expected features like unlockable cars, customization options, and cameos from the crew in the movie. Again, it’s not the best on this list, but it’s still good enough to be here and it’s free to boot!
[Price: Free]
GT Racing 2 comes out of the venerable Gameloft library which are the same folks who do the Asphalt series. However, instead of focusing on breakneck speed, GT Racing 2 focused more on authenticity. There are a variety of tracks that have a variety of weather conditions, a physics engine that mimics real-life driving, and even comes with multiplayer mode. It’s one of the few games on this list that offers a first-person view from inside the car. It’s free to play so there’s no harm in trying it out and while the game itself is a little old, it’s one of the most popular on the list. It’s definitely worth a moment of your time.
[Price: Free]
If Motocross Meltdown taught us anything, it’s that not all the best Android racing games contain cars. In this game, you race bikes. Along with a decent motocross experience, you can also create your own rider, customize your bike, and play in a number of fun levels that allow you to jump, race, and even do tricks. It features pretty decent graphics as well. It’s garnered over a million downloads so far, has a fairly decent rating in the Google Play Store, and it’s done by the popular Glu Mobile. If you’re into motocross, this is about as good as it gets on Android.
[Price: $ 4.99]
Need for Speed Most Wanted is one of those games that had the potential to be the best ever on Android. It has fun game play, great graphics, and it’s a favorite among our readership. It’s also the most expensive at $ 4.99 and, unfortunately, does contain some issues depending on what device you have. Nevertheless, it’s a great game that helped push the genre forward in a big way and if it works well on your device, it’s well worth the price tag. Just make sure you read through some of the comments to make sure your device is one of the ones that doesn’t have any problems.
[Price: Free]
Raging Thunder 2 is another oldie but goody. It has pretty decent graphics, although it isn’t as good as you’d see in Real Racing 3, NFS: Most Wanted, or Asphalt 8. Despite that, there are some pretty good features that make this worth picking up. It has cross platform multiplayer so there is that. The game play is also fast paced and fun. It’s been around for a while and has garnered over ten million downloads to date which is really very impressive. If you haven’t yet, it’s worth checking out.
[Price: Free]
The last time we did a list like this, we didn’t include Real Racing 3 but this time around, we feel it belongs on the list. It’s developed by well-known game studio EA and features really good graphics and fun, realistic game play. It features multiplayer mode, real cars, and real tracks and all of them look really good. It’s also another one of the precious few on this list that allows for first-person, in-car views while driving. It even boasts more than 1000 events and it all comes at the low, low price of free. If you’re a racing enthusiast, do yourself a favor and at least check this one out to see if you like it.
[Price: $ 2.99]
Riptide GP2 is a long time favorite here at Android Authority. We’ve reviewed it and it’s made practically every general best game list that we’ve ever done. In Riptide GP2, you race jet skis in a variety of game types and there are even trick competitions. The graphics are great, the game is fun, and it even includes Google Play Services like cloud saves, real-time multiplayer, and achievements. It’s pretty much everything one could ask for in a racing game and until Riptide GP3 comes out, it’ll remain our favorite racing game that takes place on the water.
[Price: Free]
Smash Cops Heat is a different kind of racing game. Instead of racing a clock or opponents around a circuit, you instead race to take away the freedom of bad guys. In this game, you’re in the driver seat of a police car as you chase down and capture bad guys who are on the run. It’s not a racing game on the face of it, but it involves high speeds, fast cars, and pretty much all of the other elements you’d find in a racing game. What makes this game worth trying are the small things. It has a HUD that is similar to the breaking news screen you see when a high speed chase is happening on TV and the game plays out like a news story, which was actually pretty unique. It can’t hurt to check it out as it is free.
Racing games on Android are being released and evolving all the time. Case and point, this is the third time we’ve updated this list in the last 8 months. With there being an entire section in the Play Store dedicated to racing games, there is every chance that we may have missed one or two good ones. If we did and you want to tell us about them, let us know in the comment section below!
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