The Best Games To Play With Friends on Phone – Android & iOS

While mobile games lack the same quality as that of PC/console games, there’s no denying the fact every game is fun when you’re with friends. No matter what platform you’re playing on, things are bound to be interesting when you’re all playing together. Therefore, we’ve taken the liberty of compiling a list of the best games you can play with your pals on your Android or iOS devices.

Download links for each game are provided at the end of its description.

1. COD Mobile

Genre: Battle-royale, first-person shooter | Cross-Platform: Yes | Price: Freemium; in-app purchases present | In-App Purchases: Cosmetics | No. of Players Supported: Up to 100 players

The mobile port of the immensely popular Call of Duty franchise, COD Mobile is one of the most popular first-person shooter games on mobile right now, and for good reason.

COD Mobile features a wide variety of game modes, ranging from the traditional team deathmatch to battle-royale. Additionally, the game adds special limited-time game modes too, which includes the fan-favorite Zombies mode. Many will feel right at home with familiar maps such as Highjacked, Nuketown and Crossfire.

In multiplayer, you can queue for a match either solo, with a duo or with a squad of 4 people. Alternatively, you can create a custom room that allows up to 10 players; for battle royale the limit is 100. Therefore, it’s the perfect game to play with friends when you’re in the mood for shooters.

COD features micro-transactions, but only of a cosmetic nature; gun skins, character models, etc. The game is updated frequently, and each update brings fresh content; limited-time events that feature new game modes and further cosmetic rewards.

2. Dead by Deadlight Mobile

Genre: Action, Horror, Survival | Cross-Platform: Yes | Price: Freemium; in-app purchases present | In-App Purchases: Cosmetics | No. of Players Supported: Up to 5 players

Dead by Daylight Mobile is another mobile port of a console and PC game of the same name. DBD Mobile is a horror-slasher themed game that pits 5 players in a symmetrical map. The game sees 4 players, termed “Survivors“, trying to evade and escape the 5th player: the “Killer“.

The Killer’s job is to hunt the survivors; typical to the slasher genre. The Survivors, as there name, suggests have to avoid the Killer and fulfil tasks so that they can escape his territory. Each Killer has their own unique ability and perks, while the Survivors have their own unique perks.

The game also features many fan-favorite characters from other famous horror franchises such as Pyramid Head from Silent Hill. However, these characters are available only as skins for the already existing Killers and Survivors.

Overall, everybody loves a good slasher movie. And DBD Mobile is the best way to enjoy the slasher genre; with you and your friends playing the role of the annoying teenagers and the psychopath killer simultaneously.

3. Brawlhalla

Genre: Action | Cross-Platform: Yes | Price: Freemium; in-app purchases present | In-App Purchases: Cosmetics | No. of Players Supported: Up to 8 players

Brawlhalla is a 2D platform fighting game, developed by Ubisoft, that pits players on a single platform to see who’s the last man standing. Like those previously mentioned on this list, Brawlhalla is a port of a PC and console game. Brawlhalla also supports cross-play between all platforms, which, unfortunately, cannot be switched off on mobile devices.

In Brawlhalla, you can play a wide assortment of characters, called “Legends“. Each Legend has their can use 2 weapons and their stats differ, so you can choose to play with the one that best suits your playstyle. While you can grind your way to unlocking the Legends of your choice, you can also buy them all in one go. However, the game is popular for its anti pay-to-win stance, with in-app purchases limited to skins.

The game features 3 different modes; Free-for-All (comprising of 4 players), Strikeout 1v1, Friendly 2v2 and Experimental 1v1, where you can try beta features. You can also create a custom match room and play with 7 other players. At any rate, Brawlhalla is a great game that you can casually enjoy with your friends at any time.

4. Clash Royale

Genre: Strategy | Cross-Platform: Yes | Price: Freemium; in-app purchases present | In-App Purchases: Pay-to-win | No. of Players Supported: Up to 4 people

Supercell, a mobile game studio renowned for their innovative and quality games, released their own take on the strategy genre as Clash Royale. The game was a great success, and still stands strong today, with a loyal fanbase; nearly half of them being there since day one due to this game being a spin-off of Clash of Clans.

Clash Royale’s gameplay is pretty simple; you have 3 towers that you need to protect on the battlefield. To protect them, you make a deck of 8 cards that feature unique units. The deck is recycled in a random order throughout the game. Each unit has a deployment cost, paid in the form of “Elixir“. Elixir is gathered over time passively throughout the game, so it is continuously refilled.

Each unit has their own skills and a dedicated counter-agent. It may seem simple, but Clash Royale requires real brains to play, which is why the game is insanely popular, with even several PC and console gamers praising it’s creativity and sublime gameplay. You can play one-on-one battles against friends, or 2 duos can team up to take on each other.

Unfortunately, over recent years Clash Royale has become a pay-to-win game. Since each unit card needs to be leveled up, and low-leveled players don’t have much in-game currency or resources to gather unit cards, those engaging in micro-transactions usually have an unfair advantage as they can buy chests that yield a large amount of unit cards and currency, allowing them to level up their cards easily.

It’s sad to see such a great game deteriorate just because of pay-to-win mechanics. Regardless, the game truly is a joy to play and a breath of fresh air amongst all the action RPGs commonly found in mobile gaming.

5. Genshin Impact

Genre: Action, Open-world, Anime | Cross-Platform: Yes | Price: Freemium; in-app purchases present | In-App Purchases: Lootboxes and cosmetics | No. of Players Supported: Up to 4 players

Geshin Impact is the most popular anime open-world RPG on every platform right now, and that includes mobile. The game features a diverse and rich open-world, along with a plethora of characters; each with their unique abilities and weapons.

Genshin Impact allows you to freely explore its beautifully designed world without any hinderances. You can engage in fights against monsters, thrilling boss battles, solve complex puzzles, and grind for necessary resources. Also, you can play co-op multiplayer by creating a party with up to 3 more players to complete missions.

Although there are micro-transactions present, they are limited to lootboxes and skins. Even the loot-boxes allow those who’re spending money to unlock rare, more powerful gear and characters, it doesn’t serve as a disadvantage as there’s no PvP combat to speak of.

6. Among Us

Genre: Casual, Puzzle | Cross-Platform: Yes | Price: Freemium; in-app purchases present | In-App Purchases: Cosmetics and no ads | No. of Players Supported: Up to 15 players

Nearly everyone has played Among Us during the quarantine era. The premise is simple enough; there are 15 people on a spaceship, of which 1-3 may be killers, called “Imposters“. The rest of the people are termed “Crewmates“. Crewmates are required to complete the tasks assigned to them and seek the Imposters, while the Imposters run around sabotaging their efforts and killing teammates.

While Among Us’ popularity has suffered a sharp decline since the quarantine era, one cannot claim that the game isn’t fun anymore. Moreover, a brand-new game mode has been introduced and several more gameplay mechanics have been added, so it might be worth revisiting with friends.

7. League of Legends: Wild Rift

Genre: MOBA, Strategy | Cross-Platform: Yes | Price: Freemium; in-app purchases present | In-App Purchases: Cosmetics | No. of Players Supported: Up to 5 players

League of Legends: Wild Rift is the mobile version of the popular PC MOBA: League of Legends. Wild Rift sees players spawning onto a map that hosts the opponents base, called the “Nexus“. Players must trek all the way to the Nexus, all while battling enemy minions and getting past their defenses.

You can choose from over 50 characters, called “Champions“. All have different capabilities and characteristics. The game is highly strategic, as there are 3 different paths leading to the Nexus and players must work as one, while taking their abilities and limits into account to ensure victory. Thankfully, the game is free of any pay-to-win mechanics and the micro-transactions are limited to skins only.

8. Mario Kart Tour

Genre: Racial, Casual | Cross-Platform: Yes | Price: Freemium; in-app purchases present | In-App Purchases: Cosmetics and some pay-to-win elements | No. of Players Supported: Up to 8 players

Mario Kart Tour is the mobile counterpart of the insanely popular Mario Kart racing series on Nintendo consoles. It features fan-favorite characters like Bowser, Wario, Yoshi, etc. MKT does a great job of capturing the console version’s essence and delivers a hit of nostalgia to many.

Mario Kart Tour is a racing game at its core, but primarily designed to be played with friends. In MKT, you can make use of fun power-ups to hinder your opponents, unleash speed boosts, gain invincibility and more. Each character has their own stats and the kart your character is driving is also a major factor.

In Multiplayer mode, you can create a private room and invite 7 more friends to play. You can even create teams or decide if it’s a free-for-all. And while Mario Kart Tour is pay-to-win up to a certain limit, with those purchasing the currency being able to unlock rare and powerful karts and characters, that doesn’t hinder how fun and chaotic it can become when playing with friends.

9. Ping Pong Fury

Genre: Sports | Cross-Platform: Yes, only if both devices are logged in via Facebook | Price: Freemium; in-app purchases present | In-App Purchases: Cosmetics and no ads | No. of Players Supported: Up to 2 players

There’s nothing like playing sports with friends. While there are countless multiplayer sports games around, the simplest are often the best. Ping Pong Fury is the best table tennis game we’ve seen on mobile devices. It offers realistic physics and graphics, along with fun game modes and training drills.

PPF has a career mode along with multiplayer. The career mode has you play competitive matches. The more you win, the more fans you gain, allowing you enter and play at the game’s highest levels. Access to higher levels means you get better gear, paddles, shoes, balls and accessories.

While the paddles, shoes and balls have a major effect on your match, they are to be gained solely via luck through chests, which cannot be purchased and are obtained by playing. The chests can be sped up, however with the game’s currency. You can also buy accessories, although they do not impact gameplay.

Even though experience against a real opponent is much better, the game’s AI is pretty great and can help you get the hang of the basics. The game is in first-person perspective, so you can easily spot the ball and take your shots.

10. Stumble Guys

Genre: Casual | Cross-Platform: Yes | Price: Freemium; in-app purchases present | In-App Purchases: Cosmetics and some pay-to-win elements | No. of Players Supported: Up to 32 players

Another game that enjoyed fame during the quarantine era is Fall Guys. Fall Guys is a simple game that has tiny characters (at least, from our perspective) trying to complete several obstacle courses to establish who’s the best, by a process of elimination. Those that fail to qualify in the given time or if all the participant slots are all filled, are eliminated.

While Fall Guys enjoyed popularity on the PS4 and PC, mobile gamers were left out. But they didn’t have to wait long as Stumble Guys, a non-identical twin of Fall Guys, was soon released on mobile devices. Although the developers are different, the game is virtually indistinguishable from Fall Guys.

Stumble Guys has a variety of game modes and to go with it, many more maps. The game is really fun when playing with friends as it gets really chaotic and competitive, and since you don’t really have any special abilities, everyone’s evenly matched.

Even though Stumble Guys is a great game, recently a pay-to-win mechanic has been introduced. The game has a battle pass, and some battle passes featured an ability that allowed players to punch or kick other players near them. This skill was only available to those who purchased the premium battle pass. Although, this puts most players at a disadvantage, battle pass owners are seldom encountered.

Read More: Play PC Games on Android Phones

11. Soccer Stars

Genre: Casual, Sports | Cross-Platform: Yes | Price: Freemium; in-app purchases present | In-App Purchases: Cosmetics linked with pay-to-win elements | No. of Players Supported: Up to 2 players

Everybody’s heard of Miniclip. It’s no doubt a big part of childhood for many. Now that the site is defunct, a great way to enjoy some of their classics is through dedicated apps. Soccer Stars was one of Miniclip’s most popular games and the mobile version offers the same gameplay at your fingertips.

Soccer Stars is based on the same principle as soccer, but with a twist. Instead of the standard 11 players on the field, you’ve got 5 on each side. Players take turns to target the ball with their counter; by dragging and shooting it as if it was a pebble in a slingshot. You can only use one counter per turn. To win, one must score goals by putting the ball in the goal net, either under a time limit or a specific number of goals.

Over the years, Soccer Stars has added more game modes and garnered a large player base. It has even partnerships with several major soccer clubs. And although your skills can take you nearly all the way, the presence of pay-to-win mechanics cannot be ignored. There are many different counters available for purchase, via both in-game currency and real money.

Each counter has 3 attributes; Force, Aim and Time. Force refers to the power exerted by it, Aim pertains to how accurate it is, and Time grants you extra time for making your shot. The counters which can be purchased, have more potent stats compared to the free counters. And while some free rare obtainable counters boast equivalent stats, it’s hard to argue the great lengths one has to go to obtain them.

12. Wolvesville – Werewolf Online

Genre: Casual | Cross-Platform: Yes | Price: Freemium; in-app purchases present | In-App Purchases: Cosmetics and other perks | No. of Players Supported: Up to 16 players

Wolvesville – Werewolf Online is a great party game that is not entirely dissimilar to Among Us. The game has 3 factions: Villagers, Werewolves and Solo. All the factions have various roles, and each role has their own unique ability. The aim of each faction is as follows; Villagers aim to lynch the Werewolves, the Werewolves need to eat all the Villagers, and the Solo roles need to survive the whole ordeal.

The game has a Night and Day cycle. During the Day, the Villagers discuss who they believe to be a threat to the village. During the night, the Villagers sleep and the Werewolves and Solos strike. The gameplay is simple, but it can be very exciting and fun to play, especially when you’re at a party. If you grind enough, you can unlock Advance Roles for the base roles, that enhances their abilities.

13. The Battle of Polytopia

Genre: Strategy | Cross-Platform: Yes | Price: Freemium; in-app purchases present | In-App Purchases: Multiplayer needs to be bought and a fair degree of pay-to-win | No. of Players Supported: Up to 15 players

The Battle of Polytopia is a beautiful, turn-based strategy game that has you establish a civilization. A total of 16 tribes are present; 12 tribes share the same technology, resources and spawn rates, while 4 tribes are unique. Only 4 tribes are unlocked by default; the rest need to be purchased. What tribe you choose and what steps you take to expand your settlement are all important things.

Polytopia is turn-based, meaning players take turns moving their units on the field. In each turn, the player can move all of his units or make them perform actions. They can also start production processes in their settlement e.g., training warriors for their army. As you progress, you’ll unlock more and more skills and abilities.

The multiplayer mode in the game needs to be bought though. But since it’s pretty cheap (less than $1), it can be forgiven. In multiplayer mode, there are 2 game modes: Glory and Might. In Glory mode your objective is to be the first to obtain 10,000 points, while in Might mode you need to capture every tribe’s capital. Multiplayer can support up to 15 players and each player has a 24-hour deadline for their turn.

14. Exploding Kittens

Genre: Card | Cross-Platform: Yes | Price: $1.99; in-app purchases present | In-App Purchases: Fairly pay-to-win | No. of Players Supported: Up to 5 players

Exploding Kittens is a fantastic card game that you’ll definitely enjoy with your friends. Exploding Kittens, like any other card game, your victory is entirely up to Lady Luck. The game is simple enough to be understood by anyone; each player draws a hand of 4 cards. Different types of cards are present in the deck. Next, each player continues play cards and to end their turn, they draw a card.

When an Exploding Kitten is drawn, the player must defuse the bomb on the screen quickly. If they are successful, they’re still in the game. If they fail, they’re out of the game. The game ends when the last man standing remains. During this whole bout, players can play the cards in their hands that impact the game greatly. They can reverse the turn order, have a peek at the upcoming cards etc.

A little off-putting part about this game; despite being paid, it features some pay-to-win features. There are 4 decks in the game; the basic deck is free; the other 3 decks are not. This is because the other 3 decks offer extra kinds of cards, that are exclusive only to them and have unique effects. And while victory depends on luck and skill, the unfair advantage of exclusive cards with unique effects is hard to ignore.

15. Riptide GP: Renegade

Genre: Racing | Cross-Platform: Yes | Price: $2.99 | In-App Purchases: No | No. of Players Supported: Up to 8 players

Riptide GP: Renegade is a futuristic hydro-jet racing game that has the player participating in adrenaline fueled, high-speed and illegal races while performing mesmerizing stunts. With console quality graphics and great gameplay, the game is a steal at only $3 on mobile devices.

Riptide GP: Renegade has great career mode that has you racing against the best of the best in the underground. With tough boss races and the growing difficulty, it’s hard not to be entertained. The atmosphere is perfectly set; the cops are on your tail; the crowd is cheering wildly, and you are racing to your heart’s content.

The multiplayer mode is nothing to scoff at too, as it allows you to play with 7 more players, making it perfect to play with friends. The fact that there’s no pay-to-win, or any in-app purchases at all, is big plus point. This means that all the good stuff you get in the game will be thanks to your skills and your grind. So, don’t second-guess this option as it’s worth every penny.

Conclusion

There are tons of great multiplayer games out there for mobile devices that we haven’t mentioned like Minecraft: Pocket Edition, amongst others. This is just a comprehensive list of the essentials that you have to try. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter what you play, it’s the memories you make with your friends while playing it.