Unearthing the Top Free iOS & Android Games of January 2020: A Deeper Dive
Mobile gaming enthusiasts often face a delightful, yet daunting, challenge: a constant surge of new titles hitting the app stores. Sifting through this “onslaught,” as our video above highlights, to find truly compelling experiences can feel like an endless quest. Fortunately, we’ve curated a list of the best free iOS & Android games that made waves in January 2020, offering you a shortcut to quality entertainment.
From intense fighting games to strategic RPGs and innovative AI-driven adventures, this selection promises engaging gameplay without the upfront cost. Dive deeper into each of these standout titles, exploring what makes them worth your download and why they captivated players at the start of the year.
World Robot Boxing 2: Arcade Fighting Reimagined
Kicking off our list is World Robot Boxing 2, a vibrant fighting game that delivers exactly what its title suggests. This title captures the essence of classic arcade combat, bringing a refreshing twist to the genre with its intuitive control scheme. You’ll master powerful moves through simple swipes, allowing for fluid and visually spectacular battles.
Beyond its engaging combat, the game integrates various RPG elements, encouraging player progression and customization. The distinct, somewhat unique visual aesthetic truly sets it apart from many other robot-themed games. Its combination of accessibility, depth, and cool presentation makes World Robot Boxing 2 a highly enjoyable experience for anyone seeking arcade-style thrills.
Dream League Soccer 2020: A Refined Football Experience
Next up, Dream League Soccer 2020 presents an overhauled football simulation for fans of the beautiful game. This iteration boasts numerous FIFA pro-licensed players and significant improvements over its predecessors. Notably, the game’s AI has seen a substantial upgrade, leading to more realistic and challenging matches.
The animation system now features motion-captured technology, bringing a new level of fluidity and realism to player movements. Building your dream team and competing remains central to the experience. While it doesn’t revolutionize the genre, Dream League Soccer 2020 offers a polished and satisfying football game that can easily stand alongside established titles, delivering on its promise of a quality simulation.
Extraordinary Ones: Anime-Infused MOBA Mayhem
Extraordinary Ones offers a dynamic 5v5 MOBA experience, heavily infused with an eye-catching anime aesthetic. Even if you aren’t typically a fan of anime visuals, the core MOBA gameplay is incredibly solid and action-packed. The game provides a roster of 34 unique heroes, with new characters frequently added on a weekly basis, ensuring continuous content and strategic depth.
Furthermore, Extraordinary Ones incorporates various progression systems, including a notable social component. This feature actively helps players connect and form teams, fostering a vibrant community around the competitive gameplay. Its strong execution of established MOBA mechanics, coupled with engaging visuals and regular updates, makes it an excellent choice for genre enthusiasts.
Arknights: A Strategic RPG Hybrid
Arknights stands out as a unique blend of genres, primarily an RPG that masterfully incorporates elements of base-building, strategy, and tower defense. Players will find themselves constructing a base, reminiscent of games like Fallout Shelter, while engaging in battles that demand both tactical planning and quick decision-making. This nuanced combat system successfully combines strategic placement with real-time action.
The game’s graphics are particularly striking, featuring detailed 3D environments brought to life by beautifully hand-drawn characters and fantastic animations. This disparate blend of elements, which often falls flat in other titles, comes together cohesively in Arknights, creating an oddly unique and deeply enjoyable package. It’s a title that truly offers something different for players seeking depth and distinctive visuals.
AI Dungeon: The Frontier of Text-Based Adventures
AI Dungeon represents a fascinating experiment in interactive storytelling and artificial intelligence, simultaneously offering a surprisingly entertaining game. In this text-based dungeon crawler, players are granted unprecedented freedom, typing in any action they wish. The artificial intelligence then adapts the narrative in real-time, crafting a story around player choices.
While the AI can occasionally be incoherent or produce unexpected outcomes, these quirks are often part of the charm, given the game’s experimental nature. The core experience provides immense player agency and, in most cases, a highly satisfying narrative. AI Dungeon pushes boundaries, hinting at a future where AI-driven stories could become a significant trend in gaming, moving beyond text-based formats alone.
G.I. Joe War on Cobra: Classic IP Meets Base Strategy
For fans of strategy games and the iconic G.I. Joe franchise, G.I. Joe War on Cobra delivers a familiar yet fun experience. This title emphasizes collection and base-building mechanics, drawing clear inspiration from popular games like Clash of Clans. Players collect various cards, construct and defend their bases, and strategically attack enemy strongholds.
While it may not introduce groundbreaking new mechanics, the game successfully applies proven formulas within the beloved G.I. Joe universe. The combination of a strong intellectual property (IP) with robust, enjoyable gameplay makes it a worthwhile download for those who appreciate this style of strategy game. It offers a well-executed take on collecting and conquering.
Magic ManaStrike: Real-Time Card Battling with a Twist
Magic ManaStrike offers a compelling real-time strategy card game that, while not entirely revolutionary, excels in its execution. Players familiar with Clash Royale will recognize the core gameplay loop, but ManaStrike distinguishes itself with a horizontal orientation and an added layer of player control. Even after deploying cards, you retain some influence over the unfolding battle, allowing for more dynamic tactical decisions.
Cards are acquired by defeating enemies, fueling a continuous cycle of engagement and progression. This title stands as one of the better examples in its genre, providing a polished and engaging experience for those who enjoy competitive card battling. Its refined mechanics and strategic depth ensure that Magic ManaStrike is a strong contender for your mobile gaming time.
Vengeance: A Rare Single-Player RPG Gem
Vengeance is a truly welcome addition to the mobile gaming landscape: a dedicated single-player RPG. This genre is remarkably underrepresented on mobile platforms, making Vengeance a refreshing change of pace. It boasts a more-than-serviceable narrative, providing a deep and immersive story rarely found in mobile games. Players will also notice strong Diablo-esque influences in its action-oriented gameplay.
Crucially, the game is still in active development, with content updates and changes being added frequently. This commitment to ongoing improvement makes Vengeance even more promising. Its existence alone fills a significant void, and its quality execution solidifies its position as a great game, currently available on Android with an expected iOS release.
Pico Tanks Multiplayer Mayhem: Cutesy Yet Tense Tank Brawls
Pico Tanks Multiplayer Mayhem offers an engaging 3v3 tank brawler where creativity and teamwork are key. Players can design and customize their own tanks before heading into slow-paced, yet incredibly tense, dual-stick shooter battles. Despite its cutesy aesthetic, the game delivers genuinely thrilling multiplayer action.
This title brings a refreshing change to the mobile multiplayer space, distinguishing itself with unique gameplay and strong foundational mechanics. Its immediate fun factor, combined with the promise of future content and refinements, suggests significant staying power. Pico Tanks provides a solid, entertaining, and unique experience for anyone looking for competitive multiplayer action on the go.
Warface Global Operations: High-Octane Mobile FPS
Warface Global Operations steps onto the scene as a direct competitor to Call of Duty Mobile, delivering a surprisingly robust first-person shooter experience. While its claims of “PC quality graphics” might be an exaggeration, the game looks decent, and more importantly, its action-packed gameplay truly shines. Players can expect extensive customization options for both characters and weapons, offering a more open-ended feel compared to some alternatives.
The controls are exceptionally tight and responsive, which is paramount for an engaging FPS. However, it does feature aggressive monetization, which could be a point of contention for some. Despite this, for players who aren’t dedicated Call of Duty fans or are seeking an alternative, Warface Global Operations provides a highly enjoyable and well-executed experience, largely thanks to its superior controls.
Bonus Games: Pascal’s Wager & Miden Tower
Beyond the top 10, two additional titles warrant attention. Pascal’s Wager is another dark fantasy action RPG, offering a single-player experience with impressive graphics and distinct visual style, reminiscent of the PS3 era. It competently delivers a genre often missing from mobile platforms.
Finally, Miden Tower is a straightforward JRPG about an invasion, offering enjoyable mechanics that evoke memories of old-school Squaresoft RPGs. Notably, it’s a premium title priced at $9, meaning no further monetization beyond the initial purchase. Both of these bonus titles further underscore the rich diversity of free iOS & Android games and premium mobile experiences available to players in January 2020 and beyond.
