Thoughts, experiments, and lessons learned from building things. Zola 2026-10-03T00:00:00+00:00 https://www.zimbrar.com/tags/games/atom.xml 2026-10-03T00:00:00+00:00 2026-10-03T00:00:00+00:00 Unknown https://www.zimbrar.com/blog/android-simple-games/ <p>I only play games when I'm travelling. That usually means a plane with no signal, so anything that needs a connection is out. I also can't stand games that throw an ad at me every 30 seconds.</p> <p>The rules are simple. It has to work offline, the mechanics have to be simple and interesting, and ads are only okay if they don't interrupt play, get blocked by Pi-hole, or only show up when you're online. I lean towards solo developers. Yiotro is the gold standard for me: no ads, no microtransactions, just good games. If you know another developer like that, tell me.</p> <h2 id="the-list">The list</h2> <table><thead><tr><th>Game</th><th>Offline</th><th>Ads</th><th>Store</th></tr></thead><tbody> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/opacha-mda.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">Opacha-mda</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">None</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yio.tro.opacha" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/antiyoy.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">Antiyoy Classic</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">None</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=yio.tro.antiyoy.android" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/mindustry.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">Mindustry</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">None</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=io.anuke.mindustry" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a><a href="https://f-droid.org/packages/io.anuke.mindustry/" aria-label="F-Droid"><img src="/img/fdroid.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/baba-is-you.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">Baba Is You</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">None</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.hempuli.baba" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/wesnoth.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">Battle for Wesnoth</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">None</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://f-droid.org/packages/org.wesnoth.Wesnoth/" aria-label="F-Droid"><img src="/img/fdroid.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/supertuxkart.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">SuperTuxKart</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">None</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.supertuxkart.stk" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a><a href="https://f-droid.org/packages/org.supertuxkart.stk/" aria-label="F-Droid"><img src="/img/fdroid.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/supertux.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">SuperTux</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">None</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.supertux.supertux2" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/frozen-bubble.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">Frozen Bubble</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">None</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.jfedor.frozenbubble" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a><a href="https://f-droid.org/packages/org.jfedor.frozenbubble/" aria-label="F-Droid"><img src="/img/fdroid.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/anuto-td.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">Anuto TD</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">None</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.logixisland.anuto" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a><a href="https://f-droid.org/packages/ch.logixisland.anuto/" aria-label="F-Droid"><img src="/img/fdroid.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/snes9x-ex.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">Snes9x EX+</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">None</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.explusalpha.Snes9xPlus" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/altos-adventure.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">Alto's Adventure</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-warn">Optional</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.noodlecake.altosadventure" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/abc-kids.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">ABC Kids</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">None</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rvappstudios.abc_kids_toddler_tracing_phonics" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/level-devil.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">Level Devil</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-warn">Online only</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.unept.leveldevil" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/red-ball-4.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">Red Ball 4</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-warn">Yes</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.FDGEntertainment.redball4.gp" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/kingdom-rush.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">Kingdom Rush</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-warn">Yes</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ironhidegames.android.kingdomrush" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/tactical-war.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">Tactical War (was Tactic Defense)</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-warn">Yes</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.magenta.TacticDefense" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/tactical-war-2.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">Tactical War 2</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-warn">Yes</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.binarypunch.tacticalwar2" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/warlings-2.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">Warlings 2</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-warn">Partial</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-warn">Yes</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.warlings5" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/sokoban.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">Sokoban Original &amp; Extra</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-warn">Yes</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=br.com.orangevoid.sokobanfree" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/2048.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">2048 (AndroBros)</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-good">Yes</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-warn">Yes</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.androbros.puzzle2048eng" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> <tr><td><span class="game"><img class="game-icon" loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="/img/games/wartime-glory.webp" alt="" width="28" height="28">Risk of War: Wartime Glory</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-warn">Partial</span></td><td><span class="pill pill-warn">Yes</span></td><td><span class="store"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sandstormi.bloodhonor" aria-label="Google Play"><img src="/img/google-play.svg" alt="" class="store-icon"></a></span></td></tr> </tbody></table>