Role playing games have come a very long way since their original debut as table-top card games. The phenomenon easily moved to PC and console gaming and it was inevitable that they would be ported to your phone and tablet. The best RPG games excel in a combination of great battle systems, large open worlds, great story-lines and of course upgradable items and leveling heroes.
These games are set in crazy fantasy worlds and the best of the mobile lot lets players live out fantasy epics, transport them into far future space operas, or tell intimate, character-driven tales. From old school turn-by-turn RPGs to space exploration and dystopian steam-punk worlds, these are our best RPG titles for your iOS or Android device.
Oceanhorn (iOS) [R 99]
Nintendo fans have been waiting for a mobile port of the Zelda games for years now and nothing seems to be happening. Well, if you are “œZelda-inclined“ then I highly recommend Oceanhorn.
This coming of age story sets our hero in the world of the Uncharted Seas. You take on the role of a young man who is searching for his father. All he knows is that his father left to save Arcadia from a sea monster called Oceanhorn.
The comic type (Zelda-ish) graphics paired with a fluid 3D platform allows for some stunning gameplay moments. The game features a light layer of RPG features and character advancement and definitely invokes some nostalgic moments of past Zelda classics.
Bastion (Android, iOS) [R60]
Bastion has been doing the rounds for a couple of years now. The longevity of the app is testament to the amazing amount of effort that was put in to making a stunning Action-RPG. Although the game is very light on RPG features it is a must have game for ANY mobile gamer.
You play the part of the Kid, a silent boy with no name who wakes up and finds that his entire world has been destroyed by an event called the Calamity and he is the lone survivor. Your primary goal is to find out exactly what happened.
The entire game is entrenched in water-color artistry, with an amazing soundtrack (I recommend playing with headphones) and a narrator that describes everything as you progress (may sound annoying but the writing is phenomenal!). The entire game is well-crafted, the developer Supergiant Games is a small team based out of a living room in a house in San Jose, California, and you can immediately see the love that went into Bastion.
Chaos Rings 2 (Android, iOS) [R200]
Although you can now find Final Fantasy mobile ports from Square Enix as mobile titles as well, Chaos Rings is the RPG game that was originally designed for mobiles. Chaos Rings 2 captures all that is great in the Final Fantasy type world invoking nostalgia from days gone past.
You control a group called the Pillars which aims to stop the destruction of the Earth by stopping the awakened Destroyer through a secret process known as the Rite of Resealing. Battles are turn-based with parties of just two. Random encounters initiate battles in the wild and, like other recent Square Enix RPGs, the end of each battle fully refills HP and cancels any status ailments.
The exploration element of the game really shines with gorgeous backdrops ranging from dark forests to quaint little Japanese villages. The combat system has been expanded with much needed variation and the story writing has also been much improved upon.
This is easily one of the best RPGs available on iOS and Android, on par with similarly priced offerings on Sony or Nintendo handhelds. That said, it’s still a steep price point for an app purchase. Whether or not that purchase is worth it will depend on how much you enjoy traditional turn-based battles.
Shadow Run: Dragon Fall (Android, iOS) [R90]
Fantasy and technology combines to create Shadowrun: Dragonfall. This cyber-punk RPG is filled with weird and wonderful characters, from cyborg elves and magically equipped mega corporations.
You join a group called Shadowrunners, a freelance movement that specialises in black ops for many of the world‘s mega corporations, governments or just about anyone with enough cash and dark motives. The second installment improves on the original hit turn-by-turn combat game with a more advanced save-game feature and even more cyberpunk fantasy ambiance.
The game really embraces the RPG mantle by engrossing the player in a spellbinding story, great character development and challenging missions. It is a bit light on the looting side of things, but that is just my inherent Diablo bias talking. The game is seriously good!
Galaxy on Fire 2 (Andriod, iOS) [Free]
Once again this game has been doing the rounds for a couple of years as well. Galaxy on Fire 2 has probably reach “œclassic“ status by now and still is one of the best space-exploration RPGs out there. The slick, sci-fi fusion of flight simulation and sandbox role-playing successfully re-imagines classics like Freelancer and Privateer.
You play the hero Keith Maxwell that needs to navigate his way around a galaxy packed with pirates, aliens and space stations with danger lurking around every corner. You find yourself stranded on a mining-station after a time travelling accident and have to fight a new threat called the Voids.
With GoF2 being the only “œfree“ game on our list you know what is coming next ““ yep, in-game purchases. The base game comes with a full 10-plus hour campaign for free, with additional episodes (Valkyrie, Supernova and Alliances) available through in-app purchases.
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*All game prices are based on iOS (iTunes) Store. Android prices should be similar.
