Sports apps present an interesting dilemma for game developers, who must choose between skilled adaptation or faithful depictions of real-world games. Fortunately, this versatile genre of app can cater to a bunch of different gameplay loops, be it slow and contemplative experiences or fast-paced tests of reaction time. Whether you want something subdued and stylized or a thrill ride that puts your sleek Android gaming phone to the test, sports games don't disappoint.

Fans of these great apps have many options vying for the spotlight, so AP is stepping in to help narrow it down. Check out our favorites in this roundup of the best sports games available on the Play Store right now.

What qualifies as an Android Sports game?

Android sports games are titles that convert any real-world sports to the mobile platform. The nature of game design also allows for more abstract experimentation with real-world sports, fiddling with the rules or expectations. These apps have to adapt the rules and inputs of the respective sport into a touch interface, such as dragging back a pool cue with your finger or repositioning a table tennis paddle. The skills required to succeed in sports games very commonly mimic the skills required in the sport they are converting from attention to skateboard inclines to soccer player positioning. Sports games are fantastic for fans or enthusiasts of a particular real-world game and can be both fun pastimes and interesting spins on the sport you know and love.

1 The Ramp

Good skateboarding games are getting rarer and rarer, and while Tony Hawk revivalists and EA's Skate fans certainly have games to play and look forward to, mobile is a bit more of a wasteland. That was until The Ramp was released in October 2021. This is not only a great little bowl and ramp riding game; it's free, and there are no ads or in-app purchases to be seen. Yes, the touch controls will take some practice, but since the game supports physical controllers, you have the option to play with something much more tactile than a glass screen. Don't sleep on this one, folks; it's the best skateboarding game on Android.

2 Golf On Mars

For those looking to get down to the basics, Golf on Mars (Desert Golfing's sequel) is a great title that's a joy to play. Despite the simple look and gameplay, it's pretty dang challenging. Much like the game that came before it, you'll spend your time shooting golf balls to try and get them to each course's goal.

The thing is, it grows increasingly difficult as the holes reach stranger and stranger spots. The game requires puzzle-like thinking to figure out how to shoot the ball to a location in as few shots as possible. Sure, the game is pretty minimal when it comes to graphics. Still, this does mean you can run it on just about anything, making the game highly versatile no matter what Android devices you own.

3 8 Ball Pool

8 Ball Pool is a simulation game focused on the titular sport. The gameplay pits you against the CPU and online opponents in top-down pool games, and you'll use touch controls to manipulate your cues position and your shot's strength. 8 Ball Pool utilizes a leaderboard system, which coincides with your current level and determines the gameplay difficulty, which can be increased by winning matches. The higher you rise in the leaderboard, the more skilled your opponents will be.

The game's matches are perfectly responsive and functional, accurately simulating real games of pool. Winning both one-on-one and tournaments yields coins that can be used to enter matches and brackets of higher skill and stakes, as well as for purchasing customization items. Ultimately, your enjoyment will be largely determined by how much the low-fi and more passively strategic tone of the pool appeals to you. Check it out if you like the sport but want to avoid angry opponents with big sticks.

4 Table Tennis Touch

The gameplay in Table Tennis Touch is fairly straightforward and may remind you of Wii sports. You control a mysterious (possibly haunted) floating paddle and move it with your finger to strike the ball back when it comes your way. The hit detection and weightiness of the ball are not quite realistic, having hit detection that borders on overgenerous and a seemingly statically maintained swing speed which can make the game feel a bit too easy.

Since this is an offline experience, Table Tennis Touch doesn't offer any PvP. Still, it compensates with various modes, such as half table and skittles, which puts a bit of color back into the experience and presents an alternative if you somehow get bored with table tennis. The game does trip up slightly with unnecessarily pushy tutorials that can't be bypassed, not letting you play the actual matches until you've done them all. But aside from that, Table Tennis Touch is adequate for a mobile table tennis game, especially if you just like the idea of being good at the sport. A perfect little time waster once that annoying tutorial robot gets lost.

5 Retro Bowl

If you prefer something a little more old-school or are simply looking to relive your days playing Tecmo Bowl, you should check out Retro Bowl. This game offers similar 8-bit graphics, but what sets it apart is strategic gameplay and team management, offering more depth than its inspiration.

The game is free, with a credit system in play. You'll upgrade certain features, like your stadium or training facilities, and in-app purchases are included, with a $0.99 unlock for unlimited gameplay. Also, there are optional credit packs for those looking to advance quickly. Still, seeing that this is a single-player game, what players spend won't affect anyone else. So as far as fairly-priced mobile football games go, Retro Bowl is easily a top contender thanks to its deceptively deep gameplay and fair pricing model.

6 Virtua Tennis Challenge

Believe it or not, Virtua Tennis Challenge dates back to 2012 as a mobile release and was brought back to life as a Sega Forever game in 2017. You might not know it, but Sega used to hammer out quality tennis games back in the day. Virtua Tennis Challenge is the culmination of that effort, seeing that it's the last game in the series. So, you can expect polished gameplay, and even though the game is old, the graphics are plenty good enough.

Now, Virtua Tennis Challenge offers touch controls, and they work fine in a pinch. However, the game shines when playing with a controller, so it's the way to go if you have one handy. Like all Sega Forever titles, you can play the entire game free with ads. If you'd like to remove the ads, you can do so for $2. For a full-fledged tennis game that offers multiple modes to play through, ranging from singles to doubles, you can't go wrong with this one.

7 Grand Mountain Adventure

I've been beating my drum over Grand Mountain Adventure for years now. Seeing that the game was recently released on consoles and PC, mobile is still a perfectly viable platform to play the game if you've yet to check it out. It's great in bite-sized bursts, thanks to its short challenges. Plus, controller support means you sit down for extended sessions, just like a proper console game. The graphics are on point, there is a ton of content to explore spread across several mountains, and you can even play with friends locally across devices.

The first mountain is free, and if you like what you see, you can unlock the full title for $10.99, including all the extra mountains added previously as DLC. Since the game retails on PC and consoles for $20, you're still getting quite the deal on mobile, especially when controller support is packed in.

8 OK Golf

There are tons of golf games on Android, ranging from Hot Shots knock-offs filled with awful monetization to minimal games that are tough as nails. OK, Golf sits somewhere in the middle, offering arcade-like gameplay spread across a wide selection of low-poly courses. This isn't putt-putt; it is full-fledged courses with simple controls just about anyone can pick up within a few minutes. Essentially, it's a stylish game built for fun instead of maximum profit, which is how it easily stands out in the crowd.

OK, Golf is a premium release that retails for $2.99, and there are no in-app purchases or advertisements. Thanks to the simple graphics, just about any device can run it, and with simple controls, just about anyone can play it. It's an accessible title that suits mobile well. If you're big into golf games, it's a must-play for sure.

9 Bottom of the 9th

When you think of board games, one of the last genres you'd think of would be sports. Yet, Bottom of the 9th is not only a well-reviewed physical board game that dates back to 2015, but it's also a digital mobile game that goes by the same name. This interpretation is easily one of the better baseball games on the Play Store, thanks to fair pricing and time-tested gameplay. And don't let the fact that this was originally a board game scare you away; the mechanics are taught through a Spring Training tutorial for batting and pitching, so all bases are covered.

What's great is that you don't have to jump into multiplayer immediately. The game has a solo-play mode that you can familiarize yourself with before taking on live opponents. The gameplay is limited to two players if you want to battle your friends, so this is less a party game and more something two people can enjoy together. Best of all, this is a premium release that clocks in at $1, which is cheap enough that just about anyone can afford it. Pair that pricing with accessible gameplay, and you have a winner.

10 Punch Club - Fighting Tycoon

Management sims are a popular genre on Android because, like all great apps on the Play Store, they are easy to control with taps on the screen. Punch Club is one such game, but unlike the stat-heavy menus of Football Manager, this is a story-based game. You'll not only build your skills to become the best fighter ever, but you'll uncover who killed your father (see, I told you the story was important). Overall this is a lighthearted game that offers an enjoyable story, quality gameplay, and plenty of stats to dive into for all of you spreadsheet lovers out there.

11 Trail Boss BMX

Noodlecake has brought a similar game called Descenders to Android as a port, but performance is middling. While Trail Boss looks and plays similarly, it performs much better. It's your job to make your way down hills in the most stylish way possible, performing tricks at every opportunity. This allows your creativity to shine as you find the best runs for each hill. So if you were a fan of doing the same in games like the Pumped BMX series, then you'll more than likely enjoy what Trail Boss BMX has to offer.

12 Rocket league Sideswipe

Rocket league Sideswipe adapts the high-intensity gameplay of Rocket League to the Android platform. Taking control of rocket-powered cars, players must hit a ball into the opposing team's goal by any means necessary. Boost to build momentum and double jump to gain the upper hand with intuitive, well-tutorialized controls. You can even master the controls in casual mode or challenge yourself to climb the leaderboards. Rocket league Sideswipe adapts this hectic gameplay to Android devices expertly, with customization options to keep things fresh and controller support to keep things precise.

13 FIE Swordplay

FIE Swordplay presents an engaging fencing simulation designed for one-on-one 2D duels. Strike, parry, thrust, advance, and retreat in response to your opponent's attacks, playing alone or with friends in asynchronous multiplayer. Engage with a compelling campaign or enter online tournaments to win visors, vests, and different weapons. If you want an easy-to-learn, accurate-to-reality fencing sim, FIE Swordplay is ideal.

14 Hoop League Tactics

Sports management games are all the rage, thanks to the wild success of Sega's Football Manager series. If soccer isn't your bag, then perhaps basketball is. Hoop League Tactics offers a mix of genres with SRPG's tactical gameplay and the mechanics of a management sim. Not to mention the gameplay of a typical basketball game. It's got it all, baby, with simple graphics that can run on just about any phone, making for a highly accessible basketball game that should appeal to a wide audience.

There's a season mode as well as a career mode. With season mode, you're running the entire team, while career mode is more of a personal journey for a single player. You can play for free, but if you'd like full team customization, along with imports and exports of custom leagues, then you can plunk down $4 for premium mode. Premium also removes the game's advertisements. Think of this release as a mix of chess and basketball, and you're getting close, with the option to go premium if you like what you see.

15 Touchgrind Skate 2

Remember the Tech Deck? Touchgrind Skate 2 feels similar, a mobile skating simulator centralized around controlling an unsupported skateboard with touch inputs. Users take control of their own customizable board, free to speed around several skate courses, performing tricks and stunts with only two fingers to rack up their score. Challenges and ranked matches encourage players to reach higher scores by performing more daring and stylish tricks. If you want a skateboarding game that kicks things off straight away, Touchgrind Skate 2 nails it.

16 Dirt Bike Unchained: MX Racing

Dirt Bike Unchained: MX Racing offers a refined timing-based experience, an on-rails racer that keeps things on a 2D plane. Players must build up speed and perform tricks with exact timing to maximize the score without sacrificing momentum. Distinctive bike models and makes can be unlocked and purchased, along with character emotes for the end of races. Take part in co-op play and compete with up to 24 players in online tournaments. If you want an accessible dirt bike app that does away with that pesky Z axis, give Dirt Bike Unchained: MX Racing a try and get swept up in its simple but absorbing gameplay loop.

17 Perfect Grind

Perfect Grind is a free-roaming skating simulator that prides itself on only requiring one hand to use effectively, and it does a pretty great job achieving this. Simple interactions like single swipes cause your customizable character to perform various tricks, with curved and winding terrain that makes the most of it. Additional skating maps are unlocked as you complete certain challenges while playing, from cool tricks to daring grinds. The “can be played one-handed” thing is just a cool feature, control with two hands works just as well, providing some handy additional control.

You can always expect something interesting from Noodlecake, and Perfect Grind’s sharp controls and modest difficulty make for a great time, ideal for travel.

There are plenty of awesome sports games that respect the player's time and wallet

It can be pretty tough to separate the gems of what sports games have to offer from the ocean of content on the best Android phones, so we've taken it upon ourselves to keep you informed on the best of the best. Whether you like fast-paced thrill rides like Rocket League Sideswipe or calming experiences like Golf on Mars, this genre can and will provide. Check out these slick Android controllers to keep your inputs sharp and dominate the competition; in a very sporty way.