Looking for a bit of relaxing Android gaming in your down-time? Don’t mind shelling out a bit of money to get the most from a mobile game? Here are five really fun “freemium” Android games to try.

8 Ball Pool

Free To Play

Feel like a quick game of pool with an internet stranger? 8 Ball Pool offers a selection of tables to play on and a realistic physics engine that accurately simulates the real-world game’s ball-on-ball action, rewarding good aim with potted shots and punishing those with a poor sense of judgement.

Controls are intuitive, wins earn you casino chips with which to unlock additional tables and cues (or you could just buy them outright), and you can even take part in tournaments if you have the time.

While the presentation is a bit lacking in places, 8 Ball Pool is great for a few minutes of fun here and there.

[symple_column size=”one_half”] [symple_box style=”boxsucces”] “A good pool sim that’s great for playing with strangers”[/symple_box] [/symple_column][symple_box style=”boxerror”] Download it from the Google Play Store.[/symple_box]

Despicable Me Minion Rush

Free to Play

If you’re tired of playing games that look as though their presentation and levels were phoned in by a lazy developer, you’re going to love Minion Rush. It’s based on Despicable Me (of course), and features everyone’s favourite Minions running around, jumping, collecting bananas, running away from villains (created especially for the game) and more.

If this sounds like  a Temple Run clone, you’d be right to a degree – Minion Rush is primarily an endless runner, but its levels are punctuated with fun mini-games that have Dave, your Minion, battling bosses from the movies and riding snowboards and unicorns to earn more coins with which to resume failed levels and more.

It’s arcade fun for the whole family, expertly presented and with the movie’s trademark humour evident in every pixel.

[symple_column size=”one_half”] [symple_box style=”boxsucces”] “As fun as the Minions are quirky”[/symple_box] [/symple_column][symple_box style=”boxerror”] Download it from the Google Play Store.[/symple_box]

Trials Frontier

Free To Play

The satisfaction to be had from successfully guiding a stunt bike over challenging courses can’t be overstated, and should you have the courage to try Trials Frontier out, that’s exactly what you’ll discover.

The game has tons of courses to pit your skills against filled with obstacles, tough jumps and steep inclines. Naturally, it’ll take you more than a couple of tries to successfully navigate your way around he tracks and your failures will be hilarious to behold.

In fact, crashing in Frontier is almost as much fun as succeeding as the falls you inevitably take look eye-wateringly painful – and it’s funny because it’s not happening to you!

Definitely one to try if you’re up for a challenge… and you derive at least a bit of pleasure from schadenfreude.

[symple_column size=”one_half”] [symple_box style=”boxsucces”] “Challenging, hilarious and cringe-inducing”[/symple_box] [/symple_column][symple_box style=”boxerror”] Download it from the Google Play Store.[/symple_box]

Dungeon Hunter 4

Free To Play

Dungeon Hunter 4 recalls the Diablo series as it’s an isometric action RPG in which you explore dungeons, carve through hordes of monsters while picking up loot, and equip your character with better weapons and armour.

It’s a little hamstrung by a paywall, though; to get anywhere you’re not-so-subtly encouraged to pay for items with real-world cash as you’ll eventually reach a point where the equipment you’ve picked up for free isn’t good enough to see you through to the next level. However, if you’re prepared to you plonk down some cash, there’s actually quite a good game to be had here.

You can even play it co-operatively with friends, which can be a lot of fun, and admittedly, it’s really nice to look at. If you don’t mind shelling out a bit of money for a “free” game, Dungeon Hunter 4 can be a fun little time-waster.

[symple_column size=”one_half”] [symple_box style=”boxsucces”] “Diablo-esque but with microtransactions”[/symple_box] [/symple_column][symple_box style=”boxerror”] Download it from the Google Play Store.[/symple_box]

The Witcher Battle Arena

Free To Play

Should you enjoy playing Massively Online Battle Arenas and you just so happen to be a fan of The Witcher series, this is the game for you.

Designed specifically with mobile in mind, TWBA is a fast-paced, touch-friendly MOBA with battles that last for a few minutes at a time. It also boasts a pretty streamlined RPG-like progression system and some very Phat loot.

Sure, TWBA is Free To Play which means there are items you can buy with cash, but they’re primarily cosmetic and definitely not a requirement for your continued enjoyment of the game. If you’re going to do Free to Play, this is definitely the way to do it.

Give it a whirl if you’re curious, and prepare to lose more than a few hours to its myriad charms.

[symple_column size=”one_half”] [symple_box style=”boxsucces”] “Geralt does DOTA, and does it well”[/symple_box] [/symple_column][symple_box style=”boxerror”] Download it from the Google Play Store.[/symple_box]