2012 was, undoubtedly, a great year for gaming. With the increase in availability of affordable mobile devices as a wave of Android devices flooded the market, the need to create engaging and imaginative titles to keep the millions of gamers interested became apparent. With the increase of devices followed the increase of developers, and with the middle of the market saturated by the likes of Rovio and Zynga, indie developers sought to create more left-field, challenging titles that would also be entertaining.

Below is a list of some of the best-reviewed Android games of 2012, many coming from the indie sector (though they may have been acquired by mainstream developers by the end of the year).

Sandango

The stacker genre is ubiquitous with casual gaming. Taking inspiration from the simple, yet devastatingly addictive, gameplay of Tetris, one of the most iconic mobile games of all time, Sandango seeks to put a new spin on an old favorite. Players must use a simple color-matching mechanic to create piles large enough to be cleared away, however matching the wrong colors together will result in the sand stacking higher and higher with no hope of survival for the objects insert in the frame. What follows is an experience as unique and engaging as the aforementioned mobile leviathan and it’s easy to see how it garnered so many rave reviews this year.

Beastie Bay

As a child of the nineties, by the time I was seven it was almost impossible to speak to me without the glare from my Gameboy color obscuring my face, my attention focused solely on the fortunes of Ash Ketchum. Now, nearly twenty years after Pokémon exploded onto our hand-held screens, Kairosoft have reinvented the mechanics of Pokémon with a modern and unique twist. Combining hard-core nostalgia with convenience, it’s easy to see how the developers were onto an instant winner, for consumers and critics alike.

Puzzle Forge

Some may say that there’s an abundance of match-3 titles on the market at the moment. Though the most famous example may well still be Bejeweled, it’s Puzzle Forge that definitely takes the prize for being the most inventive. Taking inspiration from the fantastic Triple Town, Puzzle Forge merges the match-3 mechanic with medieval, Game of Thrones-esque design. What follows is easily one of the most enjoyable examples of the genre.

Mr Legs

To be honest, while writing this article I found myself at a loss for words (‘we can only hope’, I hear you say) to describe the subtle delight of Mr Legs. Unlike any other game on this list so far, Mr Legs tells the odd story of a cherry picker, with aspirations of being the best that London has ever seen. Ultimately the game is nothing more than a helicopter flight path simulator, the player taking control of Mr Legs, err, legs, to determine his height as he walks past a plethora of low (or high) hanging fruit, which he must pick. The game, though familiar, is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and is utterly mesmerizing and addictive – get it now!

Rage of Bahamut

Though this may anger a great many readers, and you may have to stick with me a while, I can’t say that I’ve ever been too fond of card-games – in real life on or mobile. To be honest they always seemed like a less inventive RPG, a title that games developers could throw out without investing time in plot or user-interface. However, as I was playing Rage of Bahamut in order to review it, I started to put together the pieces of what I’d been missing. Rage of Bahamut lets the player be the storyteller, allowing an almost infinite number of stories to be created with one simple mechanic depending on the user. Seriously, whether a die-hard card game fan or a haggard old skeptic like me, give this one a go, you will not be disappointed.

So there you have it, five of the best reviewed games for Android in 2012 – have you downloaded them yet?

Jason Phillips has drawn this beautiful article. He is a freelance blogger and an enthusiast. He love to play video games especially he is a fan for Truck Games 365 .