Google Play doesn’t make it easy to find good Android games. Instead, it highlights free IAP-laden titles that all look the same and seem somewhat slimy. But the Play Store is full of amazing, ad-free, high-quality premium games, if you know how to find them.

Be skeptical of ad-supported games

Mobile games now make more money than console and PC games combined. Most of these games are monetized using a combination of advertisements and a variety of in-app purchases to earn money. It changed the way games are designed, introducing annoying elements like having to endure banner ads, having to watch full-screen pop-up ads before starting a level, virtual currencies that cost real money, and various forms of pay to win.

There isn’t a single toggle you can select to prevent Google from showing you these games, but you can get close. When browsing Google Play, if a game says “contains ads” under the title, be careful. In my experience, the best games don’t have ads, so that’s my starting point, although it doesn’t necessarily eliminate freemium games loaded with in-app purchases.

Many recommended games when first opening the Play Store not only contain ads, but are also part of a “sponsored” games section. Publishers can compete to have their games be the first recommended by Google.

That said, be aware that the Play Store contains many games that contain ads but have the option to remove them via a single in-app purchase. This effectively makes these premium games that you simply pay for after downloading.

Access the Premium section only

The games that Google Play brings to the forefront are usually not the ones you want to play. Unlike consoles, seeing a list of the most popular games doesn’t help much either. Instead, you want to go to the section of the store that lists paid games exclusively. These are good old fashioned games where you pay up front to download a game. A novel concept, really.

You can find them by tapping the “Games” tab at the bottom of the screen, then selecting “Premium” from the categories that appear at the top.

For better or worse, this is not an exhaustive list of all paid games available on Google Play. It’s not even close. But there are some excellent recommendations that can be good places to start.

Browse games made by good publishers

When I find a game I like, I quickly check what other titles the game’s publisher has listed under its name. You can find this list by tapping the publisher name on a game’s Google Play page.

For example, Sparklite is a fun top-down action game that feels like a 2D Zelda title with refreshing levels. After playing a bit, I wanted to find out what other titles publisher Playdigious had released for Android.

I was surprised to find that Playdigious not only released some of the best Android games but also brought cross-platform ports like Dead cells And Little nightmares. It turns out that Sparklite is also a port, which costs just a fraction of the $25 currently available on Steam.

Here’s a good list of editors to start with:

This is a far from exhaustive list. Some publishers only offer one game (ConcernedMonkey‘s Stardew Valley) or a series (Fireproof games‘ The Room) to their credit, but their titles remain real gems.

*These publishers have released a few ad-supported games, but there is usually an option to remove these ads through a single in-app purchase.

Sign up for game subscriptions

You can access many of the best games in the Play Store by signing up for a monthly or annual Play Pass subscription. If you play many games, it works out to be less money than buying each game outright. Even though the Play Pass had its flaws, I would say it’s a very good deal overall.

Play Pass doesn’t expose you to new games. On the contrary, it makes many paid games available for free. It also removes ads and unlocks all in-app purchases in other games. This makes Play Pass a good way to play games that would otherwise seem unplayable.

A lot of best games available via Play Pass are some of the best Android games. The subscription is particularly interesting for families, because it contains a wide catalog of children’s games that you can now offer to children without worrying that they will see advertisements or spend a lot of money.

Some streaming platforms have also gotten into the game. Netflix is ​​a heavyweight here and has effectively become one of the best mobile game publishers in the industry. Crunchyroll has also gotten into mobile gaming, although its library isn’t as extensive.

Cross-checking games on Steam

Many mobile games are cross-platform ports. Checking Steam is a good way to confirm if a game is also available for PC and learn more about the game’s history. Steam also gives you more videos and screenshots, as well as better reviews.

The worst kinds of mobile games aren’t usually available on PC, so the mere existence of a game on Steam is usually a good sign.

As an added bonus, most versions of Android are full ports that cost a fraction of the price of their PC counterparts. I picked up Coromon for my phone instead of a PC, which seems natural to me, given that the original Pokémon games (which serve as Coromonanyway) originally appeared on the Game Boy handheld consoles.

Use the wishlist feature

When I find a mobile game I want, I add it to my Google Play wishlist. I now have dozens and dozens of games saved, so that whenever I’m ready for a new game, I just have to check my wishlist.

This is especially important on Google Play, as it can be very difficult to rediscover a game after forgetting its title.

My the phone is my main gaming consoleand it doesn’t feel like a compromise most of the time. There are more games I want to play than I actually have time to sit down and play, which I hope for on any other gaming platform.

When I want to play a game that is not on the Play Store, I take out my AR glasses and load up NVIDIA GeForceNOW. At this point, my phone no longer feels like a gaming handheld but a full-fledged PC.