char_stats

joined 6 months ago
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What wisdom from someone else has stuck with you? in c/asklemmy@lemmy.world
[–] char_stats@discuss.tchncs.de 12 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Both destruction and development play on the lap of a teacher.

New Zealand police recovers $19k Fabergé egg swallowed by suspected thief in c/news@lemmy.world
[–] char_stats@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

20k sounds like a bargain for a Faberge egg. I've heard they go for hundreds of thousand

—REUPLOAD—My favorite PAID games on the Play Store (+ user recommendations 💬) in c/android
[–] char_stats@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 1 month ago

I'll add Terraria. Minecraft has lots of IAPs so probably not — it doesn't need exposure anyways

Coal making a comeback as US datacenters demand power in c/news@lemmy.world
[–] char_stats@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Windmills are communist

Jimmy Kimmel Pulled “Indefinitely” By ABC After Over Charlie Kirk Comments in c/news@lemmy.world
Nova Launcher is seemingly shutting down – so here are some alternatives in c/android
[–] char_stats@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 4 months ago (1 children)

It will still work, till it won't any longer. I assume new Android version will release one day and Nova won't be compatible with it.

"Find in post" still doesn't scroll the page to show each match in c/summit@lemmy.world
[–] char_stats@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 4 months ago

Thank you so much! It's fixed now :)

—REUPLOAD—My favorite PAID games on the Play Store (+ user recommendations 💬) in c/android
[–] char_stats@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 4 months ago

Added. Thank you!

"Find in post" still doesn't scroll the page to show each match in c/summit@lemmy.world
—REUPLOAD—My favorite PAID games on the Play Store (+ user recommendations 💬) in c/android
[–] char_stats@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (1 children)

Thanks! I can add all of them except for Pirate Outlaw, because it includes virtually limitless microtransactions for in-game currency (not allowed in this list).

Edit: reading some reviews, I decided to keep out Peglin too. Apparently it gets impossibly hard and luck based in later stages, besides complaints about not great UI optimization on Android, so I don't feel like including it in a recommendation list for paid games.

9
"Find in post" still doesn't scroll the page to show each match (discuss.tchncs.de)
submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by char_stats@discuss.tchncs.de to c/summit@lemmy.world
4 comments fedilink
 

First, thanks for your hard work, always!

Since I've noticed you've been working on fixing reported bugs or user requests, I think this would be a nice thing to fix.

In very long posts, if I use the "Find in post" function, type the word I want to find and obtain multiple matches, when I tap on the downwards arrow to scroll and see all the matches the page doesn't scroll. This makes using the Find function quite inconvenient.

You can replicate this in my post here. Try searching for the controller icon 🎮.

—REUPLOAD—My favorite PAID games on the Play Store (+ user recommendations 💬) in c/android
[–] char_stats@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 5 months ago

Added all of 'em, thanks!

—REUPLOAD—My favorite PAID games on the Play Store (+ user recommendations 💬) in c/android
[–] char_stats@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Thanks!

If you don't mind, can you please tell me why it took you so long to locate it? I wanna make it so it's easier to discover. Did you first find my free games list or my old paid games list, or what else?

61
—REUPLOAD—My favorite PAID games on the Play Store (+ user recommendations 💬) (discuss.tchncs.de)
submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by char_stats@discuss.tchncs.de to c/android
20 comments fedilink
 

👉For my free games list, please go here.

 

New list entries - updated December 2025:

Other recent entries

Introduction

This is a list of all games, sorted by genre, that I've purchased, loved, and finished (or played extensively) over many years and I'd like to recommend as I found them excellent and without predatory monetization, gacha, or infinite microtransactions of any kind. I'm also including the most recommended premium titles by the community—which I haven't playtested yet or I'm not particularly interested in—marked with 💬. Please check the entry criteria below before recommending a game.

Some of the games may be free with IAP's, but EXCLUSIVELY to unlock the full game, DLCs, or remove ads (no gacha or energy/gambling mechanics, "diamonds", pay-to-win, or any recurrent cash-grab bullshit of sort).

[Disclaimer: chances are some items in this list will inevitably be delisted from the Play Store as time goes by, or will not be compatible with future Android versions. I'll do my best to always keep it updated, but feel free to PM me if you come across any unavailable title and I'll fix the entry]

I'm planning to keep this list updated for personal reference with the new games I'll play and like, or old games I've played that will come to mind later. So feel free to save it and check out new entries every so often.

My ultimate goal is to promote worthy content and honest/talented devs, hoping to see more quality games in the future, rather than the cancerous cash-grab machines the Play Store is regrettably riddled with. And, of course, to let everyone have a great time playing great titles ;)

Entry criteria for user recommendations 💬

  1. paid Play Store games compatible with recent Android versions
  2. no ads or infinite microtransactions. Allowed: ads-removal, full-game unlock, or proper DLCs
  3. you love the game and think it's worth the price
  4. must include link and, possibly, genre

I will still use my discretion and judgment to filter the entries, in an effort to try and keep the list's quality high.

[If you want to play or recommend free games, without ads or microtransactions, here is the list for you.]

 

THE LIST

 

Legend

🌟 - top favorite  

👑 - masterpiece  

💬 - recommended by the community, but I haven't played it yet or not my jam  

🎮 - controllers are supported and, usually, strongly recommended  

🎮❗️ - controller recommended but not supported—you need a controller mapping app like Panda  

📱 - portrait orientation (either exclusively or optional)

👥 - includes multiplayer

120FPS - 120 FPS on supported devices

~~[Game title]~~ - delisted, but you might still see it in the store if you've purchased it  

 

Action shooter

 

Action-adventure platformer/hack-n-slash

  • Hyper Light Drifter - S.E. 🌟 🎮 (only PS controllers supported; pixel art)

  • Grimvalor 🌟 🎮 120FPS (2.5D hack and slash medieval fantasy platform/RPG)

  • Shadow Blade 🌟 🎮 (2D hack and slash action platform)

  • Swordigo 🎮❗️ (2D RPG action-adventure platformer; requires controller remap app; free with 2 IAPs that add compass or coin doubler, and either of them remove ads too)

  • Oddmar 🎮 120FPS (2D action-adventure platformer)

  • Ninja Arashi 🎮 (2D hack and slash action platformer - free with IAPs to remove ads)

  • SAMURAI II: VENGEANCE 🎮 (top down/isometric hack and slash)

  • Dead Cells 💬 🎮 120FPS (roguelite action platformer)

 

Platformer

 

Metroidvania

 

Beat 'em up

 

Turn-based RPG

 

Tactical RPG

 

Strategy

 

Action RPG

  • Undead Horde 2: Necropolis 🌟 🎮

  • Trials of Mana 🌟 🎮 (added controller support and achievements!)

  • The Bard's Tale (3D action RPG adventure - this game has some optional IAPs: they can easily be ignored but they're there. Also, some users experienced an auto-save bug that corrupts ALL save files, so I recommend disabling auto-save altogether. I'm keeping the game listed here for now as I still consider it a true premium game and I haven't personally experienced any bug)

  • Evoland 🎮 (action/adventure RPG with 2D and 3D graphics and a mix of genres. Touch controls work great)

  • Evoland 2 🌟 🎮 (action/adventure RPG with 2D and 3D graphics, mix of genres; controller recommended)

  • Pascal's Wager (soulslike) 💬 🎮

  • Star Wars: KOTOR 💬 🎮

  • Star Wars: KOTOR II 💬 🎮

 

CRPG

 

Text-based RPG

 

Fishing adventure

  • Dredge 🌟 🎮 120FPS (lovecraftian horror, RPG)

 

Roguelite (cards, dice, deck builder, action)

 

Action adventure/Zelda-like

  • Ogu and the Secret Forest 🌟 🎮 (IAPs to unlock the full game. I got it for free on Epic, but not sure if/when it's gonna happen again)

  • Anodyne 🌟 🎮❗️ 📱 (lanscape/portrait. Adding controller support through Panda is a must if you want to complete the game without losing your mind)

  • Legend of the Skyfish 2 🎮 (Zelda-like with a fishing rod for weapon)

  • Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion 🎮 (humorous, Zelda-like, pixel art adventure; Play achievements didn't work correctly, but they might have been fixed later on)

  • Oceanhorn 🌟 🎮 (3D Zelda-like action adventure)

  • Afterplace 💬 🎮 📱 120FPS (landscape/portrait)

 

Puzzle

 

Puzzle adventure

 

Puzzle-platformer adventure

 

Point-and-click adventure

 

Simulation/management

 

Worker placement survival

  • This War of Mine 💬 (DISCLAIMER: as of April 2025 multiple users still report crashes, but I'll keep the game here because it is otherwise worth it, and devs often donate part of the profits to victims of various wars)

 

Survival crafting

 

Survival horror

 

Racing

 

Sport

 

Tower defense

 

Idle

 

Netflix games

(require an active Netflix subscription)

 

Extras and emulators/engines

  • AppSales is an app that will make you save some money by notifying you when specific games (or apps) in the Play Store go on sale. Just add the games you wish to buy to the AppSales' watchlist and you'll get notified when the price gets cut.

  • Panda Gamepad Pro 🎮 is a tool that allows you to map your controller for touch inputs, practically adding controller support to those game that don't have it.

  • Gamedeck 🎮 (game launcher/front-end for controllers)

  • Beacon Game Launcher 🎮 (game launcher/front-end for controllers. Also optimized for emulators)

  • Retroarch 🎮 (emulator for almost all consoles) "jack of all trades" emulator, the only one that supports analog triggers for Xbox One S controller. It has a bit of a learning curve, and other individual emulators might offer better performance

  • Dolphin 🎮 best emulator for GameCube and Wii

  • DraStic DS Emulator 🎮

  • PPSSPP Gold - PSP Emulator 🎮

  • Delta Touch [9 x Doom engines] 💬 (engine for Doom games)

  • Quad Touch 💬 (engine for Quake games)

 

Delisted or outdated

 

Happy gaming ;)

ps: please let me know if there's any wrong information about the games included in this list (especially regarding IAPs or availability) so that I'll fix the post if necessary.

259
—REUPLOAD—Free Android Games (incl. FOSS ✅️) - no ads, no IAPs, no gacha. (discuss.tchncs.de)
submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) by char_stats@discuss.tchncs.de to c/android
67 comments fedilink
 

👉For my paid games list, please go here.

 

New list entries - updated October 2025:

Other recent entries

Introduction

NOTICE: I'm reuploading this as I lost my first account on lemm.ee. The previous version of this list is now deprecated.

I recently realized there are still, to this day, some actual "hidden gems" in the Play Store. Not the fake ones everyone talks about which, in a way or another, often have a catch or aren't very "hidden". I mean free games with no ads or IAPs of any kind that are fun to play.

So I was thinking maybe it's time to compile a list of them. Please suggest the ones you've found and enjoyed!

Edit: I'm now including free games (no piracy) from other sources beside the Play Store (which will be specified within brackets), such as GitHub or F-droid. If they're also FOSS, like all F-droid games, they'll have this green checkmark ✅️. For the games that have both F-droid and Play Store versions, the green checkmark is for the F-droid version.

I won't try them all as I did with my premium games list, because you could simply download and try them for yourself without spending a dime. I'll simply list them.

‼️Also, please do checkout MiniReview - Game Reviews for more free games that match the following criteria (use the "Browse" tab and select the correct filters). The same app for iOS - App Store - is here.‼️

I've saved this post so to keep it updated over time, for my own reference and for your benefit. So feel free to save it and check out new entries every so often.

Entry Criteria

  1. FREE
  2. NO ADS
  3. STRICTLY NO IAPs (except donation buttons, but I'll have to check first)
  4. NO PIRACY
  5. it has to be a legit, full game you've played and liked. No demos, no emulators (everyone knows RetroArch anyways)
  6. no entire repositories. You can recommend them in the comments if you want, but this list is for individual games you'd like to recommend
  7. if it's a Play Store game, it should be compatible with the latest Android version at the time of entry
  8. must include a link to the game, especially if from sources outside the Play Store. Not direct-download links, just links to the page
  9. sketchy sources won't be considered. Play Store, GitHub, and F-droid are welcome

[If you want to recommend paid games, without ads or predatory microtransactions, here is the list for you.]

 

THE LIST

 

Legend

✅️ - FOSS (Free and Open-Source Software). Listed on top in their respective categories

☕️ - includes option to donate, with or without minimal cosmetics only

~~[Game title]~~ - delisted

 

Note: for sourceforge links, please disregard the green download button and look for the most recent apk version instead. Nothing malicious, just a website design flaw.

 

Shooter

 

Stealth

 

Platformer

 

Rhythm

 

Arcade

 

RPG

 

Roguelike dungeon crawler

 

Deck builder

 

Adventure

 

Puzzle

 

Tower defense

 

Strategy

 

Management

 

Racing

 

Simulation

 

Casual

 

Visual novel

 

Educational

 

Extras and emulators/engines

  • Fabularium ✅️ (F-droid - engine and maker for text-based adventures, interactive books)

Delisted or outdated

 

Free games with minimal ads/cosmetic IAPs

 

Happy gaming ;)

ps: please let me know if there's any wrong information about the games included in this list (especially regarding the ones with free donations) so that I'll fix the post, if necessary.

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