Skip to main content
Tech Radar TechRadar the technology experts
RSS
Asia
flag of Singapore
Singapore
Europe
flag of Danmark
Danmark
flag of Suomi
Suomi
flag of Norge
Norge
flag of Sverige
Sverige
flag of UK
UK
flag of Italia
Italia
flag of Nederland
Nederland
flag of België (Nederlands)
België (Nederlands)
flag of France
France
flag of Deutschland
Deutschland
flag of España
España
North America
flag of US (English)
US (English)
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of México
México
Australasia
flag of Australia
Australia
flag of New Zealand
New Zealand
  • Phones
  • Computing
  • TVs
  • Streaming
  • Health
  • Audio
  • Cameras
  • More
    • Home
    • News
    • Best
    • Reviews
    • Opinion
    • How to
    • Versus
    • Deals
    • Coupons
Tech Radar Pro
Tech Radar Gaming
Trending
  • iPhone 15 Pro Max review
  • iPhone 15 review
  • TechRadar Choice Awards
  • Apple Watch 9 hands on
  • iPhone 15 Pro hands on
  • Wordle hints
  • Best VPN

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  1. Computing
  2. Internet
  3. Websites & Apps

12 best Android apps and games, according to Google

News
By Mark Knapp
published 31 May 2017

You probably don't have all of these apps yet

Whittling down the best Android apps from nearly 3 million to just 12 is a tall order, but that’s exactly what we saw happen at Google IO 2017 in May.

While Google’s impressive AI and VR initiatives took center stage at its annual conference, it did take some time out to focus on the apps that make its Android platform popular.

Here are the 12 apps that were honored at the Google Play 2017 Awards this year.

Page 1 of 14
Page 1 of 14
Mushroom 11, winner of Standout Indie award

Mushroom 11, winner of Standout Indie award

“Games from indie developers that focus on artistic design, gameplay mechanics and overall polish" is exactly why Mushroom 11 won this Google Play Store award and beat contenders like Reigns, Mars: Mars, and more. 

The game received plenty of praise in its time as a PC platformer, with clever physics puzzles, solid visuals, and music by The Future Sound of London. The Android port came out in March to favorable user ratings. If exploring a toxic wasteland as a sentient, amorphous blob sounds appealing, then Mushroom 11 is worth checking out.

Page 2 of 14
Page 2 of 14
Hooked, winner of Standout Startup award

Hooked, winner of Standout Startup award

Almost 200,000 people have given Hooked an average of 4.4 stars in the Google Play Store in the lead up to its win as the Standout Startup. This category was for "apps from new developers that offer a unique experience while achieving strong organic install growth," and it pulled that off with stories told on a text message conversation medium. 

This out-of-the-box literature app had to be doing something right to beat out the likes of Discord, the ever-popular chat and voice app for gamers. While some reviews seem annoyed with the payment model for the app, the overwhelmingly positive comments suggest that it does indeed get readers properly hooked.

Page 3 of 14
Page 3 of 14
Runtastic Running & Fitness, winner of Best Android Wear Experience award

Runtastic Running & Fitness, winner of Best Android Wear Experience award

Runtastic Running & Fitness has been one of the best apps to prove that technology isn’t always turning us into inactive hermits. Android software has been doing a fine job at improving our fitness routines. 

It does just that, with loads of distance and routing tracking tools, a voice coach and cheering feature, and even a built-in music player. Loads of reviews give the app a solid 4.5 stars in Google Play, and it’s functionality with Android Wear helped it earn the award for Best Android Wear Experience.

Page 4 of 14
Page 4 of 14
Red Bull TV, winner of Best TV Experience award

Red Bull TV, winner of Best TV Experience award

The award for Best TV Experience is for "apps or games built for the large-screen format to provide an intuitive experience," and there’s only one  that has bikes careening downhill, high-octane motorsports, pros carving the slopes, surfers and cliff divers, and documentaries about these wild sports. 

Red Bull TV has what extreme sports viewers want. The app must have scored extra high marks for intuitive navigation because it beat out even the likes of Netflix for this award. While the app might not stream your favorite Disney movies, it has plenty of sports content, music festival footage, and even a GoPro channel.

Page 5 of 14
Page 5 of 14
Virtual Virtual Reality, winner of Best VR Experience award

Virtual Virtual Reality, winner of Best VR Experience award

While the award in this category is for "Highly engaging and immersive experience with optimal use of Daydream UI,” Virtual Virtual Reality takes it a step further by putting virtual realities inside a virtual reality. 

Players enter the VR world when they put on their Google Daydream headset and within the game, they’ll put on more headsets to explore other virtual realities.  Stylized and cartoony, the game looks impressive, and the concept is novel, as players jump from world to world to avoid their in-game manager at work.

Page 6 of 14
Page 6 of 14
Woorld, winner of Best AR Experience award

Woorld, winner of Best AR Experience award

Pokemon Go and Snapchat might be the best known augmented reality apps, but you should check out the breakout hit Woorld. Whether you want to have mushrooms growing out of your carpet, or to have a faucet coming out of your TV and flooding the living room, Woorld makes that possible – at least visually. No surprise, this whimsical experience comes from the mind of Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi. 

The app, powered by the advanced AR technology of Tango, lets users add all sorts of things to the world around them, creating interesting and colorful environments. While devices with Tango are few and far between, it seems likely that as augmented reality becomes more prevalent, more devices could see Tango incorporated, or at least feature similar AR capabilities.

Page 7 of 14
Page 7 of 14
Animal Jam - Play Wild!, winner of Best App for Kids award

Animal Jam - Play Wild!, winner of Best App for Kids award

If you have a child and are looking for "apps or games with family-friendly design that encourage creativity, exploration and education," then Animal Jam - Play Wild! might be just the ticket. The app is something of a social network, designed as a “safe online playground for kids.” 

It lets them become an animal and explore a game world where they can meet and interact with other animal players. It has built-in minigames and includes opportunities to learn about wildlife. Other contenders in this category were Hot Wheels: Race Off, Teeny Titans - Teen Titans Go!, and Toca Life: Vacation.

Page 8 of 14
Page 8 of 14
HearthStone, winner of Best Multiplayer Game award

HearthStone, winner of Best Multiplayer Game award

With over a million reviews and a 4.4 star rating, there’s no arguing that Blizzard had another overwhelming success with HearthStone. The Warcraft-themed card battle game is playable on mobile devices and computers, allowing for friends to play one another without needing the same devices. 

Players can build their own decks of characters, devise their own strategies, and compete with real or computer-controlled opponents. Like Heroes of the Storm for the MOBA genre, Blizzard’s HearthStone is simple enough for players new to the genre while offering deep enough complexity for diehard players.

Page 9 of 14
Page 9 of 14
Memrise, winner of Best App award

Memrise, winner of Best App award

Memrise is an insanely useful app for learning. It allows users to create their own custom study sets – think flashcards but way more advanced – and tests users on a regular basis to keep their knowledge fresh. 

It’s also already loaded with study sets created by other users, so new users can dive in and learn advanced Japanese or what different horse breeds look like. There’s so much to learn. But that’s only part of why Memrise landed the title of Best App. The award is aptly for "a true representation of beautiful design, intuitive UX and high user appeal."

Page 10 of 14
Page 10 of 14
Transformers: Forged to Fight, winner of Best Game award

Transformers: Forged to Fight, winner of Best Game award

Pokemon Go was beaten out not only in the Best AR Experience category but also in the Best Game category, as Transformers: Forged to Fight took the title, meeting Google’s requirements of “...strong mechanics, stellar graphics and strong engagement and retention tactics." 

The game has several different elements, with a swipe- and tap-based arcade-style fighting game at its heart and base building and defense on the side. A whole host of fan-favorite Autobots and Decepticons are available for players to use, making the unlock and upgrade system all the more addicting. Best of all, it has impressive graphics and keeps the action fast for a mobile game.

Page 11 of 14
Page 11 of 14
IFTTT, winner of Best Accessibility Experience award

IFTTT, winner of Best Accessibility Experience award

IFTTT, meaning “If This Then That,” enables all sorts of automation with your phone. It's integrations with a wide array of apps allows it to do things like open your garage door and text your significant other “Honey, I'm home” when you pull into your drive or publically broadcast every text message you receive as a Twitter post. 

The idea is simple: if a given set of variables are met, a defined task will be performed, and the possibilities are nearly endless. For the less creative users, there are all sorts of pre-made automations available on the IFTTT website.  As an app that enables so much, it's no wonder it was able to take the award for Best Accessibility Experience, which is for "apps or games enabling device interaction to serve people with disabilities or special needs." 

Page 12 of 14
Page 12 of 14
ShareTheMeal, winner of Best Social Impact Award

ShareTheMeal, winner of Best Social Impact Award

The United Nations’ World Food Programme has made it easier to make a difference for people who are going hungry around the world. Its ShareTheMeal app lets users donate simply and directly from their phone, so after ordering a pizza on GrubHub, they can make a quick little donation to help out someone else in need of a meal. 

The app lets users decide how much they want to donate, and even lets them start teams to work together on big donation goals. ShareTheMeal boasts 13.3 million meals shared at the time right now, which definitely qualifies for the award for "apps that create meaningful social impact for a broad spectrum of people around the world.”

Page 13 of 14
Page 13 of 14
More Android app recommendations

More Android app recommendations

We have more great Android app suggestions from our editorial team, not just the best Google picks.

If you're looking to extend your games and app library on an Android phone or tablet, look no further than our official:

Page 14 of 14
Page 14 of 14
Mark Knapp
Mark Knapp
Social Links Navigation

Over the last several years, Mark has been tasked as a writer, an editor, and a manager, interacting with published content from all angles. He is intimately familiar with the editorial process from the inception of an article idea, through the iterative process, past publishing, and down the road into performance analysis.

  • Best Android apps list for 2017
More about websites apps
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand

Quordle today - hints and answers for Friday, September 22 (game #606)

Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand

Quordle today - hints and answers for Thursday, September 21 (game #605)

Latest
an amd CPU retail box

One of AMD's best CPUs is now on sale for less than $400, plus get a free PC game

See more latest ►
Most Popular
Amazon Prime Video to get ads next year – and you’ll have to pay extra to avoid them

By Darren AllanSeptember 22, 2023

7 new movies and TV shows on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus and more this weekend (September 22)

By Axel MetzSeptember 22, 2023

New UK-US “data-bridge” hopes to boost transatlantic trade

By Benedict CollinsSeptember 22, 2023

The Microsoft Surface Hub 3 really wants to get your whole team collaborating on its giant whiteboard

By Craig HaleSeptember 22, 2023

Microsoft 365 Copilot is coming to your business soon - but you'll pay extra for AI features

By Craig HaleSeptember 22, 2023

Apple releases emergency fix for three serious iOS and macOS bugs — update your Mac and iPhone now

By Sead FadilpašićSeptember 22, 2023

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's creative director and producer are in disagreement over the use of the term "JRPG"

By Demi WilliamsSeptember 22, 2023

The new iOS 17 alarm tones are so good, you’ll look forward to waking up

By Axel MetzSeptember 22, 2023

Activision responds to CMA’s preliminary approval of Microsoft merger, CEO Bobby Kotick remains “optimistic”

By Catherine LewisSeptember 22, 2023

GitHub is bringing passkey support at last

By Lewis MaddisonSeptember 22, 2023

Princess Peach Showtime release date, gameplay, and everything we know

By Kara PhillipsSeptember 22, 2023

  1. An imagined RTX 4090 against a black background
    1
    The Nvidia RTX 5090 is rumored to be nearly twice as fast as RTX 4090, so we should just call it the Titan RTX at this point
  2. 2
    There's only one iPhone 15 series choice for true iPhone fans, and it's the one I bought
  3. 3
    The Nikon Zf has finally arrived – and it’s the retro mirrorless camera I’ve been waiting for
  4. 4
    TransUnion's data stolen in major data breach
  5. 5
    This hidden iOS 17 feature will make your iPhone feel twice as fast
  1. Glen Powell in the movie Hit Man
    1
    Netflix's next big movie is a crime thriller with 98% on Rotten Tomatoes
  2. 2
    I'm a photographer and will be skipping the iPhone 15 Pro Max – here's why
  3. 3
    The iPhone 15 Pro Max is reportedly a big hit for Apple, but it’s facing issues
  4. 4
    iOS 17 is out now – here are the 7 features I'm most looking forward to
  5. 5
    This hidden iOS 17 feature will make your iPhone feel twice as fast

TechRadar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Web notifications
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.