Crashlands
Price: $4.99
Crashland was released in 2016 and it’s already among the best Android games ever made. It features an intergalactic trucker that ends up crash landed on an alien planet. Your job is to find out what’s going on, build yourself a base, collect various items (and craft them), and save the world from a nefarious plot. It has an RPG element for character development, tons of items that you can collect and craft, and the game makes itself easier by doing things like auto-sorting your inventory. It’s a ton of fun and contains dozens of hours of content. The best part? There are no in-app purchases to get in the way.
MADFINGER Games (UNKILLED, Shadowgun, Dead Trigger)
Price: Freemium (usually)
MADFINGER Games has a long history of success in mobile gaming. They are also have some of the most successful FPS titles available like the Shadowgun series (including the recently launched Shadowgun Legends), UNKILLED, and the Dead Trigger series. The Shadowgun series are sci-fi shooters with both campaigns and multiplayer modes. UNKILLED and the Dead Trigger games are mission-style zombie shooters with a ton of missions and stuff to do. You really can't go wrong with any of them. However, their newer titles tend to get more new features than their older stuff.
Minecraft
Price: $6.99 with in-app purchases
Minecraft is a popular game all around the world for people of all ages. For those who have never played, Minecraft puts you in a giant world where you mine stuff, build stuff, beat up bad guys, and do pretty much whatever you want. There is a survival mode where you must mine your own resources and food along with a creative mode that gives you unlimited everything. Frequent updates have added tons of new content and possibilities. The game is pretty much on par with its PC and console counterparts. In fact, you can play on multiplayer servers with people on those platforms. Nifty. There are in-app purchases, but they're usually just for customization things like skin packs.