I absolutely love and recommend these 5 Android games to play with one hand

Despite hundreds of thousands of games on the Play Store, very few become comforting escapes from the harsh reality. Games that you can play anywhere and without any special skillset, with one motive: feeling relaxed instead of getting all riled up. 

With this in mind, I have handpicked games that require no prior experience in mobile gaming and can be picked up immediately. They don’t need gaming chops and can be run on most Android phones or tablets. None of them require high-end hardware and or high-speed internet, but don’t have potato-quality graphics. All of these games are free to play, though there will be some ads, mostly to earn in-game perks or accelerate progress.

I’ve never been good at meatspace sports, and so, I simulate feeling victorious by playing sports video games. Lately, I have been obsessed with a new sports game that I can’t seem to detach myself from. 

Tennis Clash is extremely easy to play; once a game (of tennis) starts, all I have to do is swipe my thumb across the screen to direct the shot or tap somewhere on the court to move my player. I love the fact that those are the only two controls, and I can keep playing with one hand while using the other to organize my desk, finish up chores, or caress my dog. There’s barely any learning required, and a trail of my finger’s swipe ensures I hit the ball in the right direction. 

All matches happen against actual human players, and not bots, which makes it slightly more competitive. The game has the option to join clubs but not invite other members to a match, which is the only aspect I dislike about the game. 

Apart from that, Tennis Clash offers truly engaging graphics with detailed character movements, which keep me engaged in the gameplay, even with minimal input required. When I’m not actively playing, I can spend time unlocking new characters with special skills, decking them with the best gear, and easily lose track of time. 

I find Paper.io 2 bizarrely simple and highly addictive. The sole aim of the game is to occupy more territory by simply navigating a colorful cube across a plain white 2D map, starting from a small area and making closed loops of movement to envelop more space. 

Although I found steering the cube around by sliding my thumb across the screen slightly challenging initially, especially since there’s no virtual joystick, I was able to adapt quickly. 

While there is practically no graphic element other than the cubes and the surface they move on, the developer makes them engaging by embellishing these cubes with happy colors and interesting textures. In the image above, you see my cube is inspired by donut dressing, and that alone hacks my brain not to leave the game.

But what has me truly hooked is the competitive gameplay; I have to be careful while treading on other people’s territory or risk being easily eliminated, which happens when someone circles me or cuts off my trail before completing the loop. It’s not the ease of playing but, in fact, the ease of getting eliminated that keeps me engaged. The embedded Super Mario effect makes me start another game immediately after. I can even brave through 30-second video ads, which, unfortunately, occur after every game, despite the displeasure. Since the only objective is to drive the cube around, I can play it with just one thumb or finger. 

Whiteout Survival is a city-building game with interesting elements. I’m certain it was borne out of Clash of Clans’ frenzy and works similarly, except here, the clashing clans comprise humans living in frigid wilderness instead of beasts. 

But because it has human characters, the “survival” aspect remains paramount. As the chief of your village, I ensure that everyone is warm, well-fed, and employed, constantly upgrade their living quarters, replace food with more nutritious ingredients, and rotate workers. Although my rating as a chief depends on my pupils’ happiness, I wouldn’t deny that being in control feels great even without it. Once in a while, I see complaints or rants in the mailbox, but so long as I address them, the village thrives. 

Although the game also has the option to explore the nearby areas and try to conquer them using a separate army, I don’t like war and instead engage in ensuring healthy diplomatic ties with nearby villages. 

I also like being able to zoom into the tiny characters and observe them go about their routine. I treat them with special suppers once in a while to show my benevolence. I started playing it casually, but before I knew, I found myself taking active steps to ensure the prosperity and contentment of those tiny animated characters. 

A few years ago, I randomly stumbled upon Cell to Singularity and subsequently spent the next several weeks playing this game exclusively every time I used my phone. While I’m not proud, I can’t deny the game’s addictive nature. In fact, I find it less suited to the description of a game, and more akin to an amalgamation of various science and psychology experiments. 

I like Cell to Singularity because I get to simulate an entire universe, which originates from a single cell organism in a petri dish. There’s little player input for growing organisms, as most of the developments are automated. However, tapping with one hand increases activity in the system and eventually unlocks more organisms when there is enough currency (expressed as “entropy”). 

It includes multiple milestones, as when organs combine to form an organism, the first time an arthropod walks out of water, the first flying dinosaur appears, multiple asteroids strike the prehistoric Earth, and the human race eventually appears. Each of these milestones features a beautiful cinematic cut scene, which I find to be the most gratifying part of the game. 

There are multiple concurrent realms, and I enjoy the level of control that comes with combining inorganic compounds to form more complex proteins, checking on the supercomputer running the simulation, or even fiddling with elements on Earth with the eventual goal of reaching the singularity. Every time I commit to this game, I quit without feeling enchanted by its unique approach. 

I don’t believe I have ever played a game more meditative than Mekorama. It’s essentially an isometric puzzle game where you guide the robot through a complex and peculiar building. The giddy robot that displays jiggly body physics based on how you move it.

While its gameplay might remind you of Monument Valley or Lara Croft GO, Mekorama lacks any melancholic elements, which I enjoy less about those games. All levels here are non-identical and get progressively more challenging, requiring me to spend several minutes or even hours trying to unstuck myself.

For a game that’s nearly a decade old, Mekorama has excellent graphics, which is also why it was later ported to Xbox One, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. It even features a builder mode that lets you create custom levels. 

The most exciting aspect is that Mekorama works without an internet connection, so it can be played on a flight from takeoff to landing. I say this because I have done it at least a couple of times.