The best free text adventures for Android

If there’s one genre in the world of gaming as old a the medium itself, it’s dialog tree games. These interactive stories have greatly evolved since the legendary 1977 Adventure (around here we like to call it the Original Adventure), but the genre tropes are essentially the same as ever: you dive into an immersive experience through the text where your decisions are key in how the adventure plays out. Although in part this gameplay developed because of the technological limits of that period, lots of developers have been very clever about bringing them back on Android but with tweaks made to the format in surprising ways. Hence why today we’ve decided to pick the best free text adventures for mobile devices.

Seen

This dialogue tree adventure does a lot of things very well, but probably the cleverest thing about it is its medium of delivery. Instead of using the same old text boxes as ever, it takes advantage of its platform and makes the story line play out in chats that look like the ones on Facebook Messenger. A very smart and original idea that really draws you in, particularly in a genre as “rigid” as text adventures. Note that its also has an editor to create your own adventures if you want to get really stuck in. So you can’t ever say developing video games is beyond you. [Download]

City of Love: Paris

Though Paris is indeed the City of Love, this adventure isn’t your average Euromance. You play a young American who wants to work in one of the world’s most prestigious fashion magazines, but after the interview things don’t quite go the way they should. An interesting premise that immerses you in an variegated adventure with some highly believable dialogue.

The Ubisoft game will surprise you with its pretty graphics and cast of characters that doesn’t fall into tired stereotypes. Plus the story changes quite a lot depending on your answers, so you’ll never quite know where you’re headed next. [Download]

The Great Tournament

While graphics are important to give some support to the text, these conversation tree games have shown throughout the years that what really matters is the story line. This title is proof – with its different action options that in many cases lead you straight to your own death. Totally unmissable for fans of this genre or anybody who enjoys those pick-your-own-adventure books. [Download]

God of Magic

It’s standard in the gaming world to play the hero(ine) who has to save the day – something we’ve seen a million times and would be nice to see switched up now and then. This game does just that, putting you in the skin of a god of magic who has to help an apprentice to a wizard who tries to control his life. You do this via dialogue and also the occasional minigame that infuses a breath of fresh air into the genre. A more than interesting title that boasts the friendliest of graphics. [Download]

I Am Innocent

Mystery has deep roots in literature that stretch back many centuries – and text adventures certainly wouldn’t be exempt from plots filled with intrigue and suspense. This game plays out over the interface of a smartphone, and submerges you bit by bit in a bloody tale where you have to solve the mystery through chats with various characters and puzzles in which you hack other people’s mobile devices. A very intriguing experience. [Download]

Choices: Stories You Play

One the most successful games on Android is this compendium of stories of all kinds that stands out in the mobile catalogue thanks to the huge variety of adventures you can experience. We’ve reviewed this game already here on the blog, but in a list like this it was obligatory to include it again. One of the strong points in Choices is that your decisions always count, which leads you to some unexpected moments, whether you’re in a romance or a medieval battle scene. [Download]

Rogue’s Choice

It couldn’t be all pretty interfaces and elaborate graphics. This game takes you back to the origins of the genre and hence what shines here is the text – in terms of both writing quality and quantity. You play the medieval fantasy rogue who’s loved and hated in equal measure – a character who will take you on 1,001 adventures according to the decisions you make in the game. The game is notable for its lack of images, but makes up for it with its brilliant and fun writing. [Download]

Convicted: Jail Break

Prisons don’t tend to get a lot of representation in the gaming world, and less still when it comes to text adventures. That’s why the quality of this game is so surprising – it mixes the structure of text adventures with a couple minigames to keep things fresh and keep you from straying. Plus the story keeps you hooked to the end: you play Eddy Boyd, a man who has to do a job in the prison to keep his wife from getting murdered by the mafia. [Download]

NoStranger

Annnnd we’re back to the text adventures that take the smartphone as their narrative medium, but the occasion deserves it: NoStranger puts you into a chat with a stranger named Adam who slowly reveals a highly original story. One of the axes around which this story turns is the fact that you’ve got to use different apps on your actual device to respond to the ever more unnerving answers from Adam. Don’t miss it. [Download]

Kult of Ktulu: Olympic

One of the most extended literary works in the world couldn’t be left without its own text adventure. This game is inspired by the Myths of Cthulhu and offers a thrilling experience where you play a girl called Elena traveling aboard an ocean liner. The interface is terrific and the story sinks you deeper and deeper into the madness of the original Deities. And if you fancy a bit more Lovecraft, check out this list of the best free games for Android on the Myths of Cthulhu. [Download]