A player’s enjoyment of mobile first-person shooters (FPS games) boils down to how satisfying it is to simply run and gun in a given game — and how that holds up over time. Unfortunately, clunky gameplay, poor performance, and frustrating controls don’t cut it for the best Android games. Ideally, having more options to suit your preferred gaming style should also factor in, such as being able to plug in some of your favorite Android gaming controllers to amp up those FPS experiences. Considering all these factors that may make or break the pleasure of playing FPS titles, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to analyze and evaluate which FPS games on Android are worthy of your time. Let’s dive in!

1 Doom

One of the best controller-supported Android games, and thankfully the touch controls are no slouch either. Doom is a timeless classic and is considered the father of FPS games. Essentially, it’s the game that defined and revolutionized the entire genre. And now anyone can pick up and experience the famous classic directly on Android thanks to the 25th-anniversary rerelease by Bethesda. The version found on the Play Store includes “The Flesh Consumed” expansion and boosted framerates for a smooth-as-silk experience.

2 Call of Duty Mobile

You can’t argue that Call of Duty Mobile is leading the pack as one of the best FPS games on Android; it has reached over 500 million downloads since its release in 2019. The game has already packed a few years on it, but it is still going strong.

Generally, FPS games tend to age poorly as hardware evolves, leaving you with heightened expectations for how these games will perform; why would anyone consider an upgrade to a new phone for gaming if those titles only play with the same graphics settings at a capped out performance that your old phone can handle? Call of Duty Mobile never suffered from this issue. It was already ahead of its time and continues to add to its massive following; and thanks to all the available game modes, you can expect a full-course meal found in Call of Duty Mobile, from zombies to battle royale, along with other modes that made it from the previous games, like team deathmatch with a ton of classic maps. It’s an all-in-one package deal, and it’s great, making this one tough to beat.

3 PUBG Mobile

We can’t talk about PUBG Mobile and not mention the sister game, PUBG: New State. Comparatively, PUBG: New State is just as good and, in some ways, more optimized for mobile. But age and content separate PUBG Mobile from New State. New State is much newer than PUBG Mobile and still has the potential to overtake the spot that PUBG Mobile currently holds; PUBG Mobile is the veteran battle royale between the two and has a more extensive player base. PUBG is known for bringing in an intricate weapon upgrading system (New State also has weapon customization). Once New State catches up to PUBG Mobile, it’ll be even more challenging to see which game deserves the spotlight. Until then, PUBG Mobile is where most are currently playing.

4 Standoff 2

Closer to CS: GO style of FPS than Call of Duty. It is what CS: GO would be on mobile (unofficially). You can collect weapon skins, play single-player and multiplayer (including ranked), join clans and sell your skins in the marketplace. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, considering how CS: GO gameplay is much slower-paced than the standard arcade-style FPS, requiring a lot of patience while traversing small maps to take out your opponents. Going in full force without a plan is the fastest way to forfeit the match, which means practice is very much key to tackling Standoff 2 long term.

5 Dead Effect 2

Dead Effect 2 is primarily a single-player zombie FPS game that reflects the genre quite well. It eerily resembles the hit sci-fi horror Dead Space, and it doesn’t scale down on the blood and gore to set up the chilling atmosphere where players attempt to survive a zombie apocalypse. The mature hair-rising storyline makes Dead Effect 2 worth the playthrough while still offering plenty of polishing moments to feel like a console title. Luckily the first title is skippable, so you can safely jump straight into the sequel, which you’d likely consider just because it’s a sizeable upgrade from the first game.

6 Combat Master Mobile

At first glance, Combat Master Mobile looks like a knock-off version of Call of Duty Mobile. But after diving deeper, it’s more than just a respectable side grade. The only downside to Combat Master Mobile is that the content is somewhat lackluster, but thankfully the gameplay’s polish makes up for the fact. In addition, the game offers various multiplayer modes like battle royale, quick play, and team deathmatch. It also includes seasonal (limited) modes like Bomb Plant and Arms Race to spice things up. Overall, the resemblance with Call of Duty Mobile is a huge plus, but the much smaller map size and personalized experience make it a great game to get your thrills in for running and gunning on Android.

7 Critical Ops

Another wonderfully done unofficial CS: GO clone for mobile. Critical Ops receives updates seasonally, including a critical pass, thematic mini modes, limited edition skins, and frequent gameplay updates. Outside of seasonal content, there are plenty of weapon skins to earn and custom game modes to play, from team deathmatch to ranked.

Thanks to the passionate community and supportive developers working together, the game has already reached over 96 million downloads. When you have a concern to pass along, you will find these developers of Critical Ops to be more receptive than most; they are active (and reachable) on their respective social media channels (such as YouTube and Reddit). These develops are always putting forth updates to improve the user experience with anti-cheating tools, bug fixes, and stability patches. After all, the built-up trust between the developer and the community keeps games like this alive and thriving.

8 Modern Combat 5: mobile FPS

Your first stop for a highly customizable FPS experience is with Modern Combat 5: mobile FPS. Modern Combat 5 lets you choose between 10 classes with adaptable shooting styles like sniper, assault, and maurader. Game mode variety is not a concern either. You can scratch any itch by playing through the campaign, jumping into pub matches, or diving right into regularly cycled events with familiar modes like battle royale, team deathmatch, and capture the flag.

The game also has native voice chat support to coordinate with your team in real time. It also helps that Modern Combat 5 has an established player base, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding matches. So far, the game remains in a healthy state, so you don’t have to worry about Modern Combat 5 taking a turn for the worst anytime soon.

9 Into the Dead 2

Are you feeling a bit burnt out from the standard pub stomping PvP gameplay that other titles tend to lean towards? Into the Dead 2 focuses on the zombie apocalypse theme on a personal level; do what it takes to survive and save your family. It’s up to you to take your FPS zombie-killer skills and see if that’s enough to avoid a bad ending. Into the Dead 2 brings new story chapters, daily and special event modes, loyal canine companions that fight alongside you, and multiple endings. The best part is that you can play this game entirely offline. Access is free, with some in-game items available for purchase; it is up to you how you’ll unfold this story — will you live to see another day?

10 Shadowgun Legends

Shadowgun Legends is a solid game all around; it has sharp visuals, sci-fi flavoring, and plenty of PvP and PvE content. There’s something in this game for everyone, whether you’re looking for a looter shooter, co-op campaign missions, or enjoy setting up multiplayer lobbies to go up against your friends in a heated competitive match. It’s also comes with controller support, so you no longer have to opt into touch controls to get your FPS fix, either. Shadowgun Legends was clearly inspired by big hitters like Gears of War, Destiny, and Halo, which makes the game all the more appealing if you’re seeking FPS titles that stray away from the likes of Call of Duty and PUBG (in setting and gameplay).

11 Hitman Sniper

Now we’re headed towards the sniping mini-game territory, so if you find popping heads off to be quite satisfying — you’re going to love Hitman Sniper. It’s not the typical FPS game when it comes to pacing; you’re essentially playing a puzzle game to complete contracts, putting your tactical shooting and target prioritization to the test. And if you need to change it up, Square Enix offers a post-launch mode for zombie defense that adds another layer to the game. Hitman Sniper is currently the best entry for the sniping format, but you’ll have to pay close to a dollar to purchase the full game.

12 Gun Strike: FPS Shooting Games

Gun Strike: FPS Shooting Games is one of Android’s best offline apps and a fantastic FPS to boot. Counter-terrorism is the name of the game, as you’ll fill the shoes of a professionally trained killer to take out the enemies that threaten your country. Handling a variety of weapons, like pistols, grenades, snipers, and automatic rifles, also comes with the job.

But you won’t be able to take out these enemy encampments with a blindfold on. Fortunately, the enemy AI is programmed to be smarter than most, so expect to devise a strategy before going in. Nevertheless, Gun Strike still provides a colorful list of missions and maps to keep the gameplay from getting too repetitive. Thankfully, the game’s updates ensure things stay optimized for a broader range of devices, so even an average phone or tablet can load up this game just fine.

13 ​​​​Guns of Boom

Games like Guns of Boom are a welcome addition to gaming libraries for older phones/tablets or average non-gaming phones. The app was developed with mobile platforms in mind and still delivers an exceptional performance with comfy and intuitive controls to ease everyone into the challenging gameplay. In addition, Guns of Boom brings in flexible character customization, including perks and equipment skills to complement your preferred playstyle. The only downside is that resources like health packs become indispensable for your survival, which may skew the balance of favoring pay-to-win depending on the game mode. Nonetheless, Guns of Boom is still a great title to quench that FPS thirst on older and modern-day devices.

14 Pixel Gun 3D — FPS Shooter

Pixel Gun 3D — FPS Shooter is a blast from the past, initially released in 2014 and still holding firm with updates; the game offers colorful maps, quirky customizable skin styles, and creative game modes that add some diversity. Looking to play a battle royale, set up a sniper tournament, or simply want to frag against your friends in a deathmatch mode? Pixel Gun 3D has a mode for everyone.

On the social front, Pixel Gun 3D brings clans and leaderboards to the global scale. Still, if competitive multiplayer isn’t your jam — there are a ton of minigames outside of competitive play, like Parkour and Extreme Run, to keep you busy. Overall, Pixel Gun 3D — FPS Shooter remains a top pick thanks to its huge arsenal of game modes and customizable fun.

15 Frag Pro Shooter

Plenty of FPS games measure your skill and hardware, but what about adding mechanics that challenge your wits? Frag Pro Shooter is a PvP hero shooter that incorporates a team selection mechanic into your gunplay. Heroes determine the weapons you wear, and you have to swap between several to outplay your opponents. In addition, each hero has strengths and weaknesses, tasking you to learn and build a fully balanced team. Thankfully, some offline modes aid you in testing every weapon/hero without any added stress, that way; you can come in guns blazing once you’re ready. Updates also keep the game afloat, nerfing and buffing heroes to prevent the meta from stagnating, meaning you won’t necessarily be locked into those teams forever.

16 Gunfire Reborn

Gunfire Reborn brings a unique brand of FPS to Android; it’s a roguelite adventure game with a hard focus on FPS (and ability-based) gameplay. Gunfire Reborn was previously released on Steam in 2021 but then reached Android a year later (Xbox One and Series S/X launched after). At first glance, the cel-shading graphics brings a visual experience akin to Borderlands at low resolution. But the game offers more than just a glamorous face. Gunfire Reborn has a solid variety of heroes/abilities and a range of customizable playthrough options that can be tinkered with through skill trees and talents. In addition, the game supports single-player and multiplayer for up to four players. Overall, this version has been optimized for mobile devices (it does have Bluetooth controller support) and includes crossplay between Android and iOS users.

17 Kuboom

Kuboom has all the FPS tools you will ever need. It has gun customization and upgradable options, the ability to personalize your fighter, and traditional game modes for online play. If you desire private lobbies to host with your friends, Kuboom offers that too. Some game modes include battle royale, zombie survival, and bunny hop. The only downside is that offline play is not an option.

One of the best features Kuboom has is the ability to customize and upgrade your guns. You can swap parts to improve handling and increase the stats of your weapon. For load outs, you can set up to 3 sets containing battle-ready tools like grenades and first aid kits, then swap seamlessly between these sets during your matches. And if you run out of equipment, a player trading and marketplace system ensures you can craftily create a perfect load out. Kuboom has all the tools you need for a highly customizable online experience.

18 Nerf: Superblast Online

So maybe you’re trying to broaden your horizons outside of traditional FPS games such as CoD, CS:GO, but still desire to play something comparable to a high-tier mobile shooter. How about a title that focuses on realistic Nerf blast shooting? Nerf: Superblast Online FPS has 3v3s, free for all, 1v1 duel, and some special events that have you pulverizing zombies and cleaning up cacti. And adding to those in-game features, Nerf: Superblast Online has a unique expression of style that uses brighter color palettes for all the maps and models, similar to the visuals you’d find from Nintendo’s Splatoon — a great FPS choice for all ages.

19 Dead Trigger 2

When Dead Trigger 2 arrived on Android and iOS back in 2013, launching right before Halloween, it was one of the most visually impressive zombie games to have been released. A decade later, the game is considered a classic. The difficulty level is considerably low, and the gameplay is very straightforward; you’re essentially running and gunning through a mass horde of (slow) zombies, like in a typical zombie game.

Given the low barrier of entry, it is a fantastic game to pick up when you’re trying to get accustomed to playing on mobile and don’t have a controller plugged in (using the gamepad is still the preferred method, but at least the touch controls are forgiving thanks to the auto-fire option). The only downside of Dead Trigger 2 is that the game isn’t story-driven, which means it may lack some substance compared to other games in this genre.

20 Arena Breakout

Arena Breakout is a tactical looter shooter that thematically focuses on its high-risk, high-reward gameplay. In Arena Breakout, you enter every match with your own custom arms (or random in Covert Op mode), but with a twist. The objective in the game modes is to loot, so the more you carry, the less you can loot, and vice-versa. So the game pushes you to learn how to juggle the resources you equip on the loadout (such as the finite number of bullets you have or the med packs you carry). Overall, Arena Breakout forces you to master a balancing act to come out on top.

As expected, you will face other players and bots, which means you can’t be too ill-equipped to win this war for loot, but at the same time, learn how to survive without getting sucked into the last-man-standing style of playing, surviving, and extracting is the true objective of the game. You can suffer from realistic bodily injuries if you’ve been shot. Even with these restrictions set in play, the shake-up on this formula makes it a nice change compared to some of the more traditional FPS games on this list, thanks to MoreFun Studios being willing to explore a new angle to tactical shooting.

Exploring Android’s best shooters is easier than ever

Playing mobile games offers its ups and downs, where you’ll encounter aggressive monetization practices, poorly optimized ports, and a lack of invested developers. But despite the shortcomings, we still have gaming gems on Android to experience. Moreover, the symbiotic relationship between a game’s success and the robust player-driven experience keeps these titles updated and serviced on the Play Store. And, of course, the competitive-driven titles will only continue to grow with a healthy player base, which is why we’ve highlighted the highest-quality Android FPS games that deserve some spotlight. Of course, FPS games encompass a broad range of subgenres, including some of the best battle royales on Android.