The best Android racing games

Looking for the best Android racing games around? Welcome to the track. The good news is that Android owners have access to a bountiful collection of racing games; ranging from licensed simulators to cartoonish driving romps.

Whether you like your racers mechanical, deep and photorealistic, or you prefer something a bit sillier, there should be something on this list that'll strike your fancy.

Here are the best Android racing games

Asphalt 9: Legends

First up is a game you’ll definitely be familiar with. Gameloft’s Asphalt series has been at the forefront of mobile racing for years now, and the latest iteration is also the greatest. Perhaps its biggest selling point is the graphics: Asphalt 9, on a good mobile, can look just as good as its console rivals. Real-life cars are rendered gorgeously, as are the slick backdrops upon which you race.

Asphalt 9: Legends is more than just a pretty face, though. If you prefer single-player racing, you can dive into quick races, or a career mode boasting over 60 individual seasons to enjoy. Of course, there’s plenty of room to race against other people, too. You can participate in eight-player races online, as well as making your own drivers’ club to team up with friends and speed past rivals.

Battle Racing Stars

Next up is something a bit different, and much more arcade-leaning. If you remember Barry Steakfries from Monster Dash and Jetpack Joyride, he’s back in this wacky side-scrolling racer. Battle Racing Stars is littered with power-ups and equipment to put its own unique spin on the genre, ranging from throwable tornadoes to UFOs to kidnap rivals.

It’s the sort of racing game that’s best for those who want something outside of cars, that takes itself anything but seriously. While it doesn’t boast as many game modes as other racing games, it’ll definitely hit the spot if something more casual is up your street.

Need for Speed No Limits

Back to another well-known racing franchise, EA’s beloved Need for Speed. No Limits aims for the same photo-realistic, console-quality driving as Asphalt, and achieves it with similar success. The classic blend of racing and cop-dodging is back here, as you contend not only with other online players, but CPU police cars too.

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Customisation is at the heart of Need for Speed No Limits, as you take real cars from brands like BMW and Porsche, and soup them up to your liking. Of course, in-game purchases will help you get the best accessories and the fastest car - but that doesn’t mean No Limits isn’t fun. With over 1,000 unique races at its disposal, this is one of the definitive realistic racers on Android.

Hill Climb Racing

Again, this is one you’ll likely recognise. Hill Climb Racing was one of the definitive 2D side-scrolling racers of the mid-2010s, mixing time-based races and wacky physics brilliantly. You play as a hapless truck driver with a simple task: get your vehicle to the other side of a hilly course, without running out of petrol. However, it’s much easier said than done, as you battle through bumps and hills to reach the finish line.

With challenging times to beat and a ceaselessly fun balancing act between speed and security, Hill Climb Racing is much more than meets the eye. No other mobile racers will make you quite as concerned about fuel consumption - or give you such a profound sense of relief at finishing a level.

Real Racing 3

Back to another more serious racing sim, Real Racing 3 is actually made by the same team as Need for Speed No Limits. It’s very reminiscent of that title, but focuses more on track and competitive racing than street racing. It has all the polish you’d expect from an EA game, with the licenses to hundreds of real-life supercars, as well as Formula 1 racers. With dazzling graphics and an engrossing first-person mode, this is the closest you can get to competitive racing on Android.

The strength of Real Racing 3 comes from just how much variety in gameplay there is. There are over 4,000 events to complete across 12 officially licensed real-life racecourses. Modes range from classic races to the Formula 1 grand prix, and most excitingly, an elimination mode where the slowest racer from each lap has their brakes metaphorically cut. Real Racing 3 packs plenty of damage mechanics too, thanks to the Mint 3 engine - making this a must for petrolheads.

Boomerang Make and Race

This is another arcade racer that aims for the younger crowd, taking beloved characters from a range of Cartoon Network properties. In Boomerang Make and Race, you can play as characters from franchises like Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, Wacky Racers, and even Looney Tunes. As the title suggests, you build your vehicle from the ground up, going from the body and wheels to the paint finish and exterior design.

The racing gameplay is similar to Battle Racing Stars, as you drive from left to right, avoiding obstacles and taking out your fellow racers. It’s like the Wacky Racers cartoon in game form, with oil slicks to avoid, ramps to jump, and coins to collect. While it might not appeal to hardcore racing fans, this will definitely impress little ones.

Motorsport Manager 3

If you don’t always want to be at the wheel of a car in a racing game, then Motorsport Manager 3 will certainly be up your street. This game takes cues from other sport management sims like Football Manager, to place you as the head of a brand-new racing team searching for championship glory. What it lacks in real-life licensing, it makes up for in the depth and breadth of its gameplay options.

Instead of actually driving, you watch races take place in real-time, from a highly stylised perspective. With two racers under your wing, you can tell them when to pit, whether they should try and overtake or not, and tweak the intricacies of their car’s performance. Winning a tough race is even more rewarding when you aren’t the one behind the wheel.

Zombie Derby: Pixel Survival

Again for something a bit more playful, that strays very far from the other racing games you’ll find on Android. Zombie Derby: Pixel Survival is one of the few games on mobile that mixes racing and horror, and it does it to brilliant effect. You play as one of the few survivors of a zombie apocalypse, driving in everything from tanks to motorbikes across this ravaged land. Your mission is to get to the other side of this dystopian world intact - which involves moving down a lot of zombies in the process.

Zombie Derby: Pixel Survival takes itself far from seriously, with pixelated graphics and a cavalcade of wacky weapons to unleash on hapless zombies. You can blast them away with railguns, front-mounted blades and mines: your creativity really is the limit. Rather than a race against other drivers, this is a race for survival, and the game does it with plenty of fun in tow.

Traffic Rider

Traffic Rider is another one of the best Android racing games around. This unique racing game places you in the first-person shoes of a daring motorbike rider across various stretches of busy open road. As part of the game’s career mode, you can drive 29 different bikes across these highways, weaving through gorgeously rendered traffic. The locations are plenty diverse too, with snowy hilltops, light-polluted cities, and sandy deserts to ride through.

Alongside the stunning graphics, developer Soner Kara has honed the little things in Traffic Rider. The intricacies are all there, with a working speedometer, realistic sounds, and all the adrenaline of first-person motorcycling. While there isn’t multiplayer racing in this, there aren’t any Android racers quite like it.

F1 Mobile Racing

This game will no doubt appeal to fans of Formula 1. F1 Mobile Racing is the official, licensed mobile racer based on the world-renowned motorsport. Unlike Motorsport Manager 3, this has the licenses to F1 teams and racers, making it a more immersive experience for fans of the sport. It’s developed by Codemasters, who also makes the Formula 1 games for console, and as such, it’s an experience that pushes mobile gaming to its limits.

In this game, you build your own F1 racer, and car, from the ground up, in a career mode where you compete against real-life stars like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. While you can’t play as those iconic names, you can certainly beat them in races, which take place on officially licensed grand prix tracks. Even though its roster is now outdated by a season—last updated in 2020, with the 2021 update delayed—this is the definitive F1 mobile racer.

Mario Kart Tour

Sometimes, you can't beat the reliable classics, which is where Mario Kart Tour steps in. Nintendo's most beloved character finally made the crossover to mobile in recent years, and Mario Kart Tour is the first mobile iteration of the beloved racing series. While it isn't as expansive as its console-based contemporaries, it's a zippy and fun racer that's very easy to play with friends.

Mario Kart Tour transposes plenty of classic Mario Kart tracks to mobile, with a portrait viewpoint and simple tap-to-steer controls. You'll primarily race against AI opponents - unless you team up with friends for competitive, obstacle-laden skirmishes. It's the tried-and-tested Mario Kart formula, available in your pocket. To us, there's no downside there at all.

Rebel Racing

This Android racing game has some of the most proficient graphics you'll find on mobile. The gameplay focuses primarily on off-roading, driving through muddy vistas and sandy courses. There are plenty of other race types, too, with street races that'll provide an intense driving experience where you need to get each turn exactly right.

It's anchored by some very impressive visuals, particularly on the cars. Rebel Racing's strength is having the licenses to major car manufacturers like Ford and Mercedes, giving the game a veneer of realism to match the graphics. If you want something speedy, visually impressive and brimming with fun, then Rebel Racing needs to be on your radar.

Boom Karts

Next on our list is another arcade-style racer that's very similar in design to the Mario Kart series. While driving is of course a key part of Boom Karts, combat is just as significant. You'll collect random power-ups as you traverse through the colourful courses, with bombs, boosts, and even more.

It's a racer that's definitely aimed at a younger audience - but if you're looking for something a lot more laidback, Boom Karts can certainly fill that spot. Even better, you can take the car combat to your friends in the PvP online multiplayer modes, meaning you can one-up friends on mobile. That sounds like fun, right?

Hot Wheels Unlimited

We all remember getting Hot Wheels sets as children, with extravagant loops, high-octane courses, and monumental crashes. The beloved series has now made the move over to mobile, with Hot Wheels Unlimited letting you live out your nostalgic fantasies on your phone.

As with the actual toys, it all comes down to your imagination: how wild you can make a course, and how quickly you can navigate your vehicle through it. The customisation options are vast, so you can make a track with plenty of loops, jumps, and high-speed straights. Then race against friends in the PvP rivals mode, to see who gets the fastest time. It's the return of the fun of Hot Wheels, but on mobile.

Street Racing 3D

Next is another racing sim that'll certainly remind you of Need for Speed, as Street Racing 3D prioritises photorealistic graphics and cars. With the license to renowned manufacturers like Ford, BMW, and Dodge, this is a petrolhead's dream mobile game thanks to the lovingly-recreated vehicles within.

Of course, it's more than just nice to look at. Street Racing 3D has an extensive offline mode, where you win races to build up to a 1v1 duel against a boss racer, or a PvP online mode to test your skills against other drivers. Combined with extensive customisation, you can really make your dream car with Street Racing 3D.

Rush Rally 3

One of the more premium racers on the Play Store, Rush Rally 3 is a car enthusiast's ideal mobile game. It runs at a silky 60 frames per second, boasting over 70 different tracks with all different kinds of terrain. It costs money at a £4.49 price point, but given the amount of content on offer, it seems like good value.

It's visually impressive too with dynamic weather effects, a first-person camera, and extensive customisation options. The only downside is a lack of proper multiplayer, as all you can do is compete against ghost laps or rank on leaderboards. No PvP is definitely a downside, but there should be enough content here to tide by dedicated racing fans.

There you have it: our list of racing games that Android players absolutely must get downloaded. If you want more of these lists, check out the best Android action games, as well as the best free Android games on the market.