If you’re anything like me and like playing DnD, you get that itch to play; whether that happens on your lunch break, when you’re with family at dinner, or when your party has canceled your playing session.
If only there were options to quench the need for some adventure. Well, I’m here to tell you that there are. In this article, I will explore games similar to DnD on your phone.
The mobile gaming experience depends a lot on if you’re lucky or not with your picks – God knows that there are bad phone games out there, but there are certainly good ones too.
I will help you sort out the good RPG games from the bad ones. Keep reading to find out my top 10 picks for games like DnD on your phone and much more.
Listed below are my top 10 picks for games like DnD on mobile. These are all games I’ve played extensively myself and very much enjoyed. The games vary in length and comprehensiveness, but they are all worth checking out in my opinion.
1. Baldur’s Gate I & II
I doubt that you’ve never heard of the legendary game series Baldurs Gate. It is the definitive staple of RPG single-player games, and it can be said that Baldurs Gate is the precursor to most modern games made in the same style.
I would recommend starting with Baldurs Gate I for the story aspect but foremost because of the shift in quality from I to II. Sure, Baldurs Gate I is a great game, but there are significant gameplay changes and quality-of-life aspects that you will miss if you play it after Baldurs Gate II.
The content in Baldurs Gate is pretty much endless this is one of the critiques one can have against the game. For some players, it simply presents too much at the same time which can be overwhelming.
The combat and world are all based on DnD, which in itself makes this a clear-cut pick for this list. It is a must-play for DnD fans in my opinion. More than 20 years after Baldurs Gate’s initial release, the series still holds up as one of the best narrative experiences in gaming, period.
2. Knights of Pen and Paper I & II
Knights of Pen and Paper is a game with a unique premise, and the story is somewhat meta. You and your friends are engaged in a game of a tabletop RPG, and the game itself is played within that tabletop RPG.
The game’s purpose is to simulate a TTRPG adventure, something that it manages to do very well. For DnD players, this game is worth picking up. In my opinion, the second game is optional because of the negative shift in quality.
The first game outshines the second in both gameplay and story, plus Knight of Pen and Paper I does not have any microtransactions, something that can’t be said for its successor.
3. Call of Cthulu: The Wasted Land
On to a different experience, Call of Cthulu: The Wasted Land is a Lovecraft-inspired horror RPG experience. The game offers well-written RPG components with a good story, but it’s a decidedly different experience than the other two on this list.
The game is set in World War I and comes complete with turn-based combat which provides a nice tactical aspect to the Lovecraftian horror experience. In terms of atmosphere, I would compare it to the DnD campaign Tomb of Horrors.
4. Nethack
Nethack is a text-based RPG adventure with rudimentary graphics. Now, this can either serve as a positive or negative depending on what you like in a game. One thing is certain though: this is a deal or no deal feature.
The game was released in 1980 (and still seeing updates, which is kind of incredible). The game puts you in a randomly procedural dungeon and lets you pick classic RPG traits such as gender, role, alignment, and race.
The gameplay is unique. It’s a text-based adventure with thousands and thousands of lines. It is very difficult to succeed in the game, but at the same time, it’s not unreasonably unfair to the player which makes it rewarding when you do succeed.
5. Pathfinder Adventures
Pathfinder Adventures is a card game RPG based on the massive TTRPG Pathfinder. The world in the game is based on the Pathfinder universe and features some of the TTRPG’s famous characters. It mixes strategic card game mechanics with a very well-written story.
In my opinion, the game combines the card game aspect with the traditional RPG storytelling well enough which makes it a worthwhile game in my opinion.
6. Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced
The legendary DnD-based RPG is available for Android. Neverwinter Nights was massive when it was first released in 2002. The story is based on the Forgotten Realms DnD campaign, and the rest of the game is entirely based on the DnD system, up to the combat itself.
Neverwinter Nights is very story-driven, more so than other games on this list. There are servers where people are just full-on roleplaying. Neverwinter Nights is decidedly another must-play for DnD enthusiasts.
7. The Elder Scrolls: Blades
You have probably heard of the Elder Scrolls before. It’s an RPG game series developed by Bethesda which has released consistently good RPG games since its inception in 1994. Well, Blades is a new game released for Switch and mobile.
If you have played any of the other games before, then you probably have an idea of what the game is about. The gameplay itself feels similar to the traditional Elder Scrolls experience, which is nice.
For those of you that haven’t played the Elder Scrolls before; it is an open-world, first-person RPG game series that has been released for some years to critical acclaim from its audience. Elder Scrolls was an idea based on the developer’s homebrew DnD campaign, and it shows in the universe.
8. The Banner Saga
The Banner Saga is a Scandinavian Viking-style RPG. One of the ways that the game stands out from the other ones on this list is the art style, which is sort of cartoonish.
In the Banner Saga, you have to lead your caravan to survival, always threatened by enemy races. The gameplay itself is more toward the tactical side of RPGs. In the Banner Saga, you also manage your camp and resources, akin to Clash of Clans or any of those games.
Now, this side of the game isn’t as detailed as Clash of Clans since it has many other features, and it can either be a negative or a positive depending on your preferences. It’s not what made the game work for me.
Ultimately, story-telling, art style, and music make this game worth playing in my opinion.
9. Avadon: The Black Fortress HD (iOS exclusive)
If you like the types of games mentioned in this list, there’s a good chance that you’ve heard of Spiderweb Software. They have consistently been making good indie-fantasy adventures for a bunch of gaming platforms, and Avadon is another addition to that list of games.
Avadon: The Black Fortress is another classic fantasy RPG game that has a lot of story in the shape of main and sidequests. The game also comes with the classic manage your adventuring party mechanic. Now, a lot of games have this, but the execution in which Avadon does this is what sells it to me. The world feels very alive and the story is well told.
The only blatant problem for me is the lack of music. My recommendation is to just put some ambient fantasy music in the background while playing.
10. Arcane Quest 3
Last but not least, Arcane Quest 3 is based on traditional TTRPGs all the way up to dice rolling. Some DnD players think that Arcane Quest 3 is the mobile game that comes closest to real TTRPGs. I’m not sure that I agree with that, but the game is definitely worth checking out.
Arcane Quest 3 has a blatant drawback, namely a lot of microtransactions. It’s not in a pay-to-win way, but I would prefer if they weren’t there to clutter up your screen with offers.
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Are There Any Good DnD Mobile Games?
In terms of games that are available under the banner of DnD, there are two that come to mind. Warriors of Waterdeep is a tactical game that takes place in the Forgotten Realms of DnD. Although the game is technically DnD, there aren’t a lot of RPG elements to it.
The game uses its own system and not DnD mechanics. The other game that got published in recent times under the DnD banner is Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms, which is an idle game where you collect champions and level them up.
These idle-style games aren’t my cup of tea and they certainly don’t remind me of RPG games.
Can I Play DnD Online On My Phone?
Yes, you can. Most players use either Discord or Roll20. DnD Beyond is almost obligatory for online play. DnD Beyond is an app where you can buy digital books, integrate character sheets into things like Discord and Roll20, and much more.
Read more: Can I Play DnD On My Phone?