Free island games on Android are mostly survival games, where you're stranded and have to craft tools and a shelter, plus a few gentler builders and puzzles. Most of the eight here are rated Teen. For younger players, look at Ohana Island or Spirit Island, both rated Everyone, or Survival Island: EVO 2 at Everyone 10+.
A desert island is the perfect blank page for a game. There's no one to help, nothing to start with and a whole map to explore, which is why survival games love them and why so many cosy builders start with an empty beach.
The facts here are taken from each game's Google Play listing: developer, installs, content rating, the ads and in-app purchases labels and any offline wording. I haven't ranked them.
I took two popular island games off the list. One is built around spins, jackpots and stealing coins from other players, which is slot-machine play in all but name, and the other says on its listing that its shop includes randomized items. I'd rather point families elsewhere.
Island games side by side
| Game | Developer | Google Play installs | Ads / in-app purchases | Offline wording on the listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Survival Island: EVO 2 | Not Found Games | 10M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Last Island of Survival | HK Hero Entertainment Co., Limited | 10M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Oxide: Survival Island | HYPERHUG | 10M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Survival Island: Survivor EVO | Not Found Games | 10M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Trade Island | Game Insight | 5M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Ohana Island: Blast & Build | MYBO | 1M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | 'Play the game offline' |
| LOST in Blue 2: Fate's Island | Volcano Force | 1M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Spirit Island | Handelabra Games | 100K+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
A closer look at each island
Survival Island: EVO 2
You wake up stranded with no memory of how you got there, and have to find food, craft primitive tools and build a shelter. Rated Everyone 10+, it's the gentlest of the survival games here.
Last Island of Survival
A multiplayer zombie survival game on a ruined open world, where you make your own rules. It's rated Teen and shows no Contains ads label, though it lists in-app purchases.
Oxide: Survival Island
A hard online survival simulator on a sandbox island with real players. Cold, hunger, animals and other people can all finish you off quickly. Rated Teen.
Survival Island: Survivor EVO
From the same studio as EVO 2, with a darker setting where nature has struck back at humanity. Rated Teen and aimed at players who like a grim survival story.
Trade Island
A town builder set on a lost tropical island in The Tribez universe. You're the mayor, so you farm, build and produce goods to help your people grow. Rated Teen.
Ohana Island: Blast & Build
A matching puzzle game where you escape city life and run a little flower shop on an island. It's the only listing here that says it plays offline, and it's rated Everyone.
LOST in Blue 2: Fate's Island
A survival and management strategy game where you set up camps with other survivors on a mysterious island. Rated Teen.
Spirit Island
The app version of a co-operative strategy board game, where you play spirits of the land defending an island from colonial invaders. It shows no Contains ads label.
Survive, build or relax?
Five of the eight are survival games. You start with nothing, gather resources, craft tools and try not to die of cold, hunger or other players. They're demanding, and most of them are rated Teen.
The others are softer. Trade Island is a town builder, Ohana Island is a matching puzzle with a flower shop, and Spirit Island is a thinking game based on a board game. If you want island life without the danger, start there.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
Online islands and strangers
Last Island of Survival and Oxide: Survival Island are online games with real players sharing the map. That can be exciting, but it also means other people can attack you, take your things and talk to you. For a younger player, the solo survival games are a calmer place to learn.
First days on a survival island
- Gather the basics first: wood, stone and anything you can eat.
- Build a simple shelter before night falls.
- Craft better tools before you explore far from the beach.
- Keep an eye on hunger and warmth; they creep up on you.
- Save risky exploring for when you've got spare supplies.
What the labels show
- Ratings: five are rated Teen, one Everyone 10+ and two Everyone.
- Ads: six of the eight show a Contains ads label.
- Shops: all eight list in-app purchases, so switch on approval for in-app purchases for children.
- Offline: only Ohana Island's listing says it plays offline.
From the screen to the kitchen table
Spirit Island started life as a board game, and if you enjoy it, there's a whole world of strategy board games worth starting with to explore.
For something lighter after dinner, these easy dice games need nothing more than a few dice from a drawer.
And if survival games on a bigger screen appeal, here's where to download free PC games with no hidden extras.
Choosing your island
Pick the mood before the map. If you want a challenge, try one of the solo survival games and see whether the crafting loop grabs you. If you want company, the online survival games are busy but tough. And if you just want a little sunshine on a grey day, Ohana Island is the calm choice.
Frequently asked questions
Are there free island games for Android?
Yes. All eight games here are free to install from Google Play, and they all list in-app purchases.
Which island game is best for kids?
Ohana Island and Spirit Island are rated Everyone, and Survival Island: EVO 2 is rated Everyone 10+.
Can I play island games offline?
Ohana Island's listing says you can play offline. The others don't say, so test them in flight mode first.
Which island games are online with other players?
Last Island of Survival and Oxide: Survival Island are online survival games with real players.
Is Spirit Island a board game?
Yes. The app is based on a co-operative strategy board game about spirits defending an island.
Why did you leave some island games out?
One is built around spins and jackpots, and another's listing says its shop includes randomized items, which works like a loot box.
What do you do in a survival island game?
You gather resources, craft tools, build a shelter and manage hunger and warmth while you explore.
