The free ninja games on Android range from playful Fruit Ninja and Clumsy Ninja, both rated Everyone, to fighting games like Shadow Fight 4: Arena and Shadow of Death. Shadow Fight 4, Shadow of Death and Stickman Shinobi mention offline play on their listings.
Ninjas on a phone screen mean very different things. For some people it's slicing a watermelon in half with a swipe. For others it's a dark, moody fighting game with combos and armour. Both are on this page, so it's worth knowing which you want before you install.
I worked through the Google Play listings for ten ninja games and wrote down the developer, installs, ads and in-app purchases labels, age rating and anything said about playing offline. They aren't in ranked order.
The age ratings are the first thing to check. Seven of the ten are rated Teen, so this is mostly an older player's list, with Fruit Ninja and Clumsy Ninja as the clear family choices.
Ninja games side by side
| Game | Developer | Google Play installs | Ads / in-app purchases | Offline wording on the listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fruit Ninja® | Halfbrick Studios | 500M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Shadow Fight 3 - RPG fighting | NEKKI | 100M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Ninja Arashi 2 | Black Panther | 50M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Shadow Fight 4: Arena | NEKKI | 50M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | 'play offline against smart bots' |
| Ninja Turtles: Legends | Ludia Inc | 50M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Shadow of Death: Offline Games | Brave HK Limited | 50M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | 'Action Role Playing (RPG) Offline Games' |
| Shadow Knight: Ninja Game RPG | Fansipan Limited | 10M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Clumsy Ninja | Zynga | 10M+ | No ads label, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Ninja Raiden Revenge | Tenda Games | 10M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | No offline claim on the listing |
| Stickman Shinobi: Ninja Fight | NAGOO STUDIO | 10M+ | Contains ads, in-app purchases | 'Enjoy this offline ninja fighting game without internet.' |
The ten ninja games, one by one
Fruit Ninja®
The fruit-slicing game everyone's played at least once. You swipe to cut fruit flying across the screen and dodge the bombs. Rated Everyone, with more than 500M installs, and the gentlest game here by far.
Shadow Fight 3 - RPG fighting
A fighting RPG where your hero learns three styles, gathers weapons and takes on strong warriors. Its listing is blunt about one thing: it's an online game and needs a stable internet connection. Rated Teen.
Ninja Arashi 2
A platform game that follows Arashi as he escapes a frozen prison to chase the demon Dosu and rescue his son. The sequel to the first Arashi game, it's rated Teen.
Shadow Fight 4: Arena
One-on-one fights against other players, or against bots when you'd rather not. NEKKI's listing says the bots run offline, so you can still practise on a train. Rated Teen.
Ninja Turtles: Legends
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles take on Kraang Prime and his army of mutants. If you've got a Turtles fan in the house, this is the obvious pick, though it's rated Teen.
Shadow of Death: Offline Games
A dark fantasy RPG with stickman fighters and dragons. The listing says repeatedly that it's an offline game and doesn't need the internet. Rated Teen.
Shadow Knight: Ninja Game RPG
Hordes of monsters, a shadow war and a ninja hero. Like Shadow Fight 3, its listing says it's an online game that needs a stable connection. Rated Teen.
Clumsy Ninja
The funny one. Your ninja is hapless, and you train him by throwing him, tickling him and tying balloons to him. Rated Everyone, with no Contains ads label, and it hasn't been updated for a long while.
Ninja Raiden Revenge
Based on the legend of Orochi, an eight-headed snake demon. It's an action game with a heavy mythology theme and a Teen rating.
Stickman Shinobi: Ninja Fight
Stickman ninjas, skills to train and battles to win, and the listing says you can play it without internet. Rated Everyone 10+.
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Family ninjas and fighting ninjas
Fruit Ninja and Clumsy Ninja are the two to hand a younger child. Both are rated Everyone, both are silly, and neither involves fighting people. Stickman Shinobi, rated Everyone 10+, sits in the middle.
Everything else is a fighting or action game rated Teen. Shadow Fight 3 and Shadow Fight 4 are one-on-one fighters, Ninja Arashi 2 is a platform adventure, and Shadow of Death, Shadow Knight and Ninja Raiden Revenge are action RPGs with demons and monsters. Ninja Turtles: Legends is the licensed one for Turtles fans.
Signal or no signal
The listings split three ways. Shadow Fight 3 and Shadow Knight say they need a stable internet connection. Shadow Fight 4, Shadow of Death and Stickman Shinobi say you can play offline, though on Shadow Fight 4 that means fighting bots, not people. The other five don't say.
If you're packing for a trip, open the offline ones at home first so any downloads finish. And if you'd like more games for the sofa, this list of Google TV games you can play with just the remote is handy for the big screen.
Shop and ads, game by game
- Contains ads: nine of ten. Clumsy Ninja is the one without the label.
- In-app purchases: all ten.
- Teen-rated fighting: expect weapons, armour and upgrade shops to be a big part of the game.
- For children: set a password for in-app purchases in Google Play before they start.
Tired of fighting?
Ninja games are fast and loud, and sometimes you want the opposite. These free submarine games are a slower, quieter kind of adventure under the sea.
Or swap swords for stories: this list of free visual novel games is all reading, choices and characters, with no combos to learn.
Starting a ninja game well
- Check the age rating against who's playing.
- Play the tutorial. Fighting games especially hide a lot in their controls.
- Ignore the shop for the first few days.
- Turn off notifications you don't need.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best free ninja games on Android?
Popular choices include Fruit Ninja, Shadow Fight 3, Ninja Arashi 2, Shadow Fight 4: Arena and Clumsy Ninja. The right one depends on age and whether you want fighting or fun.
Which ninja games work offline?
Shadow Fight 4: Arena, Shadow of Death: Offline Games and Stickman Shinobi: Ninja Fight mention offline play on their listings.
Which ninja games need the internet?
Shadow Fight 3 and Shadow Knight: Ninja Game RPG both say they're online games that need a stable connection.
Are any ninja games suitable for young children?
Fruit Ninja and Clumsy Ninja are rated Everyone on Google Play. Stickman Shinobi is Everyone 10+ and the other seven are rated Teen.
Which ninja game has no ads label?
Clumsy Ninja is the only one of the ten without a Contains ads label, though it has in-app purchases.
Is there a Ninja Turtles game?
Yes. Ninja Turtles: Legends from Ludia features the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and is rated Teen.
