Canada · Android & iOS

Action-RPGs and dungeon crawlers worth your time.

A short, stubborn list of games I actually finished on a phone. Deep loot, real combat, no gacha and no pay-to-win.

See the games How the list works

Nadia Belanger

Curator · Montreal

I started keeping this list in 2021, on the orange line home from work. I was tired of RPGs that gate the good part behind a timer or a summon banner. So I only write up games I finished, or at least sank a proper weekend into. I update it every couple of weeks and I do not chase the big-budget launches. That is the whole job.

The rule of the house

A game earns a spot by respecting your time, not renting it back to you.

  • 01 No gacha. No summon banners, no loot boxes, no odds tables. If the fun is locked behind a pull, it does not go on the list.
  • 02 No pay-to-win. Cosmetic purchases are fine. Buying power that other players cannot earn is not.
  • 03 Real depth. Combat with weight, loot that changes how you play, a world you can get lost in for more than an afternoon.
  • 04 Only official listings. Every button below points to Google Play or the App Store. No side-loaded files, no mirrors.

The catalogue · 8 titles

Eight worlds, tested on a phone.

Filter by the kind of run you are in the mood for. A couple of these are famous and a couple are barely spoken of. I have flagged the odd ones out so you know what you are getting.

Showing all 8 titles

In-game screenshot Death Road to Canada gameplay: a pixel-art survivor facing a zombie horde outside a Y'all Mart store

Roguelite road-trip · Editor's pick

Death Road to Canada

Drive a car full of jerks across a zombie continent to the one safe place left: Canada.

  • Rocketcat Games & Madgarden
  • Android & iOS
  • ~450k-500k installs
  • Store rating ~4.0
  • $9.99 premium

This is the one I hand to people first, and not only because of the ending. Every run builds its own dumb, tragic story: the trucker who solos a horde, the recruit who eats all the food and gets left behind. Permadeath is unkind and events are wildly random, which is the point. You are not beating the game, you are collecting near-misses.

One honest note. The randomness cuts both ways. A perfect party can die to one bad prompt, and if you want fair, measured combat this will frustrate you.
  • Emergent stories you will actually retell to a friend.
  • Comedic pixel-gore, character creator, and dozens of rare events.
  • Plays fully offline once installed.
  • A genuine Canadian punchline earned over a brutal drive.

Game & studio history

Built by Rocketcat Games (Kepa Auwae) with Paul Greasley of Madgarden. It reached PC in 2016, iOS in March 2017, and Android that October through a Noodlecake port. It has quietly built a reputation as one of the best "story generator" roguelikes on a small screen.

Get it on Google Play View on the App Store
In-game screenshot Wayward Souls gameplay: a lone adventurer in a rain-lit blue cavern

Roguelite dungeon · iOS only

Wayward Souls

Six classes, procedurally cut dungeons, and a swing that actually feels like it lands.

  • Rocketcat Games
  • iOS only
  • App Store rating ~4.4
  • $9.99 premium

Removed from Google Play in September 2023. It lives on iOS now.

The spiritual follow-up to Mage Gauntlet, and still one of the most satisfying touch combat systems on the platform. Each class reads differently, dodges have real intent, and death sends you back with just enough kept between runs to keep pulling you forward. It is fast, mean, and honest.

One honest note. Android players are out of luck: the Play listing was pulled in 2023 and only the iOS version remains. There is a single button below on purpose.
  • Six distinct classes, each a real playstyle.
  • Touch controls that respect your thumbs.
  • Procedural floors with hand-tuned encounters.
  • No energy meters, no unlock currency.

Game & studio history

Released in 2014 by Rocketcat Games, the same small team behind Death Road to Canada. It was quietly delisted from Google Play in September 2023, so today it is an iOS exclusive. If you carry an iPhone, it is one of the surest bets on this whole page.

View on the App Store iOS only
In-game screenshot Ravensword: Shadowlands gameplay: an armoured knight overlooking a mountain valley

Open-world adventure-RPG

Ravensword: Shadowlands

A pocket-sized Elder Scrolls: quests, loot, mounts, and a whole map to wander.

  • Crescent Moon Games
  • Android & iOS
  • ~21k reviews
  • Store rating ~3.6
  • $6.99

In 2013 this felt like a small miracle: a real open world on a phone, with a horse and a sword and a horizon you could actually reach. Play it now for what it is, a relic of an ambitious moment. The scale still charms, even as the edges show.

One honest note. It has aged. The visuals and the controls are of their era, and if you go in expecting a modern console feel you will bounce off it. Go in as a curious tourist.
  • An actual open map to explore at your pace.
  • Side quests, mounts, and gear to hunt down.
  • A time capsule of early mobile ambition.
  • Buy once, no in-app pressure.

Game & studio history

Crescent Moon Games shipped it in 2013 as the sequel to Ravensword: The Fallen King from 2009. It was one of the earliest serious attempts at an Elder-Scrolls-style RPG on touch hardware, and that ambition is exactly why it is worth a look, wrinkles and all.

Get it on Google Play View on the App Store
In-game screenshot Swordigo gameplay: the blue-haired hero with sword and shield in a stone dungeon

Metroidvania-RPG platformer

Swordigo

Sword, magic, and a branching world you unlock ability by ability.

  • Touch Foo
  • Android & iOS
  • ~40M+ installs
  • Store rating ~4.7
  • Free (Play Pass)

A classic, not a hidden one. It sits here on merit, not obscurity.

The touchstone. Tight platforming, a satisfying upgrade loop, and a world that opens up as you gain new moves. It is family-safe, it costs nothing on Play Pass, and it is the game I point new mobile players toward when they say the genre does not work with a touchscreen. It works.

One honest note. With tens of millions of installs, this is not a buried gem. I keep it on the list because it is the best on-ramp to the whole genre, full stop.
  • Platforming and combat that feel right on touch.
  • Ability-gated world with real backtracking payoff.
  • Family-safe and free on Google Play Pass.
  • A clean starting point if the genre is new to you.

Game & studio history

Made by the tiny studio Touch Foo, it landed on iOS in 2012 and Android in 2014. Years later it remains a benchmark for how a metroidvania should feel on a phone, which is why its install count is measured in the tens of millions.

Get it on Google Play View on the App Store
In-game screenshot Postknight gameplay: the knight striking an enemy on a seaside wooden pier

Streamlined delivery RPG

Postknight

A courier-knight fights and heals his way across a kingdom, one delivery at a time.

  • Kurechii
  • Android & iOS
  • ~9M+ installs
  • Store rating ~4.7
  • Free, cosmetic IAP

Bigger than the 500k line. It clears the no-gacha, no-P2W bar so it stays.

A charming one-thumb RPG about being the kingdom's most heroic mailman. Runs are short, potion timing is the real skill, and the gear grind is gentle. It uses energy and sells cosmetics, but nothing meaningful hides behind a wall. Good for a bus ride, good for a slow evening.

One honest note. There is an energy system and light free-to-play scaffolding. It never crosses into pay-to-win, but if any energy meter is a deal-breaker for you, this is not your game.
  • One-handed combat built around potion timing.
  • Cosmetic-only purchases, no purchasable power.
  • Bite-sized deliveries that fit a commute.
  • Warm art and a light, friendly tone.

Game & studio history

The Malaysian indie studio Kurechii released it in 2017 to a Google Play "Best of" nod, later following up with Postknight 2 in 2021. It is a rare free-to-play RPG with a light touch: energy and cosmetics, and a firm line against selling power.

Get it on Google Play View on the App Store
In-game screenshot Evoland 2 gameplay: a 3D overworld of purple forest, canyon and a wooden bridge

Genre-hopping RPG · Editor's pick

Evoland 2

An RPG whose art and mechanics evolve through the whole history of games as you play.

  • Shiro Games / Playdigious
  • Android & iOS
  • ~480k installs
  • Store rating ~4.0
  • Premium, no ads or IAP

The clever one. It slides from 8-bit to 16-bit to full 3D, and it changes genre with the era: card battles, side-scrolling brawls, top-down dungeons, all stitched into one long, time-travelling story. It is a love letter that also happens to be a genuinely good RPG. No ads. No in-app purchases. You buy it and you own it.

One honest note. The constant genre-switching is the whole appeal, and also its risk: if you want one steady system for twenty hours, the variety may feel restless rather than delightful.
  • Art and combat that shift across gaming eras.
  • A real story that ties the styles together.
  • Premium and complete: no ads, no IAP.
  • Hours of content for a one-time price.

Game & studio history

Shiro Games grew the original Evoland out of a Ludum Dare jam before its 2015 PC release. Playdigious handled the mobile port around 2017 and 2018. The sequel's evolving-genre hook is the draw, and its clean premium model makes it one of the safest purchases here.

Get it on Google Play View on the App Store
Sanctuary sketch

Loot dungeon crawler · Deep cut

Vengeance RPG

An unashamedly old-school Diablo-style crawler: craft, subclass, chase the mythic drop.

  • Dmitry Torba (solo)
  • Android & iOS
  • Small indie release
  • Installs not confirmed

The most genuinely under-the-radar pick on this page. One developer, working solo, made a lean click-and-loot crawler with crafting, subclasses, and legendary gear to grind toward. The developer is loud and clear about it: no store, no energy, no pay-to-win. The presentation is rough around the edges. The loop underneath is the real thing.

One honest note. This is a solo project and it looks like one. Menus and polish are basic. If a rough interface stops you cold, skip it. If you only care about the loot loop, dig in.
  • Crafting, subclasses, and mythic-tier loot.
  • Explicitly no store, no energy, no pay-to-win.
  • Made and maintained by one person.
  • The purest hidden gem in the whole list.

Game & studio history

A solo effort by Dmitry Torba, who posts as DimasjkTV, released on both platforms around 2020. It wears its Diablo and Torchlight influences openly and leans into the fantasy of the endless loot chase, without any of the monetisation traps that usually come with it.

Get it on Google Play View on the App Store
In-game screenshot Pascal's Wager gameplay: a caped warrior duelling a large boss in ruins

Souls-like dark fantasy

Pascal's Wager

Console-grade Souls combat on a phone: four heroes, heavy hits, and a grim world.

  • TipsWorks / Giant
  • Android & iOS
  • Play rating ~2.7, iOS higher
  • $6.99 plus DLC

Bigger studio, and the low Play score needs context. See the note.

When your device runs it well, this is the closest a phone gets to a real Souls-like: deliberate stamina, punishing bosses, four playable heroes, and moody dark-fantasy art. There is DLC, but no microtransactions grinding at you mid-fight. It is a paid game that behaves like one.

One honest note. That ~2.7 on Google Play is misleading. The bulk of the low reviews are about crashes and device compatibility, not the design. On supported hardware, players rate it far higher. Check the listing against your phone before you buy.
  • Stamina-based Souls combat, built for touch.
  • Four heroes with distinct weapons and feel.
  • Paid up front with DLC, no microtransactions.
  • A real showcase of what mobile can do.

Game & studio history

TipsWorks Studio, published by Giant Network, released it in 2020 and pitched it as one of the first console-quality Souls-likes on mobile. App Store featuring followed. The uneven Play rating traces mostly to compatibility complaints across the huge range of Android devices, which is worth knowing before you decide.

Get it on Google Play View on the App Store

By the numbers

What the list actually holds.

Real figures, read off the store listings at build time. Ratings drift, so treat these as a snapshot rather than a promise.

8
Titles hand-tested
2
Official stores, zero mirrors
5
Genres represented
1
Solo developer on the list

Store ratings, by title

Scale 0 to 5
Swordigo Google Play
4.7
Postknight Google Play
4.7
Wayward Souls App Store
4.4
Death Road to Canada Store average
4.0
Evoland 2 Store average
4.0
Ravensword: Shadowlands Store average
3.6
Pascal's Wager Google Play
2.7

Pascal's Wager rates far higher on iOS and on supported Android devices; its Play score is dragged down by compatibility complaints, not gameplay. Vengeance RPG is left off this chart because its install count and rating are not reliably confirmed.

How a game gets on here.

No sponsorships, no affiliate wrappers, no reviews traded for a good score. Three steps, every time.

1

Hand-tested

I install it, play it properly, and finish it or come close. If I bounce off it, it does not make the cut. Simple as that.

2

Verified listing

I open the live Google Play and App Store pages, confirm the developer, platform, and price, and note anything that changed, like a delisting.

3

Official stores only

Every button sends you straight to the store listing. Nothing here hosts, mirrors, or repackages an app. You download from Apple or Google, never from me.

Pick of the week

The Canadian one

Death Road to Canada

If you only try one game off this page, make it this. The premise is a joke and the drive is genuine agony: keep a car of misfits alive across a ruined continent, aiming for the one country still standing. Every run writes its own small tragedy. It is funny, it is cruel, and the finish line is, of course, home.

Read the full review Get it on Google Play

Getting started

Downloading safely, in three moves.

A guide is only useful if it keeps you out of trouble. Here is the short version of doing this right.

1

Use the store buttons here

Tap Get it on Google Play or View on the App Store. Both open the official listing, where you can read the current rating and check your device before installing.

2

Check price and platform

A few of these are paid, one or two are iOS-only or Android-only. The store page shows the real price in Canadian dollars and confirms whether your phone is supported.

3

Bring a controller if you have one

Swordigo, Evoland 2, and Pascal's Wager all play noticeably better with a paired Bluetooth controller. Death Road to Canada is happiest on touch. The rest are fine either way.

A word on who made these

Small teams, long shadows.

Two of these games, Death Road to Canada and Wayward Souls, come from the same tiny outfit, Rocketcat Games. Others are the work of one person at a kitchen table, like Vengeance RPG, or a studio swinging for console quality, like TipsWorks on Pascal's Wager. I write the studio history into every card because knowing who built a thing, and why, changes how you play it. A jam-game roots (Evoland) or a delivery-knight fantasy from a Malaysian indie (Postknight) are part of the story, not trivia.

Read the full method

Straight answers.

Are these free or paid?

A mix. Swordigo is free on Google Play Pass, Postknight and Vengeance RPG are free to install, and the rest are one-time purchases in the four to ten dollar range. The store listing always shows the current price in Canadian dollars, so check there before you commit.

Is there any gacha or pay-to-win?

No. That is the founding rule of the list. None of these use summon banners or loot boxes, and none sell power you cannot earn by playing. Postknight has an energy system and cosmetic purchases, which I flag on its card, but it never crosses into pay-to-win.

Is it safe to download these?

Every button here points to the official Apple App Store or Google Play listing. I do not host apps, mirror them, or link to side-loaded files, mods, or cracked versions. You install through Apple or Google, with their review and refund policies behind you.

Do they need an internet connection?

Most play fine offline once installed. Death Road to Canada, Wayward Souls, Swordigo, and Ravensword are all happy on a plane. Free-to-play titles like Postknight may check in for updates or the store, so treat those as connected. The listing notes network requirements if it matters.

Why are a couple of these huge or old?

Honesty. Swordigo and Postknight have millions of installs, and Ravensword dates back to 2013. I keep them because they are the best on-ramps to their corners of the genre, and I would rather tell you that plainly than pretend everything here is a secret. The flags on those cards say so.

Do they support controllers?

Some do, and it helps. Swordigo, Evoland 2, and Pascal's Wager all feel better with a paired Bluetooth controller. The roguelites are designed around touch and play best that way. If controller support is a must-have, confirm it on the store page, since it can change between updates.