Angry Birds has evolved from a simple but addictive mobile game into a worldwide phenomenon. Between movies, toys, and even car wraps all sporting those familiar, fury-driven birds, the franchise is a force to be reckoned with.
On the other hand, it can make it hard to know where to start—after all, the Angry Birds games are no longer just about destroying an army of invading, egg-stealing pigs. The Angry Birds franchise now includes everything from augmented reality titles to racing games.
This guide will walk you through the best Angry Birds titles to date and help you decide exactly which entry in the series is the right one for you. Note that every entry on the list is free to play, but beware the micro transactions—the games practically define the micro transaction industry.
Angry Birds 2 (Download)
Angry Birds 2 is the real deal. It’s as close to the original, distilled experience as you can get without jumping through hoops to play the original. That’s not such a bad thing, though—this title stays true to the original formula with a few welcome improvements that add a bit of flair to the game.
Angry Birds 2 has hats players can equip to their birds to increase their power. There are also items like treasure, limited-time quests, and a bevy of different birds to unlock. Some of the characters are unlocked through normal gameplay through the normal adventure mode, while others can be obtained by accomplishing specific feats.
Aside from the campaign, there are daily and weekly challenges to complete, a PvP mode called the Arena, a global leaderboard-slash-daily training mode called Mighty Eagle’s Bootcamp, and clans you can participate in.
If you want simple, familiar Angry Birds, stick to the campaign. Otherwise, there are a lot of features to explore and a surprising amount of depth that makes this mobile Angry Birds game great for pick-up-and-play sessions whenever you have a bit of downtime.
Angry Birds Dream Blast (Download)
Angry Birds Dream Blast is a major departure in gameplay from the original titles. Rather than taking down porcine pests, Dream Blast pits you against various puzzles with gameplay that hearkens back to the likes of Candy Crush.
Tap groups of two or more of the same colored shape together to clear it. Tapping groups of four or greater produces different types of birds that have familiar abilities; Red will clear the screen to either side, while Yellow sends out an explosive burst in four directions. Black will explode and wipe a huge area of the playing field around it.
Players can choose to start the level with “bonus birds” that can lend assistance on difficult challenges. The more you progress through the levels, the more you level up and unlock different items that add further variety to the gameplay.
There are global leaderboards, teams you can join, and a store to buy items from. Lives can be purchased if you don’t feel like waiting for them to regenerate normally. Daily Gifts are given out to players for each day they log in, and the gifts become progressively more valuable over time.
Angry Birds Dream Blast has a more child-like feel to it that may not appeal to hardcore fans of the original games, but it’s an enjoyable way to pass the time. The game is played in portrait mode and requires only one hand, so it’s the perfect way to kill a few minutes while waiting in line at the grocery store or stirring a dish.
Angry Birds Evolution (Download)
Angry Birds Evolution is yet another variation of the gameplay style of the original. Rather than a 2D field of view, Angry Birds Evolution is played from an isometric standpoint.
The player looks down on the battlefield from above and to the side—but that’s not the only change. The graphic fidelity of Angry Birds Evolution is much better than the other Angry Birds games, with fully animated 3D sprites.
Angry Birds Evolution is set up as an RPG. You play through the game on a sort of quest and navigate through a map that has strong Super Mario World vibes. Each area you enter is controlled by pigs; to defeat them, you aim your birds and release them like a pinball.
The bird bounces across the field and deals damage to enemies based on a variety of factors including the bird’s level, equipment, and more. Some strategy comes into play here, as well—you do more damage when you hit the pigs from behind, so a bounce shot can be useful. More powerful abilities also come available every few turns that can give you the upper hand in combat.
While different, Angry Birds Evolution is a lot of fun and packed with the sort of humor players have come to expect from the series, including a character named Major Pecker. That alone is reason enough to try the game out.
Angry Birds Friends (Download)
Angry Birds Friends is the fourth Angry Birds game to be released in the franchise, and it’s a breath of fresh air in the midst of puzzle spinoffs and racing games. Angry Birds Friends is much like Angry Birds 2 in that it is the original style of gameplay with few modifications.
While some people might prefer more bells and whistles, Angry Birds Friends holds true to the idea that if something isn’t broken, then don’t fix it. Like the other games, you can connect to your Facebook account to see your progress versus your friends, but this game ties more into the social element.
At the end of the week, the game adds up the scores from all the levels you’ve played to see who is the best among you and your Facebook friends. It’s a more casual style of gameplay, but it can be fun to compete if you’ve conquered the other elements of the game. Though Angry Birds Friends isn’t groundbreaking, it’s one of the more enjoyable entries in the series due to the casual competition it fosters.
Which of the Angry Birds games do you think is best? Did we miss one of your favorites? Let us know in the comments below. We always enjoy hearing about new mobile games to give us our fix!