Whether you're waiting for your EV to charge or for your order at a drive-in, you need something to do besides staring at your phone. Android Auto is one of the coolest features in modern vehicles, and if you have an Android phone, you can now install and play a bunch of popular titles right from your car screen.
Yes, it doesn't support all the games you have on Google Play Store, but there are enough Android classics like Beach Buggy Racing, Angry Birds 2, Candy Crush Saga, and more that make those small stopovers bearable. Pair your Android phone with your Xbox and PlayStation game controllers, and you've got yourself a proper gaming setup right in your vehicle.
Games appear automatically when installed on your phone, and you can only play them when your car is parked. Also, you need Android Auto running version 14.1 or above and an Android phone running version 15 or above.
Angry Birds 2
Physics-fueled bird mayhem
Angry Birds 2 remains one of the most successful mobile games ever made, so popular that it even got its own movie. It's a physics-based puzzle game where you use a slingshot to launch birds at structures filled with pigs. The aim is to knock out all the pigs with limited shots available and save the stolen eggs.
Angry Birds 2 is a level up from the original, with its multi-stage levels that throw different challenges at you within a single round. You get to choose which bird to fling from your deck of cards, which adds a bit of strategic layer to the classic gameplay. Each bird has its own unique power–Red gets a battle cry for extra push, Chuck speeds up mid-flight, and Bomb explodes on impact.
Playing Angry Birds 2 on a modern car screen feels surprisingly smooth. The animations work great, and the touch controls also feel smooth to operate on a larger display. You can see all the small details in the pig fortresses and watch debris fly across your dashboard. The game runs without any lag, depending on how well your car can handle all the graphics.
The recent Space event even adds gravity mechanics where you sling birds around orbiting planets, though the classic levels are what you'll probably stick with during those charging sessions.
Angry Birds 2
- OS
- Android
- Price model
- Free, In-app purchase
Angry Birds 2 is a popular mobile puzzle game where players launch birds with unique abilities to topple pig fortresses, featuring enhanced graphics, challenging levels, daily events, and multiplayer competitions.
Beach Buggy Racing 1 and 2
Kart racing that Tesla owners already know
One of the coolest Tesla features I have seen is the Arcade mode, where you can use the steering wheel of the car to play Beach Buggy Racing, a 3D off-road kart racing game. You can play the same game on your Android Auto-powered car, minus the steering wheel control, because, well, you don't have a Tesla.
Beach Buggy Racing throws you into wild arcade-style races with over 25 different power-ups. You'll dodge fireballs, drop oil slicks, and launch dodgeballs at opponents while racing through dinosaur jungles, erupting volcanoes, and swampy shortcuts.
The tracks are packed with hidden routes that reward exploration. You can customize your ride with the winnings from races, upgrading everything from speed to handling. Each driver you recruit brings their own special ability, like teleportation or flame traps.
Beach Buggy Racing 2 takes this a notch higher with over 23 unique tracks spread across themed worlds, including Egyptian pyramids, pirate ships, and alien bio-labs. The sequel packs 44 power-ups compared to the original's 25, and you can also customize your own game rules. Consider pairing a gaming controller with your phone for better control. The on-screen controls work, but nothing beats physical buttons when you're playing a racing game.
Beach Buggy Racing 2
- OS
- Android
- Price model
- Free, In-app purchase
Beach Buggy Racing 2 is a fast-paced, action-packed kart racing game featuring colorful tracks, diverse vehicles, power-ups, unique characters, online multiplayer, daily challenges, and wild races filled with creative mayhem.
Candy Crush Saga
World's most popular title matching puzzle game
I first played Candy Crush on Facebook more than a decade ago, 13 years to be precise. Since then, the app has made its way into smartphones, and I've seen both old and young play it for hours nonstop. I could never make much sense of why it's so addictive, but this tile-matching puzzle game is still popular and played by over 200 million people worldwide and has racked in lifetime revenue of more than 20ドル billion. Unbelievable for what's mostly a free game.
For the Candy Crush aficionados, you can now play and enjoy the game on your car's infotainment system. The gameplay is simple, where you swap colored candies to create matches of three or more. Match four or five candies, and you'll create special candies with line-blasting or area-clearing powers. Each level throws different objectives at you, from clearing jelly-covered squares to dropping ingredients to the bottom of the board.
With over 17,000 levels and new ones added weekly, you won't run out of puzzles anytime soon. The game runs smoothly on car displays, and those colorful candy explosions look great on the bigger screen. Remember that in-app purchases for extra lives and boosters still apply, even in your car.
Candy Crush Saga
- OS
- Android
- Price model
- Free, In-app purchase
Candy Crush Saga is a colorful match-3 puzzle game featuring thousands of levels, new candy combinations, challenging obstacles, powerful boosters, daily events, and creative game modes for endless fun and competition.
Farm Heroes Saga
Same studio, different harvest
Farm Heroes Saga looks strikingly similar to Candy Crush because it's made by the same studio, King, which is now part of Microsoft. Instead of matching candies, you're swapping adorable fruits and vegetables called Cropsies to meet collection quotas and defeat Rancid the Raccoon.
The game adds its own twist to the match-3 formula. When you match more than three Cropsies in a row, surrounding pieces get bonus points, creating opportunities for strategic chain reactions. If you have moves left after hitting your quota, you enter Hero Mode for extra points.
With over 9,000 levels and events like Tractor Dash keeping things fresh, Farm Heroes Saga offers plenty of content for those parking lot waits. The rural theme and playful animation give it a more relaxed feel compared to Candy Crush's sugar rush aesthetic.
Farm Heroes Saga
- OS
- Android
- Price model
- Free, In-app purchases
Farm Heroes Saga is a vibrant match-3 puzzle game where players collect cropsies by matching rows, overcome tricky obstacles, unlock boosters, and complete levels across whimsical farm-themed worlds and seasonal adventures.
Kill time in a fun way rather than doomscrolling
Android Auto is for more than just hands-free calling, music, and turn-by-turn navigation. There are plenty of apps that can make Android Auto fun, and these games add to that mix, turning your car into an entertainment hub when you're parked.
However, do note that while playing some graphics-intensive titles like Beach Buggy Racing 2, your phone can get a bit warm and might throttle performance. This shouldn't be a problem in a temperature-controlled environment or if your car's AC vents are positioned to keep your phone cool while charging. Either way, it beats refreshing your email for the tenth time.