Updated June 3, 2020: New entries added

What constitutes an action game? It's a label that's commonly used, but when you really drill down into what it means, it can incorporate an awful lot of genres and games.

Head into the 'Action' sub-section of the Games category in the Google Play Store, for example, and you'll be met with an eclectic mix. Old school shmups rub laser guns with multiplayer first person shooters and side-scrolling beat-'em-ups.

So what is an action game? You know one when you see one. An action game can adopt any style it likes, but it will always thrill you through intense, kinetic virtual violence.

Just like action movies, action games will often feature gunplay. But it's not afraid to mix it up close and personal with fists and melee weapons.

The best Android action games are a cathartic blast to play when you're tense or wound up. Which is why we prescribe the following 25 games to anyone with an Android device.