10 Best Mobile Racing Games

Racing games are so popular that it seems as if the need for speed is ingrained in our DNA. From hyper-realistic racing simulators to arcade smashfests and everything else in between, here are 10 of our favorite mobile racing games for Android and iOS devices.

1. Real Racing 3 (Android, iOS) (Free) 

Real Racing 3 may have had a rocky start when it received criticism for the move to free-to-play, but that doesn't eclipse the fact that it's a gorgeous racing game with a fantastic driving experience. Real Racing 3 allows users to take the wheel of a host of real world cars and take them on a spin across gorgeously rendered real-world racetracks. Numerous game modes, from time trials, straight up races and the unique Time Shift Multiplayer mode offer varied challenges to players, with updates continuously adding new content such as new cars, racing events and a pit crew system.

MORE: 20 Best Android Games

2. Asphalt 8 (Android, iOS) (Free)

Gameloft's Asphalt 8: Airbornealso went the freemium route, delivering stunning graphics and fast-paced arcade racing. Airborne lives up to its name, with numerous ramps and other gameplay elements, encouraging players to take death-defying leaps in order to execute insane aerial stunts. Asphalt 8 features 56 high-performance vehicles from a who's who of automakers, eight seasons, 180 events, and numerous game modes for singleplayer or multiplayer mayhem.

3. GT Racing 2 (Android, iOS) (Free) 

Gameloft's GT Racing 2 is a full on broadside against Real Racing's dominance in the realistic driving simulator field. Billed as "The Real Car Experience", GT Racing 2 features more than 71 licensed cars that you can race on 13 tracks. Players can try game modes such as Duels, Knockouts and Overtakes, or participate in classic races across more than a thousand different events, or even try your luck in multiplayer races. Numerous camera modes and a built-in screenshot function let you enjoy the slick graphics and weather effects.

4. CSR Racing (Android, iOS) (Free) 

CSR Racing brings its own compelling take on urban drag racing. In CSR Racing, you don't steer. It's a flat out drag-race so the game is won by precise starts, perfectly timed gear-shifts and a tricked out car. What could just be a drab series of taps is paired with slick graphics that show off the high performance cars and environments. CSR Racing is free to play, so gameplay mechanics do fish for cash from players. These include a gold premium currency, as well as a 'gas' resource that is expended every time you race (it refreshes over time, or can be filled with in-app purchases).

5. Need For Speed: Most Wanted (Android, iOS) ($6.99) 

Need for Speed: Most Wanted is starting to show its age, but still delivers adrenaline-pumping racing action. Players take the wheel of any of 40 of the world's hottest rides for intense street races, all while avoiding hyper-aggressive police pursuit vehicles. Compete in numerous game modes, from the classic six-way races to time attacks and speed runs then climb up the ladder to become the most wanted.

6. Riptide GP 2 (Android, iOS) ($1.99) 

Take to the waves in Vector Unit's Riptide GP 2, featuring a single player career mode and online four-way multiplayer races. Collect and customize any of nine powerful watercraft, tricking each one out for the race. Unlock and unleash 25 new stunts to wow the crowd, build up your boost, and leave the opposition sucking in your spray. A career mode offers more than 30 races and numerous game modes, with players earning XP in exchange for tricks and money for buying and upgrading their watercraft. Races can be traditional sprints for podium positions, hot lap, elimination or freestyle events.

7. Drift Mania: Street Outlaws (Android, iOS) ($0.99) 

Slip and slide to victory in Drift Mania: Street Outlaws, the latest in Ratrod's drift racing series. Race your way through mountain passes, hillside towns, and desert canyons, tires screaming as you pull off insane turns on your way to the finish line. Tuners will go nuts over the extreme customization you can apply to your vehicles, tweaking your suspension, gears, and weight distribution to suit your driving style. The game doesn't just measure your speed, but your style as well, awarding more points for skill and drifting finesse.

8. Reckless Racing 2 (Android, iOS) ($1.99) 

Polarbit's Reckless Racing 2 delivers some impressive top-down racing action. Graphics and gameplay are well rendered and the game offers numerous control schemes, such as tilt and virtual keys. Gameplay modes include race, hot lap and elimination, with a career and arcade mode. Online multiplayer lets you duke it out with up to three other players. Each car can be customized with numerous parts and upgrades, with Reckless Racing cleverly preserving game balance by limiting races to cars of certain performance index scores.

9. Red Bull Air Race (Android, iOS) (Free) 

Take to the skies with Red Bull Air Race, the world's fastest motorsport, now on mobile devices. Take control of some of the world's most maneuverable aerobatic planes, advance up the ranks from novice to master pilot, and square off against some of the sport's most famous pilots. Explore real world locations, engage in death-defying aerobatic stunts, and conquer the skies.

10. Kapsula (Android, iOS) ($1.99)

We wrap up our roundup with one of the weirder racing games out there, Kapsula, an infinite racer that's equal parts TRON and Tetris. Players zip down a far future racetrack with their white "Kapsula", and whenever you drive adjacent to another colored Kapsula, it attaches itself to your vehicle. Players score points by smashing attached Kapsulas to other Kapsulas of the same color or against colored walls, but be careful, because if your white Kapsula slams into another vehicle, or if two colliding Kapsulas don't match, then you lose the game. Simple rules, but fiendish difficulty make for a great and addictive puzzle racer.