GoKawiilAndy Walker / Android Authority
Just over a year ago, Google rolled out support for a handful of games on Android Auto. This lets bored drivers and passengers in parked cars enjoy a quick round of Angry Birds 2, Beach Buggy Racing, or Candy Crush Soda Saga on the car’s dashboard. With March’s Android feature drop, Google expanded the selection to include “teacher-approved” kids’ games for children ages 3-12. But since I don’t have kids, I tried some of the games myself.
I want to make my potential bias known right off the bat. As a driver who relies on Android Auto, I don’t see the need for support for kids’ games. I can give games for adults a pass — I’ve often had to wait hours in the past, and playing a mindless game is probably a great way to while away the time, but I’d be far more likely to just use my phone in this situation. Nevertheless, I wanted to give this feature a fair shot, so here we go.
Would you allow your child to play games on Android Auto? 4 votes Yes. 25 % No. 75 %
Wouldn’t you believe it, a car screen completely sucks for gaming
Andy Walker / Android Authority
Let’s start with Disney Coloring World. It’s a digital coloring book that works well enough on the car screen, but I imagine it would work the same on any other display. I can confirm that, yes, it works well on my Galaxy S24 FE.
I wouldn’t want my kid playing this unsupervised, though — the app immediately shoves a splash screen with a big subscribe button front and center. I nearly fell for this, and it was my fiancée who highlighted the small X button at the top of the screen.
After she saved me from paying ~$47/annum to unlock special coloring book leaves, I selected one of the few free images and started coloring. The controls are pretty obvious: select a color and a drawing implement, then swipe across the screen to color in the character or scene. Simple, right? There’s a welcome option to ensure all colors remain within the lines — I love a good built-in cheat — but I wouldn’t describe the game as satisfying or stimulating. Auto has horrible inherent lag, something that I’m sure would drive kids just as crazy as it did me, and this is even more apparent in a coloring book app.
Android Auto's latency doesn't make for a satisfying gaming experience.
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