How to Play Android Games on a PC with BlueStacks

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Open your web browser.

   It's fairly large, and may take a few minutes depending on your connection., You'll be notified in your browser when the download is finished.
   
   You can also find it in your Downloads folder.,,, You can click Brose and select a different installation location if you'd like.,,, This is the quickest way to get up and running in BlueStacks., If you don't want to use your regular Google account with BlueStacks, you can create a new free one.,,, This isn't necessary, and may hurt game performance if you keep it open.,, It looks like a large Play button.,, This is for the Android emulator that runs BlueStacks, and will provide you access to the Play Store., It looks like a Play button, If you want to purchase paid games from the store, you'll need to enter a payment method.
   
   If you're just planning on playing free games, you don't need to add one.
   
   If your Google account already has a payment method associated with it, you won't be prompted to add one. , You'll be shown the various parts of the interface., You'll find this at the top of the Android tab in BlueStacks, which is the main screen., This will be at the top of the Play Store.,,, If the game costs money, you'll need click Buy instead and use the payment method associated with your Google account to purchase it.
   
   It is highly recommended that you try a free version first if possible to make sure the app runs well in BlueStacks (many apps don't).
   
   BlueStacks does not support games that require Android
   5.0+ ,, This button appears after the game has installed.
   
   You can also launch any installed game by clicking the All Apps button on the Android tab (it looks like a grid). , You can use APK files, which are Android app installers, to install a game instead of going through the Play Store:
   Click the APK button in the left navigation menu.
   
   Browse for the APK file on your computer in the window that appears.
   
   Open the APK file in BlueStacks.
   
   Click Install and wait for the app to install. , Clicking on the screen emulates a tap with your finger., If the game required you to drag objects with your finger, you can click and drag them with your mouse., If the game requires you to shake the device, you can click the Shake button on the side of the window., You'll see this in the upper-left corner of the window.
   
   It looks like the arrow keys on your keyboard.,, When you press the key associated with this shortcut, a tap will occur where the shortcut is placed on the screen., This key will perform the tap action., This will allow you to play games that require more than one tap at a time., This will allow you to create a directional pad that you use with keys.,,,,,,,,, Controller mappings only apply to the current game, which means you can set up custom controls for each game you have installed.
2. 2

   Step 2: Visit bluestacks.com.

3. 3

   Step 3: Click the Download BlueStacks button.

4. 4

   Step 4: Wait for BlueStacks to download.

5. 5

   Step 5: Run the BlueStacks installer.

6. 6

   Step 6: Click Yes when prompted by Windows.

7. 7

   Step 7: Click Next.

8. 8

   Step 8: Click Next if the installation location is suitable.

9. 9

   Step 9: Click Install.

10. 10

    Step 10: Click Finish.

11. 11

    Step 11: Click Sign in with Google.

12. 12

    Step 12: Log in with your Google account.

13. 13

    Step 13: Click Allow.

14. 14

    Step 14: Click Done.

15. 15

    Step 15: Close the BlueStacks TV window.

16. 16

    Step 16: Select your language.

17. 17

    Step 17: Click the "Next" button.

18. 18

    Step 18: Click Continue.

19. 19

    Step 19: Sign in with your Google account again.

20. 20

    Step 20: Scroll down and click the "Next" button.

21. 21

    Step 21: Click No Thanks when prompted for payment information.

22. 22

    Step 22: Click OK to proceed through the tutorials.

23. 23

    Step 23: Click the Play Store button.

24. 24

    Step 24: Click the Google Play search field.

25. 25

    Step 25: Type the name of the game you want to install.

26. 26

    Step 26: Click the game from the list of search results.

27. 27

    Step 27: Click the Install button.

28. 28

    Step 28: Click Accept.

29. 29

    Step 29: Click Open.

30. 30

    Step 30: Install a game from an APK file.

31. 31

    Step 31: Click to tap.

32. 32

    Step 32: Click and drag to tap and drag.

33. 33

    Step 33: Click the Shake button to shake your screen.

34. 34

    Step 34: Click the Controller or keyboard mappings button.

35. 35

    Step 35: Click the Tap option.

36. 36

    Step 36: Click on the screen to add a tap shortcut.

37. 37

    Step 37: Assign a key to your tap shortcut.

38. 38

    Step 38: Continue adding tap shortcuts.

39. 39

    Step 39: Click the D-Pad option.

40. 40

    Step 40: Click on the screen where you want to place the directional pad.

41. 41

    Step 41: Click each pad direction and assign a key.

42. 42

    Step 42: Click the Swipe option.

43. 43

    Step 43: Assign keys to act as swipes.

44. 44

    Step 44: Click the Tilt button.

45. 45

    Step 45: Assign keys to act as tilting the device.

46. 46

    Step 46: Click the X button.

47. 47

    Step 47: Click Save Changes.

48. 48

    Step 48: Use your new controls to play the game.

Detailed Guide

About the Author