Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android games that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. Today’s list is broken up into several segments, ranging from best, average, to mediocre. So whether you’re looking for the best games of quality or are simply looking for the latest free-to-play gacha titles, you’re covered. This week I have an dual-tone platformer, a slickly animated action game, and cryptic puzzler. So without further ado, here are the new and notable Android games released during the last week.
Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.
Best Games
Titles that offer fair pricing, enjoyable gameplay, polished interfaces, or are intriguing
Biphase
Biphase is an interesting puzzle-platformer where the world changes from red to black with each jump. This flips the color of the platforms you are jumping to and from, and so you have to account for the changing colors as you make your way to each stage’s goal. This mechanic should keep players on their toes, so if you dig platformers and have been looking for something a little different, Biphase is a solid choice, especially since the game is totally free.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
A Way To Smash: Puzzles and Strategy Destruction
A Way To Smash: Puzzles and Strategy Destruction might be a clunky name that’s easily skipped over in the Play Store, but this is an intriguing puzzle game. The animations are top-notch, and the gameplay is enjoyable. You’ll spend your time tapping on your enemies to smash them, but you have to do this in a particular order, or else you’ll get smashed. This means you have to pay close attention to your enemy’s position, so you will not just breeze through this release. It requires some thought.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $1.31 – $2.63
The Wake
The Wake is the third title in the Guilt Trilogy, and much like the previous two games in the series, you’ll spend your time solving puzzles in order to decrypt a journal to figure out the inner workings of the author. While the concept feels a little too artsy for my taste, the game’s puzzles hold their own, which is where all of the fun is to be had. So if you enjoy puzzle games that make you think, then this is the game for you this week.
Monetization: $3.99 / no ads / no IAPs
pureya
Pureya is a new take on a classic mini-game collection. Every 10 seconds, the game changes, so you’ll have to stay on your toes to keep up with these games as they change. This is a great setup for quick sessions, and since the games change randomly, each playthrough is unique. There are 30 games in total to explore, and you can change the difficulty, so no matter your preference, you should be able to find a setting suitable to your skill level.
Monetization: $3.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Core Defense
Core Defense is an early access release that offers tower defense gameplay. The graphics are fairly simple, though the gameplay holds its own thanks to the addition of a few roguelike mechanics, all with a dash of deckbuilding. The game is easy to pick up, it’s monetized appropriately, and it already offers tons of replayability.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $2.99 – $6.99
Average Games
Titles that may not be the best-of-the-best, but still offer fun and interesting mechanics
Astonishing Baseball 21 – GM Simulator Game
Baseball season is officially here, and so Astonishing Baseball 21 is the latest baseball game released on the Play Store. As you can guess, this is an updated version of last year’s game, and it’s a simulation title, which means it’s basically a business sim. It will be your job to create and manage a baseball team, and the better this team performs, the more accolades you can expect as the GM.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 – $10.99
Puzzle Town – build and play
Puzzle Town offers a bunch of mini-games that tie into the core premise of building a city. So this is a city builder, but in order to build your city, you’re going to play a bunch of mini-games. The gameplay is endless, and really, it feels like you’re playing an idle game, which is kind of boring. The title is still in early access, so it isn’t monetized yet, though the current listed price for removing ads is $10.99, and while this option isn’t functional, the price is way too high for a game like this.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs ?
Shoal of fish
Shoal of fish plays like a classic fish eating game, and the more fish you eat, the better. The minimal graphics are colorful and animated well, though repetitive ads grow annoying quickly. Sadly there is no way to remove these ads, so despite the addictive casual gameplay, it’s hard to recommend this release when the ads tend to ruin the experience. If you don’t mind ads, then there is some fun to be had.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
Mediocre Games
Titles that are buggy, unpolished, or offer aggressive monetization
Pitch Clash Beta Version
Konami has a new soccer game for mobile, and it’s called Pitch Clash. This is clearly a beta release for testing purposes, and so it isn’t monetized. Sadly this isn’t a real sports game either since it’s played with cards, so much like all of the lackluster card-based fighters on the Play Store, there’s now a card-based soccer game. So if you enjoy watching a game play itself after you fiddle around with a few cards, you’ll love Pitch Clash, but if you’re looking for actual gameplay, this is not the game for you.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs (yet)
Tow Truck
While I like the premise of Tow Truck, the controls are awful. You start moving the second you touch the wheel, and the steering does not feel intuitive. So even though this is a game where tough controls are something of a mechanic, creating a challenge, these controls need more work since you’ll randomly turn in the wrong direction. Here’s hoping the controls get a rework soon.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
WizQuest
WizQuest might look like a top-down RPG, but really it’s a shooter. Much like any SHMUP, it will be your job to shoot your enemies while avoiding their projectiles, which can be tricky, especially since this is a free-to-play release that’s filled with grinding. And once that grind kicks in, the fun starts to crawl.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 – $99.99
Know A Worthy New App? Let Us Know!
If you have an application in mind for the next issue of the roundup, feel free to send us an email and let us know.
Important: there are 2 requirements in order for the app to be considered, listed below.
- the app’s launch date has to be no longer than 2 weeks ago
- it has to be original, ground-breaking, well-reviewed, interesting, fun, etc – the cream of the crop
Now, if and only if the above requirements have been satisfied, fire up an email to this address: [email protected].
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