latest
Time's running out on Prime Early Access's insane $380 Pixel 6 deal
Why buy the Pixel 7 when you can get the Pixel 6 for over $200 off?
Google's Pixel 7 has undoubtedly taken over the tech news zeitgeist for the last week, but you shouldn't forget that the Pixel 6 was a big step forward and remains a powerful smartphone that will perform well for years. During Amazon's Prime Early Access Sale, the Pixel 6 is now cheaper than ever, with a genuinely budget-friendly cost of just $380. And if our Pixel 7 review left you feeling underwhelmed by the new model, save 37% and grab the Pixel 6 before it's gone.
This Prime Early Access deal brings the excellent OnePlus Nord N200 5G down to just $190
Get the best value for even less
OnePlus makes a variety of fantastic budget smartphones, and the OnePlus Nord N200 is a classic example. It was already a great value at MRSP, and thanks to the Amazon Prime Early Access Sale, it's an even better value at just $190. That's $50 off the original price, making it an affordable no-brainer.
Get an early look at Niantic's new AR game Peridot as gameplay video surfaces
As promised, you'll raise adorable augmented reality creatures in real-world environments
Earlier this month, we learned that Niantic is working on a new augmented reality game where you'll raise and breed adorable creatures. This is the developer that's best known for creating Pokémon GO, and its upcoming release, Peridot, sounds pretty familiar. However, if you've been curious to see what precisely Peridot brings to the table, thanks to a recent soft launch in Malaysia, the title's gameplay has finally leaked online. While we knew this soft launch would kick off sooner rather than later, now that it's underway, we can all get an eyeful of what the augmented reality pet raising game has to offer.
NBA Playgrounds comes to Android under a new name, courtesy of Sabre Interactive
But is it any good?
Saber Interactive offers a varied catalog across PC, consoles, and mobile, including the NBA Playgrounds series; even though its mobile catalog doesn't offer the best Android games, Saber is a well-respected publisher in all other matters. Well, after years of testing, it would appear that the mobile interpretation of NBA Playgrounds is finally available in the US as an early access release. It's called Basketball Playgrounds, and it has been in beta under the names NBA 2K Playgrounds (2K published the second entry in the Playgrounds series on PC and consoles) and Basketball Playgrounds: Clash of Dunks over the last three years. I'm not sure why the game has taken this long to reach early access in the US, but perhaps Embracer Group's 2020 acquisition of Saber Interactive delayed things a bit.
Everdale is a new village building game from the makers of Clash of Clans
Out now in beta, but only in select regions
Supercell, the developer behind the casual hits Clash of Clans, Brawl Stars, Boom Beach, and Clash Royale, have just announced an all-new free-to-play village builder called Everdale. It's entering into open beta testing per today's announcement. Only select regions will be able to participate in the open beta's early access. Those who live in the Nordics, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Malaysia will participate in the latest testing phase of Supercell's newest game.
PUBG: New State enters closed alpha testing as a fresh entry in the series, here's a full hour of gameplay
The latest battle royale from Krafton, and it takes place in the future
Last night the closed alpha for PUBG: New State kicked off, and thanks to Krafton, I've gained access so that I can show precisely what this alpha brings to the table. I've recorded a full hour of 1080p 60FPS gameplay, spanning three drops into the new Troi map, and I also went out of my way to show all of the game's menus and settings at the start of the video. So if you're curious to see precisely what PUBG: New State's closed alpha has to offer, my lengthy gameplay video should answer all of your questions.
Evernote's new Tasks feature is free ... for now
But it might go paid once early access testing is over
Notes apps often include some kind of to-do list function, so it's kind of remarkable that Evernote doesn't. Or at least didn't as of yesterday, when the app added a new Tasks section for some users. It's available via the left-side hamburger menu, though Evernote is quick to point out that this part of the app is in early access.
Mighty Doom hands-on: Send this one back through the portal to hell
A callous cash-grab from Bethesda
Mighty Doom is a new mobile game from Bethesda, and it's currently in testing in select regions like New Zealand. Since this shooter is still in Early Access, thus unavailable in most territories, I've sideloaded the title (v 0.5.0) to take a closer look to report on my findings. Now that I've spent some time with the game, it's clear that Mighty Doom is basically a clone of Archero, and so it's a free-to-play casual top-down shooter that has little to do with the Doom franchise beyond the ham-fisted skin. As you can guess, Bethesda is looking to cash in, and so I'm here to let you know if this blatant shovelware is worth playing.
There's a new 'Doom' game coming to Android, and it just entered early access
Mighty Doom doesn't actually look all that mighty
It looks like Bethesda has plans to cash in further on mobile (as if The Elder Scrolls: Blades wasn't bad enough), and so the studio is testing a top-down shooter called Mighty Doom. This game is currently in early access in New Zealand, though details are light since Bethesda has yet to announce the title officially. What we do know is that this is a free-to-play mobile game that will offer casual level-based gameplay that takes place in famous Doom locales.
How to enable the Google Chat tab in Gmail for Android
It's now enabled for free users, but not on by default
Google would be very happy if you used its Chat application, so pleased that it's pushing it beyond the boundaries of its actual app. Last month the tool became available to regular users (who don't pay for access to Google Workspace), and now its integration with Gmail is available to them, too. But it isn't turned on by default, so if you'd like to use it, you have to go digging in the settings menu.
Niantic reveals its Pikmin App has entered into regional testing
Select users in Singapore can now test the app
Niantic has announced that it's partnered further with Nintendo to bring more augmented reality titles to mobile. The first game to come from this extended partnership is going to be themed around Nintendo's adorable Pikmin franchise, and it's expected to arrive later this year. This will be the first game from Niantic's Tokyo Studio, and more titles are planned for the future.
Read update
505 Games recently purchased the developer Infinity Plus Two, a studio that owned the rights to the Puzzle Quest match-3 series. This series started out in 2007 and is fondly remembered thanks to the fact it popularized RPG mechanics in match-3 games, adding depth to the genre, all while offering a fair price point. Of course, things have changed over the last 14 years, and now the match-3 genre is pretty much synonymous with awful monetization, especially on mobile. Well, 505 Games has just announced that it will bring Puzzle Quest 3 to mobile and PC later this year. Sadly we already know the developer plans to launch the title as a free-to-play release, so I wouldn't get my hopes up for this long-awaited follow-up since its stated direction is worrying.
Anyone with a Fire TV can sign up for Amazon's Luna game-streaming service now
It's becoming easier to get in on the Early Access program
Amazon Luna is creeping up on Stadia when it comes to availability. The company has announced that the platform is now available for anyone interested who owns a Fire TV, departing from its initial invite-only approach to distributing the service. Luna still remains in its Early Access phase, though.New customers can download the Luna app on their Fire TV and sign up for a 7-day free trial without having to wait for approval. This broadens the service's availability and makes it much easier to get in on the action, especially if you already own a compatible Fire TV. Amazon has also announced that its controller can now be purchased without an invitation on Amazon.com/LunaController. But you can just connect your existing compatible Bluetooth controller to your Fire TV if you already have one.Amazon's approach to game streaming is a little different from Google's. Instead of an optional Pro tier with occasional free games and 4K streams, Amazon offers a flat fee that gives you access to a selection of games. There's a $5.99/month Luna Plus tier and a $14.99 Ubisoft+ channel that gives you access to many premium Ubisoft titles. The service is also available on select Android phones as well as on Windows, Mac, and iOS.Source: Amazon
Magic: The Gathering Arena enters early access on Android
Wizards of the Coast finally brings its collectible card game to mobile
Over the years, we've seen a plethora of collectible card games come and go. Though one thing has remained a constant, the genre lends itself well to mobile play. To this day, there's still no shortage of CCGs on the Play Store, and yet there was always one title that was missing, Magic: The Gathering. Well, Wizards of the Coast has been busy working on its digital adaptation for a while now, and it's called MTG Arena. It's been known the title would eventually make its way to mobile, but we've just learned that the CCG will be coming to Android as an early access release on January 28th, with broader support slated for later this year.
Angry Birds Journey is a return to form for Rovio, now available in early access in select regions
USA, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Canada, and Poland can get in on the fun starting today
Rovio's Angry Birds series has seen many forms over the years. It all kicked off with a fantastic slingshot game, but in recent years Rovio has been treading water with low-effort bubble poppers and match-3 titles, which is hardly worth writing home about. Surprisingly Rovio has just announced the soft launch of Angry Birds Journey, and to my amazement, it looks like Rovio has finally gone back to its roots with a new entry in the core slingshot series.
Baldur's Gate 3 lands on Stadia in early access, but you'll have to pay $60 to play
Why pay professional testers when fans will pay you
Larian Studios has revealed during a recent livestream that its upcoming RPG Baldur's Gate III will enter into early access on September 30th on both Stadia and PC (Steam). This livestream was called Panel From Hell and is about an hour and a half long, so goes into excruciating detail of what's to be expected in the first chapter of the planned early access release. So we now know that there will be five playable Origin characters to choose from during early access, such as Astarion (Elf/Vampire Rogue), Gale (Human Wizard), Lae’zel (Githyanki Warrior), Shadowheart (Half-Elf Cleric), and Wyll (Human Warlock).
Crashlands 2 just popped up on the Play Store in early access, but it looks like it's only for internal testing
Hence the outrageous price tag
Butterscotch Shenanigans is one of the more recognizable indie devs in the Android gaming scene, thanks to titles like Crashlands and Levelhead. As of this morning, it would appear the studio is ramping up development for Crashlands 2 since the title just popped up on the Play Store as an early access release. The thing is, you can't actually play the game right now since this listing looks to be for internal testing purposes, which is why it's priced at $99.99, to keep overeager fans away.
Motorball is an enjoyable competitive game that plays similarly to Rocket League
Noodlecake may very well have a hit on its hands
I recently received an early access notification for Noodlecake's 2D Rocket League clone Motorball. Seeing that I'm an avid Rocket League player, I had to take the game for a spin. Thus, I'm glad to report that I came away impressed. Hands-down, Motorball is an enjoyable competitive game that's already working smoothly, and even though its official release isn't until tomorrow (August 6th), the title is already available for all to enjoy. So if you'd like to work your way up the Motorball leaderboard a little early, now's your chance.
Soda Dungeon 2 is an idle dungeon crawler, and it's officially available on Android starting today
After two months of early access, Soda Dungeon 2 launches today
Afro-Ninja Productions and Armor Games have teamed up once again to bring a sequel to their successful idle RPG Soda Dungeon to a host of platforms on July 9th. Better yet, the publisher and developer duo have released Soda Dungeon 2 in early access on the Google Play Store ahead of its official launch, leaving PC and iOS in the dust. Much like the original, this sequel is a free-to-play release, which means eager fans can check out the game right now without spending a dime.
Ubisoft's Clash of Beasts lets you devastate cities with giant monsters, now available in early access
Who doesn't want to play a generic gacha game from Ubisoft?
You may not have heard of it, but Ubisoft has a new mobile game in the works called Clash of Beasts, and it's an uninspired gacha game where you'll collect giant monster in order to wreak havoc on villages that are for some reason filled with towers. There's a base-building mechanic, on top of the tower-offense gameplay and hero collection system, because why release a mobile game if you can't shove every popular mechanic into the title that's possible.