Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications, games, and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous 2 weeks or so.

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Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.

Games

AirAttack 2

Android Police coverage: Air Attack 2 Mixes Retro Shoot-Em-Up Gameplay With Fantastic 3D Graphics And A Great Free-To-Play Model

Air Attack was one of the best games of the early Android boom back in 2011, combining old-school shoot-em-up gameplay with 3D graphics and mobile controls. The sequel brings more of the best bits of the original, with a sci-fi take on WW2, insanely over-the-top weapons, power-ups, and boss battles, and some fantastic graphics to boot. Even the F2P model is impressive: two dollars gets rid of the advertising and doubles coins for the entire game, and the currency fill-ups top out at just one dollar.

Sequel of Award Winning next-gen top down air combat shooter with stunning 3D graphics and amazing orchestral soundtrack. Enjoy the classic atmosphere of WW2 arcade shoot-'em-ups in modern rendering. Prepare your plane and destroy the axis of evil with Flamethrower, Tail Gunner, Bombs, ...Show your friends no mercy in the daily challenges.

AirAttack 2 - Airplane Shooter Developer: Colya
Price: Free
4.4
Download

Pokémon TCG Online

Android Police coverage: The Pokémon Trading Card Game Online For Android Tablets Is Now Out Of Beta

The Pokemon trading card game is still kicking after almost twenty years, but these days you don't actually need cards to play it. After a brief beta period the online multiplayer digital version has come to Android, or at least to Android tablets. The setup uses the latest expansion to the physical version of the game and lets players face off against computers or humans on the Internet. IAPs will buy you randomized card packs or tickets to tournaments with in-game prizes.

Have fun learning and mastering the Pokémon Trading Card Game Online. Practice against the computer or go head to head with your friends or other players from around the world. Unlock cards and decks as you play to build up your collection and make truly unique decks. Your decks and card collection are stored as a part of your Pokémon Trainer Club account, allowing you to switch between tablet and desktop with ease.

Vector 2

Android Police coverage: Stylish Side-Scrolling Runner Vector 2 Leaps Into The Play Store

The original Vector was a surprisingly unique endless runner that combined the simple tap-and-swipe gameplay players were used to with some impressive 2D animation and fluid movement. The sequel adds better graphics, more complex auto-generated stages, and a host of new traps and abilities to keep the formula fresh. This time the game uses a free-to-play setup, but the IAP isn't as onerous as some other takes on the endless runner.

Vector 2 features intense gameplay with procedurally generated environment and lifelike animations in a dystopian world. Descend through a huge and complex research facility and try to get out alive – over and over again. There's no good run without good equipment. Try out experimental high-tech gear that will help you survive a little longer and discover ways to upgrade it. Learn stunts to dodge deadly traps – and do it in the most badass way ever possible.

Ultimate Chicken Horse

Android Police coverage: Multiplayer Building Platformer 'Ultimate Chicken Horse' Comes To The SHIELD TV And SHIELD Tablet For $10

Ultimate Chicken Horse is not a game about an ungodly genetic mix between a bird and a quadruped. Nope, it's a multiplayer platformer where you and your friends build the 2D stages before you play them. The idea is to make it hard enough to trip up the other players, but not so hard that you can't reach the end of the stage yourself. While it's a great local multiplayer game, unfortunately it's currently limited to the SHIELD TV and SHIELD Tablet.

Optimized for NVIDIA SHIELD, Ultimate Chicken Horse is the "ultimate" party game. Grab some friends, have a seat, and prepare for some friendship-testing fun. Ultimate Chicken Horse is a party platformer where you and your friends build the level as you play, placing deadly traps before trying to reach the end of the level. If you can make it but your friends can't, you get a point. Play locally with your animal buddies and experiment with a wide variety of platforms in all sorts of strange locations to find new ways to mess with your friends.

Assassin's Creed Identity

Android Police coverage: Assassin's Creed Identity, A Full Action RPG Made For Mobile, Comes To Android

We've had Assassin's Creed games on mobile before, but it might be more accurate to say that we've had mobile games with an Assassin's Creed theme. Identity is a real Assassin's Creed game, complete with full renaissance 3D cities, parkour and free climbing, counter-heavy combat, a world full of collectibles and side quests, arbitrary sci-fi genetic memory bollocks, and the occasional sneaky stab. Identity also has more than the usual RPG elements thanks to a custom character and class system. Ubisoft saw fit to include controller support, but the game also has $100 in-app purchases for a $5 "premium" title, so I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot retractable hidden blade.

Play now the first ACTION RPG game of the acclaimed ASSASSIN’S CREED Franchise. Explore the ITALIAN RENAISSANCE through the eyes of your OWN ASSASSIN, complete dozens of missions and unravel the epic mystery of The Crows. CREATE, EVOLVE AND CUSTOMIZE YOUR ASSASSIN.

  • Pick a CLASS: Choose between Berserker, Shadow Blade, Trickster and Thief
  • CUSTOMIZE your Assassins: Use loot, choose your outfits and weapons like epic swords and the iconic hidden blade.
  • Make your Assassin EVOLVE from NOVICE to MASTER.

Bejeweled Stars

Android Police coverage: Bejeweled Stars Is A New Match-Three Game On Drugs, With Space Llamas... And IAPs

Anyone who follows gaming even causally knows that Candy Crush Saga is essentially a Bejeweled clone married to an exploitative free-to-play framework. So the designers (or at least the rights-holders) of the original Bejeweled have decided to make things right by making a new mobile version of Bejeweled... with an exploitative free-to-play system. Oh, there are unicorns and butterflies and uncomfortable social pushes too, but there's no getting around the fact that EA is basically cloning Candy Crush now. Sigh.

Be brilliant in Bejeweled Stars, a brand-new match-3 experience like no other. Experience endless fun and the freedom to play your way in a beautiful world filled with surprises, explosions, and unique challenges. Combine sparkling gems to earn rewards, create Powers when you need them most, uncover collectible Charms to express yourself, and even control the game board itself as you play. Free to download.

Bejeweled Stars Developer: ELECTRONIC ARTS
Price: Free
4.4
Download

Who Lurks

Who Lurks is a local multiplayer-focused party game with a science fiction setting and a focus on deception. Holy crap, that might make it entirely unique on the Play Store, something that's become increasingly rare these days. Gameplay is a mix of Clue and The Thing: every player is a member of a spaceship crew, except for one, who is the shape-shifting alien attempting to eat the others for lunch. The game includes a single-player mode where extra content can be unlocked. Who Lurks is free to try, with IAP to unlock the full game or remove advertising.

Who Lurks is a local party game involving deception. Where players assume the role of crew members on the AE Hybrid spaceship. Play as a human protecting the crew, or stay undercover as an alien saboteur set on eradicating all human life. Each player takes turns performing tasks to conceal or reveal the alien lifeform. Discover, deceive, or die in this intensely fun party game.

Leap Day

Leap Day is a vertical platformer where you play a... thing of indeterminate species trying to get to the top of the level. The unique art style and tricksy level setup would be worth a look alone, but the game also includes a calendar-based hook: the developers release a new level each day. It's an interesting twist, and a surprisingly communal one, since all the players everywhere will have access to the same level on the same day. A single IAP removes advertising.

Leap Day is a fast paced action platformer with a brand new level every day. ...no really EVERY DAY. ...like until the END OF TIME.

• A brand new level you can finish every day.

• Set in a different location every day.

• Everyone will have exactly the same level every day.

• Different traps every day.

• Different monsters every day.

• Finish the day and get a gold trophy stamp on your calendar... every day. (As long as your good enough.)

• Did we get across there's a ton of new stuff every day?

Leap Day Developer: Nitrome
Price: Free
3.2
Download

Bushido Bear

Bushido is the term for the code of honor among the samurai warrior caste, instilling harmony between a martial lifestyle and personal wisdom and morality. Exactly what it has to do with bears I couldn't say, but the theme gels with Fruit Ninja, and Bushido Bear appropriately shares some finger-slashing elements. This one is all about slicing through as many enemies as possible on the 2D plane, eventually unleashing power-ups and unlocking new characters. The only IAP removes advertising.

What's more dangerous than an angry bear? Or a sword-wielding ninja? An angry, sword-wielding ninja bear of course. Bushido Bear is an original action game by Spry Fox, the developer of the award-winning games Triple Town, Steambirds & Alphabear. Defend your forest against endless waves of evil demons by hacking and slashing through your foes with two giant swords. Slice and dice the invaders for as long as you can survive.

Bushido Bear Developer: Spry Fox LLC
Price: Free
4.5
Download

Super Rocket Pets

This game broadly follows the endless runner formula, but I can dig its mix of tiny stuffed animals and rocket packs. (Because everything is better with rocket packs.) After being fired from a cannon at the start of every level, players must use their rockets and boosts to get as far as possible while grabbing a prodigious amount of coins. Yeah, it's a lot like Jetpack Joyride, only faster. IAP will remove advertising or double the amount of coins earned.

The Rocket Pets are blasting off through a galaxy not so far, far away. These flying furballs are on a thrilling quest for coins. Explore the beautiful planets as you try to travel as far as possible in this action platform game. Customize your wonderful pets, upgrade their gear and beat your previous records in Rocket Pets.

  • 4 worlds to unlock
  • 20 endless levels to play, how far can you get?
  • Collect up to 7 insanely cute pets with jetpacks and watch them explode
  • Pimp your pets with fun and amazing hats and masks

Ninja Madness

Ninja Madness positively bleeds retro sensibilities, but at least it's not just the super-simple pixel art. It's also dripping with tough-as-nails platforming and simple combat, scratching that Ninja Gaiden itch. There isn't a whole lot of complexity in the twitchy levels, but the simple run, jump, dodge mechanics are satisfying. The game has in-app purchases for more hearts or coins (scrub) and to remove advertising.

Jump, climb, roll over, throw shurikens, battle big samurai bosses. Be a ninja. Begin your ninja training today to unlock supernatural abilities. Nerves of steel, cat-like reflexes, split-second reactions, unstoppable concentration, that is the ancient art of ninjutsu. Mastering the true way of the ninja is extremely challenging. Madness awaits for those who stray from the true path of the ninja. Avoid it at all costs.

Ninja Madness Developer: Craneballs
Price: Free
4
Download

Cthulhu Realms

Cthulhu Realms is a digital card game with a steampunk-slash-Lovecraftian theme. Fans of the somewhat tongue-in-cheek quality that the Cthulhu mythos has been given over the last few years (looking at you, Blizzard) should be entertained, and everyone else should be able to dig a solid collectible card game that includes both AI opponents and online multiplayer. It's based on a board game, and a $5 in-app purchase unlocks everything.

Star Realms has gone insane. Introducing Cthulhu Realms. Are you zany enough to play the crazier and creepier cousin of Star Realms? Download and play today to find out why Cthulhu Realms is so crazily addictive. In Cthulhu Realms, each player tries to drive their opponent insane or have more sanity than their opponents when the deck runs out. Each player starts the game with a small deck comprised of initiates, goons and followers. Five cards from the deck form a row of available cards on the table; with more than two players, place three available cards between each pair of players.

Cthulhu Realms Developer: Wise Wizard Games
Price: Free
3.6
Download

Hearts of Iron: War Stories

The Hearts of Iron series is all about slavishly accurate simulation strategy in a World War II setting. At least that's what it is on the PC. This mobile version is more like a game-book, complete with a narrative and a series of skills for your character to develop. The first-person story follows a pilot defending London in the Battle of Britain. Players of Hearts of Iron 4 can connect to the PC game for extra goodies.

Hearts of Iron: War Stories is a branching narrative about a young British pilot during the Battle of Britain. Churchill once said “Never was so much owed by so many to so few". Take part in this historic turning point during WWII as you make your own choices on the way. Be wise. The decisions you make will influence which skills you learn, your relationships with other characters and even the story’s outcome. The narrative is written by the well-known writer Aaron Rosenberg and lovingly edited by Paradox Interactive.

Mekorama

Mekorama draws inspiration from isometric puzzle-platformers like Monument Valley, but that's an easy thing to forgive when 1) the games you imitate are pretty solid to start with and 2) your game has a ton of humor and personality and 3) you implement a user-friendly "pay what you want" model for the full game unlock. Nice.

Help a tiny robot stumble home through 50 puzzling mechanical dioramas.

  • Relaxing gameplay
  • Collectible level cards
  • Small install size

Try Mekorama for free for as long as you like. Then pay what you think it's worth. I hope you'll love it :)

Mekorama Developer: Martin Magni
Price: Free
4.4
Download

Sparkwave

Crescent Moon's latest Android entry is a twitch game where the only controls are moving left and right, and the only point is to make it through the hexagonal stages as far as you can go. Though it's simple, it should appeal to the kind of people who get a kick out of Super Hexagon and the like. In-app purchases go up to two dollars and remove advertising.

Sparkwave is a gorgeous hex styled twitch game. It is fast paced and intense. The objective of the Sparkwave is to go the greatest distance while avoiding obstacles, at the same time staying on the 'track'. The Player can only survive being off-track for a limited time. Crystals are collected in order to unlock new 'sparks' and purchase items, which can simplify or enhance gameplay.

Sparkwave Developer: Crescent Moon Games
Price: Free
3.5
Download

Abeytu

Most clicker games seem to have relatively sedentary setups, perhaps because they're the gameplay equivalent of a data entry job. Not Abeytu: even though this one has the same clicker gameplay, it's about a magic wolf zapping dinosaur monsters with his staff. There's a tower defense element to the setup, even if the "tap the screen like you're having a seizure" gameplay is more or less intact. There are no in-app purchases. A note to the developer: nice video, but please take more than one screenshot for the Play Store.

Abeytu is a young wolf who just found a magical staff allowing him to purify polluted animals. He will have to defend the last living forest in order to give nature a chance to come back to life. To do so, he will have to depend on you and your mad skills. Tap the enemies in order to purify them before they hit Abeytu, use the powers of his fairy allies with dynamic finger moves to repulse pollution and beat challenging and original bosses in order to keep the forest and Abeytu alive.

She Wants Me Dead

I've always thought that cats are all secretly homicidal maniacs, and apparently so has the creator of this game. The setup is a simple endless runner-platformer in which the protagonist's cat has set up a murder gauntlet for unspecified reasons. Though the gameplay mechanics are fairly straightforward, the premise is novel and the graphics and music are quite stylish. Unfortunately some Play Store reviewers say that She Wants Me Dead has compatibility issues.

Max is in trouble. He pissed off his cat Lula and now she’s out to get him. And Lula is far from sweet. She is vicious, cold and unforgiving. More dangerous than Lula are her traps – deadly and brutal killing contraptions with Max’s name written all over them. SHE WANTS ME DEAD is a side-scrolling platform game, released along megastars CAZZETTE’s new hit single with the same name. Your job is to help poor Max, whose only hope is to get through Lula’s deadly gauntlets in one piece.

She Wants Me Dead Developer: Hello There Games
Price: Free
3
Download

The Escapee

The description of The Escapee says it's a classic adventure game, though I confess I've never heard of it before now. It certainly has the look down, though the mechanics make it more like a somewhat slow platformer with some puzzles thrown in. You've just escaped from a prison on an alien planet and it's your job to defeat all manner of guards, robots, creatures, and various obstacles to reach the story's conclusion.

... maybe they thought I was dead, and they threw me out like rag doll, in the middle of dirt, waste and litter. I was an Escapee - was I the only one? /Daniel White - captured from the Earth/ That was only the beginning, and has been followed by adventures through a distinct cyberspace. You are on the run from powerful alien beings on an alien planet, having been transported there for a reason that no-one knows at the beginning. Find your way home back to Earth and solve the mystery.

The Escapee Developer: Invictus Games Ltd.
Price: Free
3
Download

One Tap Tennis

This is a retro tennis game that recalls some of the sports games from the old NES days, minus directional controls. the setup is sort of a simplified Pong (which, you know, makes sense) with Crossy Road-style cosmetic unlocks. Unfortunately there's no way to engage in multiplayer aside from some fairly basic leaderboards, but in-app purchases are capped at just three dollars.

When the ball approaches the zone, just tap – it’s as simple as that. Challenge your friends or compete with the world’s best One Tap Tennis stars as you smash your way through a whole world’s worth of tournaments. Tap at the right time and you will send balls flying back across the court. Do it when the ball reaches the red zone for a better shot. There’s no need for hours on the court, jump into a super short match or power your way through Tournaments from Tokyo, to Berlin, from New York to London, and beyond.

Fury Roads Survivor

The Mad Max inspiration of this game is so obvious it's practically a copyright infringement just to talk about it, but that doesn't mean that Fury Roads Survivor isn't fun. The game is a sort of top-down take on Destruction Derby, very much in the spirit of the latest movie (and using blocky, pixelated versions of some of the same cars, too). It's free with IAP that goes up to about five bucks.

Escape is for chickens. Take the chance to FIGHT for your life in this charged-up, ENDLESS arcade, free roaming racing game. Select your POST-APOCALYPTIC modified vehicle and drive it through the deserted ruins of a wasted world, while trying to defend yourself from the motorized oil-cultist SCAVENGERS hunting to seize your FUEL... and your flesh. Only a mad man can do it. Are you mad enough?

Fury Roads Survivor Developer: Tiny Games Srl
Price: Free
4.2
Download

Gravity Switch

Gravity Switch is another one of those one-button platformers where the player controls gravity as the stage advances. It uses an endless format and an extremely simple graphical style - Crossy Road looks complex in comparison - but for some light distraction is should do fine. Usually KetchApp games have a single IAP to remove advertising, but lately they've gotten somewhat greedy, and this simple little twitch game goes up to about twenty bucks. Bad form.

Imagine turning space upside down and defying the laws of gravity. Gravity Switch is an addictive game that requires focus, concentration and precise timing. The intuitive one-tap controls allow you to discover the ideal path through all the challenging mazes. Travel as far as you can and use the different power-ups to improve your highscore even more.

Gravity Square!

What the hell? Didn't I just do this one? Okay developers, lay off the gravity-based endless runners for a while.

Reverse gravity itself in order to avoid obstacles and get the high score in this fast-paced runner. Tap anywhere to reverse gravity as you run through a perilous corridor. Collect coins throughout the levels in order to unlock tons of unique characters. No moment is safe in this fast-paced arcade game.

  • 30+ unique characters to unlock.
  • Rise in the ranks and show off your high score
  • Smooth graphics and a great soundtrack.

World of Dungeons

Herocraft's latest fantasy game takes no small amount of inspiration from the likes of classic tactical RPGs like Tactics Ogre. The top-down grid dungeons lend themselves well to turn-based combat, and there's plenty of leveling and loot to keep RPG fans interested. The description proudly proclaims that this free-to-play game has "no restrictions," but that's developer-speak for "pay or grind your ass off" when the game includes IAP that goes up to almost $50.

Plunge into fierce turn-based squad battles in World of Dungeons, the new dark fantasy RPG. Build your squad of fearless heroes and set off to explore the infernal worlds where you’ll wage your own wars against the undead, monsters and demons. Train your heroes in any of the 6 classes, equip them with weapons and armor - and then unleash your squad’s might and magic on the evil Bosses who are desperate eager to reap your soul.

Team Drift Cats

Cats sliding on hardwood floors look kind of like race cars drifting through a turn. That's the premise behind Team Drift Cats, which is essentially a basic cart racing game starring, well, cats. That would be mildly interesting, but the only real goal is to unlock new cosmetic items (or pay for them with some expensive IAP). There's no multiplayer mode in sight.

Who doesn’t love a good cat video, right? Cats are entertaining and cat drifting is simply hilarious, so why not make a game of it? Prepare to pee your pants through the hilarious new mobile game by Addicting Games, Team Drift Cats.

• Rev your meow-ers and drift your way through daily races and challenges

• Level Up to create the ultimate team of Drift Cats. Listen to those engines purr.

• Don’t get too confident; cat-tastrophies are awaiting around every corner

• Use distractions to outwit your opponents – what cat can resist a ball of yarn or the light reflecting from a mesmerizing disco ball?

• Earn rewards for upgrading your cats to improve puuuurformance

• Give your characters a personality boost with cat-tastic accessories

Hex Defender Free

We covered Hex Defender, a geometrical tower defense game, back in March. This free version of the title does away with the money, but it still doesn't have any in-app purchases. Good on ya, Madowl Games.

Hex Defender is a tower defence game with a difference. With most tower defence games the turrets are placed and the position of that specific turret is fixed. With Hex Defender the six turrets are rotatable around a hexagon. There are six colours to choose from for your turrets which will all be effective against six different coloured enemy ships; red destroys red for example. Enemies spawn from the left and right of the screen and attack the hexagon to reach the crystal in the middle. Your job is to stop them using strategy and tactics.

Road to Legend

This isn't a stand-alone game, it's a companion for a board game called Descent that modifies some of the core principles of its gameplay. The app is essentially the dungeon master, which allows you and your friends to progress through the dungeon or castle or what have you without one of them being the assigned bad guy. It's certainly an interesting twist, so if you do have Descent: Journeys in the Dark and a handful of friends, give the app-powered version of the game a try.

Road to Legend is a companion app for the Descent: Journeys in the Dark 2nd edition board game. When you play with Road to Legend, the app assumes the role of the overlord player, controlling monsters and inviting you to explore the dungeon in entirely new and unexpected ways. At its heart, Road to Legend introduces a fully-formed, cooperative way to play Descent, freeing you and your friends to all play as heroes and defeat the darkness in Terrinoth.

Road to Legend Developer: Fantasy Flight Games
Price: Free
4.2
Download

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: oh.no.its.the@androidpolice.com.

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