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. This week I have a new game show quiz game from FOX TV, a solid sequel to a hero collection game, and a refreshing dueling game that can be played on a single device. So without further ado, here are the most notable Android games released in the last week.
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Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.
Games
FNGenius: Live Game Show
Android Police coverage: FNGenius is an upcoming HQ Trivia competitor from FOX TV
Okay, so it is a little difficult to know exactly how FNGenius: Live Game Show will behave since it does not go live until the first airing of Fox's tie-in TV show. More than likely this app is Fox's take on the popular HQ Trivia app, and with the backing of a public TV show, I don't doubt that it will find some success. There is still no word on how big the prize pool will be, but if this plays out like every other quiz app, those pools will start out astronomically large and slowly dwindle down to something most people aren't interested in. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how Fox plans on handling it.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
Dream Trip - Arabela
It would seem there are a lot of games out there trying to cover concepts such as loneliness, depression, death, and every other negative thought people tend to deal with in their day-to-day. Dream Trip - Arabela is one of those games, and it explicitly tells a story of what it's like to suffer from loneliness. It does this while providing beautiful graphics and enjoyable puzzle-based gameplay, so if games as art are your thing, you're going to want to check this out.
Monetization: $0.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Dust and Salt: Battle for Murk Gamebook
Dust and Salt: Battle for Murk Gamebook is indeed a digital gamebook game, and it comes from a developer that concentrates solely on the genre. You get to play the role of a Corporal Mandrake from the City Watch in this fantasy adventure game. In order to save your hometown from falling into the enemy’s hands, you'll have to collect evidence as you choose where the story should head next.
Monetization: $0.99 / no ads / no IAPs
BattleSlides
BattleSlides is a large-scale territorial battle game. You get to build up your army of troops and select specific formations in order to go head-to-head against your opponent. Whoever's soldiers can dominate the other's is the winner. There are hundreds of different units to place in the field, and jumping into a new battle is as easy as swiping on the screen.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
Hags Castle!
Old-school first-person dungeon crawlers are a genre that I feel works very well on mobile. I'm often amazed that so few find their way to the Play Store. That's why I was so excited when I came across Hags Castle a few weeks ago, and doubly so this week now that there is a free version available. It exudes a level of charm and polish often ignored in the few similar releases we receive. The graphics are top notch, and the gameplay will bring back plenty of fond memories of Eye of the Beholder or the Might and Magic series.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
DueLito
DueLito is a fun little quick draw game that also works a lot like a typing accuracy game. You see, your job is to shoot your opponent, but in order to do so, you have to be the first to type a series of letters in the correct order. These typable letters are displayed at the bottom of your screen, and the ones you need to type in the correct order will be displayed on the left. Oh, and like most quick draw games you can play with a friend on the same device.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $2.49
Boop Kids - Fun Family Games for Parents and Kids
This one is for all of you parents out there. Boop Kids is a cute game designed to appeal to toddlers and preschoolers. It offers a fun selection of mini-games, and there is even a cool character creation area where your kid can design an avatar for each member of the family. Really, the entire thing has a level of polish that is very similar to a Nintendo title, and the Mii-looking character design definitely helps to solidify that feeling.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $2.49
Domino
Every week Ketchapp has one or two new casual games on the Play Store, and this week is no different. Domino is a simple timing-based tapping game. Just tap on the screen when the line of dominoes meats up with a clear gap, and if you timed that tap correctly, you can continue playing. If you are too early or too late, it's game over. Just make sure to watch out for the frequent advertisements, they can be distracting once you are in a groove.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $2.99 a piece
Bumper.io
Bumper.io works just like the majority of io games already out there. In order to survive, you must bump every smaller player you see into the water. This is a winner take all situation, and there is no room to screw up. If you do, that means it's game over, and now you will have to start over as one of the small guys on the field.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $3.99 a piece
10Cube
ZPLAY Games' 10Cube is a pleasant little puzzle game that is very relaxing to play thanks to its beautiful use of color. Your goal is to complete each row of blocks by strategically placing the loose block provided to you at the bottom of your screen into the missing spaces of each row. At first, this is a very simple task, but as the levels progress, so too does the difficulty. There's a total of 300 levels to explore, and there is also an endless mode for those of you who are looking for a game with some longevity.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $4.99
Tasty Cafe - Cook rush and dash to mix recipes
There are plenty of restaurant management games on the Play Store already, but how many of them can boast PS1-era graphics? Tasty Cafe assuredly can, and that is why I like it. For some reason the low-quality look of a PS1 game ran through a few passes of image processing is very appealing to me, and the management simulation gameplay isn't all that bad either. So if you enjoy callbacks to simpler graphics that also offer enjoyable arcade gameplay, then Tasty Cafe may be exactly what you are looking for.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $34.99
Flight Sim 2018
Out of all the gaming genres to take root on mobile, I never once thought vehicular-based simulation games would be one of them, and yet here we are. Ovidiu Pop is a developer that almost entirely concentrates its efforts on sim games, and this week it introduced a new flight sim on the Play Store. Flight Sim 2018 is the dev's first foray into realistic plane simulation, and I have to say the game delivers. There are many planes to choose from, and you will get to fly them in a large open-world map.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $2.99 - $99.99
Path of Defiance
As of last week, it was clear that Iron Horse Games was willing to branch out from its bread and butter genre of idle games, but this week it is a return to the norm. That's right, no surprises here. Path of Defiance is indeed an idle game that resembles the rest of the developer's catalog. Your job is to construct the most prosperous village in the land, and in order to pull this off, you will have to pick your path as you endlessly take on treacherous monsters.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $4.99 - $49.99
Heroes Inc. 2
Heroes Inc. 2 continues with the superhero management and experimentation simulator gameplay found in the original release. There are over 120 zany superheroes to collect, and over 120 missions to complete. You can expect to defeat giant city-sized threats with your heroes, and you'll even get to build a bustling base of heroic proportions to store them all.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $64.99
Castle Burn - RTS Revolution
Bluehole PNIX's Castle Burn is a real-time strategy game that apes the major mechanical elements of Clash Royale to deliver a more streamlined version of the gameplay. Like most free-to-play games in this genre, competition is stiff, so if you don't plan on paying for any of the numerous in-app purchases, be prepared to grind for a very long time before you can actually compete on an even level.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $99.99
WTF Game Of The Week
Hidden my game by mom 3
I absolutely love the fact that there is a Japanese game on the Play Store that's all about some kids mom hiding his gaming device. More than that, I love the fact that there was not only a sequel for such a game but that a third title now exists. The gameplay is simple enough. In order to figure out where your device is hidden, all you have to do is tap on different objects and collect items that can help you reach high places. You have to be careful though, as your digital mom may be hiding in the closet or under those couch cushions in a very conspicuous manner.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
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