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 I have Niantic's latest location-based AR game, Valve's version of Auto Chess, and an HD remaster of the second title in the original Layton trilogy. So without further ado, here are the most notable games released this week.
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Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.
Featured Product
Cover Your Kingdom
Our very own Jeff Beck has a hit tabletop game on Kickstarter right now called Cover Your Kingdom. Jeff is rather famous here at AP for his snarky comments and his epic pun battles with Rita. He’s put that penchant for puns and humor to good use in producing this game. It funded in minutes and currently is more than 1,000% over goal. Cover Your Kingdom is a highly aggressive take-that set-collection party game with easy to grasp rules but sufficient strategy to satisfy even the most ardent tabletop gamers. If you enjoy Exploding Kittens, Unstable Unicorns, or other games in this genre, you’re going to love Cover Your Kingdom. In addition to compelling mechanics, it’s replete with dozens of the best kind of awful puns, featuring characters like UniqueHorns, Sighclops, PegLegasus, and Hentaurs. The game is $25 with free shipping in the US and has friendly international shipping rates. You can check it out yourself by heading over to Kickstarter. [EMBED_YT]https://youtu.be/YsMJ7hPvAIU[/EMBED_YT]Games
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite
Android Police coverage: You can download Harry Potter: Wizards Unite a day early Niantic's latest location-based AR game arrived a day early this week for our US readers, and by now at least the UK should also have access. The gameplay is very similar to another Niantic title, Pokémon GO, though obviously, the theme in this release is totally different. For the most part, you'll spend your time chasing down Foundables (cursed items) that are infecting Muggle areas, which doesn't deviate all that much from Pokémon GO's mechanics. Still, I'm sure there are plenty of Harry Potter fans out there that are fine with playing a reskin of a successful AR collection game. Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $99.99Dota Underlords
Android Police coverage: [Update: Open beta live] Valve's Auto Chess competitor Dota Underlords is coming to Android Dota Underlords is Valve's version of Auto Chess, built off of the MOBA Dota 2. It's a stand-alone release that's currently in beta, which means the title's monetization isn't yet live. There's no word how long this beta will run, so make sure to jump in soon if you're eager to check out the latest multiplayer strategy craze. Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $99.99Layton: Diabolical Box in HD
Android Police coverage: Professor Layton's latest mobile mystery is hitting Android with Diabolical Box in HD Level-5's Layton: Diabolical Box in HD is a remaster of the second game in the original Layton trilogy. Much like the first title, you'll spend your time hunting down clues by interacting with townspeople and solving puzzles. The murder-mystery story is enthralling, and the puzzles are quite challenging, so when you couple these with the upgraded graphics of this release, you come up with the best version of the game currently available. Monetization: $9.99 / no ads / no IAPsROME: Total War - Barbarian Invasion
Android Police coverage: [Update: Out now] ROME: Total War – Barbarian Invasion expansion coming to Android this year We've known since March that the ROME: Total War - Barbarian Invasion standalone expansion would be coming to Android in June. Now that it's here, if you're a fan of the series or premium strategy games, then this is an excellent title to pick up. Not only does it contain everything that was in the PC release, but the adaptation to mobile is also pretty much flawless. The only thing missing is mod support. Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs $4.99 a pieceBring You Home
Bring You Home is the latest release from Alike Studio, the same people that brought Love You to Bits to the Play Store. Unlike the previous game, you won't have direct control of the character in this puzzle-adventure. Instead, you'll have to control the world in order to advance through the game. Each level offers a few different slides that can be placed together to form the entire stage, and it will be your job to select the correct tiles so that the main character can move to where they need to go. Monetization: $3.49 / no ads / no IAPsCursivity
Cursivity is a unique release that resembles a simple block movement puzzle game, but instead of utilizing direct control of the block, you will have to program its movements ahead of time to ensure that it reaches its destination. An assortment of moves will be offered at the bottom of the screen for each of the game's twenty levels, and it will be up to you to pick and choose the appropriate tiles, which can be very challenging once you move on to the later stages in this release. Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPsSurvive The Bridge
Okay, so Survive The Bridge might not look like the most polished game out there, but I'd like to take this time to point you to the amusing trailer below. It's a hoot, and probably the main reason I actually spent some time with this release. For the most part, the gameplay revolves around driving your car across many different bridges that are falling apart. The animations can be stiff, and the art isn't the best, though the gameplay is fun, so it's not a complete wash. Plus that trailer is the best things I've seen this year, so you have to give credit to the dev for having such an amusing sense of humor. Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPsAlchemy War: Pioneer
Alchemy War: Pioneer is billed as a real-time strategy game, though it also contains roguelike, MOBA, and tower defense mechanics. Really, it offers your standard mashup of genres wrapped up in a mobile free-to-play package. There are 43 dungeons to explore, six races to choose from, and a bunch of magical skills to learn. Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPsFaraway: Tropic Escape
Faraway: Tropic Escape is the latest release in the Faraway escape-room series, and this time around you'll spend your time exploring a tropical island and solving puzzles in the hopes that you can track down your daughter. Apparently she set in motion a horrific chain of events, so of course, you must travel to yet another far away land to stop this misdeed from happening. Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $3.99 a pieceStickman Dash Runner
Stickman Dash Runner isn't your ordinary auto-runner. Sure, you may still have to swipe on the screen to change lanes, but everything in this release moves at a breakneck pace, which means you'll need to bring along your twitch-reflexes to find success in this title. The gameplay is very challenging, which is quite refreshing if you're tired of all of the casual runners on the Play Store. Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $5.99 a piecePop Art Painter 3D
Pop Art Painter 3D comes from OHM Games, the creators of Paper Plane Planet, one of my favorite mobile flight games. This release offers something that's a little different, as it's a 3D art game where you shoot streams of paint at invisible objects to unveil their true shapes. New art is added daily, so you shouldn't run out of things to paint, and there is even an augmented reality feature where you can show off your painted items in the real world. Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $14.99Gravity Box - Minimalist Physics Game
Okay, you may not at first be impressed with Gravity Box's graphics, but trust me when I say that everyone needs to try this game. There's no music, and each level is presented as minimally as possible, but luckily the physics-based gameplay is phenomenal. You play as a tiny box and depending on where you tap on the screen, you'll shoot out projectiles towards that area. The idea is that you have to use these projectiles for movement, primarily shooting in the opposite direction that you want to go. The thing is, many of the game's levels are made up of tiny corridors, so you'll have to use your surroundings to your advantage as you shoot your way to success. Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $24.99 (all donations to remove ads)Brick Dungeon
Brick Dungeon is an enjoyable brick breaking game where you get to choose where you shoot your balls from, instead of relying on a moving platform. This free-flowing mechanic provides optimal angles for block obliteration. You can also expect to find a few RPG mechanics in the mix that allow for extra strategy when breaking bricks. Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $38.99Hello Hero All Stars: 3D Cartoon Idle RPG
Hello Hero All Stars is an anime-themed idle RPG from Fincon. There's no doubt that the graphics are phenomenal, and luckily the gameplay also holds up. Sure, this is a free-to-play release, so expect a long grind, but for an idle game, this is by design, hence the need to let the game play itself in your downtime. There's a lack of character designs, and the majority are simple reskins, but past that, there's a lot to like about this release if you're into mobile idle games. Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $79.99Sea Stars: World Rescue
I couldn't help but notice that Sea Stars: World Rescue gives off an Ecco the Dolphin vibe, though once you dive in you'll find out that the game is actually an endless runner. It will be your job to collect coins as you travel through the ocean, and as things progress, obstacles will obstruct your journey. The coins are useful for unlocking new animal friends, and of course, you can upgrade their skills in order to reach further and further distances as you aim for the game's high score. Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $2.99 - $99.99Duels
Duels is a free-to-play PvP game with RPG aspects. Just like every other FTP PvP title on the Play Store, loot boxes will determine your gear, and if you plan on succeeding, you'll want the best equipment available. This title offers an auto-battle system, which is odd for a PvP game, though you can still control a few of your moves and blocks, which is where the strategic gameplay comes in. Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $2.99 - $99.99WTF Game Of The Week
UniCorn - Born of Corn
Alright, it's been a while since we've had a WTF release, but there's no doubt that UniCorn - Born of Corn easily fits our theme. The goal of UniCorn is to throw an ear of corn at a horse in order to turn it into a magical unicorn. As you play, you can unlock new characters as well as new animals to throw corn at, and there are even a few hidden secrets to discover for those daring enough to explore the bounds of this whacky release. Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $0.99 a pieceKnow 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