Welcome to the roundup of the new Android games that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. Today I have the beta test release for EVE Echoes, the latest RPG port from Square Enix, and the newest board game adaptation from Asmodee Digital. So without further ado, here are the more notable Android games released during the week of December 2nd, 2019.

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Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.

Games

EVE Echoes

Android Police coverage: EVE Echoes open beta now starting in select regions

EVE Echoes has officially entered into an open beta testing phase, which means anyone that happens to live in Australia, USA, Canada, Russia, Europe, South Korea, or New Zealand can jump into the beta right now. A few new features were added to the game for this beta, such as Storyline Missions, an Interstellar Trading Center, as well as a tutorial for rookie pilots. So if you'd like to explore CCP Games' mobile sci-fi MMO EVE Echoes before it's officially released, now is your chance. Just keep in mind that the servers will be wiped once the beta is over, which means you will lose all of your progress from the beta before the official release.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs (yet)

EVE Echoes Developer: NetEase Games
Price: Free
4.1
Download

SaGa SCARLET GRACE : AMBITIONS

Android Police coverage: SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions is Square Enix's latest JRPG to land on the Play Store

We've known that SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions would arrive on Android since September, though we never knew how the JRPG would be monetized. The good thing is that the game is a premium release, absent of any IAPs or ads, though the asking price is pretty high at $23.99. At the very least, this title is an enhanced PS Vita port designed for play on mobile devices, which means you get over seventy hours of playtime for the asking price.

Monetization: $23.99 / no ads / no IAPs

SaGa SCARLET GRACE : AMBITIONS Developer: SQUARE ENIX Co.,Ltd.
Price: 29.99
4.5
Download

Terraforming Mars

Android Police coverage: Terraforming Mars is a new strategy board game from Asmodee Digital, now available on the Play Store

Last weekend Asmodee Digital announced that its board game adaptation Terraforming Mars would arrive on Android on December 4th, and the studio has stayed true to its word since the game is now available on the Play Store. In this digital board game adaptation, each player will compete to see whose corporation contributes the most substantial changes to Mars in a race to terraform the entire planet, which is delightfully enjoyable. It's also worth noting that this is indeed a popular physical board game, so the arrival of a digital interpretation from one of the best board game adaption studios out there is hardly a surprise, though I must say the game is a very welcome addition to the Play Store.

Monetization: $8.99 / no ads / IAPs

Monopoly

Android Police coverage: Monopoly for Android now available for pre-registration on the Play Store (Update: Out now)

Monopoly joins Clue, Battleship, and The Game of Life in Marmalade Game Studio's mobile board game lineup, and just like these earlier releases, Monopoly is a paid game that also contains in-app purchases. These IAPs range up to $29.99 per item and are mainly useful for purchasing DLC, so at the very least, the monetization isn't that bad. All in all, if you're looking for an offline and online multiplayer Monopoly game to play on Android, this is it, so if you'd like to pick it up today, you can do so through the Play Store widget linked below.

Monetization: $3.99 / no ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $29.99

MONOPOLY Developer: Marmalade Game Studio
Price: 3.99
4.4
Download

Om Nom: Merge

Android Police coverage: ZeptoLab's newest game is Om Nom: Merge, an adorable take on 2048 (Update: Out now)

Om Nom: Merge is the latest Cut The Rope spinoff from ZeptoLab, and it plays a heck of a lot like the game 2048. Combining characters is vital if you want to advance, and of course, there are many incentives to doing so that will earn you extra in-game currency. While I've covered this title previously when it was a testing release, the game is now officially available for all to enjoy. So if you're looking for a casual merge game that sports charming graphics and approachable gameplay, Om Nom: Merge is an adequate choice.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $1.49 - $99.99

Om Nom: Merge Developer: ZeptoLab
Price: Free
4.6
Download

ALPHA

ALPHA is a single-player action shooting game that was previously available on the Nintendo Switch, and it just arrived on the Play Store this week. This means the game is a premium affair, and it can be had for $1. Playtime should last about two hours, and for the price, I have to say it's well worth it. Much like a classic NES release, there are no save points in this game, which means you'll have to start from the beginning each time you play.

Monetization: $0.99 / no ads / no IAPs

ALPHA Developer: KANAME Co.,Ltd
Price: 0.99
Download

eclidus

Back in the '80s, Matchbox came out with a new interpretation of the classic Rubik's Cube called Rubik's Magic, and the twist was that this new toy was flat. The thing is, you could fold the Rubik's Magic to create designs within specific folds, which is a lot like how eclidus plays, but instead of folding designs, you will rotate them on your screen. Keep in mind that eclidus only offers one solution, and since there are over a million different configurations, very few people are going to actually solve this puzzler, but that's not to say the game's not worth the effort, because I definitely enjoyed my time with this release.

Monetization: $1.99 / no ads / no IAPs

eclidus Developer: Eruption Games
Price: Free
4.5
Download

She Sees Red - Interactive Thriller

She Sees Red is a live-action interactive thriller, which may seem like an odd sort of game, but it has roots in the live-action titles released before 3D graphics became popular. This is a non-linear game, which means each experience should be unique. Basically, this title plays as a chose your own adventure game, and amazingly, the acting isn't as cringy as you would expect from such a title. Just keep in mind that this is indeed a release for adults, so expect some dark themes to crop up as you play.

Monetization: $2.99 / no ads / no IAPs

Puzzle Pelago - A Drag & Drop Economy

Puzzle Pelago - A Drag & Drop Economy is a delightfully unique release that sports cute graphics and exceptional gameplay. Each puzzle revolves around an island's economy, and much like a simulation game, it will be your job to collect materials by dragging and dropping buildings to solve each puzzle correctly. Of course, there's a system to solving each puzzle, so you'll have to drag and drop these buildings in the correct order in order to find success. All in all, this is a quality puzzler offered at a fair price, so make sure you don't miss out.

Monetization: $3.49 / no ads / no IAPs

Black Paradox

Black Paradox is a gorgeous roguelike side-scrolling shooter that offers 20 weapons, 37 powerups, and 13 deadly drones. You'll use these tools to take on 62 different enemy types and 14 deadly bosses. The touchscreen controls are responsive, and the gameplay is really enjoyable, plus this is a premium release, so you won't have to worry about any IAPs or ads interrupting your sessions, which makes this release a definite pickup in my book.

Monetization: $4.49 / no ads / no IAPs

Black Paradox Developer: Tiny Games Srl
Price: 4.99
4.4
Download

Farming Simulator 20

Farming Simulator 20 is the latest mobile farming sim from GIANTS Software, and this year's release offers over 100 vehicles and tools faithfully recreated from leading brands in the industry, which is clearly the draw of the game, driving around huge tractors. Of course, a big game will require big specs, so it would seem many people are having trouble running the game competently, with lag mentioned many times in user reviews. Still, it's clear that this is one of the better farming sim series on mobile, so it's my hope the devs fix the lag issues shortly.

Monetization: $5.99 / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $2.99

Farming Simulator 20 Developer: GIANTS Software
Price: 6.99
3.7
Download

RPG Monster Viator

RPG Monster Viator is the latest English release from Kemco, a dev that has been pumping out RPGs as long as the Android OS has been around. This particular title offers 16-bit graphics, turn-based battles, and a lackluster story that revolves around a legendary hero tasked with saving the world. Not that any of this is unexpected, because this is a Kemco release after all, and they rarely differ from one another.

Monetization: $8.99 / contains ads / IAPs from $2.99 - $4.99

RPG Monster Viator Developer: KEMCO
Price: 2.99
4.3
Download

SPEEDBALL! Chili Fever

SPEEDBALL! Chili Fever is an extremely simple arcade game where you'll race as far as you can while avoiding obstacles and collecting chilies to improve your speed. As you race, you'll eventually smack into a few obstacles, which will slow you down, so you'll have to pick up those chilies I mentioned so that you can boost your speed to maintain your inertia moving forward. Should you slow too much, it's game over.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Hexicon: Strategy Word Game

Hexicon: Strategy Word Game is just that, a competitive strategic word game, which is just about my favorite genre of word game out there since it combines the fun of a board game with vocabulary skills. Much like Scrabble, you'll have to fight for control of the board, but the beauty here is the fact that you can remove your opponent's letters by strategically forming words around them.

Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs

Turbo Shot

Turbo Shot is a twin-stick shooter that's currently in early access. The graphics are straightforward, the controls intuitive, and the level-based gameplay is enjoyable. While the game isn't visually stunning, the graphics get the job done, because really, all of the title's fun comes down to the top-down shooter-based gameplay, which works well enough to keep things fun.

Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs

Turbo Shot Developer: Wizard Games Incorporated
Price: Free
4.3
Download

Happy Hockey!

Happy Hockey is an arcade game that's all about shooting goals. Of course, this wouldn't be a game if it wasn't challenging, which is why there will be many obstacles in the way of your shots. This means you'll have to try for inventive shots that curve or bounce their way to the goal, which makes this a skill-based game. Just keep in mind that this is a rather shallow title, so there's little in the way of progression as you make shot after shot.

Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs

Happy Hockey Developer: Gismart
Price: Free
4.2
Download

Turbo Stars

Turbo Stars is a relatively basic online racing game where you'll have to jump and dodge your way to success. Supposedly each race is against other players, but since I can win so easily, I get the sense that you're actually racing against bots, which grows old rather quickly. Still, if you happen to be looking for an extremely simple racer that you'll always win, this is the game for you.

Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs

Turbo Stars - Rival Racing Developer: SayGames Ltd
Price: Free
4.6
Download

Bio Inc 2: Rebel Doctor Plague

Bio Inc 2: Rebel Doctor Plague comes from DryGin Studios, and it's the followup to Bio Inc - Biomedical Plague and rebel doctors, a successful strategy simulation game. Bio Inc 2 continues this trend by offering a real-time strategy simulator where you'll assemble a team of doctors to inflict lethal diseases on helpless patients. Sadly it would appear that the majority of people will not be able to play this sequel just yet since it's only available in an unspecified region at the moment. Hopefully, as development moves forward, more people will be able to jump in and experience the game.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs ?

Turkey, Please! (Free)

Turkey, Please doesn't offer much in the graphics department, and since Thanksgiving is over, this free release makes little sense unless you want to revisit the holiday in game-form. The entire point of the title is to hunt down a turkey for dinner, and since it plays like a classic point and click adventure, this release should easily appeal to the older gamers out there that grew up playing games like this.

Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs $1.99 a piece

One Word

One Word is a real-time social word game that includes live video chat, which makes this a great release to play over the holidays. It will be your job to link the letters on your board to spell out words, score points, and outsmart your friends. The beauty is you will be able to watch your friend's reactions as you stomp them into the ground, which is really what the holidays are all about, ruthlessly defeating friends and family in any game you can convince them to play.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $1.99 a piece

Mazuna World

Mazuna World is a platformer that's currently in early access, so it's still under development, but what's there is rather enjoyable if you're a fan of classic platformers. That's not to say that this release is a classic, but it sure is styled after one, which was the main draw for me. All in all, the game is enjoyable, though I can't say I'm very fond of the generic graphics.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $2.49 a piece

Mazuna World - Platform Advent Developer: Appijo
Price: Free
3.8
Download

Twickles

Twickles is a minimal puzzle game where you'll have to navigate a ball through increasingly complex labyrinths by rotating their individual parts or the entire structure of the board. It's a simple setup, and much like every other minimal game, there are no timers to worry about, which means you can play at your own pace in order to solve each puzzle in as few moves as possible.

Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs $2.99 a piece

Twickles Developer: Neox Studios
Price: Free
Download

Faraway: Galactic Escape

Faraway: Galactic Escape is the latest stand-alone chapter in the Faraway saga. Much like the last five games in the series, Galactic Escape offers an all-new environment to solve puzzles in. As you can see, the graphics take a much darker tone this time around, which may have something to do with this title's many twists. So if you're looking for a quality escape-room game, Faraway: Galactic Escape is a great choice this week.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $3.99 a piece

Faraway: Galactic Escape Developer: Snapbreak
Price: Free
4.3
Download

Push'em all

Push'em all is a lighthearted action-based arcade game where you're tasked with pushing large groups of stick figures off the game's many stages. Because these groups are so large, you'll have to maneuver quickly to ensure the crowd doesn't take you down. While the mechanics are simple, the gameplay is a hoot thanks to the perverse pleasure derived from pushing large groups of people to their death.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $3.99 a piece

Push'em all Developer: VOODOO
Price: Free
4.1
Download

Give It Up! Bouncy

Give It Up! Bouncy is a frustratingly tricky rhythm-based platform game, which is precisely why the title is such a joy to play. This release is actually a sequel to the original Give It Up title. Much like the initial release, you're tasked with bouncing your character across gaps, traps, and spikes in order to reach your goal, all to the beat of a zany soundtrack that's very fitting for this style of game.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $3.99

Meka Hunters

Meka Hunters is an early-access release that offers a casually competitive third-person battle royale game, and unlike an io release, your progress carries over to new matches. Essentially, you'll earn credits by playing, and once you've amassed enough funds, you can purchase new mechs and gear. The stronger your mech, the higher your chances of surviving an entire round.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $2.99 - $5.99

Meka Hunters .io Developer: Illogical
Price: Free
3
Download

Dream Detective

Dream Detective is labeled as a "highly-interactive game of investigation," but really, it's just a highly-polished hidden-object game. The hand-drawn art for the title's 200 or so levels is clearly fantastic, and there are thousands of lines of dialogue in the game, so there's easily a lot to explore as you casually hunt for hidden objects to advance the story. The only issue with this release is that there's so much to do, though you often feel deprived of fun thanks to the game's persistent energy system.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $9.99

Puzzlescapes - Best of Animal Word Puzzle Games

Puzzlescapes is a newer release from Zynga, and it's a word game that mixes together crosswords, anagrams, and word search games into a low-pressure puzzler that suitable for short bursts and extended sessions. Really, the only downside is that this is a Zynga release, so of course, it's monetized to the hilt. If you can ignore this monetization, then there is some fun to be had.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $49.99

Puzzlescapes Word Search Games Developer: Zynga
Price: Free
4.8
Download

Countersnipe

Sniping games are nothing new on mobile, but Countersnipe offers something a little different since it blends target seeking with skill-based shooting in its quick four-versus-four matches. So far there are three maps to play on, and a wide selection of guns and scopes, which means there's a lot of depth to discover as you play, especially since there are over 280+ upgrades and 28 attachments available for the game's many guns.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $49.99

Countersnipe Developer: ninja kiwi
Price: Free
3.6
Download

Bowling Crew: Epic Bowling Game

Bowling Crew: Epic Bowling Game is a free-to-play real-time PvP multiplayer bowling game, and as you would expect of a title of this nature, you'll hit the grind-wall early, and unless you pay for a brief reprieve, the rest of the game plays out as one massive grind. Sure, the graphics are exceptional, but this is a bowling game after all, so it's not like the graphics are the reason to play such a simple game. Maybe if the devs were more concerned about fun instead of money, things would be different.

Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $94.99

COSMIC WARS : THE GALACTIC BATTLE

Cosmic Wars: The Galactic Battle offers a post-apocalyptic universe to dive into as you combine parts to build your own spaceships. Once you're fleet is established, you can then take on various forces, space monsters, and even other users, with the goal of obtaining even more ship parts. All in all, this title plays like any other free-to-play base-building strategy game, so expect to encounter a grind-wall rather early in your progress (around level 4), where the fun stops, and the endless grind begins.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $99.99

Pet Wars

Pet Wars is another early access release in our game roundup this week, and much like any Clash of Clans clone, the gameplay revolves around building and fortifying a base as you venture into the game-world to attack your foes and steal their items. Now, this release doesn't look anything like a CoC clone, and for that, the devs deserve some praise, but sadly, the core gameplay only offers the same old boring setup. I also can't say that the theme of warring pets is all the original either, but no one said it was easy to come up with unique and intriguing content.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $2.99 - $99.99

Grand Street Racing Tour GSRT

Ah, what would life be without generic free-to-play racers? Clearly, Grand Street Racing Tour does little to differentiate itself from the crowd. However, if you're still interested in playing through the latest racer on the Play Store, you can expect a game that focuses on street racing, which means drag races, extreme street chases, drift challenges, and time attacks are in the mix. While I can't say the graphics are all that great, at the very least, the racing mechanics are competent, if a little too arcadey.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $104.99

Rituals: Book of Skog

After so many years of covering mobile games, I thought I had seen everything, but then Rituals: Book of Skog crossed my path this week. As you can see from the screenshots, this is a match-3 game, a genre I rarely cover, but the thing is, it's also a horror game. That's right, someone finally combined the casual fun of a match-3 title with the scares found in a horror game, and while this release is just as grindy and greedy as its inspiration, there is some depth to the gameplay, much like the Puzzle Quest series. Really, my only complaint is that the monetization isn't all that great.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $1.49 - $129.99

Rituals: Book of Skog Developer: Curioso Games
Price: Free
4.1
Download

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