Welcome to the roundup of the new Android games that went live on the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. Today I have the official release of League of Legends' auto chess title Teamfight Tactics, the latest logic puzzler from Bart Bonte, and a quality baseball management game from Aerilys. So without further ado, here are the more notable Android games released during the week of March 16th, 2020.
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Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.
Games
Teamfight Tactics: League of Legends Strategy Game
Android Police coverage: League of Legends strategy spinoff Teamfight Tactics now available on Android (Updated)
Teamfight Tactics: League of Legends Strategy Game is an auto chess title starring everyone's favorite League of Legends characters, and it finally landed on Android this week. User reviews upon release weren't great, though it would appear people are warming up to the title. Most complaints revolve around an unintuitive UI, no pinch-to-zoom, and a heavy dose of RNG. Many also feel the game was rushed, and I have to say I agree. This one needed a bit more time in the oven, though what's currently available works, it's just not the smoothest auto chess game on Android.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $8.99 - $10.99
Reflex Unit 2+
Reflex Unit 2+ is a fun little release where you'll control a tank to take down an onslaught of foes. The game is played in a third-person perspective, which provides an ample view of the playfield, and is necessary to take slowly if you want to attack your foes before they get the jump on you. The game even supports physical controllers, if you prefer to play your games with something more tactile than a touchscreen. All in all, this is a solid premium release that deserves some attention.
Monetization: $5.49 / no ads / no IAPs
Mask Up
Mask Up is something of an odd game. At first, you'd think it's just some sort of low-effort work by looking at its graphics, but once you boot it up, you'll see that this is a well thought out game that just happens to look like it was designed in Microsoft Paint. The idea behind this release is that it's a title you explore, just to see how far you can get. There are plenty of secrets to discover, and of course, there are many enemies to defeat, and you'll do all of this by simply tapping on your screen. Best of all, the title is completely free to play.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Trick Shot Kings
Trick Shot Kings is an augmented reality basketball game that was made specifically for AT&T 5G smartphones. This means you'll have to own a 5G device on AT&T to install the game, which is basically a title that's all about shooting trick shots. A national leaderboard is included, and you can play the game solo or against friends online.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
green
Green is the latest logic puzzler from Bart Bonte, continuing the series after the releases for Yellow, Red, Black, and Blue. Basically, it will be up to the player to figure out how to solve each of the game's puzzles without any instructions, and since each puzzle is different, you never really know what's coming up next, which keeps things interesting. There is a hint system for those that get stuck, though it's much more satisfying if you figure out each puzzle on your own.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $1.99 a piece
Just Survive: Arena
Just Survive: Arena is an early access release, and despite the name, it's not actually an arena brawling game but is instead an endless game of trap avoidance. This means the goal of this title is to see how long you can last in an arena filled with deadly traps, which is a lot more fun than you would at first suspect.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $2.49
Astonishing Baseball Manager 20 - Simulator game
Astonishing Baseball Manager 20 is a simulation game all about managing a baseball team, and if it weren't for the coronavirus, this release would be timed perfectly for the start of the MLB season. Much like other management games, it will be your job to lead your team to victory through smart decisions. So if you're eager to trade, draft, and sign new talent to your idealistic baseball team, then this is the game you are looking for, especially since this is a competent release that forgoes the greedy monetization of similar titles.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $4.50
Sprint RPG
Sprint RPG comes from Nitrome, a competent dev that has released some of my favorite mobile titles. Suffice to say this is why I was excited to see a new release from the dev, especially an old-school first-person dungeon crawler, which is new territory for Nitrome. Of course, Sprint RPG is a modern game, and so timing is very key for this rogue-lite since the goal is to race against the clock, and yes, memorization is the key to success, so you're going to have to spend a lot of time with this release if you wish to see the end.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $1.49 - $5.49
Best Bug Brawl
For some reason, Best Bug Brawl is listed as SuperBugs when installed, which can make the game difficult to find in a large list. Essentially this is an online brawling game, similar to an io release, except all of your moves are on a timer, which makes this an extremely annoying game to play. Forcing a timer on each move means you're often left defenseless, so all anyone does is run up and hit you, and then they run off. You'll also have to do the same if you want to win, which neither feels fun or gratifying.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $49.99
NARUTO X BORUTO NINJA TRIBES
Naruto X Boruto Ninja Tribes is the latest Bandai Namco release to contain an utterly nonsensical name. Luckily the provided screenshots make it clear that this is a title that plays just like every other team-based RPG that utilizes card mechanics, which I confirmed by playing the game. While it's definitely apparent that the game's art is phenomenal, the stale gameplay and plethora of annoying bugs mean this title does little to separate itself from the lackluster crowd of similar free-to-play RPGs.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $74.99
ONE PIECE BON! BON! JOURNEY!!
Like all Bandai mobile releases ONE PIECE BON! BON! JOURNEY!! is a ridiculous name for what is basically a match-3 title with a One Piece skin. As expected, reviews are negative, pointing to a shallow game that lacks content. On top of this, the game is monetized heavily, despite its casual design. All in all, this is yet another cash grab from Bandai Namco that no one asked for, and clearly, no one wants to play. Good job Bandai, you're two for two this week.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $79.99
Idle Arena: Evolution Legends
If you couldn't tell by the title, Idle Arena: Evolution Legends is indeed an idle game, because we definitely don't have enough of these types of titles yet. Of course, you can expect card-based mechanics and collectible heroes, because again, it's cheaper to copy successful games instead of spending time working on an original idea. So if you're looking for more of the same generic gameplay every other F2P idle game offers, Idle Arena: Evolution Legends hits that mark with exceptional mediocrity.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $99.99
MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2020
Typically this is the time of year that yearly baseball releases are pushed out to the Play Store to match up with the launch of the MLB season in real life. This is why Glu just released MLB Tap Sports Baseball 2020, the follow up to last year's release. Surprisingly there is an optional weekly subscription included with the title, which clearly shows Glu's intentions. It's a cash grab folks, just like every other officially-licensed sports game on mobile.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $99.99
Merge World Above: Merge games Puzzle Dragon
As if there weren't enough merge games on the Play Store already, in comes Merge World Above, a title that's clearly trying to capitalize on the success of Merge Dragon, perfectly illustrated by Merge World Above's copycat Play Store icon. You just have to love how easy it is to copy successful games.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $99.99
Evil Hunter Tycoon
Evil Hunter Tycoon is a simulation game that offers town building and monster hunting. First and foremost, it will be your job to rebuild a destroyed town in order to create a hub to build and train your army of monster fighters. Of course, there's a heavy idle bend to this title, and so you'll spend the majority of time in menus micromanaging your goods to keep your production of fighters running smooth. More or less, this is yet another bland idle game that brings nothing new to the table.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $99.99
Immortal: Reborn
Immortal: Reborn is an early access release that offers the fun and excitement of navigating endless menus in what is essentially a strategy-based auto-battle game. This means the game is light on graphics, only offering character portraits and a map as its graphics. The rest of the game is one giant menu after another, where you'll micromanage your team in an effort to auto-battle your way to glory. Of course, the title's devs surely didn't skimp on its in-app purchases like they did with the graphics. Gosh, I wonder why?
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $104.99
WTF Game Of The Week
Home Fighter
Home Fighter comes from hap Inc, a developer that has supplied us with many WTF games over the years, and Home Fighter is very similar in this regard. Much like in real life, playing with toys is an imaginative affair where any figurine could win, and so it will be your job to interact with the screen in order to pull off a few moves with your toys. So if you were a fan of smashing your toys together as a child to see which one could take a longer beating, Home Fighter recaptures this passing curiosity with the WTF release of Home Fighter.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
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