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 soft-launch of a new Rick and Morty game from Adult Swim, a new rhythm game from Atari, and a gorgeous puzzler that serves as the sequel to Krystopia: A Puzzle Journey. So without further ado, here are the new and notable Android games released during the week of July 20th, 2020.
Please wait for this page to load in full in order to see the widgets, which include ratings and pricing info.
Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.
Games
Rick and Morty: Clone Rumble
Android Police coverage: Rick and Morty: Clone Rumble is a new gacha game coming to Android, already available in select regions
Rick and Morty: Clone Rumble popped up on the Play Store this week, but it's currently in testing in select territories, and so most readers won't be able to play just yet. Much like the last Rick and Morty mobile game from Adult Swim, this is a gacha game, and so you're with collecting all sorts of characters from the show in order to battle your way to victory. After all, the game looks as though it plays like the majority of RPGs on the Play Store, and so tapping on buttons to perform attacks in round-based battles is the gist of what this game has to offer, which looks like a snooze to me.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $99.99
Beat Legend: AVICII
Android Police coverage: Beat Legend: AVICII is the first game in a new rhythm series from Atari
Beat Legend: AVICII is a new rhythm game from Atari, and it offers 15 tracks from the late DJ and producer AVICII. This is a premium release, so after paying $2.99, you won't have to worry about any in-app purchases or advertisements. As far as gameplay is concerned, the title plays like the majority of mobile rhythm games out there, where you'll time your taps when the notes line up with the circular buttons at the bottom of the screen. It's a simple setup, but it's a fun one, so if you enjoy rhythm games, Beat Legend: AVICII is one of the better offerings on the Play Store.
Monetization: $2.99 / contains ads / no IAPs
Tales of the Black Death - France
Tales of the Black Death is a mobile adventure game series that offers an odd theme, surviving the plague. There will be three titles in total for this series, and the first is an adventure that takes place in Italy, and of course, France was released this week. The planned England adventure still doesn't have a release date yet, but I would imagine part 3 will come after this week's release (France) has had some time to shine. More or less, you'll get to roleplay what it was like to try and survive the black plague, which is a dark theme, but despite what you're thinking, these are enjoyable adventure games.
Monetization: $2.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Arrog
Arrog is a weird new game published by Playdigious, and it plays like a puzzler, though since nothing in the title is explained, exploration is the key to success in this release. Sadly Arrog is a short game, so it's basically a title that's one and done. Whether or not such a short release is worth the asking price will be fairly personal, though, for me, I enjoyed the game and felt it was worth the money I spent, especially since the title is currently on sale in celebration of its release.
Monetization: $2.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Krystopia: Nova's Journey
Krystopia: Nova's Journey is a gorgeous puzzle game where you'll move room to room as you solve puzzles, much like an escape room game, and this is the sequel to Krystopia: A Puzzle Journey, a well-received puzzler in its own right. Today's followup offers a typical setup, but the real draw is the fantastic art more so than the game's puzzles, and you can see why in the screenshots below. As you progress, you'll uncover more and more of the mystery surrounding the game's world, and there is a worthwhile story here, which ensures the game's world is a joy to explore.
Monetization: $4.99 / no ads / no IAPs
Polytopia Alpha
Polytopia Moonrise is an upcoming release from the creator of Battle of Polytopia, and since this sequel has been built from the ground up, the developer is currently testing an alpha on the Play Store. The Play Store description for this title states that the "app will only be available to alpha testers," so if you'd like to join in on the fun, you'll probably want to check out the Polytopia alpha Discord to see if you can grab a spot as a tester.
Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs
Stealth Master
Stealth Master is a simple stealth game where you'll sneak around, disable guards, climb things, all in an effort to complete your stealthy mission. As you progress, you'll unlock new skins, though the title is somewhat advertisement heavy, so that's something to keep in mind since there is currently no way to pay to remove these ads.
Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs
Farewell - Roguelike Platform Shooter
Farewell is labeled as a roguelike platforming shooter, which is an apt description, though it doesn't really explain how this game plays. Essentially this is a Downwell clone, a falling platformer with a huge following in its own right. Clearly, the name Farewell is the first clue that this title is a clone, but luckily the title's gameplay holds up despite the iffy nature of Farewell's familiar mechanics.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $0.99 apiece
Agent from C.O.G.O.O. (Minesweeper)
Agent from C.O.G.O.O. is a Minesweeper game that offers over 500 levels, and many of these levels are based around the shape of a country, leaning into the game's spy theme. There are three difficulties to choose from, which means everyone's skill level should be covered. So if you're looking for a new Minesweeper game to play through, Agent from C.O.G.O.O. is a solid choice for just about any gamer.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $1.99
Unexpected
Unexpected is an interactive puzzler that offers a relaxing experience, not to mention multiple endings that branch across sixteen different stories. With time and some deep thinking, these stories will reveal themselves to be more frightening than they first appear. This means the longer you play, the more of the creepy story you'll reveal. So those that choose to sink some time into this puzzler will get the most out of it.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $3.99
Semi Heroes 2: Endless Battle RPG Offline Game
Semi Heroes 2: Endless Battle RPG Offline Game comes from DIVMOB, and it's an early access release. Essentially this is an RPG-based idle game, but it's one you can play offline, though it still contains numerous in-app purchases. The RPG aspects can be fun, thanks to the way you can level up your skills, but again, this is an idle game, so constantly leveling up your crew isn't really a unique mechanic.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $49.99
Arkheim – Realms at War: The MMO Strategy War Game
Arkheim – Realms at War: The MMO Strategy War Game is described as an MMO, but really it's a card game stuffed with familiar gameplay mechanics from titles like Clash of Clans. That's right. You'll have to build up a settlement into a thriving city, all while battling your enemies in card-based battles. Worse yet, this unoriginal game is stuffed with in-app purchases, despite the fact it's an early access release, which means the game isn't even finished. Funny, for something even the developer admits isn't ready for prime time, it sure is odd that it's already monetized.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $79.99
Real Moto 2
Real Moto 2 is the sequel to Dreamplay Games Real Moto motorcycle racing game, and much like the original, you can expect to race on various tracks on your favorite motorbikes. As you would expect, Real Moto 2 is a free-to-play release, so expect a lengthy grind wall once you're an hour or so into the game. Oddly enough, user reviews mention that the graphics have been toned down compared to the first title, so it would seem you'll have to be okay with a graphical downgrade if you'd like to play the latest release in the series.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $89.99
V4
V4 is a new MMO from Nexon, and it mostly looks like a sequel to Black Desert Mobile since the graphics are so similar, even though it's not. Of course, much like Black Desert Mobile, V4 is yet another MMO with auto-pathing and auto-combat, which means you won't actually play this release, but instead, you'll spend your time micromanaging the title's menu system, which is very similar to every idle game in existence. So sure, this title looks fantastic, but it's also incredibly dull, not to mention, stuffed with greedy monetization. Thanks, Nexon, for yet another unimaginative clone.
Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $99.99
WinWing
WinWing is a top-down roguelike shooter that sports cartoony graphics, and tons of hectic shooting action. Like most roguelikes, there's infinite replayability here, but that's not to say the game won't grow tiring with time since you'll still perform the same actions repeatedly. More or less, if you enjoy top-down shooters, there's some fun to be had here, but since this is a free-to-play release, the monetization is awful, so at best, this is a game that's only fun to explore before the grind wall kicks in.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $99.99
Landlord GO - Money & Property Business Simulator
Landlord GO is a property ownership and money-making sim that's already racked up hundreds of thousands of installs upon release thanks to a lengthy testing phase. So while this is a new release, it's actually been around for a while, which is how you can boast big numbers in your press releases if you choose to treat your games as though they are always unfinished. Despite the annoying launch method of what is clearly a casual game monetized to the hilt, this title offers a new augmented reality mode, though it sure is odd to see a new feature added to a title that was supposedly released on the same day, blurring the lines even further between updates and official releases.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $99.99
Merge Cats : Land of Adventures
Merge Cats : Land of Adventures is another early access release, and much like the game of Threes or 2048, your job will be to combine items, but since this is a level-based game, you'll combine items in order to move on to the next level. Clearly, this title offers adorable art, and luckily the gameplay holds up, though sadly, the title is monetized to the hilt, which is why I can't recommend this release. For such a simple game, there's no reason for the IAPs to reach as high as they do other than developer greed.
Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $124.99
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.
1 sponsored placement per week is available (your app would be featured at the top and marked as sponsored) - please contact us for details.