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 latest release in the PAKO racing series, the beta release for Rovio's latest Angry Birds title, and a fantastic shuffleboard game that offers strategic gameplay similar to chess. So without further ado, here are the new and notable Android games released during the week of September 7th, 2020.

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Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.

Games

PAKO Caravan

Android Police coverage: PAKO Caravan adds Snake mechanics to the popular racing series, out now

It's been a few years since the last PAKO racing game dropped, but now that PAKO Caravan is here, everyone is free to once-again cruise through the world of PAKO while avoiding objects and vehicles. This time around, the devs have inserted a Snake mechanic where you'll collect cars as you drive, which will line up behind you. Should you touch one of these collected cars, it's game over. So while the gameplay is familiar, it still offers a uniquely PAKO bend where you'll avoid objects and cars as long as possible.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $4.49 apiece

PAKO Caravan Developer: Tree Men Games
Price: Free
3.8
Download

Angry Birds Legends

Android Police coverage: Angry Birds Legends is a new card-based RPG from Rovio, now available in beta

Angry Birds Legends has finally entered into beta testing, but it would seem little has improved since the title's limited early access. This is still a clone of better games, and so it offers an extremely familiar experience where you'll collect cards to pull off moves in what is a lackluster mobile RPG. The game is loaded with in-app purchases, and it's bereft of fun thanks to buggy gameplay and played-out mechanics. Yet again, Rovio shows it's completely out of ideas as it shoves its Angry Birds brand into another generic game.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $99.99

Odie's Dimension II: Isometric puzzle android game

Odie's Dimension II is an isometric puzzler that looks a heck of a lot like Monument Valley. Coincidentally, the game plays similarly, too. So more or less, this is a beautiful puzzle game that offers a familiar experience where you'll interact with attractive stages in order to solve puzzles, and it's a perfect title for winding down at the end of a long day. The puzzles are fun, but also challenging, which should keep players busy for a while.

Monetization: $0.99 / no ads / no IAPs

Sasaya

Sasaya is the newest platformer from o3one kinetics, the creators of Access Code: Heaven and Chamber, two quality yet often unheard-of platformers. Sasaya primarily plays like a Metroidvania title, complete with backtracking for better equipment. So if you're a fan of pixel-based graphics as well as Metroidvania-like gameplay, then I wholeheartedly recommend Sasaya.

Monetization: $2.99 / no ads / no IAPs

Sasaya Developer: o3one kinetics
Price: 2.99
3.5
Download

OLO Loco

OLO Loco combines shuffleboard with chess for a unique experience that's great for family game night. There's even a new turn-based PvP online mode for those that prefer to play online. Skill and strategy are indeed required to play, so unlike most mobile games, there's plenty of depth here for those that love to master their games. Not only are there a bunch of different game modes to explore that all offer different rulesets, but the fact you can play locally or online ensures this is a versatile release that's perfect for play just about anywhere.

Monetization: $3.99 / no ads / no IAPs

OLO Loco Developer: Rogue Games, Inc.
Price: 3.99
2.8
Download

Crux

Crux is a wall-climbing game, and at first blush, I expected a casual affair with simplistic mechanics, but boy, was I wrong. At its core, this is a puzzle game, with correct paths to discover, and should you linger for too long as you search for your next hold, you'll lose your grip, which provides the title with some urgency. Even better, users can design their own routes to share with friends, which helps with this release's longevity. Seriously, I was pleasantly surprised by Crux, so it's definitely worth checking out if you're looking for a game that requires skill to play.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Crux Developer: Mindgames Studios
Price: Free
4.2
Download

The Adoraboos

The Adoraboos is an educational game for children, and with current events, I'm sure more than a few parents are looking for some solid educational tools during a time when homeschooling is much more relevant. While this game certainly won't replace a history book, the vocabulary building tools in this release may come in handy for your young ones, especially if they're uninterested in their current curriculum. At the very least, this collection of mini-games is free, so it's easily explored without spending a dime.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Words Out

Words Out is a new game from VOODOO, but unlike the majority of the publisher's casual catalog, Words Out is an actual game that requires skill and knowledge. The better your vocabulary, the better you'll perform in this game. You'll choose a single letter card from the bottom of the screen to place it in a blank field, where there are eight fields to fill for each of the game's four rows. You'll have to use up all of the cards provided by forming words, and the longer the word, the more points you'll earn. Of course, you could easily get stuck with an unfinished word as you try for length, which is where the game's challenge comes in. It's a well-thought-out design, though the game's frequent advertisements ensure it's an annoying experience.

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

Words Out Developer: Y A QU A production
Price: Free
3.4
Download

Raziel: Dungeon Arena

Raziel: Dungeon Arena is an early access release, and it's basically an action RPG in the vein of Diablo. Bosses appear to be used more prevalently, and for some reason, there's also a hero collection aspect, because no one said monetizing cash-grabs would come easy. So yes, the game's graphics are great, but as always, excellent graphics are typically a signal that the rest of the game will offer a greedy and tedious grind, and Raziel: Dungeon Arena does not disappoint in this regard.

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

Mousebusters

Mousebusters is an adorable story-based adventure game that offers simple mechanics that allow you to navigate the pleasant tale. By simply tapping on the screen, you'll progress the story. Much like a point and click adventure game, users can talk to characters and interact with objects, and while this is a free-to-play release, you can remove the titles ads through in-app purchases. Luckily if you want to play the entirety of the game for free, you now can, all thanks to a recent update, you'll just have to put up with those annoying ads.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $10.99

Mousebusters Developer: Odencat
Price: Free
4.6
Download

Buck this Virus

Buck this Virus is an endless shooter where you'll gun down viruses, and since this is topical to current events, the developer has stated that any profits earned will go towards charities (listed here). But since this is a new game, that's simply a promise from an unknown dev, so the skeptic in me says to take that offer with a grain of salt. After all, there are no guarantees in life, though I would like to think that helping those in need is a worthy cause that a fledgling dev wouldn't take advantage of.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $11.99

Buck this Virus Developer: digiggle
Price: Free
Download

Stickman Revenge 4: Epic War

I don't know what it is about these stickman games, but there are a bunch of mobile devs out there pumping them out like water. This particular release is the fourth entry in Bravestars Games' Stickman titles, and just like the rest, it's a heavily monetized title that offers simplistic (not to mention cheap) black graphics for the foreground and all characters. It plays like an endless runner, where you start over again each time you die, pushing people towards the game's many IAPs to alleviate this irritating design choice.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $48.99

Abyssrium World: Tap Tap Fish

FLERO Games already offers a few Abyssrium titles, and this is the latest release in the franchise. Much like the previous games, you'll tap your way through a gorgeous ocean ecosystem by decorating the world around you while micromanaging the fish that live there. Basically, this is a relaxing idle game, though the title's in-app purchases surely don't lend themselves well to that claim. If you're the sort that can ignore IAPs, then you may find some fun with this release.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $89.99

Kingdomtopia: The Idle King

Kingdomtopia: Idle Animal Tycoon is indeed an idle game, and since we covered its early access release a few months back, the game is listed once again for its official launch. Much like any idle game, it will be your job to grow your numbers while micromanaging your upgrades, which means the majority of your time will be spent in the title's menus while the game plays itself. While this is wholly uninteresting to me, I'm guessing there's a reason so many idle games are released on the Play Store. People seem to like them, though I have no idea why.

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

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