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 a fantastic digital adaptation of the Root board game, the official release for the match-3 title Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, and a delightful arcade game collection that offers tons of polish. So without further ado, here are the new and notable Android games released during the week of September 21st, 2020.

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Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.

Games

Root Board Game

Android Police coverage: Root is the latest board game adaptation from Dire Wolf Digital, now available on the Play Store

Root Board Game comes from Dire Wolf Digital, a studio that knows a thing or two about porting physical board games to the digital world. As you would expect, Root is a popular tabletop game that has already amassed several expansions, and seeing that it's so popular, an enterprising dev has created a digital version for mobile, and I must say, the port is excellent. Not only is the art fantastic, but the UI is clean, and controls work as expected. So if you're a fan of the physical version, you're going to enjoy the digital adaptation.

Monetization: $9.99 / no ads / no IAPs

Root Board Game Developer: Dire Wolf Digital
Price: 9.99
4.8
Download

Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells

Android Police coverage: Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells is the latest cash-grab from Zynga, now available on the Play Store

Lazy cash grabs are Zynga's bread and butter, and so the studio has secured the rights to the Harry Potter license to reskin one of its many match-3 titles. The result is precisely what you would expect, an unbalanced and mindless casual game that gates progression behind scarce powerups. On top of this, the game is also buggy despite being officially released this week. But don't you worry, the title's monetization is fully up and running, which shows everyone Zynga's intent with this release. Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells is a cash grab through and through.

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

Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells Developer: Zynga
Price: Free
4.8
Download

Breaking Gates – 2D Action Platformer

As the title claims, Breaking Gates is a 2D action-based platformer, and it absolutely looks great in action. The cartoon art is adorable and animated quite well. On top of this, the game supports external controllers, though the touch controls aren't too shabby either. Even better, this is a premium release, so what you see is what you get, which is appreciated.

Monetization: $2.99 / no ads / no IAPs

Breaking Gates Developer: Ylun Games
Price: 0.99
4.2
Download

The Pocket Arcade

The Pocket Arcade is just that, an actual arcade in your pocket. This means you'll get to virtually explore a neon-lit arcade as you search for games to play, which is the highlight of this release, its presentation. Of course, there are plenty of different games to choose from, ranging from classic titles to games that would easily fit within a 16-bit library. So no matter your tastes, there's enough content here for everyone.

Monetization: $3.99 / no ads / no IAPs

The Pocket Arcade Developer: Rogue Games, Inc.
Price: 0.99
2.9
Download

Gravity Trigger

Gravity Trigger is clearly inspired by VVVVV, but that's not necessarily a bad thing since this game is pretty fun to play. Much like its inspiration, you'll platform your way through some wickedly-difficult levels, and yes, you can flip your gravity to work your way through the game's obstacles. Best of all, this is a free release supported by ads, so anyone can check it out of they think it looks interesting.

Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs

Gravity Trigger Developer: Trigger Dev
Price: Free
Download

Jumping Shot

Jumping Shot is something of a simple game, but it still requires skill. It will be your job to jump around each stage in an effort to shoot your enemies, and your timing will have to be on point if you plan on getting far. You see, you have to shoot your enemies as you spin-jump over them, and you can only hit them if you're lined up perfectly, which is challenging to time. So while this is a one-finger game, you'll have to know what you're doing to make any progression, making for an enjoyable but somewhat shallow challenge.

Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs

Terafyn

Terafyn is labeled as an episodic collectible card adventure, and it offers an odd spinning mechanic for its battles. So not only will you have to build a useful deck to better take on your foes, your timing better be on point, or else your cards won't get you through each battle. This makes for an interesting way to tackle a card game, though I doubt this title will reach mass appeal thanks to its unique gameplay.

Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs $1.99 apiece

Terafyn Developer: South Gale
Price: Free
3.7
Download

Golf Skies

As a sucker for golf games, I just had to take Golf Skies for a spin. This is a title that combines the joys of miniature golf with an orbital gravity game. This means you'll putt your way around each course's planets/orbs in order to sink your shot, which adds a bit of challenge to the standard miniature golf title. While this release doesn't offer the most in-depth golfing experience out there, there's a fair bit of fun here if you're looking for something a little more casual.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $3.49

Vampire: The Masquerade — Night Road

Vampire: The Masquerade is a tabletop RPG series that has had several video games created from its lore. Vampire: The Masquerade — Night Road is the latest title to take advantage of this license, and it's a text-based game that plays like a choose your own adventure. As luck would have it, the writing is excellent, and thanks to a plethora of customization options for your character, each experience is unique. So if you're a fan of text-based adventure games, or simply love the license and its stories, Vampire: The Masquerade — Night Road is definitely worth a look.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $7.99

Dungeon Warriors!

Dungeon Warriors is an early access release, and it's a simple hack and slash game that offers graphics similar to that of a Nintendo 3DS title. This gives the title an appealing look that would fit right at home on a Nintendo console, though the title's level-based play leaves something to be desired. Perhaps more polish and content will get this title where it needs to be, so I'm hopeful the early access moniker is a sign of better things to come, though the current monetization leaves me feeling trepidatious.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $39.99

DragonFlight

DragonFlight is an older game that, for a time, offered English within the title, but that language was removed, angering English fans. Well, a year later, it would seem the dev has released an English patch, and so the game was officially launched this week across the globe. Sadly it hasn't aged that well in the last year, and so its graphics are already showing their age. Still, there's a bit of fun to be had in this top-down shooter, though the monetization isn't the best.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $42.99

DragonFlight Developer: LineGames
Price: Free
3.9
Download

Battle Tank2

Battle Tank2 is the sequel to Springcomes' Battle Tank, and much like the original, you'll spend your time collecting and upgrading tanks in order to supply the most damage possible. This means you'll play 3v3 battles against online opponents, and as you would expect, your goal is to destroy your opponent's base. Of course, you'll have to put up with numerous advertisements if you'd like to play, not that you'll have an easy time finding anyone to play with since the game's servers are empty.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $69.99

Battle Tank2 Developer: springpocket
Price: Free
2.3
Download

BTS Universe Story

The Bangtan Boys, better known as BTS, is a popular South Korean boy band, and guess what, Netmarble has published a game that stars the group. Players will get to take part in an evolving story of their own creation, entirely centered around the boy band. While the game's content isn't anything I'd spend my time playing (didn't boy bands die out in the '90s?), at the very least, the story-creation gameplay is kind of intriguing. So if you'd like to direct your own adventure with BTS, this is the game for you.

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

Bangbang Rabbit!

Bangbang Rabbit plays like a brawler, and so you'll work your way through the game's stages as you slice and dice your enemies. As you progress, you'll unlock new skills that'll help you through the game's tougher levels, and with so many skills on offer, you can create your own custom combos, which really elevates the title's gameplay. So for once, there's a brawler on mobile that actually offers some depth, though the game's IAPs definitely saddle what could have been a great game, so make sure to set your expectations before you jump in.

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

Bangbang Rabbit! Developer: 91Act.com
Price: Free
3.7
Download

Endless Abyss

Endless Abyss is a single-player role-playing card battle game that entered into early access this week, and yet the title also entered into early access in September of 2019. Clearly the game is struggling to find its legs, which is hardly a surprise for an IAP-laden grind-fest. You'll start out with the default deck, and as you advance, you'll be able to upgrade and acquire new cards to build a powerful team. Roguelike gameplay is expected, and there are fifty separate random events sprinkled throughout to keep things interesting. Just make sure to watch out for the title's excessive in-app purchases.

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

Grand Alliance

Grand Alliance comes from Crunchyroll Games, a newish studio from the publisher that's famous for its anime streaming service. As you would expect, the company has been focusing on its anime brands, and yet Grand Alliance is actually its own thing, with no previous works in the brand. Sadly Crunchyroll Games has set its sights on whale hunting, and so this free-to-play RPG is stuffed with greedy monetization, and worse yet, the game's animation is horrible, which indeed seems odd for a company known for its anime content. I guess this lazy cash grab isn't off to a great start.

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

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