Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android games that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. Today's list is broken up into several segments, ranging from best, average, to mediocre. So whether you're looking for the best games of quality or are simply looking for the latest free-to-play gacha titles, you're covered. This week I have the early access release for a mobile adaptation of Magic: The Gathering, a new Slashy puzzler from Blue Wizard Digital, and the latest gacha cash-grab from Square Enix. So without further ado, here are the new and notable Android games released during the last week.

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Looking for the previous roundup editions? Find them here.

Best Games

Titles that offer fair pricing, enjoyable gameplay, polished interfaces, or are intriguing

Magic: The Gathering Arena

Android Police coverage: Magic: The Gathering Arena enters early access on Android

While it's surprising that Magic: The Gathering has been absent on mobile all of this time, now that the game has finally made its way to Android, it's clear Arena offers gameplay comparable to the PC app. This way, mobile users can pick up where they left off while they are out and about. So if you're a fan of MtG, or are looking for a good place to start, the early access release for Magic: The Gathering Arena is a great place to pick up the basics. The game eases players into its mechanics with a useful tutorial, plus you won't have to worry about buying packs of physical cards just to learn the ropes.

Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $4.99 - $19.99

Slashy Camp

Slashy Camp comes from the creators of Slayaway Camp, one of my favorite puzzle games from 2017. As you can imagine, I was hyped to hear that there was a new game from this developer, though I can't say yet another endless runner on the Play Store piqued my interest all that much. Luckily this release retains many of the components that made the first title so popular, such as smartly sliding around a level in order to kill campers. Really, the endless running mechanic simply serves to make this game endless as you try your best to kill as many people as you can in each run. I'm also happy to see that the game is monetized fairly.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $0.99 apiece

pink

Pink is the latest puzzle game from Bart Bonte and is part of his colorful series of games. In this particular release, there are 50 puzzles to solve, and these are all logic puzzles, so you'll have to bring your thinking cap if you want to make it through this one. Hints are available if you get stuck, and if you prefer a premium experience, you can pay to remove the game's advertisements.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $1.99 apiece

pink Developer: Bart Bonte
Price: Free
4.9
Download

Mystic Hammer

Mystic Hammer is basically a Plants vs. Zombies clone, but it's a competent one, and it's made its way from PC to Android this week. So at its core, this plays like a tower defense game, where you'll protect each lane from the title's ever-encroaching enemies. There are 50 levels to explore, and thanks to a healthy dose of RPG mechanics, there's enough depth here to keep people busy for a while.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Mystic Hammer Developer: PozziSoft
Price: Free
5
Download

Average Games

Titles that may not be the best-of-the-best, but still offer fun and interesting mechanics

Micetopia

Micetopia may offer excellent graphics for a mobile Metroidvania title, but sadly the gameplay suffers thanks to too much backtracking and other short-sighted design choices. Since this is a port that's only new to Android, reviews are out there, and they aren't very positive, and after playing for a bit, I have to say I agree. It would seem this is just another no-name indie Metroidvania title recently ported to Android. Luckily the asking price isn't that bad, and since this is a premium release that sports a low price, it's not like gambling on this title will break the bank. Just don't go in expecting a groundbreaking Metroidvania, and you'll probably have an alright time.

Monetization: $3.99 / no ads / no IAPs

Micetopia Developer: Crescent Moon Games
Price: 3.99
2.6
Download

321 Shootout

321 Shootout is a pleasant looking first-person arena-based shooter. It offers fast action, which requires quick reflexes, as you would expect of an arena shooter. So if you've been waiting to scratch your twitch shooter itch on mobile, 321 Shootout is a fine choice this week. Best of all, it's appropriately monetized, so you won't have to worry about abusive in-app purchases. While it's clear that this is an indie affair that could use a bit more polish, the game is free, so everyone can take a look if they want.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $0.99 apiece

321 Shootout Developer: Criss Cross Games
Price: Free
3.4
Download

GameApart: Taking Game Night Digital

GameApart is an older release, but since I've yet to cover it, I figured now is a great time to highlight a title that offers a mini-game collection that can be played with friends and family remotely over apps like Skype and Meet. This release works a lot like the Jackbox titles, where the app handles the gaming content, with everyone participating in the game through a locally installed version of the app, all while utilizing some form of communication through a separate app. While some bugs are still present, such as ads interrupting your sessions, the developers are working on these issues.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $4.99

HIDDEN LANDS - Visual Puzzles

Hidden Lands is a colorful puzzle game where you'll be tasked with spotting the difference between two pictures while diving into a few hidden object mechanics. So yes, this is a simple game, but it looks nice, and there's some fun to be had as you make your way through the title's 100 quests. Sadly the game's ads can be annoying, and the lack of an introduction will leave a few people guessing what it is they are supposed to be doing, not that it's all that difficult to figure things out quickly.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $9.99

HIDDEN LANDS - Visual Puzzles Developer: AVIX
Price: Free
3.7
Download

Mediocre Games

Titles that are buggy, unpolished, or offer aggressive monetization

DRAGON QUEST TACT

Android Police coverage: Dragon Quest Tact is the latest gacha game from Square Enix, now available on Android

Dragon Quest Tact is an older game that's existed in Japan for some time, but it only just received an English release this week. Since this is an older title, its age shows, especially since this is a dated gacha game that hardly stacks up to the new king Genshin Impact, though if you're a hardcore Dragon Quest nut, perhaps you'll enjoy the theme. Of course, you'll have to deal with greedy monetization and poor gameplay balancing, a staple of games like this that Dragon Quest Tact does not avoid.

Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $79.99

DRAGON QUEST TACT Developer: SQUARE ENIX Co.,Ltd.
Price: Free
4.3
Download

BLESS MOBILE

Bless is the latest MMO to see a mobile interpretation released on the Play Store, and just like this rest, this is an auto-play cash grab, where many Play Store reviews mention that the game is already off to a rough start in the US. So not only is this an older title that's just made its way stateside it also suffers from the constant server shuffle that plagues similar titles. Essentially this title brings nothing new to the table, and it repeats the same mistakes as the rest, making for yet another mobile MMO that's easily skipped.

Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $79.99

Stellar Hunter

Stellar Hunter is a new release that we covered last year when it was in early access. This is a space-themed RPG with roguelike mechanics, and while these are terms are often used to describe just about every Android game ever made, it's no surprise to see that this title also plays just like the rest. This means you'll tap your moves at the bottom of the screen as a team of 4 explore strange planets while constantly battling alien enemies. As you would expect, Stellar Hunter is monetized poorly, and it's still buggy despite the recent stable release.

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

Infinity Kingdom

Infinity Kingdom labels itself as an MMO strategy game but seeing that this is a mobile title, that's all fluff that doesn't accurately describe what this game offers. In reality, this is a PvP-focused title that changes servers on an almost monthly basis. As a matter of fact, whales can simply camp the game's servers, which means free players aren't going to be having a good time as cannon fodder for these rich camping whales. It's painfully clear this game is pay to win.

Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $99.99

Hero Craft

Hero Craft is a new voxel game that plays as a sandbox RPG, but each dungeon is procedurally generated, so this is also a roguelite. Each dungeon dive will reward you with the items necessary to slowly upgrade your character and their equipment so that you'll eventually be powerful enough to make your way through the more challenging content. Sadly the game is monetized poorly, and since the voxel design is about as lazy as you can get in the world of indie game design, it's clear this is a cash grab created to entice fans of Minecraft.

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

WTF Game Of The Week

Titles that make you say "WTF"

Save The Baby!

Save The Baby is an absolutely ridiculous game where you're tasked with, you guessed it, saving a baby from harmful situations, such as gouging its eyeballs out with a traffic cone. You know, regular everyday situations babies get themselves into. As you can see from the pics below, this release is basically a lazy asset flip, but it's the premise that truly shines. After all, who wouldn't want to spend their time ensuring that the baby they've for some odd reason allowed to crawl across the street won't get creamed by 2-ton vehicles? Clearly, the parents of this baby are criminally irresponsible with their youngster, which makes this a perfect WTF listing.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

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