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 long-awaited arrival of Crypt of the NecroDancer, a fresh new solo card game from CD Projekt Red, and the official launch for the popular MMO RuneScape Mobile. 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

Crypt of the NecroDancer

Android Police coverage: Crypt of the NecroDancer is finally available on Android, five years after the iOS release

It took five years for Crypt of the NecroDancer to make its way from iOS to Android, but now that it's here, I can confidently say the wait was worth it. This is a solid port with three separate touch-control options, and it also offers controller support. You can even play the game on Chromebooks since the game is optimized for Google's laptops. All around, this rhythm-based roguelike is very versatile. Of course, this is a challenging game, but there's tons of content, so you can rest assured this is a release you can play for years to come.

Monetization: $4.99 / no ads / no IAPs

The Witcher Tales: Thronebreaker

Android Police coverage: The Witcher Tales: Thronebreaker is a single-player spin-off of the card game Gwent, out now

The Witcher Tales: Thronebreaker is essentially a single-player version of Gwent, CD Projekt Red's popular PvP card game. This is a premium release, and you can try it before you buy. If you like what you see, then you can unlock the full copy for $9.99 through the only in-app purchase included in the title. Thronebreaker is a demanding game, and so high-end hardware is definitely recommended, but even then, expect a few bugs and stutters since this title could use just a bit more polish for its Android debut.

Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs $9.99 apiece

Thronebreaker Developer: CD PROJEKT S.A.
Price: Free
3.7
Download

RuneScape - Open World Fantasy MMORPG

Android Police coverage: After years of teasing, RuneScape is finally available on Android

RuneScape was initially announced for mobile back in 2018. For the last couple of years, people have been able to play the Android version as long as they were subscribers, but as of this week, the game is now available to all. This is a sandbox MMO, and it is monetized heavily, so much so that the optional sub is recommended, which will run players $10.99 a month. Sadly this port doesn't run very well at the moment, so it's hard to justify subscribing if you're only going to play on mobile. But as a supplementary platform, the Android port will assuredly come in handy when looking to grind AFK.

Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $109.99

MAZEMAN

Mazeman was released on Android this week, and it comes from Crescent Moon Games. This is a slick title that combines the fun of Bomberman with a procedurally generated arcade game full of baddies. This is a premium release, and there are tons of characters to collect, which means you'll have a good bit of content to grind through to unlock them all. Thankfully the grind is balanced well, which is why this title is so much fun. If you're a big fan of classic arcade games, you're going to want to check this out.

Monetization: $2.99 / no ads / no IAPs

MAZEMAN Developer: Crescent Moon Games
Price: 2.99
4.6
Download

Escape Lab

Escape Lab is an escape room game with a twist. It's made for two players. While the game's connection works online, you can play in person, though you also have the option to communicate over a phone call as you play. The game indeed requires cooperation to solve its puzzles, with a playtime that should last an hour or more. It's an enjoyable title if you have a buddy to play with, so don't miss out.

Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs $0.99 apiece

◭ Intergalactic Interpreter ◮

Intergalactic Interpreter is a fun little narrative game where you'll continually choose from two answers to advance the story. It's a simple and familiar setup, and thankfully the game's writing is on point. The theme revolves around a mediator that's helping the president and an alien communicate, with a goal to avoid war between the aliens and humans. Best of all, Intergalactic Interpreter is free, so there's no harm in checking it out.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Average Games

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

RPG Armed Emeth

RPG Armed Emeth is the latest RPG from Kemco, and just like the rest of the developer's catalog, this is a premium game that contains many in-app purchases. Luckily these in-app purchases are optional. There is also a free version available that contains ads if you'd like to try before you buy. So if you've been looking for a fresh yet generic RPG to play, I suppose RPG Armed Emeth can fill that void. Just don't expect anything groundbreaking or unique. At best, this is a time-waster in RPG form.

Monetization: $7.99 / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $49.99

[Premium] RPG Armed Emeth Developer: KEMCO
Price: 2.99
4.1
Download

Friends Mart Rush

Friends Mart Rush is a simple endless runner that offers a cute theme. You'll fill the role of an adorable teddy bear perusing the isles of stores, and the goal is to grab as many items as possible while dodging obstacles. So far, there isn't much content, so you only have a few skins to collect. Hopefully, the developer has plans to add more content so the game doesn't stagnate.

Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs

Mediocre Games

Titles that are buggy, unpolished, or offer aggressive monetization

OOTP Baseball Go!

OOTP Baseball Go is the mobile interpretation of the Out of the Park Baseball simulation/management series on PC, but unlike its inspiration, Go is filled with in-app purchases. That's right, instead of releasing a worthwhile game that offers fun in exchange for skillful planning, Go is a blatant cash grab, and worse yet, it's also really buggy. The game crashes way too often, but of course, why would that matter when this dev is already notorious for releasing buggy games on PC that are rarely ever fixed. So it would seem Go offers the worst of both worlds, all of the bugs from PC and all of the horrible monetization expected of a mobile release. What a waste.

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

Trap Master: Merge Defense

Trap Master: Merge Defense is basically a tower defense game. You'll set up traps and weapons inside of side-scrolling corridors, all to ensure nobody reaches your treasure. While this setup can be fun, the game is monetized aggressively, and for something so simple, it's simply not worth spending a dime, which makes this an easy title to skip unless you're hard up for a tower defense game that doesn't respect the player's time.

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

Trap Master: Merge Defense Developer: PlayHard.Lab
Price: Free
4.6
Download

Alchemy Stars: Aurora Blast

Alchemy Stars: Aurora Blast is the latest generic gacha SRPG to land on the Play Store, and just like the rest, this is a game filled with in-app purchases. While this game may look like a legit SRPG experience, it's not. Battles are either easy or impossible and so you'll grind or pay. Of course, paying doesn't actually guarantee you'll get what you want, which is why gacha games are often compared to gambling, because that's exactly what you'll be doing with your money. Oddly enough, the US version is monetized more heavily than other versions, showing exactly what the devs think of the US audience.

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

GODZILLA BATTLE LINE

TOHO Games must have been contracted to create a bunch of Godzilla games for the launch of the movie Godzilla vs. Kong, because this studio has pumped out three lackluster titles in short order, and Godzilla Battle Line is the latest to receive an English translation. As you would expect from a branded game released at a breakneck pace, this title isn't very polished even though it offers similar gameplay to Clash Royale and its many clones. Worse yet, it's difficult to find matches, so you'll mostly play against bots, which isn't very fun. This is also a cash grab filled with IAPs, because why advertise a movie when you can advertise a movie while making money through greedy gambling mechanics?

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $109.99

GODZILLA BATTLE LINE Developer: TOHO CO.,Ltd
Price: Free
4.5
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