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 a story-based adventure that takes place on a beautiful low-poly island, the arrival of the latest Crash Drive sandbox racer, and a quirky action-adventure game where you'll swim around the ocean as a low-poly fish. 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

Embracelet

After a brief tease last week, Embracelet has now officially landed on Android. This is a story-rich adventure game that offers a slick low-poly style that fits well with the theme of the Norwegian island you're tasked with exploring. It's more slice of life game than an adventure title, though there's some unique storytelling included. Just keep in mind this isn't a game for kids. It's more a title for teens and adults with a few grown-up themes. So don't let the simple graphics fool you. All in all, this is an enjoyable point-and-click adventure that should last most players four to five hours.

Monetization: $7.99 / no ads / no IAPs

Embracelet Developer: machineboy
Price: 7.99
Download

Crash Drive 3

Crash Drive 3 is the sequel to M2H's Crash Drive 2, and it offers cross-platform multiplayer racing in a large open world. Essentially the game is a large sandbox that players are free to explore, with a heavy dose of multiplayer racing to break up the game's exploration elements. Crash Drive 3 isn't optimized the best quite yet, so high-end hardware is recommended if you plan on playing at any length. At the very least, if you like what you see, you can unlock the full title through an in-app purchase.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs ?

Crash Drive 3: Car Stunting Developer: M2H
Price: Free
4.3
Download

Little Fin

Little Fin is an enjoyable action-adventure game where you'll navigate as a fish through all sorts of ocean environments. The graphics are low-poly but still manage to look pleasant. While the touch controls can be iffy at times, with chase scenes being one of the more aggravating sections, things are still fun enough to take this game for a spin to see if it floats your boat.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $1.99 apiece

Little Fin Developer: NEUTRONIZED
Price: Free
3.1
Download

Average Games

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

Captain TNT

Hell must have frozen over, as VOODOO has actually published a game that doesn't star generic stickmen. This is still a casual release, but you'll get to toss TNT at houses to watch as their walls explode and crumble. This is a somewhat satisfying mechanic for a casual game that's easy enough for anyone to pick up, though ads are numerous. Luckily these ads can be removed through an in-app purchase, so if you like what you see, then you can play this as a premium experience once you pony up some cash.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $6.99

Captain TNT Developer: VOODOO
Price: Free
4.2
Download

Live Cycling Manager 2021

If you couldn't tell by the name, Live Cycling Manager 2021 is indeed a cycling management game. You'll start out with a weak team that you'll have to manage in order to find success, but this won't come easy. While the game's menus are easy to navigate, the graphics when riding offer cave-man-like character designs, plus the lack of sound shows this developer definitely needs to hire a designer or two. Still, if you're big into cycling, then you may get a kick out of the management mechanics in this release. At the very least, the in-app purchases aren't bad.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $5.49

Hexagon Block Arts

Hexagon Block Arts is a simple game where you complete pictures by adding colored hexagons to the screen. You're provided an example picture, and then it's up to you to recreate that image. While this is a very casual game, it is totally free and does not contain any advertisements. So if you're looking for something super simple to pass the time, perhaps Hexagon Block Arts will tickle your fancy.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Mediocre Games

Titles that are buggy, unpolished, or offer aggressive monetization

Swing Fighter

Swing Fighter is just like the other swing fighting games on the Play Store. You'll constantly swing your weapon to move and attack, where surviving as long as possible is your goal. Of course, death is a constant, and you'll be served plenty of ads every time you die. Too many ads, in my opinion, it's annoying, and since there's no way to remove these ads, this is a game that's tough to recommend.

Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs

Shooting Car 3D

Shooting Car 3D might be an awfully generic name, but it's accurate, as that's what you'll be doing in this release. This is an on-rails shooter, where you'll trade bullets with the many enemies following behind the truck bed you're riding in. Sadly the game is built chiefly around its in-app purchases, which are lofty, and so no skill is required to play, which is why you can't even aim when you shoot. This is a game built to suck up money and deliver ads, which is why this title is in the mediocre section of today's list.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $49.99

Atelier Online: Alchemist of Bressisle

Having played a few Atelier games on the Nintendo Switch, I can confidently say Alchemist of Bressisle is trash. This is a gacha game, and an old one at that, though it just made its way West now that Atelier Ryza and its sequel have boosted the popularity of this slice-of-life RPG series. This is why Alchemist of Bressisle is packed with greedy in-app purchases, and it's also why the game doesn't even scale to different screen sizes. It's an old cash grab designed to take advantage of fans of the series, and it's a lazy one to boot.

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

Rage of Destiny

Rage of Destiny offers similar gameplay to AFK Arena but with flashier graphics. Of course, the game is monetized horribly, which is why your first pulls are all scripted, and why the title also offers a VIP system. That's right, this is a gacha game for whales, so unless you're looking to waste all kinds of money on the latest generic trash on the Play Store, then this is an easy title to skip.

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

Rage of Destiny Developer: IGG.COM
Price: Free
4.2
Download

MergeCrafter - Magical Merge World

MergeCrafter is an uncomplicated game that's all about merging voxel blocks. While there are already many merging games available on the Play Store, I do think it's pretty impressive that this title evolves as you merge, meaning you'll eventually reach puzzles where you'll merge in totally different environments, making for a nice change of pace as you work towards the end game. While we've covered this title in a previous roundup when it was still in testing, this week marks the official release. Sadly the developer saw fit to stuff MergeCrafter with as many in-app purchases as possible, ruining what could have been a fun game.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $199.99

MergeCrafter Magic Merge World Developer: Fiveamp
Price: Free
4.6
Download

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.

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