About Matthew Sholtz
Matthew is the Games and Apps Editor at Android Police. He's been gaming since his first taste of a TI-99 at four years old. Matthew has been an Android user since the HTC Hero and has covered roundups, reviews, and daily mobile game news for over a decade. He's a person who holds a peculiar yet deep interest in all things to do with handheld gaming and constantly pushes to advance the state of the mobile industry beyond the bounds of its predatory monetization obsession.
Matthew is a furious nitpicker and something of an (albeit amusing) curmudgeon, a writer who can instantly find fault in just about anything, yet he chooses to wield this power for good from the comfort of his armchair to ensure the best Android games and apps aren't lost to obscurity.
Latest Articles
32 temporarily free and 61 on-sale apps and games for Monday
Don't miss out on the sales for Reigns, Riptide GP: Renegade, and Downwell
Welcome to Monday, everyone. It was a busy weekend, and so we have a huge list of sales today, including some awesome standouts. First up, there's a solid discount on Reigns, a slick card-based adventure where your choices matter. Next, I have a sale for Riptide GP: Renegade, an older wave racer that's still fun in 2021. Last but not least is a temporary price reduction for Downwell, a challenging platformer that's popular for a reason, it's fun. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold in order to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 32 temporarily free and 61 on-sale apps and games for the beginning of the week.
14 new Android games from the last week: The best, worst, and everything in between (10/3/21 -10/10/21)
Steam Highwayman, Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage, Dominion, plus more
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 an enjoyable and deep choose your own adventure, a testing release for a Hatsune Miku rhythm game, and the digital adaptation of a popular deck-building card game. So without further ado, here are the new and notable Android games released during the last week.
Kick the tires and light some fires, GTA: The Trilogy remasters confirmed for mobile
Who's ready to enjoy some Hot Coffee?
Rockstar has finally confirmed that the rumored Grand Theft Auto Trilogy (III, Vice City, and San Andreas) will be coming to a multitude of platforms later this year, including PC, Xbox, Playstation, and the Nintendo Switch. Android and iOS will also see the titles released on their respective stores, but this will take place sometime in 2022. Pricing is unknown, though more news is expected in the coming weeks.
16 temporarily free and 56 on-sale apps and games for Friday
Don't miss out on the sales for Bridge Constructor Portal, OK Golf, and Fotonica
Welcome to Friday, everyone. The weekend is almost here, and so it's time to check out the available app and game sales on the Play Store, including some fantastic standouts. First up is Bridge Constructor Portal, an enjoyable mashup of bridge construction and Valve's Portal mechanics. Next, I have OK Golf, one of the best golfing games on the platform. Last but not least is Fotonica, one of my personal favorites, a slick auto-runner that's reasonably challenging. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold in order to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 16 temporarily free and 56 on-sale apps and games for the end of the week.
12 temporarily free and 33 on-sale apps and games for Wednesday
Don't miss out on the sales for Evoland 2, Redsun RTS Premium, and Dariusburst -SP-
Welcome to Wednesday, everyone. It's a slow day for sales, but I still have some quality standouts to share with everyone. First up is a huge discount for Evoland 2, an excellent RPG that's easily worth a dollar. Next, I have a sale for Redsun RTS Premium, an older strategy game that still holds its own. Last but not least is a significant reduction in price for Dariusburst -SP-, an enjoyable shoot 'em up. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold in order to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 12 temporarily free and 33 on-sale apps and games for the middle of the week.
FarmVille 3 enters pre-registration in preparation for its global launch next month
Arriving November 4th on Android and iOS
Zynga has just announced that FarmVille will soon see a new release on mobile. This title is known as FarmVille 3, and just like the last two titles, it's a casual free-to-play farming sim. Tons of new characters are expected, along with new animals and an active weather system. Pre-registration starts today, with the release date set for November 4th, which is less than a month away.
26 temporarily free and 40 on-sale apps and games for Monday
Don't miss out on the sales for Hidden Through Time, 911 Operator, and Distraint 2
Welcome to Monday, everyone. Thanks to a busy weekend, I have a bunch of sales to share with everyone, including some excellent standouts. First up is Hidden Through Time, a delightful hidden object game. Next, I have 911 Operator, a popular simulation game where you'll fill the role of a 911 operator. Last but not least is Distraint 2, a psychological horror game that's perfect for the Halloween season. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold in order to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 26 temporarily free and 40 on-sale apps and games for the beginning of the week.
13 new Android games from the last week: The best, worst, and everything in between (9/26/21 -10/3/21)
Garena Free Fire MAX, DQ Dai: A Hero’s Bonds, Unicorns on Unicycles, plus more
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 an HD update for Garena Free Fire that's available in an all-new version, a new Dragon Quest gacha game, and a slick unicorn jousting game. So without further ado, here are the new and notable Android games released during the last week.
Welcome to the roundup of the best new Android applications and live wallpapers that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous two weeks or so. Today I have a new app from Google designed to help those with disabilities communicate, the arrival of a new health app from Samsung, and the launch of a gorgeous live wallpaper app. So without further ado, here are all of the new and notable Android apps released on the Play Store in the last two weeks.
19 temporarily free and 41 on-sale apps and games for Friday
Don't miss out on the sales for Agent A: A puzzle in disguise, The Escapists: Prison Escape, and This Is the Police
Welcome to Friday, everyone. Despite a slow week, I have some solid sales to share with everyone, including some notable standouts. First up is Agent A: A puzzle in disguise, a solid point and click puzzler. Next, I have The Escapists: Prison Escape, an enjoyable prison escape game that offers a sequel that's also on sale today. Last but not least is This Is the Police, a gritty cop drama where your choices indeed matter. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold in order to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 19 temporarily free and 41 on-sale apps and games for the end of the week.
13 temporarily free and 31 on-sale apps and games for Wednesday
Don't miss out on the sales for Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins, ReactionLab 2, and Burly Men at Sea
Welcome to Wednesday, everyone. Despite a slow week, I have some solid sales to share with everyone, including a few standouts. First up is a sale for Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins, an enjoyable and engaging lost-phone game. Next, I have a discount for ReactionLab 2, a fun sandbox game where you'll combine elements to watch their reactions. Last but not least is Burly Men at Sea, a highly polished narrative adventure. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold in order to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 13 temporarily free and 31 on-sale apps and games for the middle of the week.
Hands on with Battlefield Mobile alpha: Is this that hard or am I that bad?
A mobile shooter for the most hardcore of gamers?
With the success of Call of Duty Mobile, it was only a matter of time before Electronic Arts found someone to develop a mobile version of Battlefield. We've known since April that Battlefield Mobile was in development, with a fresh Play Store listing that popped up at the beginning of September. This listing was published in preparation for the first alpha test launched in Indonesia and the Philippines this past weekend. As you can imagine, gameplay videos have been leaking online, and it would seem EA forgot to region lock the game, which is how I was able to sideload the APK to record a 25-minute gameplay video at 1080p/60FPS. So if you'd like to take an extended first look at how the alpha for Battlefield Mobile is shaping up, I've got you covered.
Garena Free Fire MAX brings updated graphics to the popular PUBG clone
There's also a new patch available today
Garena Free Fire is an older arena shooter that aped PUBG's gameplay a year before PUBG Mobile was released on mobile platforms. As you can imagine, an arena shooter from 2017 that was rushed out the door to beat PUBG Mobile to market hasn't aged very well, and so the developer has updated the shooter with new HD graphics and gameplay optimizations. This newly-updated version is known as Garena Free Fire MAX, which is officially available starting today.
11 temporarily free and 25 on-sale apps and games for Monday
Don't miss out on the sales for Ashworld, Pandemia: Virus Outbreak, and Sudoku Ultimate
Welcome to Monday, everyone. It looks like things have cooled off since the weekend. Thankfully I still have some quality sales to share with everyone, including a few standouts. First up is a sale for Ashworld, an enjoyable action-adventure game from OrangePixel. Next, I have Pandemia: Virus Outbreak, a new virus outbreak game that's on sale for the first time this week. Last but not least is Sudoku Ultimate, which is currently available for free. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold in order to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 11 temporarily free and 25 on-sale apps and games for the beginning of the week.
19 new Android games from the last week: The best, worst, and everything in between (9/19/21 - 9/26/21)
Actraiser Renaissance, Collection of SaGa Final Fantasy Legend, Pokémon UNITE, plus more
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 good port from Square Enix, a lazy port from Square Enix, and a greedy pay-to-win Pokémon game. So without further ado, here are the new and notable Android games released during the last week.
Square Enix brings Actraiser to the Play Store with a remastered take on the Super Nintendo classic
A surprise release from Square Enix, but a welcome one
Square Enix released Actraiser Renaissance during a recent Nintendo Direct, surprising everyone since this remaster was also revealed for the first time during the Direct release announcement. Great news for Nintendo Switch owners, but even more surprising, Square has launched the game on just about every platform, including Android, which means Actraiser Renaissance is now available on the Google Play Store.
Battlefield Mobile's gameplay leaks online, and it actually looks great
Please EA, don't screw this up
Earlier this month, we learned that Electronic Arts would begin rolling out playtests for the mobile version of Battlefield in autumn. Now that fall is here, the game has entered into early testing in Southeast Asia, so gameplay videos have started to leak online, providing the first look of the Battlefield Mobile in action. So if you've been eager to see what the early alpha gameplay for Battlefield Mobile looks like, we have several enlightening videos to share.
34 temporarily free and 55 on-sale apps and games for Friday
Don't miss out on the sales for Dead Cells, Titan Quest, and Atom RPG
Welcome to Friday, everyone. It's almost the weekend, and so I have a plump sales roundup to share with everyone, including some quality standouts. First up is a sale for Dead Cells, a fantastic roguelike platformer that's currently discounted in celebration of a new DLC release. Next, I have Titan Quest, a solid action RPG that offers controller support. Last but not least is Atom RPG, an indie RPG often compared to classic CRPGs like Fallout. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold in order to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 34 temporarily free and 55 on-sale apps and games for the end of the week.
There's a new The Lord of the Rings game on the Play Store, and it takes place in the movie universe
IAPs are back on the menu, boys
At this point, you'd think free-to-play developers like NetEase would have run out of brands to slap on top of the typical free-to-play genres we're all familiar with, and then a new disappointing announcement comes rolling in. It would appear that NetEase is working on a licensed The Lord of the Rings game, which just popped up on the Play Store for pre-registration. It's called The Lord of the Rings: Rise to War, and even though neither the Play Store trailer nor the screenshots show a lick of gameplay, we already know this title will land as a typical free-to-play kingdom builder.
Pokémon Unite brings its free-to-play MOBA gameplay to mobile with full cross-platform support
Too bad the game is pay-to-win
In August, we learned that Pokémon Unite would be making its way from the Nintendo Switch to Android and iOS on September 22nd, which is today. After a brief pre-load period yesterday, Unite's mobile servers are now officially live. This is a free-to-play 5v5 MOBA that offers a slick Pokémon theme, but it's also a Tencent title, and so it's packed with in-app purchases, some of which can be used to gain an advantage over non-paying players, ensuring Pokémon Unite is pay-to-win. Luckily this is a casual MOBA, so the competitive scene is nothing like Dota 2 or League of Legends, dulling the edge of the pay-to-win monetization.