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
25 temporarily free and 53 on-sale apps and games for Monday
Don't miss out on the sales for Neverwinter Nights, EQQO, and Ashworld
Welcome to Monday, everyone. After a solid list of sales this past Friday, I'm back with a new roundup to start the week, and I indeed have a few standouts to share with everyone. First up is Neverwinter Nights, a fantastic CRPG that contains over 100+ hours of gameplay. Next up is EQQO, an enjoyable narrative-based puzzler that offers striking graphics. Last but not least is Ashworld, an action-adventure game from OrangePixel where you'll explore a dangerous post-apocalyptic world. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 25 temporarily free and 53 on-sale apps and games for the beginning of the week.
11 new Android games from the week of September 28, 2020
Genshin Impact, Monopoly Sudoku, Hot Wheels Unlimited, plus more
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 the arrival of Genshin Impact, a quality F2P gacha game that actually offers enjoyable gameplay. We also have Monopoly Sudoku, and even though Monopoly is in the name, this is a sudoku title through and through. Last up is Hot Wheels Unlimited, a lackluster racing game that greedily gates content behind a subscription. So without further ado, here are the new and notable Android games released during the week of September 28th, 2020.
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's roundup is sponsored by droidcon, and this year's conference will feature three events you can easily watch from the comfort of your home. Of course, we also have a few notable titles to share with everyone, such as a new Roku streaming app, an educational app from a known YouTuber, and an experimental AI-run marketplace for photos from Microsoft. I've also moved the COVID apps into their own section for easier discovery. So without further ado, here are all of the new and notable Android apps released on the Play Store in the last two weeks.
25 temporarily free and 45 on-sale apps and games for Friday
Don't miss out on the sales for Battle Chasers: Nightwar, Harvest Moon: Seeds of Memories, and 80 Days
Welcome to Friday, everyone. We have a packed roundup today, with more than a few noteworthy games worth mentioning. First up is Battle Chasers: Nightwar, one of the best RPGs on the Play Store. Next is Harvest Moon: Seeds of Memories, and while this title doesn't come from the original developers of the series, there's a bit of fun to be had, though bugs are present. And last but not least is 80 Days, a delightful choose your own adventure game. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 25 temporarily free and 45 on-sale apps and games for the end of the week.
Monopoly Sudoku is the latest release from Marmalade Game Studio
While Monopoly is in the name, this is a standard sudoku title
Marmalade Game Studio has been releasing digital adaptations of Hasbro board games for a few years now, and already offers several familiar titles, like Clue, Battleship, and Monopoly. Of course, why sit on a lucrative license if you're not going to use it, and so Marmalade has been busy creating offshoots of these classic titles that offer their own unique mechanics in order to expand its catalog, and so the latest release from the company is Monopoly Sudoku, available today for $3.99.
16 temporarily free and 30 on-sale apps and games for Wednesday
Don't miss out on the sales for YoWindow Weather, Muse Dash, and Space Grunts
Welcome to Wednesday, everyone. While the middle of the week tends to be slow as far as sales are concerned, we still have a few standouts to share with everyone today. First up is the pleasant weather app YoWindow, which offers a slick theme thanks to its beautiful backgrounds. Next up is the popular rhythm game Muse Dash. And last but not least is Space Grunts, a delightful roguelike. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 16 temporarily free and 30 on-sale apps and games for the middle of the week.
Hot Wheels Unlimited is a shallow racing game that has the nerve to ask for a subscription
And it comes from a developer that knows a thing or two about branded cash-grabs
At first blush, I thought Hot Wheels Unlimited looked like an enjoyable children's game where kids can create courses to race on with their favorite Hot Wheel vehicles. Sadly this game is simply a shallow, boring, and cheaply developed cash-grab, just like the rest of Budge Studios' catalog. It would seem this developer has a knack for shoving Mattel properties into the lowest-quality games possible, and so Hot Wheels Unlimited's content is gated primarily behind a monthly subscription ($4.99) as if the quality of this casual racer is actually worth such a ridiculous price. It isn't, and this game should be avoided.
24 temporarily free and 89 on-sale apps and games for Monday
Don't miss out on the sales for Bendy and the Ink Machine, King of Dragon Pass, and Icewind Dale
Welcome to Monday, everyone. It would appear we have a boatload of sales to share with everyone today, including a handful of titles from Simple Mobile Tools. Of course, if you're looking for games, then Bendy and the Ink Machine is a solid pickup today, along with King of Dragon Pass and Icewind Dale. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 24 temporarily free and 89 on-sale apps and games for the beginning of the week.
Genshin Impact is the new benchmark for free-to-play mobile games, out now
Quality graphics, an actual story, and a large open world worth exploring
Genshin Impact is a free-to-play RPG that has been frequently compared to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, thanks to a similar cell-shaded art style. As you would expect, many gamers have been eagerly anticipating the release of Genshin Impact, and now that it's here, it would seem the wait was actually worth it. Sure, this is a free-to-play release. It's also a gacha game. So all of the typical underpinnings of F2P titles are here. Thankfully genuine care was taken to craft an enjoyable game that doesn't teeter too far into pay-to-win territory, resulting in a game that's not only worth playing but elevates the F2P field by setting a high benchmark that's going to be tough to beat.
16 new Android games from the week of September 21, 2020
Root Board Game, Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, The Pocket Arcade, plus more
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.
15 temporarily free and 36 on-sale apps and games for Friday
Don't miss out on the sales for Titan Quest, Crashlands, and RowRow
Welcome to Friday, everyone. The weekend is almost here, and thankfully I have some quality game sales to share with everyone today. First up is Titan Quest, one of the best ARPGs on the platform. Next up is Crashlands, a fantastic survival game from Butterscotch Shenanigans. And last but not least is RowRow, a fun little minimal puzzler that's currently free. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 15 temporarily free and 36 on-sale apps and games for the end of the week.
Root is the latest board game adaptation from Dire Wolf Digital, now available on the Play Store
And it's a quality port
Root is a popular adventure board game that has won its fair share of awards and has already amassed three expansions. This is more than likely why Dire Wolf Digital has chosen to digitally adapt the game for the Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile. So now that the game is available on the Play Store, it's clear this adaptation offers an enjoyable digital tabletop experience, which can be yours for $9.99.
42 temporarily free and 55 on-sale apps and games for Wednesday
Don't miss out on the sales for Traffix, Siege of Dragonspear, and Sir Questionnaire
Welcome to Wednesday, everyone. It would appear things have picked up quite a bit, and so I have a bunch of app and game sales to share with everyone today, including a few standouts. First up is Traffix, a delightful minimal puzzler from InfinityGames. Next up is Siege of Dragonspear, the latest adventure in the Baldur's Gate tale. And last but not least is Sir Questionnaire, an enjoyable hack and slash game filled with loot. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 42 temporarily free and 55 on-sale apps and games for the middle of the week.
Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells is the latest cash-grab from Zynga, now available on the Play Store
Just what everyone wanted, yet another money-grubbing match-3 game
Zynga has officially announced that it's working on a Harry Potter match-3 game for mobile. This game is called Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, and of course, Zynga has yet to share a single screenshot or video of the title. Paradoxically Zynga has noted that the game is already available as a soft-launch release in the Philippines, which means the studio is already publicly testing the title, which begs the question as to why there are zero screenshots or videos shared with today's announcement. Could it be that Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells is such a shallow cash grab that it's in the developer's best interest to hide what the game looks like before an official worldwide release?
34 temporarily free and 43 on-sale apps and games for Monday
Don't miss out on the sales for Golf Peaks, RowRow, and Heal: Pocket Edition
Welcome to Monday, everyone. It would appear sales have picked up a bit since the weekend, and so I have more than a few standouts to share with everyone. First up is Golf Peaks, an excellent puzzler themed around golf. Next up is RowRow, a challenging puzzle game filled with brain teasers. And if you're looking for something with a bit more atmosphere and story, then the gorgeous adventure game Heal: Pocket Edition is a great choice. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 34 temporarily free and 43 on-sale apps and games for the beginning of the week.
17 new (and 1 WTF) Android games from the week of September 14, 2020
Scythe, arachnowopunk, Sadhana, plus more
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 new board game adaptation from Asmodee Digital. We also have a fantastic 8-bit platformer where you play as a spider and an artful philosophical game from the creators of Homo Machina. So without further ado, here are the new and notable Android games released during the week of September 14th, 2020.
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's roundup is sponsored by Meme Maker, a one-stop-shop for all of your meming needs. We also have a new minimal launcher that's easily worth a look, and OnePlus has released a notes app, in case Keep doesn't float your boat. I've also moved the COVID apps into their own section for easier discovery. So without further ado, here are all of the new and notable Android apps released on the Play Store in the last two weeks.
11 temporarily free and 49 on-sale apps and games for Friday
Don't miss out on the sales for A Dark Room, Hidden Through Time, 60 Parsecs!
Welcome to Friday, everyone. Now that the weekend is almost here, it's time once again to check out all of the app and game sales currently available on the Google Play Store. It looks like discounted icons are the name of the game today, thanks to a plethora of releases from coccco28. Rest assured, I still have a few standouts to share with everyone, including the idle clicker A Dark Room. If you're looking for something a little more relaxing, then perhaps the hidden object game Hidden Through Time is more your speed. Of course, if you prefer puzzle-based adventure games, Robot Gentleman's 60 Parsecs is definitely worth picking up. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 11 temporarily free and 49 on-sale apps and games for the end of the week.
Scythe: Digital Edition is an asymmetric competitive board game from Asmodee Digital
And it's cheaper than the Steam version
Asmodee Digital is best known for bringing many board games to Android thanks to its penchant for creating worthwhile digital ports of physical games. Despite the fact that board games are now more popular than ever, it would seem Asmodee has already worked through its catalog of easily-recognizable titles, such as Ticket to Ride and Carcassonne. This means Scythe: Digital Edition might not have the same name recognition as its forebearers, but it's still a quality release that captures the physical version's asymmetric competitive play.
18 temporarily free and 28 on-sale apps and games for Wednesday
Don't miss out on the sales for Cytus II, Lecture Notes, and Lovecraft's Untold Stories
Welcome to Wednesday, everyone. The middle of the week tends to be slow when it comes to sales, but I still have a few standouts to share with everyone today. First and foremost, the popular rhythm game Cytus II is currently available for free along with the well-reviewed notes app Lecture Notes. Lovecraft's Untold Stories is also available, and you can grab it at a steep discount, so don't miss out. As always, I've highlighted all of the interesting titles in bold to make discovery easier. So without further ado, here are 18 temporarily free and 28 on-sale apps and games for the middle of the week.