Can it really be Saturday again? Already?
Yes it can. Because it is.
And that means it’s time to catch up on all the Android game announcements you missed this week because you were working offshore on a whaling ship or whatever.
We’ve got blockbusters, critical darlings, a lot of pixel art, and plenty of silliness. Enjoy your weekend!
Thimbleweed Park
One week late, with the outward appearance of being 25 years late, Thimbleweed Park has arrived on Android. This charming pixel-art point-and-click adventure game includes all the old adventure game ingredients, including humour, blocky graphics, and a verb table.
Thimbleweed Park has already earned rave reviews on other platforms, but if you really want to know why you should be excited about it in two simple words, those words are: Ron, and Gilbert. In that order. Get it here.
Taichi Panda 3
Isn’t taichi a little bit like kung fu? And wasn’t there a film about an animal that could do kung fu? And wasn’t that animal a panda?
Never mind that. Taichi Panda 3 is, of course, the third game in the Taichi Panda series. It sees you romping around a fantasy environment, smashing enemies, levelling up, and collecting loot, Diablo style. Get it here.
Into the Dead 2
Into the Dead 2 addresses the failings of the original Into the Dead, if you call ‘not being enough of a Walking Dead rip-off’ a failing.
That’s unfair. Well, it’s QUITE fair, in that Into the Dead 2 is more elaborate in terms of narrative and aesthetic style than Into the Dead, and it takes a lot of inspiration from Telltale’s The Walking Dead.
But it’s an impressive sequel in its own right, with more mission types, a better story, better graphics, and gorier zombie deaths. Get it here.
Beyond Oasis
Beyond Oasis may sound like a documentary about the diminishing fortunes of Liam Gallagher, but it’s actually a Mega Drive RPG from 1995 (when Liam Gallagher was in his prime.)
Sega’s answer to The Legend of Zelda, Beyond Oasis saw you venturing out into a fantasy world as Prince Ali, a magic-wielding monarch with a yen for exploration and fighting. You can download Beyond Oasis for free on Sega Forever. Get it here.
Swing King and the Temple of Bling
Swing King and the Temple of Bling has a name that’s better than some games. It’s been out on iOS for a while already, so we know it’s a better game than most games too.
You play as a little monkey called Mumbles. The aim is to collect treasure in a series of ancient, trap-filled temples, and you do this by swinging around.
If you’re picturing a physics-based arcade casual game at this point, you’re dead wrong. Swing King is actually a tricky, fast paced puzzler. Get it here.
Lionheart: Dark Moon
Lionheart: Dark Moon is the long-awaited follow-up to Lionheart Tactics, a strategy-RPG that proved it was possible for a mobile game developer to take on the might of Disgaea and Final Fantasy.
This follow-up sees you assembling an army of heroes from 100 available characters and pitting them against the forces of darkness. Lionheart: Dark Moon features events and quests, and guilds and guild battles are in the works. Get it here.
Dragon Hills 2
In Dragon Hills 2 you play as an intrepid girl riding a dragon through a zombie apocalypse. Along the way you’ll encounter mechs, cowboys, space ships, giants, and – ipso facto – explosions.
It sounds bonkers because it is. Dragon Hills 2 is an unhinged action extravaganza with colourful visuals, rampant humour, and a mobile-friendly one-touch interface. Get it here.
Sheep Frenzy 2
Have you ever seen sheep in a frenzy? Of course not. Nobody has, because it never happens.
That’s why we have video games. Sheep Frenzy 2 sees you moving a platform left and right along the bottom of the screen to prevent numerous sheep from plummeting to their deaths.
It’s a bit like Arkanoid, but with physics, and no blocks to destroy. And, of course, many sheep. Get it here.
Lucius Demake
Lucius Demake, like Into the Dead 2 above, is coming out just in time for Halloween in order to frighten you.
The game is presented in retro, C64-era way, with blocky graphics, badly digitised talking heads, and plenty of text. It’s an open-world adventure game, and it centres around – shudder – a demonic little boy on a, “blood filled tour of horror”. Get it here.
