The last few weeks of Android game releases have been very productive. We’ve had Crash Bandicoot, Final Fantasy VIII, Dungeon of the Endless: Apogee, Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins and several other fantastic games, some of which we’ve been waiting for a long time.
Keep that in mind as you browse through this week’s list of notable news. We’re not criticizing the games below – they’re all solid games that will give you hours of entertainment.
But we hope things will improve next week.
The Wake is already available on Steam, and it’s a winner. This inventive and narrative puzzle-adventure is the third in Somi’s “Guilt” trilogy. It explores “a recording of the roots of guilt, memories and emotions that bind three generations of a family”. Where is it placed? During a funeral. From a gameplay perspective, The Wake lets you solve text-based ciphers.
Chicken Boom 2 is the easiest type of fun, with the easiest type of presentation. This unassuming sequel from AAGH Games doesn’t look like much, but it’s surprisingly fun if you can ignore the school project aesthetic.
Like last week’s Pureya, Quick Fire is a collection of minigames. It’s funny how games of the same genre sometimes appear in clusters. Quick Fire contains over 50 mini-games covering everything from driving a car to bursting balloons. The twist is that it gets progressively faster as you play, so every attempt is doomed to end in frenzied failure.
When you get there, match-up games are the best kind of smartphone game. It’s relaxed, accessible, practical and eminently simple. Duel Summoners is a match-three puzzle with a twist, but not unique. You play against an opponent, clear gems to summon heroes, then clear their skill blocks to summon their skills.
Sixth Extinction is the second depressing on this list. Described in the trailer as a “dark and atmospheric puzzle game – a story game about revenge, extinction and violence,” Sixth Extinction is an hour-long narrative puzzle with hand-drawn art. the hand and a poetic narration. It doesn’t sound like a one minute laugh, but it does contain “an important revelation about yourself and the world you live in.” And it’s fun.