Remember remember, play lots of Android games in November.If, like us,
you have tried to live by this solemn saying, you'll have encountered
some absolutely prime specimens over the past 30 days or so.
In
keeping with the dark, chilly nights of the penultimate month, there are
a couple of spooky treats on the roster, as well as a couple of efforts
with a decidedly maudlin outlook.
It's not all doom and gloom, though, with a smattering of bouncy delights to lighten the tone ahead of the holiday period.
Five Nights at Freddy's 2
By Scott Cawthon -
buy on Android
Following hot on the heels of the first
Five Nights at Freddy's, this second slice of mobile horror is just as buttock clenchingly creepy.
In
fact, it's arguably even more so. As before, you're tasked with keeping
a watch over a bunch of dysfunctional animatronic creatures using a
flaky CCTV set-up. This time, however, there are no security doors to
close on them.
In fact, all you have is a dodgy flashlight and a mouldy old Freddy mask. 'Eek' just doesn't cover it.
The Banner Saga
By Stoic Studios -
buy on Android
You won't have played an RPG quite like this before. We guarantee it.
Stoic's wonderful
The Banner Saga
is part turn-based strategy RPG, part choose-your-own adventure - and
what an adventure. Forget those predictable JRPGs and tiresome Tokien
knock-offs, as this takes its inspiration from Nordic folklore.
Rendered
in a gorgeous old school animated style, and with a bleaker tone than
most games would dare to take, this is easily one of the finest RPGs on
Android.
Twisty Planets
By First Sight Games -
buy on Android
This
platform puzzler doesn't just see you taking control of a cute little
TV-headed protagonist - you also have to move the world around him.
Each
time you swipe the screen you're not just modifying your view - you're
altering the orientation of the ground itself, with gravity pulling in
the same direction.
It's a lovely little twist on a familiar concept.
Valiant Hearts: The Great War
By Ubisoft Montpellier -
buy on Android
Few games can claim to be genuinely moving, and even fewer mobile ones.
Valiant Hearts bucks that particular trend, and then some.
It's
a strange and beautiful point and click adventure set during the First
World War, with the tale being told from multiple perspectives and
through an extremely expressive comic book art style.
Given the
tragedy of the core conflict, Ubisoft's game manages to be surprisingly
humorous and sweet without ever losing its respectful tone.
Kingdom Rush Origins
By Ironhide Games Studio -
buy on Android
This is the third game in the all-conquering
Kingdom Rush series, and amazingly it manages to maintain the standards set by its predecessors.
Referencing
numerous fairy tales and famous fantasy stories, and throwing in a
completely new roster of tower units and enemies, this is tower defence
polished to a ridiculous degree.
Challenging, generous, and almost indescribably compelling, no one does TD as well as these fellers.
TwoDots
By Playdots Inc -
buy on Android
The first
Dots game was slick, stylish, but just a little aimless with its endless dot-matching.
TwoDots
corrects this with a highly structured follow-up. This time you have a
set number of dots you need to rid from the screen, so it's up to you to
decide the most quick and efficient way to go about this.
Add in a
charming little story that bridges the abstract puzzles, and you have a
game with a lot more warmth and direction than the fine original.
The Shadow Sun
By Ossian Studios -
buy on Android
The Shadow Sun
remembers that the RPG genre started on tabletops, with compelling
stories that you could have a say in. It's a loving tribute to the
genre's physical origins.
There's also a compelling yet simple one-button battle system, and a rich 3D world to explore.
If you want something a little meatier and more ambitious from you Android games, this is well worth giving a go.
Blitz Racer
By Mudloop -
download on Android
This
curious blend of arcade racer and obstacle-dodging endless runner has
you speeding through a blocky retro world from an isometric viewpoint.
It's
another one of those game's that's hair-teasingly tough, as seems to be
the trend these days. But if you can stomach the challenge, there's
much to enjoy here.
Despite its many familiar ingredients, then,
Blitz Racer feels fresh thanks to the unique way in which they've been spliced together.
Flyhunter Origins
By Ripstone Ltd -
download on Android
Flyhunter Origins is one pretty game. That's probably down to the fact that developer Ripstone has Pixar animators on its staff roster.
Other
than its lush visuals, this is a pretty by the book 2D platformer, with
all of the double jumping, trinket collecting, and bonce-bouncing that
entails.
You also get the odd third person racing section, which
livens things up considerably. But really, it's all about that slick
animation.
The Last Door: Collector's Edition
By The Game Kitchen -
download on Android
We
haven't reviewed The Last Door at the time of writing, but we're happy
to include it on our list, because it's a very interesting game.
Originally
released on PC, this highly regarded horror game creates an
unsettlingly creepy tone with its artfully constructed pixel-art
visuals.
Meanwhile, solid point-and-click adventure gameplay gives you more to chew on than just your fear.
