GAMES OF THE WEEK - The 5 best new games for iOS and Android - February 6th
Hello again and welcome to the latest entry in our long-running GAMES OF THE WEEK series. If you're looking for the best 5 games which have hit the iPhone, iPad or Android stores this week then you've landed yourself at the exact right place at just the right time.
With this article, we skirt around the droves of subscription services (Apple Arcade, Google Play Pass, GameClub, Hatch, Playond et cetera) which have launched onto mobile platforms, and we also don't factor in things like Steam Link or Google Stadia which allow streaming to handheld devices. That means that our list is a finely curated list of brilliant, fresh titles which you can download and play without subscribing to, or installing, any third-party initiative. Of course, there are some great games on those services, but, let's focus on the stuff that you can grab right now.
This week there's the iOS launch of one of our favourite dungeon divers in recent years, and explosive 3vs3 arena game, the return of a legendary word puzzler and much more.
Remember, if you're looking to check through some of our previous selections then you can always do that at our Games of The Week Hub, it's a great way to find games to fill out that empty storage space on your phone. Or, if you like your news in bitesize chunks, delivered straight to your palm then maybe follow us on Twitter.
Anyway, without any further delay, click through on the big, blue button below to find out more about the 5 best new games for mobile this week.
1
Melbits World
I first played Melbits World back in Spain at an alt-controller event. It seemed incredibly out of place in the venue - a big, bright puzzle game in a room where most of the lighting was coming from the games. Melbits World was incredibly fun, but it was most memorable because of how it was more than just a simple puzzle game.
The version of Melbits that I played was a little bit Tamagotchi, and a little bit Lemmings. Sadly the Tamagotchi part of it has been put onto the back-burner for the iOS version, but the strong, cutesy visuals remain and the puzzling remains strong.
2
Cookies Must Die
If you played zesty infinite runner Dragon Hills 2 then you already know the quirky style of Rebel Twins. Their latest outing, Cookies Must Die, might shirk the infinite runner genre, but the action is packed even denser than in the developer's previous outings.
It's not just about bashing into cookies, or blasting them with bullets, though. Much like last year's My Friend Pedro there's a beat and rhythm to the chaos - and you can also slow time in order to keep Jack crumbling cookies.
Cookies Must Die is available on the App Store for iPhones and iPads. Alternately you can grab it on Google Play if you're using an android device.
3
Rogue Grinders
Dungeon crawlers are everywhere now, so when a new one comes out there's always a little bit of trepidation here about them - they really need something new and unique about them, or a set style, in order to get a mention on Pocket Gamer. Rogue Grinders might have a somewhat uninspired name, but it's got a great visual style which tugs on 16-bit influences.
Despite its retro influences, there's a lot of modern conventions deployed. It feels a lot more direct, like recent dungeon-divers, with a lot of the heavy inventory and skill management of the roguelike genre completely discarded. It means that Rogue Grinders is tough, but also feels quick and responsive.
You can find Rogue Grinders on the App Store, for iPhone and iPad. Or, if you're that way inclined, you can find it on the Google Play store for your android devices.
4
Early Worm
Juicy worm-flinging puzzler isn't a series of words that I thought I would ever aspire the ranks of games writing to write, but here we are in February 2020, looking at an Oddrok game which that fits perfectly. It's quite simple, you pull and release in order to send a worm sailing through the air and through a series of obstacles.
It's incredibly simple to pick up and play, and as with Oddrok's other recent games, the simple play conceals a fun game filled with rewarding moments.
Early Worm can be found on the App Store, for your iPhone and iPad - as with most of this week's games it's free, so there's nothing stopping you.
5
Bridge Strike
As we are talking about retro aesthetics which bleed style, there's no better way to wrap up than with Bridge Strike. It's a homage to the exceptional River Raid, and it does it in an unabashed, fun way. Honestly, it's great.
Blasting bridges, gunning down gunships and collecting coins. Bridge Strike might just be a vertical shooter, but it feels incredibly fun - something only heightened by the bright and vivid, SNES-era colour palette. Despite everything I've said, the best thing about Bridge Strike is the way that the camera smoothly matches you as you strafe around the screen. You'll have to play it to experience it though.
You can grab Bridge Strike for your android device through Google Play. It's also available for iPhone and iPad via the App Store.
