Top 10 best Android games of October 2014
Planes, plants, and automobiles
Ah, October. The month where everything in the northern hemisphere seems to get colder and darker earlier than ever.
Fortunately, this has been a fine month in which to snuggle up with a good Android game or ten. We've had the usually strong mix of releases, but it's heartening to note that several of the strongest games have been simultaneous launches on iOS and Android.
This is a month where we've had to leave a number of those interesting-if-flawed released by the wayside in our deliberations - a sure sign that a gaming platform is thriving.
RETRYBy Rovio - download on Android
It's become rather easy to bash Rovio, with its constant flogging of the Angry Birds horse. But then a game like RETRY comes along and reminds us of something: this is a really talented bunch of developers.
We'd say that RETRY was a riff on the Flappy Bird template, but that would be a gross insult. It's far, far better than that.
Yes, you're dodging through tight levels using a tap-to-fly control system, but everything from the retro visuals to the lovably wonky flight physics and the fiendish level design is grade-A stuff.
BotaniculaBy Amanita Design - buy on Android
Talking of grade-A stuff, check out this fabulously charming, eco-themed game.
You take control of a cast of talking shrubs, twigs, and other assorted flora in a (relatively) epic point-and-click adventure.
The story is told without a single uttered word, so you have to figure out the way forward through the game's stunning animation and other such signposting.
Skylanders Trap TeamBy Activision - download on Android
What's so impressive about Skylanders Trap Team is that it's a Skylanders game.
I'm not being deliberately dense here. I mean it's a full-on Skylanders game, like the ones you play on your home console. There's absolutely no compromise.
Of course, you have to pay a premium for the privilege - even more than the cost of your average console game - but you get a ridiculously polished action adventure game for that price, bolstered by cool physical models and a dedicated controller.
Reckless Racing 3By Pixelbite Games - buy on Android
The Reckless Racing 3 series has been consistently ace throughout, offering a refreshing top-down alternative to all those me-too zoomed-in arcade racers.
The brand of racing also feels a little different, swapping smooth tarmac for muddier terrain, leading to plenty of opposite-lock mayhem.
This third edition adds some welcome variation in the shape of technical Gymkhana events.
Card DungeonBy Playtap Games - buy on Android
Have you had enough of roguelikes yet? Of course you haven't. They're ace. Here, have another.
Card Dungeon may have a roguelike heart - it's a turn-based dungeon crawler with permadeath - but it's got an interesting boardgame twist to it.
As you inch through the dungeons, you get dealt three random cards that award you various abilities, and how you react to this is key to your success.
Terra BattleBy Mistwalker - download on Android
Terra Battle has some pedigree - it's made by the guy who did Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger, Hironobu Sakaguchi. This isn't your usual overwrought JRPG, though.
In fact, it's tough to put your finger on precisely what Terra Battle is, and that can only be a good thing. It fuses elements of boardgames, puzzlers, and tactical RPGs into one mobile-friendly whole.
Even the free to play element isn't too annoying - at least in the early stages.
Deep LootBy Monster and Monster - download on Android
Yet another oddball hybrid (October seems to have been the month for them), Deep Loot is a bit Ridiculous Fishingy, a bit Mr Drillery, and a bit roguey.
As a little cartoony diver, you dunk into the water and drill for treasure. At first, your trips don't last very long, and it's all just a little bit rubbish.
But as your abilities progress, so does the sense of fun, until you're faced with a terrifyingly deep experience. Yes, that was a terrible diving-based pun. I'm not sorry.
Sentinel 4: Dark StarBy Origin8 - buy on Android
Partying like it's 2010, Sentinel 4 is a classically styled tower defence game the likes of which we haven't really seen executed as well as this since, oh, Sentinel 3.
It's been a long time coming, then, and it's true that it feels a little dated in places. But Sentinel 4 also reminds us of what we've lost in recent years - a sense of complexity to our mobile strategy games.
If you're easily confused by multiple systems, give Sentinel 4 a miss, but if you really want to get your teeth into a game, give it a whirl.
Atomic+By Ahmed Khalifa - buy on Android
Here's another of those circular twitch games that have been all the rage since Super Hexagon first made us tear our hair out.
Here you must switch orbits around a white planet, collecting boxes and avoiding objects. It's simple to play but - you guessed it - an absolute expletive to master.
The Wolf Among UsBy Telltale Games - buy on Android
Telltale's ace dark fairytale comes to Android, at last. If you've played through all The Walking Dead episodes on your Android, well, this is what those guys did next.
The Wolf Among Us is also based on a comic book, albeit one that's not quite as popular as The Walking Dead.
Its tale brings classic fairytales into a dark, gritty, hardboiled film noir universe. It's compelling stuff.
Want more? Then check out our scientifically accurate and automatically updated list of the best Android games.
Top 10 best Android games: September 2014
Top 10 best Android games: August 2014
Top 10 best Android games: July 2014
Top 10 best Android games: June 2014
Top 10 best Android games: May 2014
Top 10 best Android games: April 2014