GAMES OF THE WEEK - The 5 best new mobile games for iOS and Android - May 14th
It's that time again! Time for another entry into 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. Lucky, lucky you.
With this article, we skirt around the droves of subscription services (Apple Arcade, Google Play Pass, GameClub, Hatch, and all of their friends) which have launched onto mobile platforms over the years. We also don't factor in things like Steam Link or Google Stadia which allow streaming to handheld devices - and would open up this list to almost every game under the sun.
What that means is 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 we've got mech stomping, kart racing, production line wrangling and more. You'll have to read on to see them all.
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 our Twitter.
Anyway, without any further delay, click on the big, blue button below to find out more about our top five of the games which released on mobile over the last week.
1
Sandship
I don't know about you, but I really enjoy the relatively recent production-line genre of strategy games which have started to crop up everywhere. Sandship does a lot of the things which we've come to expect from the genre, but there's a sleek style to it - as well as a restricted area to manage - which makes it really work on the small touchscreen.
The setting is also fantastic, a giant, trundling ship which makes its way over the sandy ruins of society - it's bleak, but not hopeless.
2
Through the Darkest of Times
On the subject of bleak, and while talking about strategy games, we have Through the Darkest of Times. It's a strategy game all about managing a resistance cell in Nazi-controlled Germany.
You might well have heard of the game, following its successful Steam launch earlier in the year, but from what we've heard it adapts down to the touchscreen perfectly, and while the more in-depth strategy experiences don't always work well on devices we are used to only looking at for short periods of time, it's a compelling game which is hard to put down.
3
Pico Hero
Cappy1 Games describe their recently released Pico Hero as a 'Puzzle-Pixel-Shooter' which I'm pretty sure you won't disagree with. It is, notably, not a twin-stick shooter, as Pico will automatically fire once you get him into range.
Pico Hero is great because it's 1) Free and 2) Easy to pick-up and play, but for me the main reason it's been chosen for this week's selection is because I'm a massive fan of the Pico style (and the Pico-8 engine, on that note). I think it's charming and deliberate, something that a lot of low-res styles sometimes struggle with.
4
Kartrider Rush+
The first Kartrider Rush game was a big deal when it released, however - as you may or may not be aware - it shut its door six years ago. If you've been waiting for it to return to mobile screens then (goodness me you are patient) you don't have to wait any longer. Kartrider Rush+ is here, and it's pretty dang great.
As a matter of fact, some of the team think it's better than Nintendo's mobile Mario Kart efforts. High praise indeed.
It launches with five modes, 50 different tracks and 20 different karts. From what we've seen there's also plenty more to come.
5
BE-A Walker
I think that most people can fondly remember at least one mech game that they've played over the years. There's something about the overpowered, walking tanks that endears itself to the human soul. If you've not yet got fond memories of the genre then maybe side-on shoot/stomp 'em up BE-A Walker might well be the one for you.
When it comes down to it, it is a game about smashing the angry people into pudding - you can approach the campaign in a variety of ways: leading, saving or crushing the natives as you see fit. It's visceral and blood-soaked whichever route you take, with plenty of stomping padding out the laser and rocket blasts.
