Mobile gaming is ever-improving, and many new Android games are always available. Whether you’re a casual gamer, want something with a bit more meat on its bones, or want to challenge your new smartphone, there’s usually a game coming out to suit everyone’s taste. In particular, gaming over the holiday season is usually a great way to wind down after the year that passed or contemplate your plans for the year ahead. On that note, let’s look at the best new Android games.
Paper Trail
- Price: Free, but requires a Netflix subscription
- Publisher/Developer: Netflix / Newfangled Games
- Genre: Puzzle
We kick off this month’s list with two Netflix-distributed titles. The first is Paper Trail, developed by Newfangled Games. It’s a gorgeous puzzler set in a paper world laden with watercolors. Your job is to help Paige, a student leaving home for the first time, navigate the wider world. The mechanics are as pleasing as the art style, as you solve puzzles by literally folding or tearing the paper world with your finger.
You will need a Netflix subscription to play this game, at least on Android, but it is ad-free and surprisingly challenging. It’s a great title for a quiet, cozy weekend.
Sonic Mania Plus
- Price: Free, but requires a Netflix subscription
- Publisher/Developer: Netflix / Christian Whitehead, Headcannon, PagodaWest Games, and others
- Genre: Platformer
With a complete tonal switch now, we come to Sonic Mania Plus. This port of the 2018 SEGA title offers users an expanded retro universe but all of the pacey gameplay you’d expect from the Sonic series.
The usual mechanics are present. You can play as Sonic, Knuckles, or Tails to collect rings and complete the courses as quickly as possible or spend some more time in-game to seek out Easter eggs. It’s really hard to dislike this title, and it’s great that an official Android version is now available.
That said, the port isn’t perfect. It suffers from frequent slowdowns, while the weird digital joystick control system leaves plenty to be desired. Netflix has noted that it’s sorting out these issues, so expect a much better title in the weeks ahead.
Solo Leveling: Arise
- Price: Free / In-app purchases from $0.99-$69.99 per item
- Developer: Netmarble
- Genre: Action RPG
Solo Leveling: Arise is a gacha action title adapted from a Chinese comic and webtoon that lends plenty of lore and story points. To give a brief overview, the world is inundated with transdimensional beings known as hunters, one of whom is our protagonist, Sung Jinwoo. He’s a bit of a dunce in hunter terms, at least, but when put under extreme pressure in a dungeon, he discovers hidden powers.
Besides the lore, the title has rewarding gameplay that never really feels repetitive. The aesthetic is excellent, too, with webtoon-like cutscenes splitting the action and fluid graphics permeating the world itself.
The game is free to play, but as it’s a gacha title, you’ll be tempted to purchase items.
Wuthering Waves
- Price: Free / In-app purchases from $0.99-$99.99 per item
- Developed: HK KURO GAMES
- Genre: Action RPG
If you prefer your games to focus on combat and graphics more than lore, Wuthering Waves is the new gacha game for you. You start the title as Rover, an amnesiac who wakes from a long nap to discover a world plunged into chaos and plagued by monsters.
The game’s combat is excellent. The fighting animations are incredible, making attacks feel impactful, while swapping between various characters and their Echoes — essentially monster alter-egos that deal massive damage — adds variability to the usual sword and gunplay. Learning when to use these in a boss fight also becomes critical as you progress, providing more advanced gamers with a steep difficulty curve.
This focus on visual fidelity also means the game hitches older hardware, so ensure you have a recent flagship or dedicated gaming phone before turning up the graphics settings.
Earn to Die Rogue
- Price: Free / In-app purchases from $0.99
- Developer: Not Doppler
- Genre: Action / Roguelite
Finally, let’s embrace the chaos this week. Earn to Die Rogue is the latest title from Not Doppler’s frantic roguelite series set in a zombie apocalypse. Your best friend is your car, which acts as a bridge between arena platformer sections where you battle zombies indoors or take on imposing bosses.
The game provides plenty of upgrade opportunities, while the driving mechanics are easily honed in a few minutes of gameplay. Additionally, you can enjoy the ridiculous physics and zombie deaths this title proudly wears.
That said, some gameplay elements can be annoying and repetitive. You often run out of fuel while driving, which gives the early game a frustrating try-retry cadence. This game likely won’t take permanent residence on my home screen, but it’s fun for a few minutes of downtime or pure franchise fans.
