8 ridiculously addictive new (free!) games for Android

We live in the day of the sequel and “revivals” of classic titles. Free-to-Play games for Android in particular are going through a sweet moment, with waves of new titles coming out every month. Of these, many never catch on given the idiosyncrasies of a business model heavily slanted toward the picaresque and hamster-wheel addiction systems. Here is a list of the most promising Free-to-Play games releases from recent weeks.

Candy Crush Soda Saga

A sequel to Candy Crush? Imagine that. The people at King aren’t stupid, and have just released a new game that might well surpass the original title, with light modifications to the gameplay system and the addition of 75 new levels. If you’re one of those socially inept people who don’t play it or have ever lost a family member to the lure of those colored candies, dark times are ahead.

Angry Birds Epic

Rovio has indeed known how to create an emporium with its pissed-off birds, which have been resurrected and placed in all sorts of places, ranging from behind the wheel of a racecar on Angry Birds Go! or Bad Piggies to appearing in the Star Wars universe (better not to mention the exhausting amount of merchandise launched over the years). The current new game has turn-based combat in an adventure with hints of roleplay and epic fantasy that against all expectations actually works quite well.

Bubble Witch Saga 2

Updating old formulas for success is a very common practice in the gaming world. Another of the best-known games from King is Bubble Witch Saga, an adaptation of the classic Bust-A-Move, also known as Puzzle Bobble, in which you have to pop colored bubbles. Recently a sequel to it has been launched that again uses the structure of small interconnected levels that you have to get over, where your skills will be tested to earn from one to three stars. If it ain’t broke, why fix it?

Break Bricks

Who hasn’t played BreakOut or Arkanoid? Taking this classic formula to touchscreens is as easy as leaving a space in the lower part of the screen to move the ship from left to right with your finger. Break Bricks is one of the games that has done the best in recycling the concept, becoming one of the most downloaded titles of the past month. At heart we’re all stuck in our ways and we adore old-school formulas.

Rival Knights

We already know that the people over at Gameloft have an opportunist streak when it comes to exploiting successful titles with their own “generic-brand” games. Luckily, they still surprise now and then with concepts that break this mold. In Rival Knights you have to face off in successive rounds of medieval horseback jousting, where you set your running speed and the zone of impact of your lance. As you win matches you can make upgrades to your knight.

PES Manager

Card-collection systems on sports games are trendy right now. While we’ve already introduced FIFA 14 in its Android adaptation, now it’s the Konami saga that has launched its Free-To-Play title where you have to manage the points won in the matches to get new players for your squad. Is there anyone out there that’s not drunk on World Cup fever? If you aren’t, please leave the room this instant.

Stickman Soccer 2014

Do you like soccer? Stickman Soccer is one of the most downloaded soccer games available, which is a bit different from FIFA/PES with regards to realism in that it offers thrilling arcade matches played by stick figures. But don’t judge a book by its cover: although its spartan graphics might make you think otherwise, this is a tremendously entertaining soccer game that, to mark the start of the 2014 World Cup, has just launched a new edition. According to our studies, there are also also other games of this ilk for OTHER SPORTS, although these rumors have yet to be confirmed.

Pyramid Solitaire Saga

For obvious reasons, King has been getting on the stick in the past few months to diversify its catalogue so it doesn’t have to depend exclusively on Candy Crush. In the case of Pyramid Solitaire Saga, you have to get through several challenges by making card combinaions and combos, with an Indiana Jones­–style pulp setting where you can explore old ruins and find hidden treasures. Something nobody can resist.