From designing your own games to learning how cells function, there's plenty to learn and do in this month's top Android app roundup. Check it out!
Draw Your Game
Korrisoft
Free / £1.99 for full version
Grab some paper and coloured pens and draw your own game! It really is as easy as it sounds. This smart little app can convert your colourful scribblings in to functional video game levels – with springboards, movable objects and dangerous traps and enemies.
In the free version of Draw Your Game, you can use your phone's camera to take photos of the levels you've drawn, which then generate a playable game level. If you opt for the premium version, you can design your own game levels inside the app using a level editor, which gives even more flexibility over your creations!
To distinguish between different types of objects, you must draw using different colours. Draw your basic level design using a black marker, then add danger elements in red. If you want to add a springboard or trampoline, use a green pen to make a bouncy object that the player can jump on! For the more adventurous creator, whip out your blue pen to draw movable objects – these can be anything from a collapsing bridge to hurdles you need to navigate around in order to complete the level.
Once you're happy with your level design, upload it to the Draw Your Game servers and share it with other users! You can also take this opportunity to download levels created by other DYG players – to get ideas from or just to enjoy when you have a few free minutes.
Pocket Code
Catrobat
Free
Similar to Scratch, Pocket Code lets you create games and programs using pre-built lines of code written in an easy-to-understand language.
You don't need to know every detail of a coding language in order to use it! Breaking up a language in to bite-sized segments can be extremely helpful when trying to learn it, and Pocket Code does a great job of keeping everything manageable.
Indeed, you'll be able to create games or tools in mere minutes, and share your code with others! There's a great community of fellow coders to work with and learn from – whether you're trying to get the timing right on a shoot-'em-up you're making, or just trying to run your software for the first time.
Take a look at some existing projects online here for some ideas to get you started or to see what Pocket Code is capable of!
Cell World
V.I.E.W.
Free
Have you ever wondered what the inside of a cell looks like? Well, so long as it's not a prison cell, you won't have to commit a crime to find out! Cell World is a learning aid for budding biologists wanting to learn more about the little things in life: cells.
From the nucleus to the membrane and everything in between, every part of the cell is explained and represented in a 3D model you can travel around.
You don't need to be studying biology to enjoy this app: its simple and straightforward models and language makes it accessible to anyone with an interest in the subject. Find out what makes your body tick and learn something new today!
Painless Roots
Philip Nguyen
free
If you have a fascination with words and language, like many of us here at Geek Squad do, you might enjoy testing your vocabulary knowledge with Painless Roots – an app that helps you understand what words mean based on their 'roots'.
You'll learn new words and how to assemble newer ones, as well as testing what you've already learned. See what words you can think of that share the same root, and you'll get an idea of how they work! 'Omni' means 'all' and can be found in 'omnipotent' (all-powerful) and 'omnivore' (all-eating) – two very different words, linked by their roots.
There's much to learn about the language we use every day – so if you're intested in finding out more about the words you use, you're bound to enjoy Painless Roots.
What did you think of our app recommendations this month? If you have any other picks you'd like to share, drop them into the comments section below and let our readers know!