We've got some great gaming recommendations for your Android smartphone or tablet this July – from dungeon-crawlers and puzzlers to tricky survival games, you're sure to find something to pass the time! Check out our suggestions below – and be sure to leave a comment with your own favourites.
Deiland
Chebig
Free
Deiland is similar in many ways to On My Own, The Famine and other popular survival games: your character is placed on an unknown world, where you must forage for resources to build a bigger home, stronger tools and more filling meals to keep your health and sustenance up. You'll wander the tiny planet chopping down trees, planting seeds and fighting the enemies who want to put a stop to your development of the world you inhabit.
There's plenty to do in Deiland in order to progress through the game. You'll need to level-up your tools and equipment in your house to yield rarer resources, which can then be used to level up your tools even further.
It's not all about upgrading your tools, though! You'll till the land and plant seeds to grow crops, which can be traded with some of the other characters for new seeds and interesting items to add to your collection. The longer you play, the bigger your house will get and (hopefully) the more organised your planet will become.
This really is a lovely game to play, from the casual-yet-involving gameplay to the attractive graphics and clever upgrade system. What I like most about Deiland, though, is that it can be played without an internet connection, which for a large survival game like this is quite rare. This makes it perfect if you're going away on a trip and don't want to rack up roaming data charges!
There are no time constraints either, so you won't need to wait 30 minutes or buy in-game currency to collect more wood or mine for metal either – a nice change from many similar games which are dependent on microtransactions and in-game purchases.
In short, this is a great game for survival fans who like immersive gameplay and attractive graphics!
Nonstop Knight
flaregames
Free
Another casual 'clicker'-type game, Nonstop Knight is one to dip in and out of whenever it suits you. Are you looking to waste a minute or two while you wait for the kettle to boil, or during an ad break on TV? Do you like swordfighting your way through endless dungeons, with impressive spells to cast and lots of loot to collect? This may be the game for you!
The premise is an easy one to get into: your knight will run through the dungeon floors, fighting groups of enemy monsters along the way, and collecting gold and loot in return. Every few floors you'll encounter a boss fight – which is when you'll really need to step in and give your knight a helping hand with your various skill boosts, like leaping slams, powerful spins and summoning clones to fight alongside you.
As your character levels up, your skills can be upgraded, and new ones unlocked – but skills aren't the only way of protecting your knight, as the gold you earn can be spent on upgrading your armour and weapons for additional damage and bonuses. When you can't get any further through the dungeons, you can transcend to a higher plane of existence to start all over again – this time with permanent upgrades to your damage, defense and more!
I like this game because not only does it take up a nice space between playing other, more intense games – but the attractive graphics and clever upgrade system make it enjoyable to play for any length of time.
What's Inside the Box?
Bart Bonte
Free
What's inside the box? is a fun yet challenging game in which you solve a variety of puzzles to open the layers of a mysterious wooden box.
Each subsequent puzzle increases in difficulty – so while you might come across the same type of puzzle again, you can be certain it will be a lot harder to figure out.
For a free puzzle game, this one really is worth installing. The only ads appear when you need a hint to assist you, and there are little-to-no long video ads to sit through – which is perfect if you need a bit of help every now and then!
Puzzles vary from using your phone's motion sensors to roll a ball across switches to brainteasing riddles that need you to think outside the box rather than inside it – and you'll occasionally find the odd combination of multiple challenges in one level, which will have you mentally juggling problems like hot potatoes.
A definite must-have app for puzzle-hungry gamers out there, and if you like What's inside the box? as much as we do, you'll be pleased to know it's also available for iOS and PC!
Mekorama
Martin Magni
Free
If you've enjoyed games like Monument Valley, you'll recogise some of the perspective-based gameplay in this great puzzle game for Android handsets.
You'll need to tap on the ground to move your robot around each level, and drag your finger on certain elements to move platforms, open gates and raise pillars to open up new areas.
Once your robot reaches the goal, the round is over – and it's time to move on to the next, more challenging level! There's plenty of variety between levels, and while the mechanics remain the same, you'll struggle to complete some of the trickier levels on the first attempt.
Mekorama is very well constructed, and each puzzle can be solved logically. That said, you may have to backtrack a few times before you spot where you'll need to stand, or which platform you'll need to move to progress – and you'll have to rotate the levels a lot to get a better understanding of where each walkway leads and which doorway you might end up walking out of!
There's no combat in this game, although there are enemy robots you'll need to avoid to reach your goal. You won't get attacked, but your path will be obstructed – and you'll need to be clever about how you bypass these robots or else you'll end up being blocked in by them.
I like playing Mekorama because while it's challenging, there are no time limits to put up with or bosses to fight.
If creating is more your thing, flip across from the level select screen to enter the level editor – where you can place your own blocks and plan your own challenges, which you can then share with others using QR codes! Check out the game's Twitter account for levels shared by other users, which can be scanned into your game within seconds.
That's it for another month's selection of the very best new Android games – but be sure to check back next month for more crucial picks. And for more great articles from our Agents direct to your inbox each month, get your name down below for the Geek Squad newsletter!