Welcome to a special Saturday edition of the Super Game Droid Friday Night Indie Game Round-Up, your weekly guide to the latest and greatest indie games available on the Android platform. Each week our dedicated editorial team spends countless hours scouring the depths of the internet in order to bring you the best new indie Android games we can find. We then take our absolute favorites for the week and compile them all together in this handy dandy round-up so you’ll always have an easy way of discovering some awesome new indie games to play on Android!
Whether you’re looking for a challenging new platformer, an epic action adventure, or even just a good old fashioned puzzler SGD has got you covered so check out all 25 of the awesome new indie Android games we’ve hand picked for you below and make sure to vote for your favorite on the poll at the bottom of the page. As always, the game with the most votes as of Tuesday morning will be declared our indie game of the week and will also be featured on our front page for the whole week as well!
8bit Doves from Nitrome
Forget Swing Copters. Forget Flappy Bird. There’s a new infuriatingly addicting retro tap ‘em up in town by the name of 8bit Doves, and it’s out for blood. Luckily blood in this case means the public’s money and adoration, but mostly just money, something gamers will be happy to part with by throwing at their screen after getting a gander at how 8bit Doves takes the reviled/beloved “Flappy” style and effortlessly turns it into something beautiful.
Gone are the stupifyingly rote mechanics that have plagued the heart of this genre, forcibly ripped out of its chest and replaced with a dusty old Gameboy alongside a few back issues of Nintendo Power. This traditional adventure platformer approach greatly expands the scope of what a Flappy game can be and feels like exactly what the genre should have been aiming for all along.
8bit Doves (Playboard) | 8bit Doves (Play Store)
ALONE… from Laser Dog
ALONE is an absolutely stunning space-themed endless arcade game that revolves around some truly hectic twitch gameplay. As you’d expect from an endless runner your goal in ALONE is to stay alive for as long as possible. In the past other games from this genre have faltered because of often finicky touch controls – and this is where ALONE stands apart from the crowd. The game’s ultra accurate analog control scheme ensures that players themselves will be at fault for their demise – not the controls.
In addition to the ultra hectic twitch gameplay ALONE also features three unlockable difficulty levels, a truly beautiful minimalistic art style, and one of the best game soundtracks I have ever heard. ALONE is a winner through and through so be sure to check it out today!
ALONE… (Playboard) | ALONE… (Play Store)
Back to Bed from Bedtime Digital Games
Indie developer Bedtime Digital Games’ trippy new 3D puzzler Back To Bed has finally arrived on Android, and it’s brought with it a mind-bending surrealist art style that would make even MC Escher jealous. From it’s audio to its graphics, Back To Bed oozes personality but that’s not why it’s good. It’s a great game because of the way it uses our inherent understanding of 3D spatial reasoning against the player by toying with preconceived notions through bizarrely wonderful puzzle set pieces. Back To Bed charges players with keeping a sleepwalking narcoleptic man from trotting along to his doom by using the environment to manipulate his path.
Back to Bed (Playboard) | Back to Bed (Play Store)
Cosmic Haul from Takomo Games
Cosmic Haul is a fast-paced arcade puzzler that’s all about gathering valuable resources while avoiding the hazards that will undoubtedly be heading your way. The gameplay mechanics in Cosmic Haul are fun and intuitive which make it easy for gamers of all ages to get into. Plus the game’s plethora of current content and it’s planned free future updates ensure that gamers will keep coming back to Cosmic Haul for quite some time. Cosmic Haul can be yours for just $1 on Google Play – but if you’re not sold just yet download the free demo for a taste of the action.
Cosmic Haul (Playboard) | Cosmic Haul (Play Store)
Cosmic Haul DEMO (Playboard) | Cosmic Haul DEMO (Play Store)
Crowman & Wolfboy from Wither Studios
The critically acclaimed platforming adventure game Crowman & Wolfboy has finally made it’s way to Android! Crowman and Wolfboy are a pair of shadow creatures that don’t quite fit in in their society. While the other shadows are off doing spooky and shady deeds Crowman and Wolfboy want nothing more than to escape and find the wonderful world of “humans”.
Getting there wont be easy though. You’ll have to run, jump, fly, and climb your way through over 30 challenging levels – all while being under constant pursuit by the life-devouring Darkness. There’s to be no dilly dallying if you want to make it to the world of humans in one… err… two pieces.
Crowman & Wolfboy is a fantastic platforming adventure game that shouldn’t be missed out on. Download it today for the wonderfully low price of free!
Crowman & Wolfboy (Playboard) | Crowman & Wolfboy (Play Store)
Crystal Picnic from Nooskewl
After having spent a considerable amount of time baking in the development oven on OUYA, indie developer Nooskewl’s awesome new action RPG Crystal Picnic has been cooked to perfection and is now being served up on Android and a variety of other platforms. This zany retro adventure is bursting at the seams with nostalgic game design that will take you back to the era of the SNES when good RPGs reigned supreme thanks to its excellent gameplay mechanics and authentic 16-bit visuals. Simply put, Crystal Picnic feels and plays like a long lost Squaresoft SNES game, a combination of Chrono Trigger, Super Smash Bros, and Conker’s Bad Fur Day all rolled up into one delicious action RPG burrito.
Crystal Picnic (Playboard) | Crystal Picnic (Play Store)
Five Nights at Freddy’s from Scott Games
Following in the terrifying footsteps of indie horror games like Slender and Amnesia, Scott Cawthon’s new PC horror adventure game Five Nights At Freddy’s has gotten quite a bit of praise for its unique premise and simple but effective gameplay. And now like the heart attack inducing jump scares that it likes to throw at players so much, Five Nights At Freddy’s has popped out on Android from seemingly nowhere with a faithful mobile port that retains all the macabre fun of its desktop cousin. Quite the departure from some of indie developer Scott Cawthon’s previous work on Android like 8-Bit RPG Creator, Five Nights At Freddy’s is a wild ride into the depths of madness that delivers big scares despite its limited toolkit thanks to creative design and an acute understanding of peoples fears.
com.scottgames.fivenightsatfreddys (Playboard) | com.scottgames.fivenightsatfreddys (Play Store)
Flight Of The Kiwi from UpsideKiwi
Indie developer UpsideKiwi likes birds, alot. Having already created more than a few avian centric educational apps, he decided to takes things one step further and make a terrific new sidescrolling platformer with great visuals, classic console style gameplay, and a nice ambient soundtrack. Flight Of The Kiwi stars players as the title character, a bird on the hunt for some grub which in this case are some wild….kiwis. Which could just as easily be lums with how close Flight Of The Kiwi comes to being a Rayman game with its own unique vibe.
Flight of the Kiwi Free (Playboard) | Flight of the Kiwi Free (Play Store)
Flight of the Kiwi (Playboard) | Flight of the Kiwi (Play Store)
Fuhrer in LA from Ankaar Productions
Thanks to secret Nazi technology Hitler has escaped the Berlin bunker leaving a look-alike in his place to take the bullet but instead of a cushy escape to Brazil, Hitler finds himself in uptown LA and he’s forced to fight his way through hoards of pesky democracy-loving Americans in order to retake his place as supreme overlord. I’m pretty sure this is one of those ‘alternative timeline’ stories, but I’m no historian. Hitler was a bad guy, to be sure, but controlling him though the increasingly difficult maps is surprisingly great, as he waddles around like a South Park character randomly spouting fascist soundbites in his native German – it’s funnier than it sounds, admittedly.
For more on Fuhrer in LA check out JC Richardson’s full review: Fuhrer in LA Review
Fuhrer in LA (Playboard) | Fuhrer in LA (Play Store)
Galaxy Siege 2 from MyPlayYard
Indie developer MyPlayYard has taken the Rogue formula into space and given you a massive modular spaceship to pilot and face off against hordes of increasingly horrific aliens, including some seriously nasty boss fights. There’s not actually that much piloting to do, as the only controls are easy left and easy right, and the ship defends itself and gathers floating space money automatically. The real gameplay is in placing the ships modules to the best effect and getting as far as possible before damage takes its toll or you warp yourself back to base.
For more on Galaxy Siege 2 check out JC Richardson’s full review: Galaxy Siege 2 Review
Galaxy Siege 2 (Playboard) | Galaxy Siege 2 (Play Store)
God Strike 2 from Magic Cube
Magic Cube, the same indie studio behind the hit iOS title Call Of Snakes is back with a wacky new sequel to its 2010 iOS arcade action game God Strike that gives its predecessor a massive overhaul and marks the series first appearance on Android. Simply titled God Strike 2, this gesture heavy arcade physics game puts players in the shoes of a vengeful god raining down piping hot lightning upon the evil people of the world. While the original God Strike was a rather simple affair, God Strike 2 ups the ante in nearly every way with upgraded graphics, multiple deities to choose from, and amped up gameplay mechanics. You only have a certain amount of attacks to use per round however, which adds a subtle layer of strategy to the proceedings.
God Strike 2 (Playboard) | God Strike 2 (Play Store)
Invaders! From Outer Space from Crenetic Publishing
From Crenetic Publishing, the same studio that brought us Jack & The Creepy Castle, comes a campy new sci-fi shooter that gives the classic Space Invaders genre a wacky 1950′s makeover. But while the visual style may be old school the graphics themselves are rendered in gorgeous 3D to give players some eye candy while they’re blasting the alien horde to smithereens. An addicting Space Invaders spin-off on steroids, Invaders! From Outer Space is a great arcade shoot ‘em up for anyone who enjoys the classics.
Invaders! From Outer Space (Playboard) | Invaders! From Outer Space (Play Store)
Left Turn Otto from MathNook
Left Turn Otto is an arcade puzzler that puts you in control of Otto the otter – an otter that can only turn left. Unfortunately for Otto he has found himself in quite the predicament. He’s a long way from home so surely he wont be able to make it back by just turning left… right? Wrong! You’ll have to use some interesting techniques and think a bit outside of the box to get Otto home safely. You can do it though… Otto’s life depends on it!
Left Turn Otto is a great new arcade puzzler that is sure to keep gamers entertained and puzzled for quite some time. It sports a fantastic retro art style, three unique game modes, and leaderboards so you can compare your scores with your significant otters. Best of all Left Turn Otto is free to download so download it today!
Left Turn Otto (Playboard) | Left Turn Otto (Play Store)
Oh No, Cubes! from punyrobot
Oh No, Cubes is a charming new match-3 puzzler that’s about matching together same coloured blocks while building up as high of a score as possible. Reaching this high score can be achieved by not only by matching bigger numbers of same-coloured blocks but also by using fun power-ups like bombs and dynamite. Just keep an eye out for zombies though… they most definitely are not your friends!
Oh No, Cubes! (Playboard) | Oh No, Cubes! (Play Store)
Oscura: Second Shadow from Surprise Attack Games
The dark and critically acclaimed physics platformer Oscura: Second Shadow has finally made the leap onto Android, and it’s just as depressingly awesome as ever. With touch optimized gameplay that feels like a cross between Limbo and Super Meat Boy, Oscura: Second Shadow is a highly stylized tale about restoring light to a gloomy danger filled world through the use of some sweet platforming mechanics. The controls are very smooth and it’s a good thing too, Oscura: Second Shadow can be one tough game but that’s all part of its old school charm.
Oscura: Second Shadow (Playboard) | Oscura: Second Shadow (Play Store)
Pixel Maze from RedPoint Labs
Don’t let it’s name confuse you – Pixel Maze is not a game about solving mazes. Nope. It’s actually a traditional roguelike RPG that plays quite similarly to genre greats like Pixel Dungeon and Cardinal Quest. You start each round by choosing from one of four character types and then you delve into a procedurally generated dungeon while seeing how deep you can go before your untimely demise. Along the way you’ll battle fierce enemies, level up, and of course collect loot and other goodies.
Though Pixel Maze may not reinvent the roguelike genre it most definitely is one of the best to be released in recent memory. It’s brilliant pixel-art style, fun gameplay, and huge plethora of content make it a must buy for any roguelike fan. Download this gem for a mere dollar on Google Play!
Pixel Maze (Playboard) | Pixel Maze (Play Store)
Quest of Dungeons from David Amador
Rogue-like fans rejoice! After making the rounds on PC and iOS, indie developer David Amador’s devilishly challenging turn based RPG Quest of Dungeons has finally completed its epic journey onto Google Play. A hardcore procedurally generated test of endurance fraught with perma-death, Quest Of Dungeons is aimed at die hard fans of the genre who are looking for a deeper experience that doesn’t compromise itself due to difficulty. In Quest Of Dungeons when your character dies you go back, not to the start of the level but the start of the game which lends a great deal more weight to fight or flight decisions.
Quest of Dungeons (Playboard) | Quest of Dungeons (Play Store)
Revolution from Fortuna Studio
Indie developer Fortuna Studio’s hyperactive new action arcade game Revolution grabs a hold of you and doesn’t let go thanks to its addicting gameplay and mesmerizing visual presentation. The game’s premise sounds straightforward enough, all players have to do is catch a barrage of particles and powerups as they speed toward the center of the screen, but in reality it’s an intense test of ones reflexes and ability to make decisions on a dime. To keep things interesting there are tons of gameplay modifiers that can radically alter the action at any time which keeps things fresh and players on their toes without feeling repetitive.
Revolution (Playboard) | Revolution (Play Store)
ROTE from RageFX
ROTE is an ultra challenging puzzle game that’s part sokoban and part… well, part entirely unique! The concept is simple enough: make your way from the left side of the screen to the right side by pushing rows of blocks left or right. See… simple, right? It’s actually a lot tougher than it sounds and I assure you it’ll challenge even the most skilled puzzle veteran out there.
Puzzler fans that are looking for a unique new challenge need look no further than ROTE. This fantastic game can be yours for just $1 over on Google Play!
ROTE (Playboard) | ROTE (Play Store)
ROTE Pro (Playboard) | ROTE Pro (Play Store)
Shapist from qixen-p design
Qixen-P Design’s new award nominated logic puzzler Shapist challenges players with solving brain twisting spatial reasoning conundrums using a minimalistic visual style. Designed to be a classic puzzle game that encourages experimentation, Shapist gives players absolutely no rules or hints of any kind for solving the puzzle or for even playing the game, they must figure it all out on their own to proceed. Figuring out the way each puzzle is constructed makes for an addicting analytical experience that is sure to appeal to any brain teaser aficionado.
Shapist (Playboard) | Shapist (Play Store)
Shoot A Bit from Deadly Apps
If there were such an abstract thing as a retro hell for video game characters, I imagine the Galaga guys’ would look strikingly similar to indie developer Deadly Apps’ ferociously vibrant new rogue-like shooter Shoot A Bit. Detail is king in Shoot A Bit and the games merciless thinking machine minions are it subjects with the player a valiant Don Quixote esque figure bravely charging into a seemingly hopeless battle with naught but the might of his pew-pews. That’s why Shoot A Bit is so intriguing, it doesn’t necessarily do anything new per say but the way it combines its own clever twist on the shoot ‘em up genre with an insane amount of attention to minutiae makes for an engaging experience that will keep you playing just to see what the game throws at you next.
For more on Shoot A Bit be sure to check out Craig Forshey’s full review: Shoot A Bit Review
ShootABit (Playboard) | ShootABit (Play Store)
The Silence from Dale Penlington
The Silence is a brilliant new adventure game that has been designed to look and feel like a classic Hitchcock film. It all starts with your character awaking in a cheap motel with an unwelcome case of amnesia. With no idea of where you are or who you are you decide to explore your surroundings – and this ends up adding to your confusion. You quickly realise that everyone has vanished and you are surrounded by an eerie silence… well, aside from the sound of crows cawing off in the distance. It’s up to you to explore this mysterious landscape and discover where everyone has gone and just exactly who you are.
Get lost in this excellent Hitchcock-esque adventure game today for just $2! You won’t regret it!
The Silence (Playboard) | The Silence (Play Store)
Space Blobs from Simplicial Software
The debut title from indie developer Simplicial Software, Space Bobs is an extremely addicting and intense arcade game built around a novel concept. Giant radioactive blobs from space are crashing into the Earth, and as the commander of the world’s only anti-blob orbital laser it’s up to players to blast these extraterrestrial invaders into smithereens with concentrated plasma. Each blob operates on its own color frequency so players will need to aim their laser at the right deadly gelatinous mass or else the radiation will spread to quickly and it’ll be game over with players stuck all alone on a space station as the last human being alive, which is quite sad so do be sure to win.
Space Blobs (Playboard) | Space Blobs (Play Store)
Tactics Maiden from Mangobile
Tactics Maiden is an epic strategy role playing game from the makers of Kingturn RPG that evokes elements of some of the genre’s best such as Final Fantasy Tactics and Shining Force. As players embark on an epic journey full of danger and intrigue they’ll need to protect themselves by building their own private army full of wizards, knights, druids, and other mercenaries for hire. This is an uncompromising classic console experience that features all the depth, challenge, and detail you would want out of an SRPG. The storyline is engaging and the wealth of things to find and collect will keep players coming back to the world of Tactics Maiden for quite some time.
Tactics Maiden (SRPG) (Playboard) | Tactics Maiden (SRPG) (Play Store)
VIVID from ALL iN
VIVID is an intense new abstract arcade game that has been inspired by genre greats like Super Hexagon, Bit.Trip. and VVVVVV. In this ultra challenging game your goal is to collect gems and other goodies to earn points while avoiding any nasty obstacles that get in your way. It’s all done using simple touch-controls – but the gameplay itself is anything but simple. You’ll be up against a serious challenge here!
VIVID is one heck of a free game that all gamers should check out. It’s great abstract art style, fantastic bouncin’ soundtrack, leaderboards through Google Play Games Services, and lack of IAPs make it well worth the download.
VIVID (Playboard) | VIVID (Play Store)
online poll by Opinion Stage
The Friday Night Indie Game Round-Up is brought to you by the combined “Voltron-esque” editorial powers of James Maxwell, Craig Forshey, and JC Richardson.