Welcome to 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 action packed shooter, or even just a good old fashioned puzzler SGD has got you covered so check out all 25 of the awesome new indie games 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 Monday morning will be declared our indie game of the week and will be featured on our front page!
1-Bit Hero from Mudloop
From the indie studio that brought you ADAM and Binary Rush comes an addicting new retrotastic platformer called 1-Bit Hero that kicks the nostalgia factor into overdrive with old school gameplay retro fitted for mobile gaming. Against a backdrop of trippy CRT style graphics players will have to run and leap their way across a digital landscape filled with endless chasms, pointy traps, and roving bands of voracious pixelated monsters. 1-Bit Hero’s mobile friendly control scheme allows players to experience a fully fledged platformer without sacrificing playability due to a shoehorned in virtual controller scheme.
1-Bit Hero – Retro Platformer (Playboard) | 1-Bit Hero – Retro Platformer (Play Store)
Brave Bomb from New Day Dawning
Brave Bomb starts where Frogger left off by adding in clever new twists to the formula that bend the rules without breaking them. Just like Frogger the object of the game is to get your character, in this case a ticking time bomb about to explode, to the other side of the screen but this time around things are a little different. There are more than just cars to worry about now as players will have to worry about such obstacles as giant spikes, a cartoonish horde of explosive-prone creatures, and rapidly spawning laser grids just to name a few.
Brave Bomb (Playboard) | Brave Bomb (Play Store)
Bugs vs. Aliens from Keemba Studios
Fresh off of its iOS release comes indie developer Keemba Studio’s gorgeous new endless runner Bugs vs Aliens, a little game with a big twist. Unlike a lot of other endless runners that amount to little more than mindless tapping Bugs vs Aliens puts players in charge of a swarm of brave insects waging an unseen war against alien invaders that seem to be targeting invertebrates first, giving players the ability to lead a swarm into battle and even customize their own hero unit with its own unique perks. There are some really interesting ideas at work in Bugs vs Aliens that make it easy to distinguish from its less refined colleagues, such as the ability to switch between flying and running depending on what you want to do with your swarm.
Bugs vs. Aliens (Playboard) | Bugs vs. Aliens (Play Store)
Bumper Tank Battle from Nocanwin
Cubed Rally Redline developer Nocanwin is back at it again with a simple but addicting new arcade game called Bumper Tank Battle that hearkens back to the Atari days of gaming. An effective gameplay formula of meshing old with new allows Bumper Tank Battle to feel right at home on a touchscreen device with one-touch controls despite its clear arcade origins. It’s simple “ram or be rammed” action may not be incredible deep, but it certainly is fun.
Bumper Tank Battle (Playboard) | Bumper Tank Battle (Play Store)
Coward Knight from Studio Leaves
Stealth junkies might want to check their surroundings as it seems that indie developer Studio Leaves’ charming new stealth adventure game Coward Knight has snuck up on Android without so much as a peep, or a clank of armor to be more precise. Billed as an amalgamation of Metal Gear Solid, The Legend Of Zelda, and Ghosts & Goblins, Coward Knight takes the stealth action genre out of its usual modern warfare comfort zone and into more unfamiliar territory to create a quirky hybrid of A Link To The Past and Metal Gear Solid. With its arcade style stealth mechanics and nice visuals Coward Knight is certainly a welcome addition to the meager selection of Android stealth games on offer.
Coward Knight (Playboard) | Coward Knight (Play Store)
Dot Monster from Bee Games
What would you get if you threw Katamari, Puzzle Quest, and Rampage all together into a blender and set it on “liquify”? Why you’d get the digital smoothie that is Groove Lines developer Bee Games’ charming new puzzle rpg Dot Monster, that’s what! Starting out as a lowly dust bunny players will eat their way to gargantuan sizes by solving puzzles and devouring the seemingly endless procession of enemies that cross their path until ultimately developing an appetite of cosmic proportions.
Dot Monster: Puzzle & RPG (Playboard) | Dot Monster: Puzzle & RPG (Play Store)
Drunken Pistoletov from N94 Games
Indie studio N94 Games’ awesome new retro dodge ‘em up Drunken Pistoletov serves as a shining example of how to do the genre right with its smooth gameplay and neat power ups that let the player tackle the game in subtle but important new ways. As a drunken space pilot who has happened into the middle of a meteor shower players must use their inebriated instincts to keep the ship on course and keep their eyes peeled for additional alcohol. That’s because in this game beer goggles can give your ship special powers for a short period of time, but you must be careful to use them wisely because you never know when you’ll run into a jam you can’t dare devil your way out of.
Drunken Pistoletov (Playboard) | Drunken Pistoletov (Play Store)
Gummy Chomp from Lienzo
This hilarious new rhythm based arcade game follows the life of a gummy candy as it makes its way through the human digestive system and back out again. There’s quite a few obstacles standing in the way however, so players will have to jump in time with their gummy buddies in order to avoid getting sucked down the wrong tube. Gummy Chomp’s addicting twitch gameplay is sure to keep you tapping for quite some time!
Gummy Chomp (Playboard) | Gummy Chomp (Play Store)
High Rocket from Rapid Developers
Although it’s an incredibly simple game, indie studio Rapid Developers’ new endless arcade reaction game High Rocket is also quite charming in its own way. As the commander of a rocket ship players will need to propel themselves forward by tapping on either side of the screen to move through that area, but they must be careful as a horde of asteroids are approaching and one misstep can end in mission failure. Fuel is draining fast and the only way to keep the ship sustained is to move at crazy fast speeds, do mind those asteroids though.
High Rocket (Beta) (Playboard) | High Rocket (Beta) (Play Store)
Jungle Moose from Tyson Ibele
Despite it’s disarming cartoonish appearance indie developer Tyson Ibele’s new swipe based arcade game Jungle Moose comes loaded with tons of hilarious Happy Tree Friends style violence. As a rather portly moose with an affinity for hats tries to make his way across a piranha infested river players must swipe the carnivorous little buggers up in the air and onto the moose’s stout antlers so that he isn’t devoured in a rather gruesome fashion. There’s a bunch of extra modes and abilities to unlock too, so you’ll have plenty of reason to help your water challenged friend make his perilous trek ‘cross the narrow sea.
com.tysonibele.junglemoose (Playboard) | com.tysonibele.junglemoose (Play Store)
Monster Flash from Robomodo
From Robomodo, the same studio behind Globber’s Escape, comes a spooky new shooter filled with 360 degrees of terror. With only their trusty flashlight to protect themselves players must ward off a horde of nightmarish creatures descending upon them from all sides with the power of ultra violet rays. Having enemies coming at players from every direction keeps them on their toes while adding a sense of split second strategy to the mix and is probably why Monster Flash is so fun.
Monster Flash (Playboard) | Monster Flash (Play Store)
Muertitos from HyperBeard Games
Bouncing Dudes developer HyperBeard Games is back at it again with a ghoulish new puzzler about the Day of the Dead called Muertitos. Match-3 mechanics meet the living dead in this funky new puzzle game that feels like Grim Fandango re-imagined as a puzzler. In addition to genre staples like matching together similar tiles there’s also a bunch of special character tiles available which helps to give Muertitos a distinct appeal.
Muertitos (Playboard) | Muertitos (Play Store)
Pixel Cars from Homemade Games
After what must have been an arduous task designing the intricate strategy game Front Wars indie studio Homemade Games has decided to take things old school this time around with its challenging new automotive arcade runner Pixel Cars. The idea here is simple, all players need to do is keep from crashing their car as they barrel down the highway at crazy speeds, but with its high speed action and unforgiving degree of challenge that quickly proves to be a difficult task. Thankfully the smooth graphics and underlying physics help keep the action fair making Pixel Cars somewhat like the Dark Souls of pixelated racing games.
Pixel Cars (Playboard) | Pixel Cars (Play Store)
Planetary Guard: Defender from Blackland Games
The tower defense genre has gotten a shot in the arm recently thanks to the release of indie developer Blackland Games’ unique new hybrid twin stick shooter Planetary Guard: Defender. This gorgeous looking shoot ‘em up blends together elements of Super Stardust, Geometry Wars, and standard tower defense into an intriguing new premise that adds in its own spin on the gameplay. As the pilot of a massive planetary defense tank it’s up to players to single handedly lead the charge against a relentless horde of alien invaders by blasting them to smithereens whilst strategically laying down a variety of differently powered turrets. This introduces a whole new level of gameplay to the mix and helps to give Planetary Guard: Defender a decidedly rare flavor.
Planetary Guard:Defender (Playboard) | Planetary Guard:Defender (Play Store)
Robots Need Love Too from Elephant Mouse
A charming tale of robotic romance and digital defiance, this great new logic puzzler from Elephant Mouse has an interesting story to go along with its engaging gameplay. In Robots Need Love Too players must help two robot friends solve riddles and avoid traps as they go on an epic adventure across an industrial landscape. Only by helping the two robots work together to solve the various problems they encounter can players advance to the next level which adds a neat twist as both robots often need to move in unison to complete each stage.
Robots Need Love Too (Playboard) | Robots Need Love Too (Play Store)
Rounded Strategy from NowaHutaGames
This epic turn based strategy game from indie developer NowaHutaGames features deep gameplay, cross platform multiplayer, and a full single player mode all set against a Napoleonic backdrop. Players can wage war both on and offline as they work to amass an army that can conquer the digital landscape. One really nice thing about Rounded Strategy is that even though it’s a free to play game it doesn’t contain any game-breaking premium currency of any kind, which strategy gamers are sure to appreciate.
Rounded Strategy (Playboard) | Rounded Strategy (Play Store)
Shark Dinner from Rage Monster Games
If you’ve always wished there was an awesome game out there that let you play as Jaws but have been thoroughly disappointing in all the video game offerings thus far allow me to introduce you to indie developer Rage Monster Games’ fintastic new arcade hopper Shark Dinner. As a great white shark it’s up to players to help themselves to a buffet of humans swimming about above without accidentally chowing down on a mine. With simple but addicting gameplay and combos galore, Shark Dinner is sure to be a perfect chum.
Shark Dinner (Playboard) | Shark Dinner (Play Store)
Square Chainz from Square Gamez
I never thought i’d find myself actually enjoying an arcade game based around counting numbers but indie studio Square Gamez’ addicting new action puzzler Square Chainz has resoundingly shattered that presumption. It’s a straightforward idea really, as a sequence of numbers 1 through 6 rush by players they must tap on one of the left or right columns that has a number one above or below the number in the middle column. You’d think that would be easy but it can become quite the challenge under pressure and makes for a surprisingly sound foundation for a great puzzle game. Toss in swanky graphics and a full 15 song original soundtrack and you’ve got a keeper with Square Chainz.
Square Chainz (Playboard) | Square Chainz (Play Store)
Squishy The Suicidal Pig from Panic Art Studios
From the creative team that brought you the uber popular rogue-like Hero Siege comes a terrific new retro style platformer called Squishy The Suicidal Pig that feels like an awesome SNES game on steroids. And bacon, lots of bacon. Having already seen a release on Steam, the game’s creative team Panic Art Studios has now seen fit to unleash Squishy The Suicidal Pig on Android and boy was it worth the wait. This nostalgically charming old school sidescroller will take you back to a time in video game history when platforming was king and gameplay reigned supreme with its varied level mechanics, challenging achievements, and kitsch unlockables such as a svelte hat or two.
Squishy The Suicidal Pig (Playboard) | Squishy The Suicidal Pig (Play Store)
Super Triclops Soccer from Sterling Games
This wacky new physics heavy arcade game from indie developer Sterling Games puts a unique spin on the classic sport of soccer by transforming the players into paper football esque creatures that exist on a 2D plane. They still love to play soccer though, so all the teams of the world are at it once again in this awesome Street Fighter meets FIFA style video game satire. Just like regular soccer the object of the game is to get the ball into your opponent’s goal, except this time around there’s alot more physics based shenanigans involved which makes for much more unpredictable and entertaining matches.
Super Triclops Soccer (Playboard) | Super Triclops Soccer (Play Store)
Sweet Drmzzz from Bart Bonte
Furiosity and Sugar Sugar developer Bart Bonte has done it again with an awesome new Wario Ware style collection of puzzles that pick up where his previous titles left off in a dreamy new landscape. As a mini sleewalking bedbug version of themselves traveling the stars players will encounter many strange worlds that each house their own unique set of challenges for them to overcome. Both traditionally fun and artistically surreal, Sweet Drmzzz is yet another great game from Bart Bonte.
Sweet Drmzzz (Playboard) | Sweet Drmzzz (Play Store)
Tile Surfer from Bubadu
While this charming endless pixel runner may not exactly break any new ground in the gameplay department it’s still a very fun and polished experience built on tried and true ideas. In Tile Surfer players must help a heroic tile make his way to the top of the screen by gesturing him out of harms way and infusing him with power ups for an extra leg up. The action is fast paced and nuanced thanks to an intuitive gesture control scheme that allows players to judge upcoming obstacles in minute detail.
Tile Surfer (Playboard) | Tile Surfer (Play Store)
Time Dude from REEA
Most shoot ‘em ups have players fighting such token enemies as fighter jets and alien spaceships but rarely do you see a game where players are an ace fighter pilot waging a one man war against an army of angry cavemen and dinosaurs. Yet that’s precisely the case in the wacky new 3D arcade shooter Time Dude which makes for a memorable setting if nothing else. Fortunately there’s a ton more to it than that as Time Dude is also a really great shoot ‘em up in the vein of games like 1942, but with dinosaurs.
Time Dude (Playboard) | Time Dude (Play Store)
Up & Away from Brothers Flint
I imagine if there were floating buzzsaws flying around in the movie Up like there are in indie studio Brothers Flint’s addicting new arcade game Up & Away it might have had a slightly different ending. In this pixelated physics dodger players will take to the sky with balloons just like in the aforementioned motion picture except this time around they wont have a house to protect them or any plucky talking animals for comedic relief. The gameplay is both intuitive and challenging with tons of extra stuff to unlock which should give you plenty of reason to float up, Up & Away with this great new arcade physics game
Up & Away (Playboard) | Up & Away (Play Store)
Zombie Stompers from Deadly Serious Media
From the studio that brought you Flip Runner comes a gruesome new one touch platformer called Zombie Stompers that will have you shambling for the high score. This simple but addicting new tap runner feels like “Red light, Green light” on steroids as players must proceed forward through a factory full of industrial presses as quickly as possible without getting smooshed like the T-1000 in Terminator. Those skilled enough to pick up substantial amounts of brain matter will be rewarded with stylish new zombie friends to prowl around with, and let’s be honest, who doesn’t want more zombie friends?
Zombie Stompers (Playboard) | Zombie Stompers (Play Store)
Tune in every Friday for your regularly scheduled Friday Night Indie Game Round-Up brought to you by SGD editors Craig Forshey and James Maxwell!