Zack

Retry is another brilliantly simple physics-based game from Rovio. It's a one-button flying game in which the goal is to fly from one end of the level to the next. Tapping the screen causes the plane to fly, while holding it will cause it to loop. Much like those old corded toy cars, it's a balancing act of tapping and holding the throttle. Coins are placed throughout each level which can be spent on checkpoints, or to reveal the flight path if you're really having trouble. This appropriately titled game is well worth a try, or two, or ten.





Adventure Xpress combines the tried and true match 3 puzzle genre with some light RPG elements to create a dangerously addictive game. Attacks are performed by matching 5 varieties of runes, each representing a different element. Earth type enemies, for example, are weak to attacks performed by matching fire runes but resistant to their own type. Attacks are most devastating when they result from combos. Gold awarded by defeating enemies can be spent on upgrades such as weapons, armor, and elemental spells. This is one dangerously addictive adventure.





Competitive games are lacking on mobile, and it's no surprise why. You can only so much on a single tiny screen obscured by two players' fingers, but Micro Battles manages to be the perfect time-waster for two. Each player has a single button to control their character in 5 different mini-games, including soccer, a desert shootout, and the axe-throwing vikings pictured above. The first to 5 points wins. The games are simple, but, like the ever-popular Divekick, it all comes down to reading your opponent. The games are quick, which makes it a great way to kill a few minutes while waiting for a movie to start or your food to arrive. The only major gripe with the free version is you only have access to 1 of the 5 games each day, but a single $2 payment will permanently unlock the rest of the games.

Fury by Ledida





Fury is a single-screen arcade style game that'll test your reflexes with an onslaught of bears from all directions. Bears come in from all 4 sides, all simultaneously hopping one square at a time, with the pace quickly ramping up. The bears can be killed with a club by swiping in that direction. Filling the meter will result in a blast that clears all bears on screen, but it's only a matter of seconds before you're surrounded once again. The key to success in Fury is to become a methodical finger-swiping, bear-killing machine. Think for a second and you're dead. More often than not the game ends due to a sweaty finger not swiping properly as opposed to incorrect timing, so the option to simply tap a lane would be a welcome addition, but it's a minor issue.





Those who have played Telltale's The Walking Dead will instantly take to The Wolf Among Us, a gripping thriller based on various fairy tale characters and their lore. For those that haven't played The Walking Dead, it's essentially a choose-your-own-adventure game in which almost every decision has a major effect on the game's story.While only the first episode is free, it's well worth playing even if you don't plan on purchasing the subsequent episodes. Telltale have once again shown us their mastery at using the interactive nature of video games to brilliantly tell a story.





That's all for this month. Check back in November for another 5 free Android games worth playing.