15 new Android games from the week of December 23rd, 2019: Vodobanka Pro, Missio...

Vodobanka Pro, Mission Ammunition, and Age of Civilizations II Europe

Welcome to the roundup of the new Android games that went live in the Play Store or were spotted by us in the previous week or so. Today I have an intriguing tactical game where you'll take control of a swat team, a delightful run-and-gun platformer, and the latest release in Łukasz Jakowski's Age of Civilizations mobile strategy catalog. So without further ado, here are the more notable Android games released during the week of December 23rd, 2019.

Games

Vodobanka Pro

Vodobanka Pro is a premium tactical game where you'll get to control a swat team through many top-down raids as you work your way through each of the game's missions. The graphics are rather simple, though the strategic gameplay holds up, making this a quality release. Oh, and if you would like to try the game before you buy, there is also a free version available on the Play Store.

Monetization: $1.99 / no ads / no IAPs

Mission Ammunition

Mission Ammunition is a delightful run-and-gun platformer that contains excellent pixel-based graphics and a solid control scheme. It would appear that the story revolves around a prison that's under attack, and so it will be your job to take care of this problem through brute-force and guns, many many guns. It also doesn't hurt that the soundtrack rocks, which helps to round this title out as one of the better 2D platforming shooters out there.

Monetization: $2.99 / contains ads / no IAPs

Age of Civilizations II Europe

Age of Civilizations II Europe is the latest release in Łukasz Jakowski's Age of Civilizations mobile strategy game catalog. Much like the rest of the developer's titles, you'll have to use military tactics, cunning, and diplomacy to unify the world or conquer it, the choice is yours. Oh, and if you'd like to check out this new release without going out of pocket, there is a light version available for free.

Monetization: $4.99 / no ads / no IAPs

Great Escapes

Great Escapes comes from Glitch Games, a developer that already offers a solid library of escape room games through the Google Play Store. This is how you know that a new release from the studio is worth looking into if you're a fan of its previous titles. As always, you'll spend your time hunting down clues and solving puzzles, but since this is an early-access release, some features are still missing, such as a hint system.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs

Mob Empire

Mob Empire is an early access release from Atari. Primarily this title plays like any other city builder on the Play Store, where you'll recruit gang members to develop legit and illicit businesses, all so you can grow your empire. At the very least, since this is a title in testing, it's not monetized just yet. So if you're eager to check out yet another generic city builder, now's the best time to do so before in-app purchases are inevitably added to the title.

Monetization: free / no ads / no IAPs (yet)

Johnny Trigger

Johnny Trigger offers an enjoyable digital shooting gallery that is sadly ruined by excessive advertisements. While the core gameplay loop of clearing the many enemies of each stage is a hoot, the constant interruptions from ads make it hard to enjoy your time with what is otherwise a solid arcade game. Sadly there is no way to remove these ads either, so you are stuck with them if you choose to play.

Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs

War Tortoise 2

War Tortoise 2 is, of course, Foursaken Media's followup to the original War Tortoise - Idle Shooter. Much like the initial release, this is also an idle game themed around shooting from the top of giant tortoises. As you would expect, there are many new upgrades on offer, so if you enjoy endlessly grinding to unlock new weapons and abilities so that you can grind even more, War Tortoise 2 has you covered. And hey, at the very least, there is no denying that the strange theme is the real draw here.

Monetization: free / contains ads / no IAPs (yet)

OverDrive

OverDrive is a stylish auto-runner that exudes an '80s neon theme. The thing is, unlike similar auto-runners, there is a musical component to each race, where you'll have to maneuver to the beat of the game's tunes if you want to reach your goal. So while the gameplay offers a slight tweak from the norm of an auto-runner, it's the game's visuals that add an extra layer of flair that makes the first few playthroughs worth the download. Just don't expect this title to keep you entertained for long.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $0.99 a piece

Troll Patrol

Troll Patrol is a match-3 puzzle game that was previously covered two-years ago when the alpha version was known as Den of Defiance. Now that the game is officially available for all to enjoy, the name has changed, but the RPG-based match-3 gameplay is still just as fun as ever.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs $2.49 a piece

Sharkslam

Sharkslam is an odd game where the goal is to jump out of the ocean to bodyslam as many objects as possible. You'll essentially launch your shark as high into the air as you can, to then bodyslam everything that crosses your path in order to vie for a high score. This means the gameplay can be competitive, and there is indeed a leaderboard to work your way through if you're dedicated enough.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $3.99

Icy Drift

Icy Drift is a simple action game that revolves around sliding across ice to reach your goal. As you would expect, many obstacles and enemies will lay in wait, so you'll have to use your drifting skills to defeat enemies and reach your way to the goal without dying. Clearly, the title's graphics aren't all that great, but the characters are cute, and the sliding-based gameplay is entertaining, at least for a short while.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $4.99

Tank Block Blast

Tank Block Blast is just that, an arcade game where you are tasked with shooting many blocks with your tank. The controls work well, and there are many different ways to upgrade your tank so that you can continue to destroy as many blocks as possible. This means the gameplay loop will see you destroying blocks, earning upgrades, implementing those upgrades, and then it's off to shoot more blocks. As you would imagine, this grows stale quickly.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $1.99 - $19.99

Era Combat - Online PvP Shooter

Era Combat is the latest online PvP shooter to land on the Play Store. These PvP battles will offer fast-paced 3v3 matches that all take place in a sci-fi setting. In-game events are expected, and there are tons of trophies to earn, though the inclusion of an auto-firing mechanic tells me that this isn't a game where skill takes precedence over ease of play. At the very least, the game's in-app purchases are priced much lower than similar shooters.

Monetization: free / no ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $21.99

Burning Sky: Aircraft Combat 2020

Burning Sky: Aircraft Combat 2020 is a delightful top-down shoot 'em up that sports colorful graphics and reliable controls. Just like any other top-down shooter, it will be your job to take down your enemies as you dodge bullets during hectic dogfights. As you progress, you'll unlock new powers, which will be helpful as you face off against a few different boss fights along your journey to save the planet.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $99.99

Steel Rage: Robot Cars PvP Shooter Warfare

Steel Rage is a generic PvP shooter that swaps people for vehicles, which means you'll spend your time driving around an open-world map in search of enemies as you compete for the position of last-man-standing. Think PUBG with cars, and you are getting close to what's on offer here. So, of course, this is a free-to-play release, and as expected, the title's IAPs are priced above and beyond anything this generic shooter is worth.

Monetization: free / contains ads / IAPs from $0.99 - $219.99

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