Sound clever in meetings with this concise snapshot of the new games you need to know about.
Here every Friday you’ll find big games gone global, fresh soft launches, the latest release dates and everything in between.
This week’s update is published in association with Metaplay:
Metaplay is a fully-extensible backend for making top-tier mobile games, with pre-built tech and tools to cover you from your first line of code right through to LiveOps and player support. Its new Managed Service plans start at just €995/month.
Garden Joy: Design Game (Scopely)
We’ve been tracking soft launch games a little more closely lately, and so only just spotted this, Scopely’s take on Design Home or Redecor, but for gardeners. It has been in and out of soft launch on iOS and Android since mid-2022 in the Netherlands, Canada and US.
Waffle Word Puzzle: Brain Game (Miniclip)
This crossword-like game is only available in the US and Portugal on iOS and Android. Miniclip is not known for its word puzzlers, so it’ll be interesting to see if this one goes global.
NASCAR Manager (Hutch)
Hutch’s latest racing management game is out now worldwide on iOS and Android.
For more on the studio and the story of its previous game Forza Customs, read our chat with Hutch boss Shaun Rutland from late last year.
Warframe (Digital Extremes)
This one was announced back in September 2023 and it arrives on iOS only next week. There’s still no word on an Android edition, as far as we’re aware.
Alien: Isolation (Feral)
As spotted by TouchArcade, this port of the cult PC and console game is now ‘free-to-start’, with a $14.99 paywall after two missions.
Pinball Masters (Zen Studios)
This is live on Netflix now, a pinball game with themed Godzilla, King Kong and Addams Family-themed tables, among others.
Downpour (V Buckenham)
This new title from indie creator and former Niantic staffer V Buckenham is pitched as a kind of mobile version of Twine. It’s coming to iOS and Android on March 6.
Players and creators can take photos and add text to create branching stories, then share them on social media or download and host them on Neocities or itch.io. It’ll be free with a subscription for power users.
Disney Iwájú: Rising Chef (Disney/Maliyo Games/Kugali)
This is a new African-themed restaurant game that’s arriving on iOS and Android on February 28. It’s being released alongside animated Disney+ series ‘Iwájú’.
Ex Astris (Gryphline)
This is a turn-based/real-time hybrid 3D RPG from the maker of Arknights: Endfield, Gryphline. It’s launching on February 27 across iOS and Android.
Electric Blue: Gecko Dash! (OTE Productions)
Finally, a game about the critically endangered Williams’ Dwarf Gecko! It’s out on iOS and Android now.
