Top 5 Android Apps & Games of the Week (July 22, 2016)
Every week, hundreds of Android apps and games are submitted to the Play Store. If you’re not paying attention 24/7, it’s easy to miss some of the best stuff. Every week we will highlight five of the best new and overlooked apps and games. You’re sure to find some hidden gems in these recommendations. Go forth and download!
1. Flytube
Flytube is made by the same people who created Notifly and Flyperlink. It’s an app for YouTube that allows you to watch videos in a floating window on top of whatever you’re doing. You don’t have to leave the YouTube video to respond to a message or check your Twitter feed. It’s a great way to multitask while enjoying a YouTube video. Sort of like watching TV in the background while you do something else.
The Flytube window is small and can be dragged around the screen. You can set Flytube as the default YouTube player to have it automatically open, or use YouTube’s built-in share button to pop videos out into the window. Just tap the share button in YouTube and select Flytube from the list of apps. Flytube is simple to use, well designed, and completely free.
DOWNLOAD: Flytube – Google Play
- Price: Free
- In-app Purchases: Yes
- Rating: 4.4/5
- Installs: 100 – 500
2. Dots & Co
Dots & Co is another dots-based game from the people who made Dots and Two Dots. The gameplay in Dots & Co is largely the same as previous Dots games. Your job is to connect dots of the same color by drawing lines. There’s a lot more to it than that, but connecting dots is the basic concept. The top of the screen will tell you how many dots of each color you need to connect.
The game slowly introduces more concepts as you play. One of the new features in Dots & Co is “Companions.” These characters have special powers that can help you solve levels. As with all Dots games, Dots & Co is absolutely beautiful to look at it. The art is gorgeous and the music is very chill. You can easily sit back and play the game for hours. It’s free to play, but there are in-app purchases.
DOWNLOAD: Dots & Co – Google Play
- Price: Free
- In-app Purchases: Yes
- Rating: 4.4/5
- Installs: 10,000 – 50,000
3. Swiftmoji
Swiftmoji has finally graduated from beta to a full release. This keyboard is made by the same folks who made SwiftKey, which is probably the most popular keyboard for Android. SwiftKey already has something called “Emoji Prediction,” but it’s not really predicting anything. It just detects keywords and brings up the appropriate emoji. Swiftmoji is actual emoji prediction.
Swiftmoji adds a dedicated emoji bar above the regular keyboard. This bar fills up with emoji as you type. It does more than just show the dog emoji when you type “dog.” For example, you could type “pets” and it would bring up the emojis for dogs and cats. “Congratulations” will bring up the emojis for clapping, balloons, birthday cake, presents, and more. It’s emoji prediction with some smarts behind it.
DOWNLOAD: Swiftmoji – Google Play
- Price: Free
- In-app Purchases: Yes
- Rating: 4.3/5
- Installs: 10,000 – 50,000
4. Dashy Knight
In Dashy Knight there’s only two things to do: jump and dash. Those simple controls offer hours of addictive fun. You play as a knight in a retro 8-style world. The knight is constantly moving from left to right. Along the way, there are castle towers and enemies in your way. You can jump to avoid running into things and dash through enemies with your sword.
The knight is running across the screen very quickly, which means you don’t have a lot of time to think. One false move and you’ll faceplant into a tower or be shot by an arrow. The goal is to stay alive as long as possible and watch your score rise. The controls are simple, the design is awesome, and it’s completely free without ads.
DOWNLOAD: Dashy Knight – Google Play
- Price: Free
- In-app Purchases: No
- Rating: 4.6/5
- Installs: 10,000 – 50,000
5. Channels
Channels is an app that allows you to talk with other people that use your favorite apps and games. The app scans your phone for apps and games and automatically adds you to those “channels.” A channel is a forum where people can create topics and discuss the specific app or game. Every app and game can have its own little community.
This is great for asking questions and finding people with your same interests. For example, if you’re a hardcore Pokemon GO player you can share tips and talk with your fellow trainers. Or maybe you’re looking for some stock trading advice from fellow Robinhood users. Channels can be a great place to go for help, or a place for casual conversation. Check it out to see what people are saying about your favorite apps and game.
DOWNLOAD: Channels – Google Play
- Price: Free
- In-app Purchases: No
- Rating: 4.3/5
- Installs: 100 – 500
That’s it for this week! We’ll be back next week with five more apps and games for you to download. Let us know which one was your favorite, and leave recommendations for other apps and games you’ve found this week.