Tech
New Android games: The best from June 2024
While Star Wars: Hunters was the most prominent new Android game released in June 2024, Hyper Light Drifter was perhaps the most unexpected launch. Between these two big names, we saw a massive variety of Android games launch on the Play Store this month, covering MOBAs, MMOs, and more.
Read on to see which are the best games on Android this month. These games suit phones or tablets, but a common theme this month is fantastic soundtracks, so immerse yourself with noise-cancelling earbuds.
1 Star Wars: Hunters
Star Wars: Hunters is a hero shooter that takes a lighter look at the Star Wars universe. The focus is on fun and frenzied action here, not rigid adherence to contradictory lore. It isn’t particularly innovative; it’s essentially a mashup of existing hero shooters like Overwatch 2 and Team Fortress 2 with a Star Wars skin on it. However, there is a decent amount of fun to be had in this free-to-play game from Zynga.
If your hackles were raised by “free-to-play,” keep them raised, as Star Wars: Hunters is packed full of microtransactions that, while not essential for progression, are frustrating. The constant reminders and unrewarding challenges leave a sour taste in your mouth, but Star Wars: Hunters is the perfect choice if you want a fun hero shooter to play for a couple of hours a day.
2 Skul: The Hero Slayer
On the surface, Skul: The Hero Slayer looks like a rough copy of action platformers like Dead Cells, but underneath the basic premise is a roguelite hack-and-slash platformer with plenty to offer fans of the genre. Skul: The Hero Slayer’s notable feature is the ability to switch between new characters by trying on a new skull, completely changing your character’s abilities and appearance with a press of a button. However, this comes with balancing issues that marr this otherwise splendid game.
The balancing issues become immediately noticeable once you’ve unlocked a few skulls. Some are so good that even the most experimental players will find themselves only using the best ones as they play. Being a roguelite, progression is essential to discover more content, and Skul: The Hero Slayer squanders some of its creativity by penalizing the player for not being lucky enough to get one of the best skulls in a run. Nevertheless, Skul: The Hero Slayer is a fast, beautiful, and satisfying roguelite from start to finish.
3 Hyper Light Drifter – S.E.
Hyper Light Drifter launched on PC in 2018 and was ported to numerous consoles and iOS before the Special Edition arrived on Android in June 2024. The Special Edition contains a new challenge, boss, outfit, and weapons in addition to all the content included in the original game. For those unfamiliar with Hyper Light Drifter, it’s a Zelda-like game emphasizing hack-and-slash action set in a stunning pixel art world packed with spectacular boss fights and secrets to discover.
The only catch with the launch of Hyper Light Driver on Android is that multiple players have encountered hard crashes that are still present weeks after release. However, if you don’t mind a few bugs, you can enjoy one of the best pixel-art games released in the last decade.
4 Tarisland
Tarisland is a cross-platform MMORPG for mobile and PC that stands apart from the competition with a lightweight approach to abilities and combat; it’s easy to play even on a touch-screen mobile device. While the story and graphics aren’t particularly innovative (it’s basically as close as you can get to World of Warcraft without breaking copyright laws), they are interesting enough to keep you engaged as you explore the world, complete quests, and delve into dungeons.
Tarisland is a free-to-play MMO, which means microtransactions, but they’re not forced on you in the way that games like Diablo Immortal do. However, the entire game lacks some polish; while it’s fun to play, expect a few rough edges as you do so.
5 Honor of Kings
Honor of Kings might just have launched on our phones globally, but it’s had ten years to establish itself in China. This is a double-edged sword. While there is a huge roster of characters to choose from, and the game is (relatively) balanced, its graphics and UI feel somewhat dated. Recent years have seen a surge in innovative solutions for playing complex games on touch screens, and Honor of Kings doesn’t hold up.
However, there’s a lot to enjoy about this MOBA. Notably, it’s straightforward for beginners to pick up as the game will provide plenty of tips and recommendations to get you started. The aforementioned range of characters can feel overwhelming, but it means you have plenty of choices when it comes to trying out new strategies.
Try out another great game
Halfling Dale |
Halfling Dale is a relaxing choose-your-own-adventure game in which you engage in various charming activities as you attempt to reestablish your family’s name. |
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CookieRun: Tower of Adventures |
A co-op action game, the first 3D entry in the CookieRun franchise, where you’ll also solve puzzles between fighting bosses and starting raids. |
Don’t miss the best new Android games
Android Police’s monthly roundup is the best way to discover the best new games on Android. However, if your phone struggles to run these games, try these tips to troubleshoot a slow Android device. And don’t forget to check out last month’s standouts, May offered even more standout games than June did.
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