Best new mobile games on iOS and Android – May 2024 overview

GameCentral's monthly roundup of the best new gaming apps includes an ultra-violent potato and one of the best puzzle games of the year.

Whether you're looking for the chaotic sugar rush of Super Monsters Ate My Condo+, the gentle and offbeat storytelling of Strange Horticulture, or the steady roguelite build-up of Loop Hero, this month's mobile releases deliver all the diversity, adrenaline, and weirdness that you could wish for. for.

Shift 2

iOS and Playdate, £4.99 (Scenic Route software)

Shift 2's four-in-a-row puzzle takes place on a 4×4 grid, where you can drag each row or column to form matching lines, as well as upgrade individual tiles. With each match you make, four squares are merged into one new square, and like Scenic Route's previous game Generations, there's a lot more going on than meets the eye.

Every matching line you make increases your multiplier, which resets every time you make a move that doesn't cause a match, while the three play modes completely transform the game.

Calm is turn-based, while the aptly named Frantic is timed, and Tactical mode ends as soon as you make a move that doesn't trigger at least one match – making it much more complex to navigate your way through the levels, in this brilliantly conceived and mentally taxing puzzle game.

Score: 8/10

Pious

iOS and Android, free (unordered games)

Vroomies is a simply drawn top-down racing game where you swipe to make turns and tap to hit acceleration squares. Get the timing right and you'll earn checkpoints that maximize your speed and allow you to take shortcuts.

As you race against a field of computer-controlled competitors, you'll earn temporary power-ups that last for the duration of the championship you're competing in. You also need to monitor tire wear and intervene tactically when it's time for a change.

Unlock new cars as you battle your way through the tournaments, in a game that can be downloaded for free without any microtransactions.

Score: 7/10

Super monsters ate my apartment+

iOS, included with Apple Arcade subscription (PikPok)

Monsters stand on opposite sides of a rickety apartment building, allowing you to sweep floors of the building into their mouths in an attempt to stack three adjacent floors of the same color, which automatically merge into an upgraded condominium.

Feeding the upgraded floors to your monsters activates their individual superpowers, in a game whose action is fast, furious and extremely silly.

Originally released in 2012, this version features slightly revamped graphics but otherwise appears similar to its aging predecessor. There is a paid version available on Android.

Score: 6/10

Walk Hero

iOS and Android, free – full game £5.99 (Playdigious)

In a strange hybrid of roguelite, idle game and roleplayer, Loop Hero has your small dungeon circle through a procedurally generated looping corridor, automatically battling monsters it encounters.

Encounters generate loot in the form of new weapons, armor, equipment and maps, allowing you to expand the geography around your loop by adding enemies, power-ups and treasure chests, making each loop more difficult as you level up.

Deciding when to run to base camp with your loot is an exercise in craftsmanship in this highly addictive and touchscreen-friendly game.

Score: 8/10

Lost Potato

iOS and Android, Free – Remove Ads 99p (Erabit Studios)

Set on a single screen, your potato protagonist cannot actually damage enemies, but instead must smash them into spikes or projectiles to kill them.

The cute, simplistic graphics and chaos of power-ups and different ways to kill your enemies – their cartoon blood soon covering the various pointy objects – make it very easy to understand and enjoy the game.

Unfortunately, its entire mission is to get you to watch ads, which are garish and overlong, but once you pay to remove them you're left with a neatly designed, understated roguelite over a violent potato.

Rating: 7/10