20 best Android apps this week

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/jun/09/best-android-apps-powerdirector-kiwanuka

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It's time for our weekly roundup of the best new Android apps and games to have emerged on the Google Play store.

As ever, prices are correct at the time of writing, but may have changed by the time you read this. (Free + IAP) means in-app purchases are used within the app.

Want more apps? Browse previous Best Android Apps roundups on The Guardian. And if you're looking for iOS apps, browse the archives ofBest iPhone and iPad apps roundups instead.

APPS

PowerDirector – Video Editor (Free + IAP)

CyberLink has just launched Android and Windows tablet versions of its video-editing software. As long as you have a compatible tablet – the caveat here is that I don't, so haven't been able to try it yet – you can import your videos, add photos, audio tracks and various effects, then export them at up-to 1080p HD quality.

Orange Is The New App (Free)

Not binge-watched your way through the second series of Orange Is The New Black yet? Lightweight... Released on 6 June by Netflix, which commissioned the prison drama, it also has an official app for Android that "lets you be Alex's little spoon, rock a sweet pornstache and show your love for your favourite Litchfield ladies". Which translates as a neat promotional photo-sharing app.

Glastonbury Festival 2014 (Free)

Going to the Glastonbury Festival later this month? As ever, there's an official app for that – like last year, this comes from sponsor EE. Expect stage times and a schedule-planning feature, live streaming from the BBC, and maps of the festival site. And this being 2014, rest assured there'll be charging points to ensure you can use the app beyond lunchtime on day one.

Soundgarden (Free)

Something to make music fans of a certain age (i.e. an old one) feel old: grunge band Soundgarden's 'Superunknown' album is 20 years old. To celebrate, it's getting this new app, which plays the remastered version of the album in DTS Headphone:X sound. What's that? 11.1 surround sound from regular headphones, apparently. But you do need to buy the actual album to get a code to unlock the full app.

Go To Rio: Travel Guide & Photos (Free)

Go to Rio? There must be something happening there. You'd think the media would have covered it... Anyway, if you are finding yourself in the famous Brazilian city in the near future, this app may come in handy: a tourist guide to the sights of Rio, with photos, videos and tips from the Go To Travel Guides editors Nat and Mase, plus other useful travel information.

Music4Kids (£2.18 + IAP)

Something for children now: a colourful app that teaches kids how to write and play music on their Android device. The main mode gets them to trace their fingers on the touchscreen to create tunes, but there are also 140 challenges to flex their nascent music-making muscles.

Hodor Keyboard (£0.59)

HODOR. Hodor hodor hodor. Hodor. Hodor hodor hodor. HODOR. Hodor hodor hodor. Hodor. Hodor hodor hodor. Hodor hodor hodor. Hodor. Hodor hodor hodor. HODOR. More Hodor on this Hodor can be found Hodor.

Type Your Ringtone Pro (£0.59)

Finally, a simple utility that gets you to, yes, type your ringtone. Which is to say get your phone speaking to you as a ringtone by tapping in a message, then saving it to associate with specific contacts, as well as notifications for specific apps.

BONUS CONTENT (1)

The Guardian (Free + IAP)I didn't want to deprive someone else's app of one of the 20 slots in this week's roundup, so as an extra, check out the just-relaunched Guardian app. It's been completely reworked with an adaptive design across smartphones and tablets, with the GuardianWitness platform now integrated to help readers submit their own photos, videos and text. There's plenty of personalisation too, with fully-tweakable homescreen and notifications. Read the full story here.

GAMES

Kiwanuka (£1.79)

In an increasingly-long line of delightful mobile puzzle games, Kiwanuka is one of the best. It sees you guiding a colourful collection of characters to freedom using a glowing staff: like a neon-infused Lemmings built for touchscreens. File alongside Monument Valley in this year's games-worth-paying-for pile.

Bubble Witch Saga 2 (Free + IAP)

As the comments section to the full review of Bubble Witch Saga 2 showed, its publisher King has plenty of critics, angry at its appropriation of existing games (Puzzle Bobble in this case) and the way it pushes in-app purchases. The flipside of this: there are a lot of people who loved Candy Crush Saga, and are enjoying this follow-up: four-and-a-bit stars out of five on the Google Play store from nearly 45,000 reviews. The Marmite of the mobile gaming world, then, but you probably already know which side you belong to.

Hitman Go (£2.99 + IAP)

This new mobile incarnation of the Hitman franchise doesn't take the form you might expect: Hitman Go takes Square Enix’s action game and turns it into a grid-based puzzler – although assassination remains your goal. Its “scale-model style” graphics work very well, and the puzzles are well-crafted.

Dragon Quest VIII (£13.99)

Square Enix's latest retro remake is Dragon Quest VIII, which first came out in the mid-2000s. It's a faithful port for Android in 2014, with a few modern touches to ensure it passes muster on current devices. It's expensive, yes, but fans of the franchise will enjoy wallowing in nostalgia.

Rival Knights (Free + IAP)

As a teenager, I wasted countless hours trying to master the jousting section in a game called Defender of the Crown (which, naturally, is now available on Android too). Rival Knights is a thoroughly 2014 reworking of the idea though: a console-style game that sees you unlocking and upgrading horses, weapons and armour, and battling other players over the network.

Prime World: Defenders (Free + IAP)

It wouldn't be a weekly Android roundup without a brand new tower defence game, and Prime World: Defenders looks well-placed to continue the genre's strength on Android. Here, the schtick is that the core towers/weapons gameplay is spiced up with card-collecting features, as you build up your forces.

Cross Horizon (Free + IAP)

This is the latest mobile roleplaying game from Japanese publisher DeNA: waves of monsters, lots of loot and the ability to recruit your friends to fight with your party as you go. It looks very good, although as with all games like this, its long-term fun will depend on how the developer supports it with new content over the coming months.

Wordbase (Free + IAP)

Now something a little less hardcore – or perhaps more hardcore in its own way. Wordbase looks like a wordsearch puzzle, but it adds a competitive spin: you're spelling words to make your way towards an opponent's base: "The ultimate vocabulary smackdown," as the Google Play listing puts it. Power-ups add to the fighty fun.

Cybergon (Free + IAP)

Cybergon is the work of developer Robot Invader, which made the excellent Wind-Up Knight games on Android. This has more of a Tron feel, as you guide your Cybergon craft through futuristic networks picking up glowing blue "Intel" and avoiding deadly cyberviruses. It looks like fun, twitchy gameplay.

Firefly Runner (Free + IAP)

Another popular Android gaming genre – endless runners – gets a new game from developer Red Kite Games. Here, you're playing Switch, a firefly who rather than bimble around in the dark, can collect cherries, loop the loop and fire a slingshot. Set in a lush forest world, this is well worth a play.

Sky Force 2014 (Free + IAP)

Sky Force is actually a famous mobile gaming brand from the days before Android and iOS, but it's now been rebooted for 2014. It's a great-looking shoot 'em up with bullets, enemies and upgrades galore, with weekly tournaments thrown in to show you how great (or not) you are compared to other players.

Random Heroes 2 (£0.54 + IAP)

Finally, a charming platform game from respected firm Noodlecake Studios, the sequel to the fun Random Heroes. Here, you're taking on alien invaders across more than 90 levels, with a cute mix of colourful graphics and upgrades to keep you playing.

BONUS CONTENT (2)

Humble Bundle PC and Android 10If you're into your Android games, you should definitely check out the latest Humble Bundle for PC and Android, which has a bunch of them. Pay what you like to get Symphony, Draw a Stickman: Epic and Galcon Legends, but if you beat the average price (currently a mere $4.91) you'll also get Skulls of the Shogun, Metal Slug 3, Breach & Clear, both Fieldrunners games, Frozen Synapse and Ittle Dew.

Those are our picks, but what have you been enjoying on Android this week? Post your recommendations (or feedback on these) in the comments section.