Barring special occasions, I never go out of my way to exclude any mobile platform from the Week in Gaming Apps. Sometimes it just happens.
Here's a little insight into how the Week in Gaming Apps works. I download a bunch of new games on my iPad, because it's easy to tell which games on iOS are the new ones. Then I go to Google Play and poke about. I'll check the Windows Phone 8 store as well, for good measure. I download some titles, pick my favorites, and make this this.
Most of the time, a game I play on iOS winds up being a cross-over title with Android. Not this week, and none of the Android games I played really caught my eye. I tried.
So let me remind folks in the Android and Windows Phone development space — if you;ve got a game coming out, email me at fahey@kotaku.com, let me know. I'd be glad to check out.
Please don't hurt me too badly, Android gamers.
What We Played This Week
Shadowrun Returns — Harebrained Schemes — iOS — $9.99
Harebrained Scheme's wonderful PC RPG adaptation of the pen-and-paper role-playing classic works even better on the iPad. Feels like the game was made for touch controls. Unfortunately all you get is the main story, with none of the awesome fan-made content from the PC version.
Pocket Trains — Nimblebit — iOS — Free
Run away. NimbleBit's train sim is even more addictive than its plane sim. Or just as addictive. And dangerous. FLEE!
Drop That Candy — Greenfly Studios — iPad, iPhone — $2.99
A clever little puzzle game that relies just as much on your reflexes as your intelligence. It's unfortunate Greenfly opted to make two versions — one for phones and iPods and one HD for iPads — universal apps, people.
Tower of Fortune 2 — Game Stew — iOS — $1.99
The original roulette-based RPG returns, with more reasons to spin the wheel than ever before. Tower of Fortune 2 adds so much — exploration, camping, crafting, random encounters, tavern mini-games. It's tough, but in a good way.
TrouserHeart — 10tons — iOS — $2.99
The most fun you can have on your iPad without pants on, I guess? Someone has stolen your pants, and the only thing to do when such a thing happens is to go on an extensive hack-and-slash adventure. I don't make the rules.
Cat on a Diet — Nawia Games — iOS — $.99
Mmmm, a good-old physics puzzler. The cat wants cookies (or possibly diabetes), and you have to slash through obstacles to make sure he finds his way into the cookie jar, picking up muffins along the way because damn, he's going to die.
Buddy & Me — Sunbreak Games — iOS — $2.99
A bit pricey for an unknown property, especially when it's a variation on the endless runner, but damn Buddy & Me is pretty. It's like an animated feature, so delightful. Each run is different, and the game scales difficulty to the player, so it's accessible to everyone.
Amigo Pancho — Qaibo Games — iOS — $.99
Amigo flies on two balloons, heedless of the angers you have to remove from his panth in order for him to ascend. You can play a free flash version of the game here — it's been around for years.
Boson X — Ian MacLarty — iOS — $1.99
Another free PC game gone iOS, this is one kick-your-ass running game masquerading as scientific research. You're running down tunnels, leaping from platform-to-platform as the world spins around you. Great fun.
So yeah, all iOS this week. It wasn't planned, but it happens. Vent your frustrations by sharing your favorite Android games in the comments, following the format we've laid down here.