Sunday 20 July 2014

(Apps) Apps of the week.

There's no better time than a Saturday afternoon to sit down and check out some new apps for your Android, and we hope to kick off that weekend content discovery with our Apps of the Week column. Once a week we round up an app from each of the writers here at Android Central, and get a quick explanation of why they chose that particular app.

This week we're looking at a couple of great game choices, an Android Wear watchface, a Passbook alternative for Android and a few other picks to round out the list. Read along with us this week and see the apps that Android Central is using.

Phil Nickinson — Leo's Fortune

If you're looking for a mindless, ad-ridden, 8-bit game to take your mind off whatever's ailing it for a few minutes at a time — well, Leo's Fortune ain't that. What you get here is stunning imagery, thought-provoking puzzles, and a fun little story line. Leo's lost his gold, and he's on the hunt. Was it a family member? Something else? I'm still playing my way through it, so I honestly don't yet know. But Leo's cute in that ugly sort of way, the game is challenging but still fun — and basically it's the best fiver I've spent all week. If you don't download this game, there's something wrong with you.

Download: Leo's Fortune ($4.99)

Jerry Hildenbrand — Ain't Got Time! WatchFace

'Cause ain't nobody got time for that.

Download: Ain't Got Time! WatchFace (Free)

Richard Devine — PassAndroid

Apple has Passbook on the iPhone for loyalty cards, boarding passes and whatnot. But what some folks might not be aware of it that Passbook passes aren't some mystical, wonderful format only the iPhone can interpret. If you can download Passbook passes, then you can use them on your Android device with PassAndroid.

It's nothing more than a wallet for Passbook passes and it'll scan, find, store and display them on your Android device. Not all of them will work, though even Apple's own, brand new iTunes Pass seems to open up OK. How much would that mess with an Apple Store employee if you went in and asked him to top it up for you on your Galaxy S5?!

Download: PassAndroid (Free)

Simon Sage — Topia

Topia is a fun little sandbox sim that allows players to play god. Alter terrain to form your own little dream planet, drop creatures to thrive with (or feed on) one another, and otherwise enjoy the view. There's not much of an actual game here, but rather just a chance to bask in your own power and see what you can come up with given the strong toolset available. With a mere touch, you can carve canyons, raise mountains, expand seas, and grow lush forests. The graphics are altogether gorgeous and the editing is highly responsive. Once you're happy with your creation, you can save it to mess around with later and start up a new one based on your tastes.

Overall, Topia is a nice, casual power trip.

Download: Topia ($1.99)

Andrew Martonik — Walk Me Up! Alarm Clock

I've never been one to rely heavily on an alarm clock, as I usually can get up when I need to, but sometimes when the occasion calls for it and you need to get up super early, the right alarm clock app can make all the difference. There are many out there that have different schemes to make sure you wake up completely, but Walk Me Up is probably one of the best ideas I've seen.

Just as the name implies, you must pick up your phone and walk a certain number of steps — which you determine — before the alarm will turn off. And no, shaking your phone doesn't work — just like pedometer apps know the difference between a shake and a step, so does Walk Me Up. If you really need to wake up, you can even disable the "snooze" button — walk, or keep hearing that alarm tone.

It's a free app as well, which makes it even easier to give it a try. There are a few in-app purchases for $0.99 each, or you can unlock everything for just $1.99.

Download: Walk Me Up! Alarm Clock (Free, In-app purchases)

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