Plague Inc. tops Android Games of the Week

We have a great line-up this week, starting off with the devious Plague Inc.. How many other games actually allow you to decimate mankind, let alone make that the core tenet of gameplay? On top of that, we've got a clever color shifting auto-runner, a post-apocalyptic swipe combat title, an official Marvel version of Rage of Bahamut, a Ninjump sequel, and an absurdly charming RPG about RPGs.

Plague Inc. (Free)

There have been quite a few of these "infect the world" strategy games on iOS and Android. While Plague Inc., from Ndemic Creations and Miniclip, isn't the first, it's far and away the most polished attempt on the idea. This game sets you about the sadistically brilliant task of crafting and mutating a disease over time, such that the whole of humanity is infected and destroyed. Easier said than done, though. If your virus becomes too lethal too quickly, countries will dump loads of money into a cure, or seal off their borders before infection. There are plenty of unlockables and in-app purchase game tweaks, but everyone should try to end humanity just once, if only for the experience of it. Let the misanthrope in all of us get some breathing room!

Polara ($0.99)

Polara is a very well done auto-running platformer. It's not endless, in that it has sets of levels that must be beaten with an end in sight. You play as a woman who is testing a special polarizing battle suit that will allow government operatives in this dystopian society to enter purge areas safely, where the lowly "destitutes" of the world are literally being purged by automatic lasers and turrets. As you run and jump, you'll also have to switch your suit from red to blue, corresponding with the weapons and objects in your environment. The whole premise is senseless and silly, but the gameplay is quite fun, and the story, while silly, is done well.

Death Dome (Free)

While we still don't have an Infinity Blade on Android, plenty of developers are looking to fill that niche. Griptonite Games, previously responsible for a dating/shopping game, have now brought us this swipe-based combat game that crosses Infinity Blade with Resident Evil with Mad Max. How that kind of quantum leap between genres is made is a mystery to me. You are trying to fight your way out of a giant quarantined part of the city, where all those infected by the M-Virus are left until a cure is made. Of course, these mutant road warrior looking dudes will be a problem when the gates open, so our mysteriously sane and non-mutant heroine has to get the job done herself.

MARVEL: War of Heroes (Free)

Do you like Rage of Bahamut? Do you like Marvel superheroes? Oh, who am I kidding. Of course you like Marvel stuff. You're cool like me! Well then, we now have an officially sanctioned and developed clone of Rage of Bahamut with Marvel superheroes instead of gods and demons, from the same team as the original. The card battling/collecting gameplay remains the same at the core, while the visual overhaul massively improves things, especially at the interface level. Check this out if you are a fan of the rather repetitive nature of these addicting games. Only this one is better, because it has Spider-Man!

Knights of Pen & Paper ($1.99)

This is probably my personal favorite game on this list. It's not the best by any measure, but it just appeals to me on so many levels. It's an astonishingly creative take on RPG's the likes of which I've never seen. It goes back to RPG gaming's roots, actually simulating a table top adventure RPG, such as Dungeons and Dragons. I'll fully admit to having gotten into table-top role playing games over the past summer. Don't judge, they're crazy fun with a good Game Master. This game applies the concept of some friends playing DnD to a video game, as you see both the fantasy world, and the players interacting at their table. The retro pixel art and chip tunes didn't help me hate this game either. It's way too buggy on several devices, but this clever title from Behold Studios definitely deserves a look!

Ninjump Deluxe (Free)

It's been nearly two years since Backflip Studios graced Android devices with the original Ninjump, and finally we get the sequel that's been sitting around on iOS for so long. Ninjump Deluxe preserves the endless climbing gameplay we all love, but gives us more variety, at least as far as visuals are concerned. Sure, most of the stuff you can do is mechanically identical to the last game, but the changes in scenery as you now run through jungle, castle, and pirate ship themed maps make a world of difference in keeping the game re-playable. Ninjump is awesome, and you owe it to yourselves to remind yourselves why that is after all this time!

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