Recap 189: mobile games news of the week

In this week's recap #189, we take a look at the week's must-have mobile games releases, mobile news and pre-registrations/test phases not to be missed.

Sit back and relax as we bring you the week's mobile games news! On the agenda: details of the Pokémon TCG Pocket card swap, a whole host of free games thanks to Epic and Darkest Days sends us out to kill some zombies, plus lots of other news you won't want to miss.

Mobile games releases of the week

This week has been rich in release announcements, with many games now available on the stores:

• Hardcore Leveling Warrior hits Play Store and App Store. This casual MMO combines gacha, AFK rewards and accessible gameplay in a cute graphic universe.
• LOK Digital is a minimalist puzzle game featuring 150 procedurally generated levels. Available now on Play Store and App Store, it invites players to solve puzzles using magic words in a stylised world.
• Tengami, inspired by Japanese fairytales, joins Crunchyroll's Game Vault on Play Store and App Store. Accessible without ads or in-app purchases, it offers a relaxing experience in a paper world.
• Swapple, a linguistic puzzle game, is now available free-to-play on Play Store and App Store. Players have to make up words by moving tiles, in a game that combines strategy and reflection.

The recap continues with Reign of Titans, a strategic PvP card game that has launched in India on Play Store and App Store. Meanwhile, Sailor Cats 2 takes players into space to collect items and care for adorable cats. The game is available via Crunchyroll subscription on Play Storeand App Store.

Dragon Village Adventure, a pixel art idle game, lets you collect dragons and make them evolve in a fantasy world. The game is available on Play Store and App Store. Rounding off the releases is Super Farming Boy, a cartoonish take on gardening. This premium App Store game mixes boss battles, strategic harvesting and unpredictable seasons.

Pre-registrations, announcements, updates and test phases

In addition to the recent releases, we have more test announcements and pre-registrations in stock this week:

• Darkest Days, a multiplayer survival game set in a post-apocalyptic world populated by zombies and rival gangs, enters the global testing phase from 24 February to 3 March, on PC and mobile.
• Huntbound, a 2D co-operative RPG, will be released on Android on 4 February. In this game, players hunt monsters to craft equipment and perfect their skills as a team.
• The long-awaited trading feature is coming to Pokémon TCG Pocket. However, it is limited to certain card types and imposes specific conditions, such as trading with friends and consuming items in-game.
• Tiny Robots: Portal Escape will be available on Play Store and App Store on 12 February. This title invites players to solve puzzles by interacting with colourful environments.

Then there's World of Kungfu: Dragon & Eagle, a strategic pixel-art combat game entering beta. Meanwhile, the hero shooter Into the Void is finally unveiling images and announcing its beta for 24 January.

Future Warfare Mercenaries, a tactical shooter, begins its soft launch in several regions. And finally, Looking for Aliens, a hidden object game reminiscent of Hidden Folks, will be available on 15 April on Play Store and App Store.

Other news and events from the mobile games industry

There's more news from the mobile JV industry this week:

• Epic Games has announced that it will be stepping up its efforts to compete with Apple and Google by offering free games and low rates for developers. A strategy reminiscent of its approach on PC.
• The PocketPair studio, known for Craftopia and Palworld, is expanding its business with PocketPair Publishing. Their first published game, Tales of Kenzera: ZAU, is scheduled for release in 2025, as is Palworld mobile.
• After some uncertainty over the potential banning of TikTok in the United States, Marvel Snap, developed by Nuverse, is back with a vengeance, much to the relief of fans.
• HoYoverse will have to pay $20 million to the FTC for practices deemed deceptive, in particular lootboxes and the collection of children's data. The agreement includes measures for greater transparency, but only in the United States.

See you next week for a recap of mobile games news!