Recap #198: Mobile games news of the week

In recap #198, 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 round up all the week's mobile games news! On the agenda: the release of Black Beacon, the release date of Sonic Rumble and much more!

Mobile games releases of the week

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

• Black Beacon lands for free on Play Store and App Store, with a dark sci-fi atmosphere and mythical RPG elements. Explore dungeons, battle bosses and make choices that will influence your campaign.
• Crashlands 2 invites you to return to Woanope. Meet Flux Dabes in a wacky open world, craft strange objects, battle zany creatures and build your own base on Play Store and App Store.
• Bang Bang Legion features fast-paced 1v1 battles in a nostalgic pixel art world. Collect over 100 cards, build your city and dominate your opponents with a personalised strategy on Play Store and App Store.
• Duck Detective: The Secret Salami is now available. Play as Eugene McQuacklin in a quirky detective game full of humour and mini puzzles on Play Store and App Store.

Then there's Hyde Run, a runner infused with a cyberpunk universe and a tribute to Japanese rock star Hyde, on Play Store and App Store. Next, set up your own tea room in Little Corner Teahouse, a relaxing narrative simulation on Play Store and App Store.

And finally, MageTrain combines the spirit of Snake with a single-file RPG combat system on Play Store and App Store.

Pre-registration, announcements, updates and test phases

• KaleidoRider, Tencent's new action RPG, has just been announced. Set in a futuristic 3D anime-style city, set up your squad of female fighters and master the power of Kaleido Vision.
• Apex Girls is now open for pre-registration on Play Store and App Store. Prepare your squad of female mecha in a post-apo idle RPG where humanity plays its last card.
• Sonic Rumble is a 32-player battle royale due for release on Play Store and App Store on 8 May. Collect rings and prove you're the fastest.
• Minion Rumble is being released as a soft launch on Play Store. Available in certain countries, Minion Rumble lets you rain down blows in active or idle gameplay.

ReMemento: White Shadow is set to conquer the world this May on Play Store and App Store. Featuring stylish characters, collection mechanics and SAO-style inspiration, the game promises a great adventure in a stylish 3D world. Garena Free City , meanwhile, is coming to several regions with its gangs, PvE missions and urban PvP. We'll have to wait a little longer for a global release, but Play Store and App Store pre-registrations are now open.

We continue with TMNT: Shredder's Revenge, which comes out with its DLC on 15 April on Play Store and App Store. This quality retro beat'em up from Playdigious promises to be a must-have for fans of action and pizza.

Rust mobile enters closed beta in China from 16 to 23 April. To access it, you'll need a QQ account and a TapTap ID, but the hostile archipelago awaits you with bated breath. Then there's Star Resonance, the mobile spin-off of Blue Protocol, currently in closed beta in China.

Labyrinth City is now open for pre-registration on Play Store and App Store. Explore ultra-detailed settings to catch Mr X, the thief of the Labyrinth Stone. Kingdomino, which lets you build your own kingdom out of tiles, is finally coming to Play Store and App Store on 26 June, and What The Clash? the multiplayer PvP party game, has been announced for 1 May on Apple Arcade.

Other news and events from the mobile games industry

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

• Balatro makes an appearance in the new season of Black Mirror, episode 'Hotel Reverie', a nod to roguelike fans. Meanwhile, the episode "Plaything" gives birth to Thronglets, a creepy fart-sim available on Play Store and App Store for Netflix subscribers.
• Deus Ex Go, Hitman Sniper and Lara Croft Go are back on stores thanks to Deca Games. The German studio is picking up these nuggets following the closure of Onoma, much to the delight of fans.

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