Android Qi Weekly Round-Up

2nd June 2012

Because We May sale offers huge reductions on hundreds of indie mobile games

A huge selection of highly rated indie titles are currently reduced on the Google Play Store as part of the Because We May sale. In appreciation of Google's developer-controlled app-pricing policy, a number of indie devs have put some of their most popular games on sale for seven days. With around 90 games currently on offer, we strongly recommend you head over to the Because We May home page and load up your Android device with some top-drawer mobile titles.

Stacking puzzler Bag It! gets new character, extra levels, and more

Grocery-stacking puzzle game Bag It! is now stuffed with even more food-based fun, thanks to its latest feature-packed update. Firstly, there are 16 brand-new levels to sort through, playable across the game's Standard, Rampage, and Puzzle modes. You'll also be introduced to a previously unseen character by the name of Fizzy, who promises to make an explosive entry into your shopping basket.

UFO arcade title Grabatron receives new ships, upgrades, and more

Alien invasion sim Grabatron is currently free on the Google Play Store, giving you the change to sample its latest update without spending a penny. Pulling inspiration from old sci-fi movies, this sadistic 2D arcade title has you utilising your ship's giant metal claw to annihilate the inferior humans. The most recent update to this title includes five new ships and landing zones, and three ship upgrades: Speed, Shield, and Crystal attraction.

Cell tower-locating app OpenSignalMaps receives signal boost button in latest update

Reception-boosting assistant OpenSignMaps for Android has just received an update which adds a one-touch fix option to the tower-triangulating app. Designed to help you maximise your mobile signal and wi-fi connection, this handy piece of software shows you where the nearest cellular towers and routers are located, helping you escape dead zones and get back on the grid.

Follow the Quality Index on Twitter

If you don't already know, Qi trawls the print and online media for game and app reviews from respected sources like Macworld, TiPb, 148Apps, and GameSpot. A unique Qi formula is then applied to each site and publication to establish a definitive Qi score for the app or game. Top 5 recommendation lists, news round-ups, and regular industry analysis complement the dynamic Qi charts. Qi has its own Twitter feed, too, @qualityindex.

Noteworthy changes to the Android Quality Index charts

Bouncing onto the Android Qi this week and into the #1 spot is the elastically exhilarating physics-puzzler Spoing.

It is your duty to guide the titular black sphere out of a series of complex caves and reunite him with his precious rainbow diamonds.

To do so, you must propel him from one springy platform to another, using your finger to flick him towards the shiny jewel that resides at the end of each dungeon.

You can even use green gems to build your own platforms, which should help you evade some of the game's toothy winged enemies.

AndroidTapp's reviewer was jumping up and down over Spoing, deeming it "immersive and continually fun".

Pulling into the station a little further down the Top 10 is Noodlecake's port of steam-powered iOS puzzle classic Trainyard.

The goal is to guide all of your trains to their appropriately coloured destinations. This is more complicated than it sounds, however, as tracks start to overlap and obstacles create troublesome bottlenecks.

Eventually, you'll be combining tracks to create new colours, and solving head scratchers the likes of which would trouble Stephen Hawking. Maybe.

The folks over at Android Rundown couldn't escape Trainyard's coal-driven charms, saying: "trying to solve one puzzle to get to the next becomes irresistible".

Try to resist it. Go on, just try. See.