The best new Android apps and games for August 2024
Many new Android apps are out there, but keeping track of them is tough. But we’re happy to do that hard work for you. We’ve scoured the internet to find the best new Android apps and new Android games available, focusing on titles that offer something different to the status quo. Be sure to visit our list of the best Android apps of all time, best Android games ever, and our selection of the best new Android apps released in 2023 for more.
The best new Android apps and games for August 2024
Claude
Another big ChatGPT rival that emphasizes AI safety, hits Android devices.
- Price: Free
- Developer: Anthropic PBC
Claude AI has been overshadowed by more impactful chatbots, like ChatGPT and Google Gemini, largely due to its lack of a presence on Android. The company behind the platform, Anthropic, has now debuted a dedicated app.
Unlike its contemporaries, Claude cannot access the internet, but this is a good thing. Its focus is drilling down into the content that you feed it, such as a set of graphs, a PDF, or a text file. While this limits its usefulness in providing contextual answers to current events, it doesn’t affect its ability to crunch hard data.
We’ve had plenty of fun experimenting with ridiculous questions, and Claude produced some remarkably grounded (albeit hilarious) answers. If you’re interested in its “constitutional AI” learning approach or like the idea of a chatbot cut off from the internet, you should give it a go.
Subway Surfers City
A newer version of the classic endless runner.
- Price: Free trial / In-app purchase from $1.99 to $99.99 per item
- Developer: SYBO Games
Subway Surfers is one of the most successful mobile game franchises in history. The endless runner is simple in concept but the challenge ramps up the deeper you progress in the game. But now there’s a new version, a sequel, if you will, dubbed Subway Surfers City.
The new game retains much of the old title’s mechanics, just set in prettier environments and offering more responsive controls. New music also permeates the title, which established users might not enjoy too much. Nevertheless, there are refreshed missions and new maps with a lot of verticality.
Importantly, Subway Surfers City is approachable for new users while offering more challenges for long-standing gamers. It strikes the perfect balance.
Flying Calmly
Keep tabs on potential turbulence before your flight.
- Price: Free / In-app purchases from $1.99 per item
- Developer: Aviles Software
We’ve heard many reports of turbulence plaguing various flights around the world in recent years. While the phenomenon is difficult to predict, some apps can offer some insight into the likelihood of a bumpy flight. Enter Flying Calmly.
The app uses NOAA weather data and applies its smarts to better predict the likelihood of a bumpy ride. It also offers a nifty aircraft positioning tool that uses your phone’s sensors to judge the plane’s pitch, roll, bump severity, and air pressure.
It should be noted that turbulence is challenging to forecast, so this app should only be used for civilian guidance.
Superliminal
Being stuck in a dream has never been this fun.
- Price: Free trial / In-app purchases from $4.99 to $7.99 per item
- Developer: Noodlecake
Superliminal first landed on Steam back in 2019. The first-person surreal walking simulator/puzzle game was pretty dizzying on the large screen, but now it’s available on Android, too.
In short, the game is set in one’s dream and introduces various puzzle elements, illusions, and forced perspectives. The title includes various scenes that are thick with atmosphere and character. Your task is to solve these puzzles by thinking as unconventionally as the world. It’s a wild but short ride, and I recommend it for an afternoon playthrough.
The Dragon Prince: Xadia
An action RPG based on Netflix’s The Dragon Prince.
- Price: Free / Requires a Netflix subscription
- Developer: Wonderstorm / Netflix
Netflix is building up quite the game repository, and Dragon Prince: Xadia is its latest addition. This top-down action RPG takes place in the fantasy world of Xadia, which harbors various environments, each with its own atmosphere and peril. For the most part, the game is easy to grasp. You travel across the world, kill baddies, and snag loot.
It’s a game that’s easy to drop in and drop out, making it an ideal time sink. As a Netflix title, you will need a Netflix subscription to play it, though.
Disney Speedstorm
Think Mario Kart or CTR, but Disney characters and Asphalt mechanics.
- Price: Free / In-app purchases from $1.99 to $99.99 per item
- Developer: Gameloft SE
Finally, we have Disney Speedstorm, one of the more addictive titles I’ve played in a while. The title has been present on Windows and major consoles since September 2023, but only this month landed on iOS and Android.
It’s an arcade racing game with Disney characters and stars piloting the vehicles. The controls and physics feel similar to Asphalt, and each character boasts a unique set of strengths and skills. As you progress, you’ll unlock new characters with earned currency, keeping gameplay fresh.
Speedstorm will appeal to Disney and racing title fans — an interesting combo.