Welcome to the 421st edition of Android Apps Weekly. Here are the big headlines from the last week:
- There are some decent new shows coming out on streaming services. Some of the shows include Vikings: Valhalla, Cat Burglar, Race: Bubba Wallace, and a few others. They are coming out on varying streaming services and you can hit the link to learn more about them and where they stream.
- Google is killing off Lite Mode in Android’s version of Chrome. The feature originally helped people save data while browsing the web and it was inspired by a similar feature from Opera Browser. Google says that mobile data is cheaper now and Chrome already has plenty of data-saving benefits on its own.
- The Wordle hype is starting to die down and that means people are already looking for alternatives. We have a list of pretty good alternatives that you can try. The focus for the list was finding Wordle alternatives in different languages along with more challenging versions with longer words. Hit the link to learn more.
- In our latest reader poll, you told us that most of you don’t actually use Android’s Live Caption, but it was pretty close. About 56% of readers say they don’t use it while the other 44% say they either use it or want to but don’t have phones that have the feature. Considering it’s mostly for accessibility, that’s actually better than we thought.
- Samsung Good Lock released its 2022 lineup of modules. There aren’t any dramatic changes this year. However, there is better support for foldable and some extra effects and feature improvements across the board. We’ll follow up with a proper review soon.
My Darkest Moment
Price: $0.99
My Darkest Moment is a narrative-style adventure game. The mechanics are nothing terribly difficult, although there isn’t much of a tutorial so you have to figure them out on your own. For the most part, it feels like you’re playing a mini-game that transitions to more story. The story is subjective. It deals with feelings of depression so some folks may find it more engaging than others. It’s a pretty short game, but it’s also only $0.99 so we didn’t see a problem with it.
FRY is an app for first responders to emergencies. It helps deal with the mental trauma of being the first to a scene where some seriously messed up stuff happened. The app includes things like breathwork, relaxation techniques, positive affirmation techniques, and you can even be a part of live-streamed classes. It’s not available in the US at the time of this writing so I couldn’t get details on how much it’ll cost. Hopefully, it’s not too expensive.
The Secret of Cat Island
Price: Free to play
The Secret of Cat Island is a simulation game similar to FarmVille. Players start the game by being washed onto a remote island after a flash flood. From there, they start rebuilding a life. You can plant crops, restore old buildings, clean up the surrounding landscape, and make it homely. You get additional access to the island as you rank up, fix old bridges, and clear out space. The progression feels pretty good although we expect it to slow down the longer you play.
DeepL Translate
Price: Free
DeepL Translate is a new competitor to Google Translate and Microsoft Translate. It has a minimal UI so it shouldn’t be too difficult to use. It quickly translates freely between 26 languages. You can check out the Google Play listing for a list of all supported languages. The app also boasts quick language detection, fast translations, and more. It costs nothing and has no advertisements. This was also a popular browser extension for a long time before becoming an Android app.
Final Fantasy VI Remaster
Price: $17.99
Final Fantasy VI Remaster is the final Final Fantasy to launch from Square Enix’s Pixel Remaster initiative. It features updated graphics, a rearranged soundtrack, and improved touch controls from the previous Final Fantasy VI mobile release. Otherwise, it’s a faithful recreation of the original game. All the story elements are the same as are the characters, moves, locations, and all of that.
The only disappointing part is that there is no gamepad support as of the time of this writing. That seems to be a consistent complaint among the Pixel Remasters so hopefully, Square Enix adds that to all of them sooner rather than later. It goes for $17.99. If that’s too rich for your blood, we recommend waiting for a sale to pick it up.
If we missed any big Android apps or games news, updates, or releases, tell us about them in the comments.
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