Test your reflexes with a newly updated endless runner game. Need to unwind after a tough day? Calm yourself down with a relaxing app. Before traveling, check air quality to avoid health issues from smog. Plus, give your phone a fresh look with a live music wallpaper.
Just like our previous editions of this selection, our editors reviewed and gave their thumbs-up for these apps and games. We make sure they are not filled with ads or nasty microtransactions. To find an extended list of free apps, also check our free apps of the week article, which is published twice each week.
Subway Surfers City (Android)
How does playing an endless runner sound? Is it the type of genre that appeals to you? If so, then you would surely have heard of Subway Surfers, one of the most successful mobile games ever. While the concept remains dead simple, the challenge lies in muscle memory and reflexes as you proceed deeper into the game. Subway Surfers City is now available, where most of the previous game’s mechanics remain the same.
However, the graphics department has seen a bump and I found the controls to be far more responsive this time around. My ears also pricked at the new tunes in the background, although there might be some who prefer the older set. I love how these new missions add a whole dimension to the gameplay while the introduction of new maps makes the game feel more vertical than before.
- Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes ($1.99 to $99.99) / Account required: Yes
It does not matter whether you are new to the game or a seasoned veteran, it is approachable to just about anyone who is interested in the title. Old timers will also enjoy the challenges thrown their way.
Superliminal (Android & iOS)
A game that has been around for half a decade is now available on the mobile platform. It is a first person title unlike any you’ve ever played before, assuming you haven’t already given the Steam version a go. This is a surreal walking simulator with puzzle elements in it.
Basically, you get a Christopher Nolan-sque feel to the title, where it is set in your dream with different types of puzzle elements illusions, and different perspectives. Some scenes are mind-bending in nature without the need for stimulants!
- Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes ($7.99) / Account required: No
Your job? Solve these puzzles by thinking out of the box. I believe this game is a good way to really experience lateral thinking. While the length of the game is not too long, it is still worth checking out, especially if you have nothing to do this weekend apart from chilling on the sofa. Do bear in mind the trial version lets you get a glimpse of it (that’s why it is free), making the full game worth the entry price.
Calmaria (Android & iOS)
The world is stressful enough, which is why mindfulness and wellness apps continue to thrive in the app space. Calmaria is a unique app that lets you take a brief respite from the hectic lifestyle, where there are breathing exercises, new themes, and enhanced stats to check out.
The design, while simple, does not fall short when it comes to functionality. All I needed to do was to launch the app and tap to kick off a breathing exercise. I love the subtle haptic feedback, although it would have been nicer to have the ability to customize the session length more compared to the available options, as some of us might have more (or less) time at our disposal. Hopefully, a future update will fix this minor shortcoming.
- Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: None / Account required: No
If you practice the ancient exercise of tai chi from the east, this app ties down perfectly with it. It does look like our ancestors knew about mindfulness long before we got bogged down by metrics and measurables.
Basically, Calmaria helps you get started on the right path in terms of calming down. It is an oasis of calm that does away with the frills of other more complex mindfulness apps. Those who want it to do more will certainly be disappointed, but for simpletons like me, I love it.
Music Live Wallpaper (Android)
Love playing music? Can’t get enough of listening to tunes on your smartphone? Well, here’s an app that might spice up your music playback experience. Music Live Wallpaper works as intended. It basically changes the wallpaper of your smartphone based on the existing music track that is being played.
While Spotify and YouTube Premium are the two default apps that are available to choose from, and rightly so. After all, these two apps tend to be our default go-tos when it comes to music playback on our devices. Of course, if you have another third-party app to play back your favorite tunes, you can also assign it to Music Live Wallpaper. Do bear in mind you will have to provide access to the app to various segments for it to work well.
- Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes / Account required: None
Basically, as long as the music track changes, the background wallpaper will change accordingly to reflect the title or album cover of said song. It is enough to let you know what song is being played at a glance instead of calling up the said music app.
You can pick from various styles (which all of them cost money, of course), including style zero, style one with a customizable shape, and style two with a double image (one in the foreground with a very blurred version in the background), if you want something more than just the standard option.
IQAir AirVisual (Android & iOS)
At the rate we’re killing our planet, clean air is slowly but surely becoming more rare. Rapid urbanization has seen many from rural areas move to cities, and as cities grow to megacities, you can be sure the environment will continue to buckle under the weight of pollution. For those who have long loved running outdoors and performing physical activities outside a gym, the air quality does play a factor in one’s health.
I believe that running through the streets of a city helps open up my eyes to things I’ve never noticed before. However, with more frequent smog occurrences, I do wonder about the condition of my lungs in the long run.
Would I end up getting lung cancer simply because of higher-than-normal emissions? This is where IQAir comes in, covering over half a million locations based on a global network of government monitoring stations as well as IQAir’s very own validated sensors.
- Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: None / Account required: No
Those who suffer from allergies, asthma, and other sensitive conditions might want to check this out. It is free, the user interface is easy to understand, and outdoor enthusiasts will benefit directly from this. It does seem that there are areas in the world where the nearby station provides inaccurate data without the ability to filter out specific stations.
Still, I like the global nature of this app, which is perfect for those who tend to travel frequently. It helps you determine whether you should work out indoors or pound the pavement.
That’s all for now! We hope that these apps and games will hold you in good stead over the weekend. We hope you enjoy these recommendations and do tune in next week for another five more apps and games!
