Free Games Friday: Diesel Racer 2, Twisted Lands, Tainted Keep

The weekend’s almost here, so you have time to relax and check out a free game (or three) on your smartphone. Here are the highlights from the last week.

This is a hand-picked list of free apps we’ve noticed this week while assembling our regular App Deals roundup of new and discounted apps. We haven’t reviewed them and we don’t endorse them. As with the main App Deals column, apps can stop being free at a moment’s notice if they’re discounted, so grab them quickly if you’re interested.

Android

Twisted Lands: Shadow Town
From the publisher’s description: “Welcome to Shadow Town. There are beaches, but you should not go near the water. There are woods, but those who enter them never return. And there’s a village, but all it has to offer are empty streets and fog that hangs in the air like a curse. The only thing you can explore in this place is the source of the terror that will grip your heart.”

UAZ 4×4 Offroad Simulator
From the publisher’s description: “The most realistic off-road simulator on Android. Realistic physics of the SUVs, mud baths, deep fords. Difficult-to-pass routes, more than 200 different obstacles! Different weather conditions! Large open maps – more than 200 square kilometers! Test yourself as a driver of the Russian SUV. Drive through endless forests, deserts, dangerous mountains, and through snow-covered terrain.”

Rocket Drop (Google Cardboard)
From the publisher’s description: “You play as a sky-diver, who can fly short distances via the use of a jetpack. The jetpack requires constant fuel, which you can gain by collecting fuel capsules as you fall. Meanwhile, you also need to dodge the missiles that are constantly being fired at you. View the world in 360 degrees with gyroscopic head tracking.”

Escape Fast
From the publisher’s description: “You play as a sky-diver, who can fly short distances via the use of a jetpack. The jetpack requires constant fuel, which you can gain by collecting fuel capsules as you fall. Meanwhile, you also need to dodge the missiles that are constantly being fired at you. View the world in 360 degrees with gyroscopic head tracking.”

Evolve: Hunters Quest
From the publisher’s description: “Use match 3 tokens of the same color to unleash devastating attacks on your enemies, and fill up energy bars to activate hunters’ special abilities. Earn Mastery Points to rank up your character in both the mobile and console games.”

Diesel Racer 2
From the publisher’s description: “Diesel Racer 2 is a beautifully rendered 3D racing game. Race cars with the motion sensor controls as if it was a wheel or with touch screen buttons.”

iOS

Temple Run: Oz
From the publisher’s description: “Disney and Imangi Studios present Temple Run: Oz – a brand-new endless runner inspired by Temple Run 2 and the film Oz the Great and Powerful. Play as Oz and outrun the shrieking flying baboons as you turn, jump and slide your way across the land. Begin your exhilarating adventure now and see how far you can run!”

Octagon
From the publisher’s description: “You are trapped inside the Octagon, a megaplex of hallways, platforms, and gaps—and the clock is running. Can you survive the mad race through this trippy 8-sided tunnel?”

Trambo
From the publisher’s description: “Trambo is an action packed minimalistic platformer with unique and simple gameplay mechanics. We got rid of clumsy virtual joysticks by designing enjoyable invisible controls! The game also has quirky retro aesthetics that send those warm 8-bit vibes to players around the globe.”

NFL Quarterback 15
From the publisher’s description: “Choose your favorite team and start the official NFL QB challenge for 2015! Get the Super Bowl XLIX Update today! From the makers of the NFL Kicker, Flick Golf and Flick Soccer.”

Tainted Keep
From the publisher’s description: “Uncover sinister evil in this console quality, magical, twin stick hack and slash. Complete game! No In-App Purchases. No advertisements.”

One Tap RPG: Wizard for Hire
From the publisher’s description: “One Tap RPG is a retro style Pachinko-like Dungeon Crawler. Watch your character slash through randomly generated Dungeons, while being controlled only by Pachinko-like physics.”

Windows Phone

Pharaoh Labyrinth PRO
From the publisher’s description: “Look at this mysterious pyramid! What secrets are hidden inside? Do you want to discover them? You have an opportunity to guess all the secrets of the pyramid … and find a way out of the maze, of course!”

Planetical
From the publisher’s description: “Generate a small-planet from any common photo. Really simple and forward to use. Also you can apply filters and share directly from the app.”

Star Wars: Commander
From the publisher’s description: “Charge into battle on distant planets, and lead your troops to victory in this action-packed, combat strategy game! Build a base, recruit an unstoppable force, and challenge players across the Star Wars universe in Star Wars: Commander!”

Age of Sparta
From the publisher’s description: “Unite the powers of men and gods to protect Ancient Greece from Xerxes’ invasion! Join a compelling strategy game with a unique and intense combat system and thousands of players for you to ally with… or conquer.”

Do You Even Drift
From the publisher’s description: “Welcome to the toughest drifting game on mobile. Your phone/tablet better be waterproof because you’ll be sweating buckets trying to make it around these corners! Collect fuel, unlock vehicles and drive cars sideways!”

Zombie Doom HD
From the publisher’s description: “The best first person shooter in Windows Phone comes back with this HD version. Zombie Doom HD uses Windows Phone 8 extra power in order to dramatically improve the previous.”


Prefer desktop gaming? The Internet Archive has released over 2000 classic MS-DOS video games into an easy-to-navigate repository. Every single one of the games is free to play in your browser. Click here to see some of the best titles.


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