At a time when there’s increasing focus on ‘digital health’ – ensuring that usage of devices like smartphones doesn’t take over our lives – gaming addiction is to be officially classified as a disease …

Hard to believe, but next year will be the 25th anniversary of The X-Files. To celebrate the event, and the premiere of season 11 of the TV show in January, a new mobile game will be launched the following month.

We first saw a trailer for the first proper smartphone South Park game back in June. The freemium game South Park: Phone Destroyer is now available for free download – though with some expensive in-app purchase options …

From Doodles marking significant occasions to countless Easter Eggs, Google is quite a whimsical company. The latest fun additions add solitaire and tic-tac-toe right into Search on both mobile and desktop. Just try not to get too distracted.

Monument Valley is undoubtedly one of the best, and most attractive, puzzle games to ever hit the Play Store. Its gorgeous Escher-esque art and smooth, minimalist animation ensures that it’ll almost certainly gain ‘legendary’ status among the mobile gaming community. Now, with the help of a crowd-support project on LEGO Ideas, it could become immortalized in the form of an official LEGO set.

The concept was created by LEGO Ideas user Isometry, and, if you were worried that it’ll just be a static set of aesthetically pleasing geometric structures, your fears are miss-placed. The aim is to make them interactive.

My Lego Ideas project is inspired by the Monument Valley game, and aims to capture the journey through a creative 3-D experience. This set includes four minimalist landscape themes that are modular and interactive; featuring rotating walkways, platforms, pillars, staircases, bridges and water wheels; along with three main characters, Ida, Totem and Crow. It is an original Lego design concept with visually attractive elements that are appealing and intriguing to a wide audience.

The project has 1,590 supporters so far (at time of writing) and has some way to go before LEGO will build it and place it in stores. But, of all the mobile gaming tributes, I can hardly think of one more fitting than a build-able interactive Monument Valley set.

The set concept includes The Garden from chapter II, Labyrinth from chapter VI, Water Palace from chapter IV, Halcyon Court from Appendix IV and three characters; Ida, Totem and the Crow. There are also three illusion stickers to add dimension through illusion of shadows, buttons, doorways and windows.

Unlike most crowd-support sites, LEGO Ideas doesn’t ask members for money. Instead, you offer your official support and fill in a very quick poll on how popular you think it would be if it hit store shelves. Once it gains 10,000 supporters, LEGO will review it and might even launch the sets.

When Nintendo first announced that it would finally be launching a smartphone game, it’s safe to say, many of us children of the 90’s got a little excited. Sadly, we got excited too soon. Excitement turned to bemusement once the company revealed it would be launching a weird game called Miitomo, which wasn’t exactly a game, but rather a social network.

Following its disappointing Q4 results, Nintendo has confirmed that its second title would include a “very familiar character”, and won’t be another social network attempt. It did, however, stop short of confirming exactly which character we’re going to see.

As we know, Google has gone all out Star Wars this year; theming Chrome, Gmail, YouTube and other services with the movie’s imagery as well as launching custom Star Wars Cardboard headsets. With the Star Wars showings now kicking off around the globe, Google has saved the best until last. ‘Lightsaber Escape’ is the company’s latest Chrome Experiment, and ties in a number of modern browser-based technologies to make your smartphone and Chrome desktop browser work together.

Simply head on over to g.co/lightsaber and follow the instructions on screen. It’ll ask you to visit a specific web address on your smartphone. Once you’ve done that, the phone and desktop browsers talk to each other, and ask you to hold your phone vertically to calibrate it. Once calibrated, your phone is the handle of the lightsaber, while the ‘blade’ appears on screen and responds to your movements. The aim: Get out of the Star Destroyer and kill lots of Stormtroopers. It’s pretty awesome.

Google’s team developed the game in collaboration with Disney, Lucasfilm and Industrial Light & Magic, and was built using WebGL for high resolution 3D graphics, while using WebRTC and WebSockets for fast, accurate and responsive communication between the mobile and desktop browsers. This is one of just many Star Wars experiences launched by Google. If you have a Cardboard set of any kind, you can also head on over to Google.com/starwars and explore Jakku Spy using your headset.

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPd0w3pVQVI]

From 9to5Toys.com:

As expected from its leaked Black Friday ad, Sam’s Club is now offering a $100 Google Play gift card for $79.64 shipped. That’s more than 20% off your next Google Play purchases on games, apps, movies, TV shows and more. While we do see iTunes gift cards go on sale quite often, these Google Play vouchers are much harder to come by. They can be amazing gifts for Android users and anyone who’s locked into Google’s video services.

It ships free and can be redeemed on the web or Android devices. Full details/instructions can be found below. Head over to 9to5Toys for all of the best Black Friday deals the entire weekend-long.

Includes:

One (1) $100 Google Play gift card

To redeem on the web:

1. Go to play.google.com/redeem.
2. Scratch label off of card & enter code.
3. Start shopping – your gift card value will be added to your Google Play balance.

To redeem on an Android phone/tablet:

1. Launch the Google Play Store app on your Android phone or tablet.
2. Select Redeem.
3. Scratch label off of card & enter code.
4. Start shopping – your gift card value will be added to your Google Play balance.

Specifications

Terms and Conditions

Use of card subject to additional terms and privacy policy: play.google.com/about/card-terms.html. Valid only for users 13+ years of age and resident of U.S. Redemption requires Google Wallet account and internet access. Limits may apply to redemption and use. No fees or expiration dates applicable to this card. Card may be used for purchases of eligible items on Google Play only. Any refunded amount will be credited back to your Google Play balance for future use under same terms. Card is not redeemable for cash or other cards; not reloadable or refundable; cannot be combined with other non-Google Play balances in your Google Wallet account, resold, exchanged or transferred for value (except as required by law). Once card is purchased, risk of loss and title for card passes to purchaser. Google Payment Corp. and its affiliates disclaim all express or implied warranties as to the Google Play card and Google Play.

Google today has started a sale on the Play Store that offers a variety of popular games for just $0.10. Google is notorious for offering sales on apps at steep discounts and this time is no different. The company is offering games such as Monopoly, Need for Speed Most Wanted, and more for the small price of $.10.

13 popular games are included in the sale. The full list can be seen below:

• Dead Space
• Monopoly
• Need for Speed Most Wanted
• Bloodstroke
• Contre Jour
• Fleece Lightning
• Harry The Fairy
• In Fear I Trust
• Incredibly Jack
• Power Ping Pong
• Robbery Bob 2: Double Trouble
• Spider Jack
• Wake the Cat

You can view all of the above games on Google’s dedicated page for its $0.10 game sale here.

Update: The following games also appear to be getting the $0.10 treatment, although they aren’t listed on the dedicated page:

• Roll in the Hole
• Office Gamebox
• iBomber Defense Pacific
• Spy vs. Spy

After what seems like an age waiting with anticipation, Fallout Shelter has finally been released for Android. The popular title landed on the Play Store this morning and is available to download for free.

Fallout Shelter’s basic concept is to build yourself a subterranean paradise in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. When I say paradise, I mean a vault where your responsibility is to build, repopulate and defend your world from attacks. Not exactly as glamorous as The SIMs, but perhaps more enjoyable for that very reason. As per the Play Store description:

BUILD THE PERFECT VAULT Create a brighter future…underground! Select from a variety of modern-day rooms to turn an excavation beneath 2,000 feet of bedrock into the very picture of Vault Life.

OVERSEE A THRIVING COMMUNITY Get to know your Dwellers and lead them to happiness. Find their ideal jobs and watch them flourish. Provide them with outfits, weapons, and training to improve their abilities.

PROSPER A well-run Vault requires a variety of Dwellers with a mix of skills. Build a Radio Room to attract new Dwellers. Or, take an active role in their personal lives; play matchmaker and watch the sparks fly!

EXPLORE THE WASTELAND Send Dwellers above ground to explore the blasted surface left behind and seek adventure, handy survival loot, or unspeakable death. Find new armor and weapons, gain experience, and earn Caps. But don’t let them die!

PROTECT YOUR VAULT From time to time, idyllic Vault life may be disrupted by the dangers of post-nuclear life. Prepare your Dwellers to protect against threats from the outside…and within.

Vault-Tec has provided the tools, but the rest is up to you. What are you waiting for? Get started building your Vault today for FREE.

If you want to try it out, be sure you’re running at least Android 4.1 or later and then head on over to the Play Store. It’s free, and supported by in-app purchases ranging from $1-$20.

Hitman creators, Square Enix are about to launch their next mobile title for Android. Lara Croft GO will hit the Google Play Store on August 27 and will feature similar gameplay to the popular Hitman GO title. The developers promise beautiful graphics and challenging stages:

Square Enix Montréal today announced that Lara Croft GO™, the follow-up to the hugely successful Hitman GO® mobile game, will release on mobile platforms Aug. 27. The turn-based puzzle game offers a never-before-seen take on the iconic franchise, featuring challenging levels, gorgeous visuals and a mesmerizing soundtrack.

If it’s anything like the Hitman GO title, the Tomb Raider inspired version is going to be frustratingly addictive and could be one of the surprise hits of the year. Hitman GO was incredibly well reviewed. Just browsing through the Play Store listing shows glowing reviews. And — for once — it’s not a freemium game. So let’s hope Lara Croft’s version sticks to that pricing model.

As well as announcing the impending arrival of Tomb Raider GO, Square Enix has joined with Crystal Dynamics to launch an art contest. Artists are being invited to submit their own original Lara Croft GO-inspired artwork between now and August 21. The top 10 entries will be selected by a panel of “experts” and will be showcased during a party at PAX Prime in Seattle on August 28, one day after the game lands on the Play Store. Of these 10 entries, three will be selected to go to auction, with the proceeds going to Child’s Play, a “game industry charity”.

If you want to submit artwork, simply email info@square-enix-montreal.com with the subject line ‘Lara Croft GO Art Contest Submission’, along with your name.

Rovio has finally released the long-awaited official sequel to the original Angry Birds mobile game. Since the first title saw phenomenal success on the iOS App Store, the game has gone on to amazing heights. With several official movie tie-ins, including the popular Star Wars titles, Angry Birds is the ultimate success story of the mobile app world. And now, Angry Birds 2 is available to download.

The game retains the key features, in that you fling birds with a catapult in an attempt to destroy blocks and kill green pigs. However, it does have some new features. Some levels now have multiple stages to complete, and you have to choose which bird to launch next. You can challenge other players and there are even more magic spells too, to help you complete difficult levels. As always, there are plenty of pig bosses to wipe out.

It’s free to download and has the expected in-app purchases. Download the app from the Play Store.

You can watch the official gameplay trailer here, if the embedded player doesn’t work, head on over to the YouTube page:

It seems an age since Angry Birds first rose to prominence as the best-selling mobile game going. After countless spin-offs and movie tie-ins, it’s about to get its first proper sequel. Rovio announced in a blog post this morning that Angry Birds 2 will officially launch on July 30th.

With 3 billion game downloads, millions of fans across the globe, multiple mashups and spin-offs, collaborations with A-list celebrities and much more, we’re really proud that Angry Birds is the mother of all mobile game apps. And now we’re proud to announce the mother of all sequels – Angry Birds 2!

Rovio hasn’t announced exactly what to expect or which platforms it’ll be available on, but it does say that it will make its way to “app stores worldwide” in two weeks, suggesting that it will almost certainly be available on the most popular platforms: Android and iOS.

Hit the Angry Birds 2 website to sign up and be notified as soon as it’s available. In the mean time, you can grab a bunch of the more popular Angry Birds titles for free, or just $1 in Rovio’s iOS sale.

Update: Bethesda says it’s going to be a few months…

Bethesda, the developer behind the popular ‘Fallout’ franchise of post-apocalyptic games for consoles and desktop computers, announced yesterday at E3 a new free-to-play mobile game for Android (and iOS) called “Fallout Shelter”.

We reported back in May that Google was adding age-based ratings to all apps in the Play Store as determined by the International Age Rating Coalition (IARC), and now it seems those ratings are starting to appear like in the example above.

Some apps display “Unrated” where the rating should be, which either means the developer didn’t complete the surveys Google asked them to by the beginning of May, or the IARC hasn’t finished rating all apps in the store yet. Google warned in the announcement of age-based that by not completing these simple surveys about their apps by May, developers would risk having their apps blocked in some territories.

The IARC ratings will vary by region, as different territories like the EU and United States have their own participating bodies in the IARC who set their own standards – the ESRB in the US, for example –but they shouldn’t vary too widely. Below are the ratings for the United States.

• E: Suitable for all ages but “May contain minimal cartoon, fantasy or mild violence and/or infrequent use of mild language.”
• E10: Suitable for everyone age 10 and up.
• T: Suitable for teens age 13 and up, may include crude humor and minimal blood, simulated gambling and the possibility of strong language.
• M: For age 17 and up, may include intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and strong language.
• AO: Adults only, ages 18 and up. Intense violence, graphic sex and gambling with real money.

Google says age-based ratings “will give developers an easy way to communicate familiar and locally relevant content ratings to their users and help improve app discovery and engagement by letting people choose content that is right for them.“

Sega announced in a post on its blog this evening that it is going to remove a number of games from its catalog of apps on the Play Store. Sega says that a number of its games on the Play Store no longer meet its “high-quality” standards. Sega will also remove the games from the Apple App Store, the Samsung App Store and the Amazon App Store.

Google today has officially released Play Games Player Analytics to developers. In a post on the Android Developers Blog, Google announced that these new tools will allow for game developers to better track in-game player behavior and improve in-app business tactics and performance.

HTC updated the hardware of its Dot View case for the recently announced HTC One M9, but the app that powers the case has also now been updated—meaning that users of the HTC One (M8) Dot View case will also be able take advantage of some sweet new features.

The update packs the ability to play games on Dot View, notably one called “Dot Breaker” that looks a lot like the brick breaker games of old. You can also use Dot Message, which will display a message made of dots scrolling across the screen. Finally, the update packs new animated themes, a “special surprise” on your birthday, and a few practical enhancements to make the overall Dot View experience better: You can now control the flashlight and voice recorder, snooze alarms, and more.

Here’s the full changelog:

More interesting:

– Play games on Dot View

– Display a scrolling message on Dot View

More appealing:

– Try the new animated themes

– Receive a special surprise from Dot View on your birthday

More practical:

– Turn on your speaker during a phone call

– Control the flashlight and voice recorder

– Snooze alarms

– Enjoy more notification icons

For years, the standard refund time on apps from the Play Store has been 15 minutes. Today, Android Police is reporting that Google is quietly rolling out a small but welcome change to that system, increasing the refund time on certain apps to two hours. The catch though is that the extended period only applies to games, so don’t expect to try out Nova Launcher Prime before making on your mind on which launcher you want to use.