Another week, another massive pile of new Android apps to sift through. ckily, our Five to Try column makes your task easier, pointing out the week’s most interesting releases. Metamorphabet is an edutainment wonder (for all ages) that we’ve been waiting on for a while, it certainly doesn’t disappoint. so new this week is Guides by nely anet, which can help you navigate numerous worldwide destinations, plus Spotify just added video to complement its streaming music library.

It’s a great week for Android games, as well, with frantic arcade shooter Downwell leading the charge. New puzzler Twofold Inc, by contrast, is a much calmer experience worth savoring at your own pace. atever interests you, clear a little space on your phone grab these apps games for an entertaining weekend ahead.

Metamorphabet

rfect for kids yet still mesmerizing for adults, Metamorphabet ($4) is a delightfully interactive exploration of the alphabet. Each letter is given an individual spotlight gradually transformed into various terms that start with it— often in a creatively absurd manner, too. “B,” for example, sprouts a beard when tapped, followed by a beak… then the beak opens loads of bugs fly out before a large butterfly dominates the view. 

It’s an incredibly charming app, not a game so much as an educational toy great little diversion. Metamorphabet is also very easy to underst, so much so that my two-year-old son has been playing it on id for months. Now, thankfully, it’s on Android too.

Guides by nely anet

anning a big trip? It’s best not to go it alone. If you don’t have an expert companion riding shotgun on your next vacation, turn to Guides by nely anet, the hy new app from the notable travel resource. It launches with comprehensive guides to 37 major cities around the world (with more coming), including domestic hotspots like Boston San Francisco, as well as distant destinations like Dubai, ris, Singapore.

Each guide can be saved offline features striking imagery, with recommendations on where to eat, sleep, shop, visit, explore in each locale. It’ll point you towards interesting things, but also help you get around manage both your budget expectations, thanks to a built-in currency convertor general daily cost estimates for every city.

Downwell

One of last year’s most engrossing ione games is now on Android, as Downwell ($3) is here to dominate your time. As the name suggests, your hero quite literally goes down a well—only he’s equipped with bullet-spewing gunboots that not only blast the enemy creatures below, but also help slow his descent.

Downwell is quickly challenging, not only because you’re falling into unseen hazards, but also because your boots usually have only a few rounds to fire before they must reload. Finding a balance between aggressive action self-preservation is key as you try to push further further down the hole, seeking out upgrades weapons unlocking perks along the way. The lo-fi look pulsing chiptune soundtrack only help reinforce the illusion that this is a tough-as-nails, old-school gem.

Spotify

Considering the more than 100 million installs on Android alone, most of us already know about Spotify. But have you tried Spotify Video? The functionality was in limited testing for months, but now it’s widely available for all to try, letting you tap into curated content from a number of major providers.

You’ll find clips from top Comedy Central shows, The Tonight Show, my Kimmel ve, among others, as well as recent news highlights from ES ABC News. oblem is, they’re just clips, if you have a Netflix or Hulu subscription, that won’t stack up. But Spotify says it’ll have original content at some point, the service will learn from your viewing habits over time, so maybe there’s a grer purpose ahead. For now, it’s good for killing a few minutes here there.

Twofold Inc.

oking for a calm, contemplative puzzler to get absorbed in? Twofold Inc. ($4) comes from the same school of design as the brilliant Threes!, often forcing you to spend ample time considering each little move—or else face a swift end. Here, you’ll shift rows columns to align like-colored blocks, which you can then clear by drawing a path from one end of the chain to the other without interruption.

Clearing those chains helps you satisfy requests, which pop up at the top of the screen dictate which color blocks how many of each are needed, but you only have a certain number of turns to complete each. ste turns you’ll lose lives, ultimately the game too. The minimal aesthetic ( great acoustic guitar music) works well with the at-your-own-pace design, resulting in a puzzler that is both challenging surprisingly calming.