[Bonus Round] Biz Builder Delux, Bloodbones, And Specular

Welcome to the latest entry in our Bonus Round series, wherein we tell you all about the new Android games of the day that we couldn’t get to during our regular news rounds. Consider this a quick update for the dedicated gamers who can’t wait for our bi-weekly roundups, and don’t want to wade through a whole day’s worth of news just to get their pixelated fix. Today we’ve got a new Kairosoft business manager, another Tin Man gamebook, and a decidedly retro twin-stick shooter. Without further ado:

Biz Builder Delux

So the latest EA iteration of SimCity isn’t to your taste. Why not grab the new Kairosoft game? This Japanese developer has been making consistently excellent titles that incorporate the soul of the “manager” genre from the 90s, and Biz Builder might be its most ambitious one yet. This one puts you in the shoes of a small business manager, but unlike previous Kairosoft games, you can run multiple businesses once you build up enough capital. Biz Builder Deluxe has no ads or in-app purchases.

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Ah, there’s nothing like the rhythmic bustle of a burgeoning business burg… especially when you’re the one building it. That’s right, from a video game store to the corner fast food joint, run what YOU want as the town’s entrepreneur extraordinaire. Once your coffers are comfortably padded, you’ll be ready to set sights on other ripe markets. Don’t be shy and branch out, erecting a diverse variety of establishments to inspire both pep in the town plaza and plenitude in your pockets.

Bloodbones

Tin Man Games is another developer that has basically perfected its niche: Choose Your Own Adventure-style RPG gamebooks. The latest one is an adaptation of pen and paper gamebook Bloodbones, originally released in 2006. The story is a mix of Lovecraftian horror and sailing adventure, but as always, the outcome is up to you. Some of the included illustrations are full color, you can choose the difficulty, and the game engine lets you shake your phone to roll the dice and read horizontally on tablets.

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Set off on a journey of revenge against the dread pirate Cinnabar, who killed your parents, and sail the high seas. The dreaded pirate-lord Cinnabar, scourge of the twelve seas, plagued the seafarers of the Old World in a bloody reign of terror until a brave adventurer put an end to his evil. But now he is back from the dead, seeking revenge, with the dark powers of voodoo at his command. A fantasy adventure from Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone in which YOU are the hero.

Specular

Specular looks like someone decided to port Geometry Wars to the Nintendo Virtual Boy. OK, perhaps that’s not fair – this game isn’t guaranteed to give you headaches, it just borrows the monochrome aesthetic for a little sci-fi fun. If you’ve played a twin-stick shooter you know what to expect, but Specular’s gameplay is particularly smooth, and it includes an optional Facebook leaderboard. Not bad for a free student game with no in-app purchases.

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Specular is a arcade twin stick shooter inspired by Waves, with swarming enemies, lots of insane power-ups, ridiculous combos, glowing graphics and pounding music. The game gives you a fast paced short term experience perfect for mobile gaming, pick up and play. Wield ludicrous fire-power, trigger colourful explosions on your screen and experience a both fun and beautiful game. This project has allowed us to learn about game design and production, and is a completely free must download with no ads.

Be sure to check out our gaming coverage from earlier this week:

• LEGO Brings Its BIONICLE Line To The Play Store As A Free Game With No In-App Purchases
• LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga Is Now On Android, But The $6.99 Title Seems To Be Amazon Appstore-Only For Now