Here’s a late Christmas gift for you, in case you don’t already own these two absolute classics. Over on the Epic Games Store (download here), you can snag both Monument Valley and Monument Valley 2 for completely free, playable on Android.
Like I said, both of these titles are classic puzzle games. If you haven’t ever tried them, this is a great excuse to do so. Then, once you’re all caught up on the series, Monument Valley 3 is waiting for you.
You can redeem in the app itself or online via the links below.
Bluey, one of the biggest things on the planet right now, has a brand new game called Bluey’s Quest for the Gold Pen, out now on iOS and coming soon to Android.
Written by Bluey series creator Joe Brumm and developed by Halfbrick Studios (Fruit Ninja, Jetpack Joyride, etc.), the game features the original voice actors from the animated show, hand-drawn environments inspired by the ‘Dragon’ and ‘Escape’ episodes, and has a new soundtrack composed in-house at Halfbrick in collaboration with BBC Studios and Ludo Studio. The sell here is, if you or someone you know loves Bluey, you’re going to probably adore this game.
How’s this for a plot? Taken from the press release, “Bluey is drawing when Dad suddenly yoinks the Gold Pen she needs to complete her story. A new world is brought to life as the Heeler family gather around the kitchen table to draw together. Mum designs the strange and distant lands, Dad rocks up on his cool bike as self-declared King Goldie Horns, and Bingo transforms into her honk-happy alter ego, Bingoose, a plucky adventurer who even lays golden eggs. Bluey and Bingoose embark on an exciting quest to retrieve The Gold Pen from King Goldie Horns, with heaps of fun along the way!”
As of right now, it’s only available on iOS. There’s a free experience you can demo, but the full game is a single payment of $14.99 and the game features no ads. The same price and demo experience will be available for Android on January 10.
I know $15 sounds like a lot, but I would like to stress the care and authenticity that appears to have gone into this game. You have a story from the actual creator, the real voices from the show, hand-drawn worlds, and sweet new Bluey tunes. In a world full of fake garbage, this Bluey title appears very legit and done the right way. Props to those involved in this project.
Google announced this morning a very sweet perk for Chromebook buyers. Starting today, anyone who purchases a Chromebook will receive a GeForce NOW Fast Pass for one year.
For those not in the know, a GeForce NOW Fast Pass will let you stream over 2000 PC games from one of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX servers, right to your shiny new Chromebook. Additionally, if you have an existing library of games on services like Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox and more, you don’t have to re-purchase games and everything all works together.
As a cherry on top, Fast Pass users don’t have to deal with ads or queues, so you can skip all of that and just game. Users get 10 hours of gaming per month, with up to five unused hours rolling over.
Google Play has graced the internet with its Best Of list for 2025. It was a decent year for Google Play, getting all sorts of big titles launched, such as Pokémon TCG Pocket, but we also have a new category entirely: Best for XR headsets.
What we appreciate about Google’s list is that instead of a basic list of apps that carry no real meaning, they are all broken down into categories, such as Best for Fun, Best Hidden Gem, and Best for Families. That makes finding a specific app/game that you might appreciate a bit easier than digging through a list of 10 random apps.
Below, you’ll find the winner of Best App and Best Game, followed by a general list of winners for each category. The top 4 were given special video treatment by Google, but if we’re being honest, we are not completely thrilled by the Pokémon TCG Pocket win. While at first it was a fun title that had us breaking open digital packs daily, the actual gameplay and card acquisition process has become quite unenjoyable.
Take a look over the list and let us know what you think. If you have some personal favorites from 2025, we’d be more than happy to check them out. Put them down in the comments below.
On December 2, mobile users will gain access to Red Dead Redemption. Rockstar announced this week that the title is coming to a plethora of platforms, including Netflix, as well as the latest series of consoles. This is a big deal, as RDR is one of those games that transcends the concept of a “timeless” classic.
The mobile version will come complete with touchscreen controls, though, we assume game controllers will also be supported. Rockstar didn’t mention pricing at launch, but I’m sure many folks wouldn’t mind dropping a few bucks on this title.
Undead Nightmares will also be launching alongside RDR, which is the zombie-themed add on. Rockstar says, “All these new versions feature the complete single-player experiences of both games, and also include bonus content from the Game of the Year Edition.”
Late last month, Google announced big changes for Google Play, which included a brand new You tab and an Apps tab update. These changes now appear to be hitting users on Android.
Inside of the new You tab, users will everything that has do with them and their usage of Google Play. You’ll find curated content, your rewards, subscriptions, stats, updates, plus find ways to dive deeper into, “the topics you care about most.” Google also explained that, “You will soon be able to jump back into content you’ve already started, so you can pick up where you left off on a novel or podcast.”
We previously wrote about all of the changes that Google Play is bringing. The important thing to note is, if you want to find updates, check stats, see your content from apps or discover new things, the You tab is where to head.
Google announced several new features and updates for Google Play this week, all of which start from a new “You” tab that brings everything together into a single place. That new “You” tab will show curated content, rewards, subscriptions, recommendations, stats, updates, and so much more. It’ll be the place you go on Google Play for most things going forward, but there’s even more to talk about.
New “You” tab: Again, this new You tab is for everything about you as a Google Play user. First, you’ll find it at the bottom bar of the app and it’ll replace the current “Books” option. Going forward, if you want to find updates, check stats, see your content from apps and interests, discover new things and see recommendations, and look at your new gamer profile. Yes, this Google Play update is very much about gaming and tracking all of your gaming awesomeness.
“Apps” tab upgrade: The Apps tab is getting an upgrade too, with lots of curated and seasonal content and topics. Google may spotlight timely topics based on your interests. They’ll also implement a Guided Search powered by your voice and a few words for an app you are looking for. Depending on your country, Google Play will also show new dedicated spaces for entertainment.
So those are the two biggest upgrades, but for gamers, there are all sorts of integrated things happening, which we’ve briefly detailed below:
Integrated stats and achievements: Since you have a new gamer profile, you’ll find stats and achievements across games and devices, including some sort of overall standing for your gaming profile.
Integrated rewards across all content: Rewards is expanding to things like merch and VIP experiences through events (like Comic Con San Diego), plus Google Play plans to launch Play Games Leagues, where you can compete for Play Points rewards, be a part of a community, and come out on top in the games you play. Subway Surfers will have the first league and it starts October 10.
Integrated platforms: Google Play is getting a Play Games Sidekick that shows as an overlay in-game for select games. This overlay shows you info about the game and provides access to Gemini Live to get you real-time guidance in a real-time conversation with AI.
Integrated gaming info and community: Detail pages for games are going to show you better summaries of game progress, achievements, and developer updates. Soon (in select markets), you’ll also be able to ask and answer questions about games, creating a bit of a community.
Integrated gameplay across devices: Finally, Google Play Games on PC is moving out of beta and reaching general availability.
Another month is close to ending and so it’s time for a new booster pack to arrive in Pokemon TCG Pocket. I sure hope you are finding tricks to keep up with these packs or things might start to spiral out of control with this quick release schedule.
The pack is called “Extradimensional Crisis” and it arrives May 29. This is an expansion or mini set labeled as “A3a,” so it adds to the previous full A3 set of “Celestial Guardians” that we started ripping on April 30.
What’s new? The big news here is that Ultra Beast Pokemon are arriving, so we’ll see cards Buzzwole Ex and Guzzlord Ex, Blacephalon, Nihilego, Stakataka, Celesteela, Pheromosa, and Kartana. There’s also a new Tapu Koko Ex card to expand on their release in the previous packs. There’s a new trainer in Lusamine, Zeraora, and what appears to be an immersive Rowlet.
In addition to the new cards, Pokemon TCG Pocket will host an Ultra Beast Drop Event to get you special promo cards in solo battles, another Wonder Pick Event to get Poipole and Stufful, plus a Mass Ouotbreak Event for rare and bonus picks. Those events start on June 3 and continue throughout June.
Y’all still playing (or collecting) TCG Pocket? I’m trying, but man, I’m really falling behind. The pick rates on cards in these latest packs feel like they are crushing me.
