Best Apps Android 2013

Without further ado, let's take a look at the top ten Android games of the past 30 days.

Empire
By Crazy monkey Studios - buy on Android



The creator of this cleverly streamlined mixture of strategy, boardgame, and deck builder is brutal in its casual disregard for your continued survival, yet it keeps you coming back for more with its mobile-friendly interface.

Dead Trigger 2
By Madfinger Games - buy on Android



More GPU-bothering, zombie-slaying FPS mayhem from the Madfinger team.

Dead Trigger 2 is every bit as technically impressive as you'd expect, but with more varied levels than its predecessor and a thoughtfully streamlined control system.

Fist of Awesome
By I Fight Bears - buy on Android



The classic scrolling beat-'em-up gets reinvented again with this humour-filled effort from I Fight Bears.

Appropriately enough, you fight bears in Fist of Awesome. And thanks to a well-thought-out swipe-based combat system, it actually works well on touchscreen devices.

Plants vs Zombies 2
By PopCap Games - buy on Android



PopCap's mega-sequel finally surfaces on Android in all its quirky tower defence glory.

It's still got that divisive IAP system (you either hate it or can live with it), but this is offset by a brilliantly expanded set of zombie-eviscerating tools and levels.

Clash of Clans
By Supercell - buy on Android



Another iOS titan lands on Android.

Clash of Clans is the freemium city builder that really 'hits the sweet spot'. It feels strategically sound and eminently rewarding in spite of the money-making mechanism at its core.

The Blockheads
By Noodlecake Studios - buy on Android



The Blockheads is another mobile game inspired by Minecraft, though it's one of the better ones you're likely to come across.

Switching the view to side-on and simplifying the controls for touchscreen, Noodlecake has cooked up a highly accessible yet ocean-deep world-building adventure game.

Random Heroes
By Ravenous Games - buy on Android



The first Random Heroes came out more than a year ago on iOS. There have since been two sequels.

But how can we stay mad at the developer of this brilliantly tight and hard-as-nails 2D platformer when the game is this good?

Welcome to Android, old fella!

Trouserheart
By Dicework Games - buy on Android



The brains behind this simple-minded brawler certainly wear their hearts on their, er, trousers.

Move around bashing stuff and collecting loot. It's the basis of a thousand video games, and this game makes you realise why.

Blackbar
By Colin Cornaby - buy on Android



So far, we haven't really highlighted anything massively original on this month's Android list.

Blackbar stands out a mile in the freshness stakes, though, with its kind-of-interactive story structure and stylish government censorship-inspired presentation.

Hero Academy
By Robot Entertainment - buy on Android



With this online strategy game, Robot Entertainment delivers turn-based combat to the Android masses.

Imagine a game of chess played with RPG-inspired playing pieces, and you're part of the way there.

Another Android latecomer, but a welcome one.