New release roundup: Astro Arena, Beat Hazard Arcade, ZakuzakuSlash, and more

While the deals and the stats of the gaming world are important, nothing would happen without the research, funding and, of course, development that goes into making a great game.

So here’s a collection of the most exciting new mobile games right now, the developers and publishers behind them, and why, exactly, they've made the cut.

ZakuzakuSlash

Organisation and strategy are key to nekosuko’s ZakuzakuSlash, with multiple skill slots to fill and trigger in the ideal sequence.

In this retro-looking auto battler, players are given limited time to explore branching paths, encounter shops or healing spots, and build their deck of skills.

Then they’ll take on an army of enemies and a barrage of battles to the best of their ability, making the most of whatever skills they assembled.

Beat Hazard Arcade

Twin-stick shooter Beat Hazard Arcade has made its way from PS5 to mobile, offering that many more players a unique experience based on their music library.

Cold Beam Games has made a highly personalised game here, with enemies surging with basslines, weapons flaring at the peak of the beat and explosions that fit the song of players’ choosing. And for those without extensive libraries, there’s three hours of music pre-built into the game too.

Astro Arena

Krafton’s new MOBA Astro Arena features real-time PvP battles with roguelike power-ups and squad-versus-squad action. It’s already racked up over half a million players on day one on the Play Store, allowing for plenty of 3v3 online matches.

Players can choose an anime-like hero to take into battle as part of a team, getting to grips with their colourful animations and dramatic skills until they’re a complete combat pro.

Crownlings: Heroes & Quests

Taking control of a medieval army and overcoming rival nations requires tactics, especially when those armies are complete with dragons and golems.

Angry Banana’s Crownlings: Heroes & Quests requires players to think strategically, plan their positions and make the most of every turn. Later this year, they can also try to outsmart opponents in an upcoming PvP mode.

Fortunes of Battle

Roguelike dungeon crawler Fortunes of Battle presents a world of decisions through dice-based play, sending gamers and roleplayers into dark, dark depths.

Each time, Short Circuit Studios gives them starting gear and a promise of treasures within. Whether they find powerful weapons or unpredictable dangers is down to the luck of the game.

Moonlight Peaks

Supernatural life sim Moonlight Peaks has launched on Android alongside PC and Nintendo Switch. The cross-platform title lets players step into the shoes of a vampire in a cosy fantasy world.

Developed by Little Chicken Game Company, the game has life-sim elements that combine farming, potion-making, and spell-casting with relationship building, as players can befriend or romance a cast of werewolves, witches, and mermaids.

Read more about a number of mobile games on our sister site, PocketGamer.com.