New release roundup: Vampire Crawlers, Sifu, 9 Kings, 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.

Vampire Crawlers

Vampire Crawlers is Poncle's premium first-person dungeon crawler with a range of maps to explore, monsters to slay and powers to improve.

It comes from the minds behind BAFTA winner Vampire Survivors with the promise of familiar dungeons, but this time explored from a new perspective with turn-based tactical combat.

Sifu

Developer Sloclap has brought the kung-fu brawling action of Sifu to yet another platform, expanding from PC and console onto iOS and Android.

The premium game has been optimised for handheld devices with 6GB of RAM or more, placing its cinematic combat in the hands of many more players as they set out on a path of revenge. Environments range from rainy scenes to dimly lit clubs and even a snowfield, but wherever the path leads, battle awaits.

9 Kings

Roguelike strategy game 9 Kings took aim at an October mobile release and successfully executed its plan. Developed by Sad Socket Studio, the title has been published by Playdigious on iOS and Android with armies to build, a kingdom to grow and nine distinct factions to be found.

By beating opposing rulers, players can take some of their cards and add them to their own deck, compiling the ultimate combinations that can utterly break the game. In fact, going for game-breaking builds is partly the point of 9 Kings, becoming strong enough to hold out against even the toughest of foes.

Beyond Words: A Word Roguelike

A word puzzle game for Apple owners, Beyond Words: A Word Roguelike comes from the co-creators of GoldenEye and Timesplitters.

Released on iOS by Mindfuel Games and PQube, this scrabble-esque title lets players break traditional rules and stack cards for a boost, navigating strangely shaped boards and even battling bosses.

Lunchbreak Tactics

Whether it’s the Brocotree or sword-wielding toothbrush Tooth Squire, Borealys Games’ Lunchbreak Tactics is all about wielding everyday items with a zany twist.

Falling into six clans, players can mix and match these items in card form building a deck that’ll lead them to victory. That includes against other players - with leaderboards to climb for the most competitive lunchbreak gamers.