What do you know? It is the Advent season now, and I am quite sure many of us are gearing up for the crazy holiday season, where we have to deal with ugly-looking sweaters from overbearing relatives who we don’t like, while figuring out who lies where in our naughty-or-nice gift list. Well, if you’re mentally wiped out, how about blowing off some steam with this list of the top 5 apps and games that should keep you entertained and occupied, at least for another week?
Just like last week, we’re excited to reveal a specially curated selection of outstanding mobile apps and games for both Android and iOS users. After sifting through the vast selections on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, we’ve handpicked five standout titles that really caught our attention. Whether you’re in the mood for immersive games or handy tools to boost your productivity, these choices offer something enjoyable for everyone.
Sonic Rumble
I’ve had a good run with Sonic Rumble, pun intended! At first glance, the game felt like Sega’s playful flirtation with the party-battle-royale format: there were classic Sonic characters—but toy-sized—who dashed around Dr. Eggman’s whimsical “Toy World,” collecting rings, outlasting opponents, and duking it out in a kind of chaotic survival showdown.
Graphically, I quite like what they’ve done. The levels feel vivid and colourful, with familiar Sonic motifs given a playful twist. There’s that nostalgic Sonic charm, but married to a light, almost cartoonish art style that worked quite well for what is essentially a party game. The soundtrack was energetic, too — it blended remixed tracks from past Sonic titles with fresh beats, and it helped buoy the frenetic pace of each match. In shorter sessions — say, when I’m commuting or just killing time — the visuals and music made it fun to dip in and out.
Gameplay-wise, Rumble is structured around three elimination rounds: I begin with up to 32 players, and by the end, only a handful remain. Ring collection, like in all Sonic games, plays a central role — in many rounds, it’s not just about being the fastest, but also strategic about gathering and keeping as many rings as you can. What’s interesting is how the rings I collected in matches carry over outside the game; they act as a currency to unlock skins and items. This gave the game something more enduring than one-off matches.
I found Sonic Rumble to be charming, colourful, and accessible — a solid pick for casual mobile play and short sessions. But as someone who grew up chasing Sonic at full tilt, I can’t help but feel that Sega’s missed an opportunity to infuse the chaos with more of the raw, fast-paced energy the Blue Blur is known for. And if you’re sensitive to in-game purchases, the monetization model will probably give you pause. I’d still recommend giving it a try — but with eyes wide open.
Resident Evil Survival Unit
Ah, another zombie apocalypse scenario arrives on mobile with Resident Evil Survival Unit. This is a mobile strategy-survival game that tries to take the road less traveled compared to other classic Resident Evil titles. It ditches the fixed-camera horror or over-the-shoulder action but turns to real-time strategy and base building instead. I found myself stranded with a group of survivors in the ruins of a city overtaken by infection, and it is up to my ragtag group of survivors to rebuild a mansion that serves as my stronghold. Obviously, resource gathering, recruitment, and defending are part of the deal.
Gameplay-wise, I enjoyed the strategic tension. Assigning survivors to different roles—combat, gathering, research, and planning my base layout felt like a satisfying puzzle. The real-time defense battles did provide some hair-raising moments, and the resource-management component was not a trivial affair at all, requiring careful balance of offense, base upgrades, and research.
In terms of its graphics, the game proved decent for a mobile title. The mansion base had a certain charm, and the environments did feel suitably bleak yet detailed enough to evoke that grim, classic Resident Evil feel. I was particularly intrigued by some of the creature designs — there’s a new monster known as “Mortem” with an eerie presence that really added to the horror-strategy blend.
Overall, I felt this was an ambitious mobile outing for the survival horror franchise, and I suspect not everyone will enjoy it. Still, it is nice to see a fresh perspective on an old take. I don’t really enjoy strategy games since I am quite terrible at multitasking, but this blend of base management and tactical decision-making did draw me in for quite a while.
Spin the Bottle: Chat Rooms
Spin the Bottle: Chat Rooms might be something that the lonely or adventurous might want to explore, but I would attach a disclaimer: this is a mixed bag. This mobile social app transforms the old party game into a random chat playground, sporting simple mechanics and the ability to meet strangers in a low-stakes, flirtatious environment. Perfect to kill time or maybe find someone interesting.
The design of the app felt light and playful to me. Chat rooms were limited to group text chats with a handful of people, and the absence of voice or video kept things relatively understated. Virtual gifts — from kisses to quirky items — added a party-like atmosphere, and the achievement and league systems encouraged me to remain active and engaged. There’s also a small social layer built in, letting me share bits of personality and interact in a casual, game-like setting, all done within a safe environment.
Just like everything else in this world, there is nothing perfect. The quiet charm of this app did come with its fair share of caveats. Moderation and safety felt fragile at times, where the anonymity that made the app fun also opened the door for harassment, fake profiles, or inappropriate behaviour. I think the gifting and VIP systems do lean a wee bit too heavily on in-app purchases, and just like the real world, it felt like spending more money increased my chances at ‘life’.
Still, when things did click, the app proved to be surprisingly enjoyable. Being matched with someone who’s genuinely interested in chatting or joining in the playful spirit of the game did bring out what the concept does best. It’s a fun, unpredictable space meant more for light conversation than serious social connections, and in that niche, I think this app did really well.
Dear Me: Daily Routine Tracker
Ah, self-care. This is one term that has been bandied around for quite a while now, and it does make sense. Good thing apps like Dear Me: Daily Routine Tracker do make life easier, being a thoughtful, beautifully designed little companion to help me build meaningful habits and self-care rituals. I liked how gentle and welcoming the onboarding felt at first, sporting a friendly tone that helped me tailor routines to what matters most to me.
The daily dashboard was interesting, where tasks were laid out in a manner that felt softer than a rigid chore list. It did not feel ‘naggy’, if you get my drift, proving to be more of a gentle nudge in the right direction to take care of myself. I loved ticking off my morning rituals, self-care breaks, and evening wind-down habits. After all, there’s something calming about seeing my little routine flow visualised each day, which nudged me to keep going rather than feeling pressured or overwhelmed.
I also appreciated how many pre-made routines there were: they were surprisingly comprehensive for someone who’s not always great at building structure from scratch, and having thoughtfully designed templates made things a lot easier in my everyday life. And because I can customize or add my own tasks, the app didn’t feel restrictive. It adapted itself to me instead, rather than forcing me into someone else’s daily mould.
Unfortunately, the free tier was rather limited in my use, where many of the nicer features were locked behind a subscription. There were moments when I experienced the app lagging a little or freezing, especially when I tried to edit a task or customize a routine. On top of that, I’ve noticed that notifications sometimes come in a stack rather than at spaced intervals, which made them feel less personally helpful and more like noise. Definitely not perfect, but it is worth checking out if you want something that feels genuine.
Take better care of yourself with Dear Me, which does so without being overbearing or naggy.
My Aurora Forecast Pro
First of all, I would like to say this: I’ve never seen any auroras in my life. Secondly, it is crazy expensive to travel to countries that do boast this natural phenomenon, so I have only managed to live vicariously through photos and videos of others who’ve been there. Enter My Aurora Forecast Pro, an app that I think hits a very good balance between being powerful and approachable. I liked the dark, sleek design that’s visually pleasing and felt right for a night-sky-watching app.
Anyone traveling to see the aurora might want to measure the detailed forecasting feature against what happens on the ground. The app gives me a read on the current KP index (which is basically a measurement of geomagnetic activity) and estimates how likely I can catch the aurora in my location. But it doesn’t stop there — it also lets me peek into the next few hours, as well as longer-term forecasts across several days or even weeks. That allows for planning ahead of time. On top of that, it gives data on solar wind and sun imagery, which feels like a real treat for someone who enjoys understanding what drives aurora activity.
What I appreciate especially is the live map. It showed how strong the aurora is around the world — the ovation forecast was visualised clearly, allowing me to quickly figure out where things might be going off in real time. The app also supports location-based alerts, so I can get notified when activity spikes.
Unfortunately, for all its bells and whistles, constant location tracking and updates do hit the battery life pretty hard. I guess there is always a trade-off, and this is something I’m willing to accept for the functionality, but obviously not ideal if I were to rely on my phone for other things or plan to be out for long stretches. Going Pro does remove all ads, so what’s a few dollars for a better holiday experience?
If you are an aurora chaser, then this is an indispensable app to have.
