Five to Try: Minecraft continues its Story Mode, Shake Shack is ready for Android orders

BY GreenBot Staff

Published 14 Jul 2017

Need some new apps games for your Android phone? rry not, because our Five to Try column is here to spotlight the ay Store’s most enticing new picks. Minecraft: Story Mode’s second season leads the week’s offerings, as Telltale’s episodic affair builds a fun narrative from the block-building sensation.

Elsewhere, the official Shake Shack app is finally on Android for mobile ordering, Hinge puts a different spin on the familiar dating app, The on’s Song is an intriguing indie adventure, freemium game Valerian: City of pha can get you ready for the upcoming sci-fi flick. Give these a look, if you need even more recent picks, then loop back on last week’s column as well. 

Minecraft: Story Mode – Season Two

fivetotry july14 minecraftstory2

More Minecraft shenanigans in Story Mode – Season Two.

Minecraft is beloved for its open-ended design, letting players build their own adventures in blocky worlds—but last year’s Minecraft: Story Mode hled most of the heavy lifting with a five-part episodic adventure series. Now Telltale is back with a second season, you can start fresh with the new quest or carry over data from the first season to continue your own tale.

ke Telltale’s other adventures, including The lking Dead Game of Thrones, you’ll make dialogue story decisions that help shape the story ahead, rather than actively mine or craft. Season Two picks up with your now-famous fantasy hero or heroine facing a new threat after his/her h gets stuck in a magical gauntlet.

As before, Minecraft: Story Mode shows a deep appreciation of the source game while crafting a tale that’s light, funny, occasionally exciting to boot. The first episode is included with your $5 download, you can pre-order the four remaining segments—which will release over in the coming months—for $20 in all. By the way: if you didn’t play the original season, the first episode is totally free.

Shake Shack

fivetotry july14 shakeshack

Yes, I’ll have all of that for lunch, please.

Shake Shack might be a New York institution, but the speedy burgers–fries restaurant has been gradually exping, with more than 100 locations around the world. And now 75 of those spots within the United States have mobile ordering available via Android, thanks to this week’s app launch.

The Shake Shack app lets you pick a nearby location tap into the full menu, ordering yummy burgers, chicken swiches, hot dogs, shakes (of course), scheduling your order for pickup— you’ll get a text when it’s ready, too. It’s a slick-looking app with mouth-watering photography, there’s incentive to check it out immediately: If you spend at least $5 in the Android app by this Sunday, ly 16, you can get a free order of fries with your meal. Hit the official website for the coupon code full details, as well as the list of locations that offer online ordering. 

Hinge – The Relationship App 

fivetotry july14 hinge

at’s your story? Use it to try find love with Hinge.

oking for love can be difficult when dating apps encourage snap decisions are packed with people eager to hook up. However, Hinge—which is back on Android after disappearing last year for a reboot—prides itself on being a “relationship” app. It focuses on building long-term connections over quick thrills immediate gratification.

Does it work? ll, that’s for you to discover, but the app’s philosophy is built on having users create detailed profiles about themselves, tell their stories. There’s no “swipe right” here, although does a change in UI really lead to a change in behavior intentions from users? Give it a try find out. You’ll need to link a Facebook account to use it, while signing up is free, you’ll have to pay a monthly fee to actually interact with other users.

The on’s Song

fivetotry july14 lionssong

The sepia pixel look is really distinctive.

Enjoy episodic adventure games, but not into Minecraft? Or are you just looking for something a bit more hcrafted or mature? Maybe The on’s Song ($5) will do the trick. This charming little indie game comes with a one-of-a-kind premise: Across its four episodes, it explores the beauty frustration of creative expression via intimate profiles of early 20th-century Austrian artists scientists. 

Surely you’ve never played anything else quite like it. You’ll see the tale of a brilliant young composer struggling with writer’s block a romantic relationship with her teacher, or follow a mathematician struggling to make her mark in a male-dominated industry. And while the stories are enjoyed separately, they all come together in the end. l four episodes are bundled in with your $5 purchase, too, so you won’t have to buy anything else to get the full experience. 

Valerian: City of pha

fivetotry july14 valerian

It looks neat, but it’s still mostly grinding busywork.

Next week’s Valerian the City of Tomorrow looks like a sci-fi stunner, as The Fifth Element director c Besson’s latest film adapts a classic French comic with plenty of panache. So, if you’re intrigued by the dazzling worlds odd alien beasts teased in the trailers, then you might want to dig into the Valerian: City of pha app before the flick hits theaters.

City of pha puts a new face on the familiar freemium management sim, as you try to maintain exp the titular, floating city while dealing with threats opportunities alike. There’s a bit of choose-your-own adventure narrative navigation here, as you deal with potentially dangerous aliens other surprises—but for the most part it’s a repetitive mix of tapping buttons building resources. Since it’s set centuries before the film, however, there might be some deep lore worth mining from this freebie diversion.