Best Android apps and games of September

Summer is slowly drifting away, but the Google Play Store apps are still coming out with full force. We've got a good mix of new and premium Android games, and a few solid communication apps that launched in the last four weeks for your consideration.

We're always eager to hear what you guys have installed, so be sure to hit up the comments with your favorite new apps. With that, let's dig into our top ten new Android apps that were released in September.

Goat Simulator

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Goat Simulator bridges the gap between man and beast in ways never imagined possible. From the lifelike licking of other creatures to ragdoll physics that cause models to clip erratically through the scenery, it's no wonder you quickly lose yourself in goatness and, eventually, a profound identity crisis.

Play Goat Simulator. It will change your fundamental assumptions of humanity and goats.

Daddy Long Legs

This is a free game similar to the awkward long-distance runner QWOP. Players have to delicately maneuver a giant two-legged spider-type creature for as long a distance as possible. Every tap of the screen switches which legs are moving, but make sure to time it right, because Daddy Long Legs has an awful sense of balance and it's a long way down. Best (worst?) of all, the game keeps tabs on how many falls you make over the course of playing.

Daddy Long Legs has quick replay value, a sharp art style, and a high difficulty curve.

Asphalt Overdrive

Though there are cars on roads, and they're often doing the unlikeliest of barrel rolls after launching off ramps, this isn't quite an Asphalt game you'd expect. Instead of a full-bore racing game, Asphalt Overdrive is more of an endless runner, which has players quickly swiping to steer between lanes, trash competitors, grab power-ups, and dodge obstacles.

Asphalt Overdrive follows a distinct 80s vibe by way of its selection of cars and soundtrack. Many brand-name rides are available, and cosmetic customizations like paint jobs and decals will be available on top of more performance-based upgrades. Individual stages require players to smash other racers, hit a certain number of jumps, or simply get as far as possible in a limited amount of time. Though Gameloft has dropped in-app purchases since the last Modern Combat game, they're alive and well in Asphalt Overdrive for accelerated progress. There's also an energy system in place which will cap how much you can play in one sitting.

For a fast, light, and retro-styled racer, Asphalt Overdrive does very well.

Dragon Quest

The original Dragon Quest game has been ported by Square Enix to Android, much to the delight of old-school gamers. You'll bump into considerably less remastering here than in the mobile adaptation of Dragon Quest VIII. This role-playing game has you embark on the classic quest of travelling to far off lands, battling dragons, and rescuing the princess.

For gamers looking for a dose of nostalgia, Dragon Quest for Android is a no-brainer.

Anomaly Defenders

Anomaly Defenders brings to a close what is arguably the best tower defense series on Android. Mankind has finally pushed the alien menace back to their homeworld, and now players are tasked with repelling the counter-invasion. Like usual, you need to upgrade towers, expand research to improve their efficacy, and make split-second decisions based on how attacks change and environmental effects. The graphics are still gorgeous, and there's a rich campaign to chew through.

Strategy fans will have a ton of fun with Anomaly Defenders. If you're looking for more, Anomaly Korea, Anomaly Warzone, and Anomaly 2 are fantastic predecessors.

Hangouts Dialer

Hangouts Dialer brings together your texting, instant messaging, voicemail, voice calling, and video calling. It ties in with your Google Voice number, so you can make calls over your local Wi-Fi network all across Canada and the U.S. for free. You'll need Hangouts proper installed in addition to the Dialer to get the full functionality offered here, but in the end, it's totally worth it.

Comedy Central

Comedy Central has launched a new app to catch up on great shows like Key & Peele, the Colbert Report, and @Midnight. Full episodes are viewable with no cable service required. There's no Chromecast support just yet, but it's on the way. You may bump into some region restrictions, but in the U.S. you should be fine.

Comedy Central pumps out some seriously high quality shows, and it's most definitely worth grabbing their app to keep watching.

Horizon

Horizon is a dirt-simple video app that automatically keeps your recordings level. No more accidentally shooting moments in portrait, then freaking out and switching to landscape, only to have that second half totally sideways. Horizon dynamically adjusts the video to make sure the video stays level using one of three different shooting modes. You can also shoot from the front-facing camera and apply filters if you're into that kind of thing.

BitTorrent Bleep

BitTorrent Bleep

BitTorrent's instant messaging and voice chat client launched its alpha for Android this month with the aim of providing secure peer-to-peer communications. This means your chats aren't going to any central server anywhere, ripe for the NSA snooping. No account is needed to sign up, though you can import contacts from Gmail and set up an account to play nice with a desktop app if you like. Stability is still something of an issue, given the alpha status.

As early as it may be, BitTorrent Bleep is a promising chat client in a generation increasingly concerned about privacy.

Ask Me Anything

Reddit AMA for Android

Reddit unveiled an official app for their high profile AMA stories this month. Now when celebrities do Ask Me Anything sessions on the social link-sharing site, anyone with the app can keep tabs on the latest questions, upvote and downvote community submissions, and drop a few questions of their own. You can browse through the archive of previous AMAs based on categories or search for specific individuals to flip through their crowdsourced interviews.

Anyone who spends any time on Reddit should grab the new Ask Me Anything app.

Your favorite new Android apps from September?

That's it from us for new hits in the Google Play Store. Sing out in the comments with your latest downloads!

Simon Sage
Simon has been covering mobile since before the first iPhone came out. After producing news articles, podcasts, review videos, and everything in between, he's now helping industry partners get the word about their latest products. Get in touch with him at simon@futurenet.com.