Top 5 Apps of the Week: Ricocat Arena, Stellar Traveler, and More!

Ricocat Arena is a fast-paced multiplayer FPS that will surely require quick-thinking and fast reflexes if you want to remain alive, let alone emerge as the top dog. Stellar Traveler is the new, sensational idle hero RPG that features cute graphics and decent gameplay. Soundiiz is interesting, where you can transfer your playlist from one music app to another without much hassle.

OldRoll, well, rolls back the years by making your photos look like they were captured using a vintage camera. Last but not least, Sane Scrolling hopes to keep you on the straight and narrow by limiting the amount of time you spend on your smartphone. Basically, it aims to rein in doomscrolling habits among users.

If none of these selections catch your eye, you might be intrigued to learn that there are premium applications currently available for free for a limited time. For those interested, don’t miss our "Free Apps of the Week" feature, which is updated bi-weekly!

Stellar Traveler (Android & iOS)

Want to immerse yourself in an RPG that is not too taxing? Enter Stellar Traveler, a casual and relaxing adventure that spans galaxies. With more than 40 unique heroes to choose from, you will have a ball of a time selecting your five-hero team as you attempt to bring down powerful bosses. What I like a lot about this game is the generous reward system, where I can have 9,999 free draws to begin with when logging in.

I found the controls to be simple enough to master, and there is no shortage of praise for its visuals and variety. However, those who do not know Chinese will find the translation quality lacking, not to mention some niggles in player control in the midst of combat as gameplay feels as though I had my hand held all the way. I would have liked to have more autonomy in that regard.

• Price: Free / Advertising: Yes / In-app purchases: Yes ($0.99-$49.99) / Account required: No

This game is currently in beta, and as mentioned above, it and only supports simplified Chinese, which may affect the experience for non-Chinese-speaking players, so be warned! It feels like playing a poorly translated version of Final Fantasy Tactics all those years ago again.

• Download Stellar Traveler from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

Soundiiz (Android & iOS)

Migrating from one platform to another is always a tricky affair. Windows to macOS or iOS to Android (and vice versa in both cases), there are always kinks to iron out. How about your music playlists which you have so lovingly curated over the years when you switch to a new music provider? This is where I found Soundiiz useful.

Soundiiz happens to be a versatile application that was specially designed to facilitate the transfer and management of music collections across various streaming platforms. It supports more than 40 services, ranging from Spotify to Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Deezer. In other words, the app lets me migrate playlists seamlessly, ensuring my favorite songs, albums, and followed artists can appear on other providers at the touch of a button.

It is as easy as logging into all the different music providers with my accounts, providing access, and everything that can be transferred will be transferred. It also preserves the original order, album art, and descriptions, now how about that? I can also synchronize everything so that a change made in one playlist on a particular platform will be updated across the other platforms to ensure consistency.

• Price: Free / Advertising: Yes / In-app purchases: Yes ($2.99 per item) / Account required: No

I found the interface to be highly intuitive and accessible, and transfers proved to be generally quick and efficient. It took just a few minutes to process long playlists, which means there is nothing to complain about. Of course, it isn't perfect, so you might end up with incorrect track matching or missing songs during transfers, although that is more the exception than the rule, but it can happen.

• Download Soundiiz from the Google Play Store and Soundiiz website (for iOS).

OldRoll—Vintage Film Camera (Android & iOS)

Old is gold, and retro always has a way of making its way into being cool once again. The wave of influencers and younger people returning to point-and-shoot digital cameras? That's nostalgia at work, even though the image quality suffers compared to modern-day smartphone cameras. Well, OldRoll is a vintage film camera app that emulates the experience of using classic analog cameras, where you have a range of retro filters and effects to enhance your shots.

I like how there is a list of vintage camera models to choose from, where each of them feature unique filters and effects that replicate the aesthetics of classic film photography. It did not take too long to dive into the highly intuitive app for me, and I can safely say this is accessible for those who want to capture nostalgic photos without rummaging through complex manual settings.

Coupled with modern capability, all captured photos can be easily shared on social media platforms, letting me showcase my vintage-style images at the tap of a finger. You know what would be nuts? Using this app on an older smartphone. Talk about a double retro feeling!

• Price: Free / Advertising: Yes / In-app purchases: Yes ($2.99-$19.99) / Account required: No

Do note that the app might be free, but additional cameras and filters require in-app purchases, which is expected. For those who want to recreate the charm of vintage film cameras on your smartphones, OldRoll is the way to go.

• Download OldRoll—Vintage Film Camera from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

Sane Scrolling (Android only)

Having a smartphone is fine and dandy, but there comes a point when you end up hooked on it and start the dreaded habit of doomscrolling. Sane Scrolling intends to, well, introduce a stopgap measure to help ensure you do not end up doing exactly that. 

I found the user interface to be simple enough, although the ads to get in the way. Still, it is not that irritating and neither do I have to wait too long before the ad disappears as I wade through the settings. I can choose just how long I am allowed to scroll through short-form social media videos, ranging from YouTube shorts, to Instagram and TikTok.

Having a subscription ensures you will be able to set a timer to handle all the different short-form videos, while the free version will restrict you to just one when it comes to the screen time goal. Well, you know what they say—the good things in life are never free.

• Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: None/ Account required: Yes

Basically, once a screen time goal is reached, Sane Scrolling will shut down access to the selected app(s). Parents might want to have this app installed on their children's smartphones. Of course, where there's a will, there's a way, and anyone who is truly addicted to doomscrolling will most probably be able to find a workaround to get their fix elsewhere.

• Download Sane Scrolling from the Google Play Store.

Ricocat Arena (Android only)

Do you think you have the reflexes to play a 1v1 in a FPS? Well, why not up the ante by participating in a fast-paced 5v5 FPS instead? Enter Ricocat Arena, where I enjoyed a dynamic mobile FPS experience that brings together straightforward gameplay with intense action. 

I like the diversity of available maps and game modes to choose from, ensuring that there is never a dull moment. Players can engage in various unique maps and game modes, which range from team-based skirmishes to solo battles. This kind of variety introduces something fresh every single time the game is fired up, and it surely keeps me on my toes.

Of course, any FPS is best played with a keyboard-and-mouse combo for the greatest accuracy IMHO, but I guess you can still get by on a touchscreen. Still, I would highly recommend using physical controller connected to your smartphone for that edge.

With a host of colorful characters to choose from, I was spoiled for choice, wondering which special ability would work best for me, and having a bit of backstory to each character also added to the appeal since a connection was formed. 

• Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: None / Account required: Yes

Do bear in mind that this game, like many other games released these days, is still in early access so things might change along the way. There will most probably be bugs and fixes that need to be made, but meanwhile, you will still be able to have your fair share of fun!  

• Download Ricocat Arena from the Google Play Store.

I hope you had a great start to the year! Look out for our new Top 5 Apps of the Week list next week!