Top 5 Apps of the Week: Soundmap, Partiful, and More!

Collecting stuff is always fun, but when it comes to collecting digital music, one pauses for a while. How about using Soundmap to find and trade songs, building your ultimate collection? If you are a social butterfly, then Partiful is one way to get those invites out and keep track of guests.

Sleepytime is meant for Android users only, helping you plan better sleep times to wake up refreshed. Dragon and Home is a cute, open-world RPG where you roam different worlds and explore all that is on offer. EVE Galaxy Conquest is pretty much a galaxy-conquering game, where it boils down to your wits and at times, luck, in obtaining new worlds.

Each app featured here has undergone meticulous review by our editorial team to ensure they are devoid of pesky microtransactions and annoying advertisements. If you’re keen on discovering entirely free apps and games, be sure to check out our "Free Apps of the Week" article, which we update twice weekly!

EVE Galaxy Conquest (Android & iOS)

Have you played EVE Online before? That was a galactic conquest game, and the creators have now made their way to the mobile platform by offering EVE Galaxy Conquest. In other words, the time has arrived for you to explore the vastness of the galaxy, where danger lurks at every corner tempered by an equally lucrative opportunity. Do you have what it takes to make the right decision at pivotal points of the game?

The premise is pretty much simple like other expansionist mindset games. Establish a base, make sure you have enough resources to keep it growing, and make the necessary preparations for battle. You then upgrade your battleships as more resources are obtained to help tip the balance in your favor as you embark on epic battles with enemies.

Resource management is always my weak point, and there are different branches for you to explore in this game since many roads lead to Rome.  I am rather introverted in real life, and this was reflected in my in-game decisions by shutting myself off from my neighbors and treating them with suspicion. Of course, there were times when my intuition proved right, but there were also moments where it would have been better to have made them my ally.

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

The best aspect of this game is the multiplayer community since computer-controlled opponents tend to get stale after a while. When you pit yourself against other humans, all the foibles and goodness of humanity are present, adding an extra spice to the game.

• Download EVE Galaxy Conquest from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

Dragon and Home (Android & iOS)

There is something about an open-world RPG that features beautiful landscapes to explore and things to do. It is somewhat like Harvest Moon, albeit in a more magical setting. I love going solo, although this game allows you to team up with friends to enter different realms and meet the challenges presented in each world. 

Of course, there will be corresponding bosses everywhere to lend some somber feeling to the game. Taking a page from previous RPGs, mounts are available to help you travel farther at a faster rate, not to mention a Pokemon-esque flavor where you can also raise your mounts with tender loving care. 

If you are a community-based person, then why not cooperate with those around you to build a huge village? I'm more of a loner myself, which is why I prefer to remain alone in my humble little abode. 

• Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes ($1.99 — $149.99) / Account required: Yes

The ability to pick and choose different RPG classes to suit the adventure or task at hand is also useful since you no longer need to get tied down to a particular 'job'. When times are less stressful, why not indulge in a little cooking, farming, or tailoring? Paying for in-game credits will help you progress faster with better items, but you can still enjoy this game without forking out a single cent.

• Download Dragon and Home from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

Soundmap — Find Your Songs (Android & iOS)

Music is food for the soul, or so the saying goes. If you are a huge fan of music, then chances are you have subscribed to at least one music streaming service and have a pair of decent ANC true wireless earbuds to boot. Enough about that—what about Soundmap?

This app basically appeals to true blue music fans by letting you discover songs, complete artist quests, and build your dream music collection as a testament of your love for music to the world. It is like Pokémon Go for music fans. You walk around with the app open, collecting songs from nearby drops.

Depending on the type of song, those can be common, uncommon, rare, shiny, or even epic. These drops will not last forever, but rather, they will be gone once picked up. Much like many things in life, you can also trade your songs with others by checking out the market. Place your best offer and learn to negotiate! Who knows, you might strike a deal of a lifetime!

• Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes ($1.99 — $49.99) / Account required: Yes

After using this app for a while, it made perfect sense for hardcore music fans to pony up $20 for the lifetime subscription on offer. However, if you are more reserved, it is perfectly all right to enjoy this app without having to subscribe. 

• Download Soundmap—Find Your Songs from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Partiful: Fun Party Invites (Android & iOS)

You might not be young enough to party like it is 1999, but I am quite sure that there will always be other types of social events you organize. Baby showers, baptisms, graduations, weddings...the list goes on. Instead of looking for card vendors and sending out old-fashioned cards that end up in the trash once the event is over (or even before!), why not take the electronic route? Partiful sets the tone in a fun and playful manner.

No doubt a wee bit of AI is used here by the app. You basically set your parameters for a particular event, include the date, time, venue, cost per head, and modify the graphics accordingly, and voila! You're good to go. Or rather, the invitation is good enough to be blasted to your list of contacts. From there, you can also include RSVPs, questions, and interesting statements. It is really crafting a personalized message from scratch.

This free app also lets you track who’s coming, share photos, and keep guests updated. It also eliminates (or rather, reduce) any kind of uncertainty since guests can see who else is attending and then make their decision. I guess it is a double-edged sword!

• Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: None / Account required: No

This can come in handy when you're not that great a planner, and require extra cutlery or paper plates before the event. Why not just blast everyone via the app to bring their own utensils? Overall an interesting app to have, works best if your social circle is also on board.  

• Download Partiful: Fun Party Invites from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

Sleepytime (Android)

We live in such stressful times these days, it is very difficult to actually obtain the recommended 8 hours' worth of sleep for optimum health. While mindfulness apps do help people chart a better living pattern, how about Sleepytime, a no-frills app that gets right down to business? The user interface is simple enough and is divided into three different columns: Wake Up, Go to Bed, and Now. 

How does it work? Regardless of the column you select, you can then choose the time that you want it to happen. For instance, under Wake Up, I can pick the time I want to wake up, or select any of the preset choices. Either way, it will lead me to the default alarm clock app on my handset, from where the alarm will be automatically enabled and I'm good to go. Needless to say, this requires access permission from the app to fiddle with your handset's default alarm app.

• Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: None / Account required: No

Of course, you can also delete the set alarm times from your alarm app directly. While it might seem deceptively simple, Sleepytime works by counting backwards in sleep cycles so that you get the best possible sleep quality. It even includes the number of minutes taken for the average person to fall asleep (15 minutes thereabouts). 

• Download Sleepytime from the Google Play Store.

With that, we've come to the end of this week's Top 5 Apps of the Week. Fret not, we will be back next week with another edition. Join us to see what we have in store for you!