The 4 best Android apps in the Play Store from week 50 – 2020

New apps are constantly being added to the Play Store. Most, however, are not worth a try. In this weekly overview we therefore collect the best Android apps, updates and games for you.

1. Orwell’s Animal Farm

Animal Farm, the world famous book by 1984writer George Orwell, is now available on your Android smartphone. The eponymous game is loosely based on the well-known storyline and tells an adventure about the lives of farm residents. The premise is that all animals are equal, but some more than others.

In Animal Farm you will experience the rise of Animalism, a fictional political system that is clearly inspired by communism. Your choices determine which animals take control of the farm, and which furry residents play a secondary role. In the meantime, you must guard against sabotages and other intrigues.

2. Xayn

Are you looking for a Google alternative? Then you have been given a choice since last week: Xayn. This originally German search engine promises the same quality as its major competitor, but without hijacking your privacy. The app wants to achieve this by blocking trackers.

These are used by advertisers to map your online behavior and subsequently earn money from it through personal advertisements. You still have to ‘train’ Xayn before the app really works properly. You do that by rating search results, just like on Tinder. A swipe to the left is a match, a swipe to the right is not. Xayn keeps learning a little bit and has to keep getting better.

3. Givt

December is in full swing and that means the holidays are approaching. Many people make it a habit to donate at the end of the year and Givt may be of interest to that group. With this app you can donate to charities, churches, campaigns and artists.

Givt has been around for a while, but last week made an update so you can now specify an end date for recurring donations. That way you don’t pay more than you planned in advance. The app comes in handy in these times anyway, because digital donation is more hygienic than fiddling with cash.

4. Not Chess

Not Chess puts you on the wrong track from the first second. It starts with the name: it is not a chess game. But what is it then? Not Chess is best described as a puzzle game with chess elements.

You start the game with one piece and when you manage to ‘beat’ other pieces you take over the unique powers of that board piece. The level ends the moment you manage to take the coin. You have to work tactically, because you have a maximum number of turns in which you can make moves.