It's time for our weekly roundup of the best new Android apps and games to have emerged on the Google Play store.

To be brutally honest, it's not been a super week for apps, but it's been a fantastic week for games: usually this column aims for 10 of each, but this week, the balance is tilted towards games. It's perhaps the best single week ever for new Android games since the platform launched.

As ever, prices are correct at the time of writing, but may have changed by the time you read this. (Free + IAP) means in-app purchases are used within the app.

Want more apps? Browse previous Best Android Apps roundups on The Guardian. And if you're looking for iOS apps, browse the archives of Best iPhone and iPad apps roundups instead.

APPS

Flavourit - My Cookbook (Free + IAP)
Even with all that flour and eggs, tablets and smartphones are becoming a staple in many kitchens, as an easy way to pull up recipes. Flavourit is the latest app hoping to become the provider of choice, helping you create a collection of your favourite recipes, add your own photos, and (if necessary) share with friends.

Climatology (Free)
This app is the work of Microsoft: a surprising diversion into weather apps that "gives you climate information for anywhere on Earth: temperature, rain and sunniness". The company admits it's an "experimental" app with room for improvement based on feedback, and the Google Play reviews are certainly providing that...

QCast Music (Free)
One of a steadily-growing number of apps for people who own Google's Chromecast TV-dongle, this is all about shared music playlists. The theory being that guests can add songs to your playlist, although as host you still have ultimate control. For now, it also relies on you having a Google Play Music All Access subscription, so Spotify, Deezer, etc users will have to look elsewhere.

Pullshot - Screenshots (Free)
I might be biased in favour of this due to being a journalist who writes about apps, but anyone else who takes lots of screenshots of their Android device will appreciate it too. It's a tool for organising the screenshots you've taken into folders, pulling them out of your basic photo gallery. Simple but useful.

The Active Channel (Free)
The Active Channel is new to me, but if you're more diligent at this getting fit malarkey, this mobile app may be just the thing to watch its mixture of fitness, weight loss and muscle-upping on the go. TV shows can be downloaded to the device for offline viewing – just the thing for the gym, perhaps.

Wear Mini Launcher (Free)
This was inevitable, and it surely won't be the last: a launcher app for Android Wear smartwatches, making it easier to open apps once you have a bunch installed on the device. You install it on your Android smartphone, then can open it on your paired watch. Note: I've yet to get one of the latter, so haven't had a chance to use this app yet. It looked potentially interesting enough to include anyway.

Typhoon Time (Free)
Finally, an app from plucky young startup BAE Systems, which... Oh, hang on. Yes, the defence and aerospace giant is releasing apps nowadays: this one is part flight simulator and part game, where you get to whizz around piloting a virtual Eurofighter Typhoon.

GAMES

Leo's Fortune (£2.99)
Leo's Fortune has won bags of critical acclaim – and a design award from Apple, no less – since its release on iOS. Its Android debut is welcome news, then: this is a beautifully-crafted platform game with varied levels, lush graphics and just-right controls. Marvellous from start to finish.

Fish Out Of Water! (Free + IAP)
Developer Halfbrick made its name with Fruit Ninja, but Fish Out Of Water deserves to sit alongside that casual classic. It sees you skipping a group of colourful fish across the waves, each with their own bouncing pattern. Your job is to make them go as far as possible, while being scored by crab judges. Sounds weird, plays excellently.

Lost Toys (£1.75)
Lost Toys is another lovely game that's been winning awards on other platforms: an eerie 3D puzzler where you have to mend broken toys by spinning them around and fiddling with them. With 32 levels to work through, there's plenty of challenge: the perfect challenge if you've already played through the two The Room games.

Wayward Souls (£2.73)
If you like your action-roleplaying (RPG) games, then Wayward Souls is an absolutely essential buy on Android: it sees you exploring dungeons full of monsters, traps and loot, with each procedurally generated to keep things fresh. A well-designed control scheme and plenty of scope for battle tactics help too.

Pyramid Solitaire Saga (Free + IAP)
Another Saga? Yes, this comes from Candy Crush maker King: its take on the pyramid form of card game Solitaire, as you match cards to clear the screen. The Egyptian theme is reflected in Scarabs that you have to catch by tapping on them, with plenty of layouts and score comparisons with Facebook friends.

Sonic Jump Fever (Free + IAP)
The original Sonic Jump game saw Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog travelling upwards at pace, rather than along: more Doodle Jump-y than his traditional platform adventures. This sequel looks better, throws in new world based on Sonic's console adventures, and adds social high-score tables to compare scores with friends.

Star Realms (Free + IAP)
My general strategy for deck-building card games like Hearthstone and Magic is "over-impulsive idiot", so my recommendation may not count for much... but Star Realms looks to have all the ingredients for a classic of the genre. It's a sci-fi themed game where you build your deck and pit your wits against your device and real human players alike. There's plenty of polish, and it's very accessible too.

Hercules: The Official Game (Free + IAP)
Once upon a time, mobile games based on movies were rubbish nine times out of 10. In 2014, thankfully, things are different: Hercules is the latest example of something that feels like a decent game in its own right, rather than marketing ballast. It's a beefy beat 'em up with excellent graphics, and well-done online features too.

Evolution: Battle for Utopia (Free + IAP)
More space sci-fi, although in this case it's more of an action-RPG. Evolution sees you exploring a "deadly post-apocalyptic planet" (my favourite kind) fighting, building and terraforming your way to top-dog status. There's lots of depth to it, but you won't find yourself lost as you get to grips with its controls.

Transworld Endless Skater (Free + IAP)
Back to earth here – well, some of the time. Forget endless runner games: this is about endless skating as you work your way along jumping, spinning and grinding with your virtual skateboarder – including the option to play as some famous (to people who know their skateboarders, obv) names. It works well on the touchscreen too, which is a decent achievement for this genre.

Mucho Party (Free + IAP)
If you're a fan of "microgame" collections like Nintendo's Wario Ware, you'll find plenty to like in Mucho Party: it has 30 short, sharp games to play alone, or against another human – the latter is most fun. There are plenty of ideas fizzing within this collection, and (important for this genre) a sense of humour too.

Pick a Pet (Free + IAP)
This may be the heyday of the match-three puzzle game on mobile devices, even if some (Candy Crush) critics would argue it's more like a nadir. Still, the games keep coming: Pick a Pet looks good fun, as you match its obligatorily-cute characters by colour, rescuing pets for a collection that grows as you progress.

Fightback (Free + IAP)
Finally, another beat 'em up, this time from publisher Chillingo, which involves battering the bejaysus out of anyone in your way en route to rescuing a kidnapped sister. It's a bit like Double Dragon reinvented for modern, 3D, touchscreen devices, although also for their freemium business model with its in-app purchases.

Those are our picks, but what have you been enjoying on Android this week? Post your recommendations (or feedback on these) in the comments section.

• 40 best Android games of 2014 (so far)