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Noob question: How do you ensure that large executable files, such as .apks (different from apk), are safe?

  • By making sure (as much as you possibly could) the source you got it from is safe.

    You'll reduce the risk.

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    A year after Trump’s near-assassination, friends and allies see some signs of a changed man

  • But also, when was he not deranged in the past 15 years?

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    60% of Teachers Used AI This Year and Saved up to 6 Hours of Work a Week

  • I could give you a few real-life examples where it’s been helpful to me, but honestly, there are probably hundreds more depending on the person—as long as it’s used properly and not treated as flawless or final.

    I’m a kindergarten teacher.

    1. I describe what we’ve done in class, and it turns that into a short caption for the school’s daily social media post. Saves a bit of time.

    2. For weekly assessments, I speak freely about each child’s week, and it generates a well-written comment. That’s a moderate time-saver, and I learn better phrasing from its output as I'm a non-native English speaker.

    3. It helps me brainstorm new daily activity ideas based on specific goals or parameters. I choose the ones that fit and tweak them as needed.

    4. When I’ve tried multiple strategies with a difficult child, I use it to get fresh suggestions for guidance or behavior management. I still apply my own experience to decide what works best.

    5. It helped me plan a trip based on location, time, and several other factors—and it provided a lot of useful details I hadn’t considered.

    6. It’s replaced Google for many tasks: it’s faster, often more accurate (if prompted clearly), and definitely more efficient for basic info.

    7. I also use it for translation, and in many cases, it gives better or more natural results than Google Translate.

    8. It helped me rewriting this very comment (till point 7) as I'm busy with something else so I saved time spellchecking and rephrasing.

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    The Naysayers Wont Stop Progress

  • I was thinking the exact same thing the other day. I still meet users of opposite opinions here—which was never a problem, but exchanges are mostly at a polite, educated, and respectful level. Nothing like the childish POS that lurk in Reddit in every sub.

    If some people find it too hard or stupid to be on Lemmy, then that's people I doubt will enrich my online experience in any way.

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    Brave Launches Official F-Droid Repository for Android Browser to Bypass Google Play

  • Just to clarify something that has been bothering me for some time, a "religious person" isn't necessarily homophobic. A "BIGOT religious person" might be—and usually is.

    I've been religious (Christian Catholic) all my life, very much so in my childhood, and my family is still very involved with church on a daily basis, with my dad being a deacon. None of us is homophobic and never was.

    I'm not very knowledgeable in Bible, but I believe Jesus himself (son of God) never ever talked about or against homosexuality in his teachings, but rather he always promoted compassion and tolerance towards everyone. The homophobic bits in the Bible come from people in the culture of the time. Even Jesus's disciples weren't perfect, I believe that's well known.

    Extra OT:

    • Jesus, although promoting peace and tolerance, did famously get mad when a holy place got exploited and turned into a place of trade and commerce (oh the irony! Imagine what he would today...).

    • He also wasn't very tolerant of hypocrites, of rich people who advertised their minimal-effort charity acts while looking down at poorer people's charity donations, of people in power who lacked compassion, and other POS categories like that.

    Dude was legit rad. Most self-proclaimed "Christian Bible lovers" will never understand how revolutionary and "communist" he actually was. They're stuck with some words from common people victim of the culture of the time.

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    —REUPLOAD—Free Android Games (incl. FOSS ✅️) - no ads, no IAPs, no gacha.

  • Listed under "Extras and emulators/engines"! Thanks for the entry :)

    I'm not sure what was on itch.

    Superluminal Vagrant Twin is on itch and apparently can be played in browser.

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    —REUPLOAD—Free Android Games (incl. FOSS ✅️) - no ads, no IAPs, no gacha.

  • Yes, this list.

    You're welcome! Have fun :)

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    —REUPLOAD—Free Android Games (incl. FOSS ✅️) - no ads, no IAPs, no gacha.

  • OK the game has been delisted. Thanks for checking!

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    —REUPLOAD—Free Android Games (incl. FOSS ✅️) - no ads, no IAPs, no gacha.

  • Added, thank you :)

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    —REUPLOAD—Free Android Games (incl. FOSS ✅️) - no ads, no IAPs, no gacha.

  • Are these browser games, or they have a file to be loaded into Fabularium, or both?

    I found them on itch.io, but I'd appreciate some links (if any other) and some more info about the kind of games they are, like:

    • are they apps?

    • browser games?

    • roms for emulator?

    • FOSS or not?

    Sorry if I sound pedantic, but I go through many entries to verify, get links for, and classify into genre. Thanks :)

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    —REUPLOAD—Free Android Games (incl. FOSS ✅️) - no ads, no IAPs, no gacha.

  • Added, thanks :)

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    —REUPLOAD—Free Android Games (incl. FOSS ✅️) - no ads, no IAPs, no gacha.

  • Thanks for the explanation. I see the advantages of it, I'm just not sure that's necessarily more efficient or needed for my lists—there aren't lots of changes usually, and I enjoy the process anyways. I might give it a try at some point though!

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    —REUPLOAD—My favorite PAID games on the Play Store (+ user recommendations 💬)

  • Thanks! Added both :)

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    —REUPLOAD—Free Android Games (incl. FOSS ✅️) - no ads, no IAPs, no gacha.

  • So, it kinda works similarly to an emulator? Plus it can create text adventures, it seems. Am I correct? I'm not familiar

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    —REUPLOAD—Free Android Games (incl. FOSS ✅️) - no ads, no IAPs, no gacha.

  • Thanks for the suggestion. I'm not familiar with how Codeberg works (first time I heard about it actually), but I'll look into it as soon as I have more free time. For now, I'm OK with Lemmy posting.

    If you're not bothered, mind explaining how it'd be more efficient or convenient? Keep in mind that I work on this EXCLUSIVELY from a phone, because for me sitting at a PC desk=work (I mean the boring one that pays the bills lol).

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    —REUPLOAD—Free Android Games (incl. FOSS ✅️) - no ads, no IAPs, no gacha.

  • Added, thanks for the entry! I used the F-droid link as I believe it is more user friendly. Both F-droid and GitHub versions are on the same v. number.

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    —REUPLOAD—Free Android Games (incl. FOSS ✅️) - no ads, no IAPs, no gacha.

  • Added. Thank you!

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    —REUPLOAD—Free Android Games (incl. FOSS ✅️) - no ads, no IAPs, no gacha.

  • Have you heard about ScummVM?

    It's a virtual machine that can run old PC games, including Zork, Secret of Monkey Island, etc. Here's a list of games it should run: https://wiki.scummvm.org/index.php/Where_to_get_the_games

    The other day I was playing The Curse of Monkey Island on ScummVM on my phone and it ran quite well.

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    —REUPLOAD—Free Android Games (incl. FOSS ✅️) - no ads, no IAPs, no gacha.

  • Totally! I mean, among the categories/genres already in the list, I thought "Management" was the most fitting. The game does fall under a few other genres (sandbox, space trading, etc.), but I can't have a genre for a single game or the list would look too long and scattered—harder for users to browse, IMO.

    Usually, I wait to have 2 or more games of the same subgenre to open a new category for them :)

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    —REUPLOAD—Free Android Games (incl. FOSS ✅️) - no ads, no IAPs, no gacha.

  • Thanks for the heads up. Since this is a user-recommendation list and I haven't played the vast majority of these games (I merely double check on the surface, Google, Perplexity), just a question before I delist the game:

    • have you been playing the game yourself to the point you reached a pay wall?

    If yes, consider the game nuked.

    I tried playing the game a bit, but some puzzles aren't too quick to solve so I haven't met any paywall yet.

    • Android @lemdro.id char_stats @discuss.tchncs.de
    —REUPLOAD—My favorite PAID games on the Play Store (+ user recommendations 💬)

    NOTICE: I'm reuploading this as I lost my first account on lemm.ee (the instance was shut down) so that I can continue updating the list through this new account. The previous version of this list is now deprecated—links to that post might no longer work.

     

    Latest entries - 10 July 2025:

    Other recent entries
    Introduction

    This is a list of all games, sorted by category, that I've purchased, loved, and finished (or played extensively) over many years and I'd like to recommend as they're all excellent and without predatory monetization or gacha system.

    Edit: now I'm also including the most recommended titles by the community - which I haven't playtested yet or I'm not particularly interested in - marked with 💬. Please check entry criteria below before commenting.

    Some of the games may be free with IAP's, but EXCLUSIVELY to unlock the full game, DLCs, or remove ads (no gacha or energy/gambling mechanics, "diamonds", pay-to-win, or any recurrent cash-grab bullshit of sort).

    [Disclaimer: chances are some items in this list will inevitably be removed from Play Store as time goes by, or will not be compatible with future Android versions. I'll do my best to always keep it updated, but feel free to PM me if you come across any unavailable title and I'll make a correction]

    I'm planning to keep the list updated for personal reference with the new games I'll play and like, or old games I've played that will come to mind later. So feel free to save it and check out new entries every so often.

    My ultimate goal is to promote worthy content and honest/talented devs, hoping to see more quality games in the future, rather than the cancerous cash-grab machines the Play Store is regrettably riddled with. And, of course, to let everyone have a great time playing great titles ;)

    Entry criteria for user recommendations 💬
    1. paid Play Store games compatible with recent Android versions
    2. no ads or infinite microtransactions. Allowed: ads-removal, full-game unlock, or proper DLCs
    3. you love the game and think it's worth the price
    4. must include link and, possibly, genre

    I will still use my discretion and judgment to filter the entries, in an effort to try and keep the list's quality high.

    [If you want to play or recommend free games, without ads or microtransactions, here is the list for you.]

     

    THE LIST

     

    Legend

    🌟 - top favorite  

    👑 - top favorite and masterpiece status  

    💬 - recommended by the community, but I haven't played it yet or not my favorite  

    🎮 - controllers are supported and, usually, strongly recommended  

    🎮❗️ - controller recommended but not supported—you need a controller mapping app like Panda  

    📱 - portrait orientation (either exclusively or optional)

    👥 - includes multiplayer

    120FPS - 120 FPS on supported devices

    [Game title] - delisted, but you might still see it in the store if you've purchased it  

     

    Action shooter

     

    Action-adventure platformer/hack-n-slash

    • Grimvalor 🌟 🎮 120FPS (2.5D hack and slash medieval fantasy platform/RPG)

    • Shadow Blade 🌟 🎮 (2D hack and slash action platform)

    • Swordigo 🎮❗️ (2D RPG action-adventure platformer; requires controller mapping app if you want controller support - free with 2 IAPs that add compass or coin doubler, and either of them remove ads too)

    • Oddmar 🎮 120FPS (2D action-adventure platformer)

    • Ninja Arashi 🎮 (2D hack and slash action platformer - free with IAPs to remove ads)

    • SAMURAI II: VENGEANCE 🎮 (top down/isometric hack and slash)

    • Dead Cells 💬 🎮 120FPS (roguelite action platformer)

     

    Platformer

     

    Metroidvania

     

    Beat 'em up

     

    Turn-based RPG

     

    Tactical RPG

     

    Action RPG

    • Trials of Mana 🌟 🎮❗️ (it's a port from console/PC but critically lacks controller support. You can use Panda Gamepad Pro - recommended - or Mantis to achieve that)

    • The Bard's Tale (3D action RPG adventure - this game has some optional IAPs: they can easily be ignored but they're there. Also, some users experienced an auto-save bug that corrupts ALL save files, so I recommend disabling auto-save altogether. I'm keeping the game listed here for now as I still consider it a true premium game and I haven't personally experienced any bug)

    • Evoland 🎮 (action/adventure RPG with 2D and 3D graphics and a mix of genres. Touch controls work great)

    • Evoland 2 🌟 🎮 (action/adventure RPG with 2D and 3D graphics, mix of genres; controller recommended)

    • Pascal's Wager (soulslike) 💬 🎮

    • Star Wars: KOTOR 💬 🎮

    • Star Wars: KOTOR II 💬 🎮

     

    CRPG

     

    Text-based RPG

     

    Roguelite (cards, dice, deck builder, action)

     

    Action adventure/Zelda-like

    • Ogu and the Secret Forest 🌟 🎮 (unlocking the full game through IAPs is quite pricey on the Play Store so maybe check the Epic Store—I got it for free there)

    • Anodyne 🌟 🎮❗️ 📱 (lanscape/portrait. Adding controller support through Panda is a must if you want to finish the game)

    • Legend of the Skyfish 2 🎮 (Zelda-like with a fishing rod for weapon)

    • Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion 🎮 (humorous, Zelda-like, pixel art adventure; achievements didn't work correctly, but they might have been fixed after I played it)

    • Oceanhorn 🌟 🎮 (3D Zelda-like action adventure)

    • Afterplace 💬 🎮 📱 120FPS (landscape/portrait)

     

    Puzzle adventure

     

    Point-and-click adventure

     

    Simulation/management

     

    Worker placement survival

    • This War of Mine 💬 (DISCLAIMER: as of April 2025 multiple users still report crashes, but I'll keep the game here because it is otherwise worth it, and devs often donate part of the profits to victims of various wars)

     

    Survival crafting

     

    Survival horror

     

    Racing

     

    Sport

     

    Tower defense

     

    Idle

     

    Netflix games

    (require an active Netflix subscription)

     

    Extras and emulators/engines

    • AppSales is an app that will make you save some money by notifying you when specific games (or apps) in the Play Store go on sale. Just add the games you wish to buy to the AppSales' watchlist and you'll get notified when the price gets cut.

    • Panda Gamepad Pro 🎮 is a tool that allows you to map your controller for touch inputs, practically adding controller support to those game that don't have it.

    • Gamedeck 🎮 (game launcher/front-end for controllers)

    • Beacon Game Launcher 🎮 (game launcher/front-end for controllers. Also optimized for emulators)

    • Retroarch 🎮 (emulator for almost all consoles) "jack of all trades" emulator, the only one that supports analog triggers for Xbox One S controller. It has a bit of a learning curve, and other individual emulators might offer better performance

    • Dolphin 🎮 best emulator for GameCube and Wii

    • DraStic DS Emulator 🎮

    • PPSSPP Gold - PSP Emulator 🎮

    • Delta Touch [9 x Doom engines] 💬 (engine for Doom games)

    • Quad Touch 💬 (engine for Quake games)

     

    Delisted or outdated

     

    Happy gaming ;)

    ps: please let me know if there's any wrong information about the games included in this list (especially regarding IAPs or availability) so that I'll fix the post if necessary.

    7
    Android @lemdro.id char_stats @discuss.tchncs.de
    —REUPLOAD—Free Android Games (incl. FOSS ✅️) - no ads, no IAPs, no gacha.

    NOTICE: I'm reuploading this as I lost my first account on lemm.ee (the instance was shut down) so that I can continue updating the list through this new account. The previous version of this list is now deprecated—links to that post might no longer work.

     

    Latest entries - 8 July 2025:

    Other recent entries
    Introduction

    I recently realized there are still, to this day, some actual "hidden gems" in the Play Store. Not the fake ones everyone talks about which, in a way or another, often have a catch or aren't very "hidden". I mean free games with no ads or IAPs of any kind that are fun to play.

    So I was thinking maybe it's time to compile a list of them. Please suggest the ones you've found and enjoyed!

    Edit: I'm now including free games (no piracy) from other sources beside the Play Store (which will be specified within brackets), such as GitHub or F-droid. If they're also FOSS, like all F-droid games, they'll have this green checkmark ✅️. For the games that have both F-droid and Play Store versions, the green checkmark is for the F-droid version.

    I won't try them all as I did with my premium games list, because you could simply download and try them for yourself without spending a dime. I'll simply list them.

    ‼️Also, please do checkout MiniReview - Game Reviews for more free games that match the following criteria (use the "Browse" tab and select the correct filters). The same app for iOS - App Store - is here.‼️

    I've saved this post so to keep it updated over time, for my own reference and for your benefit. So feel free to save it and check out new entries every so often.

    Entry Criteria
    1. FREE
    2. NO ADS
    3. STRICTLY NO IAPs (except donation buttons, but I'll have to check first)
    4. NO PIRACY
    5. it has to be a legit, full game you've played and liked. No demos, no emulators (everyone knows RetroArch anyways)
    6. no entire repositories. You can recommend them in the comments if you want, but this list is for individual games you'd like to recommend
    7. if it's a Play Store game, it should be compatible with the latest Android version at the time of entry
    8. must include a link to the game, especially if from sources outside the Play Store. Not direct-download links, just links to the page
    9. sketchy sources won't be considered. Play Store, GitHub, and F-droid are welcome

    [If you want to recommend paid games, without ads or predatory microtransactions, here is the list for you.]

     

    THE LIST

     

    Legend

    ✅️ - FOSS (Free and Open-Source Software). Listed on top in their respective categories

    ☕️ - includes option to donate, with or without minimal cosmetics only

    [Game title] - delisted

     

    Shooter

     

    Stealth

     

    Platformer

     

    Rhythm

     

    Arcade

     

    RPG

     

    Roguelike dungeon crawler

     

    Deck builder

     

    Adventure

     

    Puzzle

     

    Tower defense

     

    Strategy

     

    Management

     

    Racing

     

    Simulation

     

    Casual

     

    Visual novel

     

    Educational

     

    Extras and emulators/engines

    • Fabularium ✅️ (F-droid - engine and maker for text-based adventures, interactive books)

    Delisted or outdated

     

    Free games with minimal ads/cosmetic IAPs

     

    Happy gaming ;)

    ps: please let me know if there's any wrong information about the games included in this list (especially regarding the ones with free donations) so that I'll fix the post, if necessary.

    63
    char_stats char_stats @discuss.tchncs.de

    In case anyone is curious, this is my new account in a different instance (tchncs), which keeps the same old username/profile pic. My previous account (lemm.ee) was lost in the lemm.ee shutdown and, since I was offline due to traveling, I couldn't migrate. I was able, however, to recover my two lists of games.

    The lists are now here:

    • Free games: https://discuss.tchncs.de/post/40095267

    • Premium games: https://discuss.tchncs.de/post/40095654

    Posts 2
    Comments 36