Third-Party App Store Aptoide Games Launches on Google Play: Heres What You Need to Know

The Google Play Store is now offering a new third-party app outlet known as Aptoide Games, featuring a variety of free and paid games. Accessing this new store is straightforward; simply launch the Play Store app on your Android device, tap on the profile icon located in the upper right corner, and scroll down the menu until you find the “Third-party app stores” option.

Exploring Aptoide Games: A Third-Party App Store within Google Play

Upon clicking, you are presented with a list of third-party app stores available, currently headlined by Aptoide Games. By selecting this entry, you are directed to an installation button for the alternative app store.

The Aptoide Games platform offers an array of applications available for installation, including:

– Huawei Health: An app that tracks your health metrics, workouts, and calorie consumption on any Android 6.0 or higher device, regardless of whether it’s a Huawei product or not.
– Clash of Kings: A real-time strategy game that thrusts you into the shoes of a lord responsible for constructing a castle.
– Vikings: War of Clans PvP: A game that makes you a Viking chieftain tasked with building a stronghold, training armies, and participating in both player vs player and player vs environment battles.
– Legend of Mushroom: This role-playing game allows you to embark on a journey to become human as a mushroom character.
– LUDUS: Merge Arena PvP: A game where you can collect and upgrade over 100 unique heroes for arena combat.
– Wartune Ultra: A mobile strategy-based role-playing game where you command a city and ally with others to combat the forces of darkness.
– Saint Seiya: Legend of Justice: This game tasks you with assembling the ultimate underworld team to dominate the Sanctuary War as Hades arrives.
– Duck Survival: A roguelike shooter game with thrilling survival scenarios against zombies and giant bosses.
– The Ants: Underground Kingdom: An immersive game where an ant colony endeavors to survive crises, protect the Queen, and construct an anthill.

The Backstory: Why Google Now Allows Third-Party App Stores

The presence of third-party app stores within Google Play Store stems from court orders resulting from the Epic Games v Google lawsuit. The conflict began when Epic Games, developer of Fortnite, sued Google over the 30% commission it took on in-app purchases. To circumvent this fee, Epic Games implemented a direct payment system within Fortnite, which violated Play Store’s regulations.

Following the introduction of this direct payment system, Google removed Fortnite from the Play Store on August 13, 2020. This event sparked lawsuits that ultimately compelled Google to permit third-party apps within the Play Store. Notably, while Google lost a significant antitrust lawsuit initiated by Epic Games, Apple triumphed in most of its 2021 legal skirmish with Epic and is not subject to the same court order as Google.