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Beat the winter blahs with new mobile games

Marc Saltzman
Special for USA TODAY

Don’t succumb to those January blahs.

A scene from 'Smurfs Epic Run.'

It’s easy to feel blue with those post-holiday credit card bills and weight gain, not to mention cold temperatures and messy driving in some states.

Instead, why not download some great games to tap through on your favorite smartphone or tablet?

OK, so these virtual getaways won’t replace a real vacation on a sizzling beach, but these fun and free digital diversions might just be what the doctor ordered to shake off ‘ol man winter.

Note: While free to download and play, these games support in-app purchases for additional content, extra time or no advertisements.

Smurfs Epic Run (Ubisoft Entertainment; for iOS and Android)

Free your fellow Smurfs from the clutches of the evil Gargamel in Smurfs Epic Run, a 2D side-scrolling adventure that has you running, jumping, parkouring, and avoiding obstacles across multiple environments.

See how far you can go without getting trapped by killer fog or stopped by Gargamel’s loyal minions, plus you’ll collect coins and powerful magic artifacts, spin for daily rewards, and free trapped Smurfs to use in future levels. Each of the Smurfs – such as Smurfette, Papa Smurf, and Brainy Smurf – each have their own unique move, such as Poet Smurf who uses his unrolled parchment to glide in the air.

Vividly colorful and smoothly animated, this game offers more than 100 levels and a few modes to choose from – not to mention weekly tournaments against online friends and daily missions and challenges.

Smurfs Epic Run is playable in 10 languages.

Little Broken Robots (Dragon Army; for iOS)

A scene from 'Little Broken Robots.'

Fans of puzzlers like Flow Free or Dots will immediately understand the gameplay mechanics of Little Broken Robots: your goal is to rewire cute little machines by tracing out a path with your fingertip and not leaving any spaces on the circuit board.

Each wire has a specific number of spots it can be dragged to, and so you must think through each move ahead of time, or else it’ll cost you a valuable energy unit if you run into a problem and need to restart (and yes, there are in-game hints if you’re stuck).

Little Broken Robots includes three modes: Classic (the main game), Advanced (more difficult puzzles), and Timed (fix as many robots as you can before the timer runs out; whenever you fix one, you get a little more time added to the clock). Tap the red Record to save your game to your Camera Roll to share it with friends.

The charming graphics with a robotic theme help separate this game from other similar head-scratchers available at the App Store.

You have an option of buying unlimited puzzles inside the game for $2.99.

Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes (Electronic Arts; for iOS and Android)

A scene from 'Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes.'

If you’re looking for a deeper adventure for your smartphone or tablet, EA’s Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes is an action-heavy role-playing game that lets you collect your favorite (and familiar) heroes and villains from across the galaxy – including Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, Han Solo, and others.

Then, you’ll lead them into battle, build squads, upgrade your fighters, and employ tactics to win battles in iconic Star Wars locations on Hoth, Tatooine, and Coruscant, to new a few.

At the beginning of this single-player game you’re handed two data cards – each with a character on them – and you’ll play them on top of a “holotable” (tabletop board). To start, you’ll get Jedi Consular, a Jedi with the ability to heal, and Clone Sergeant, a Clone Trooper who can target all enemies at once. You’re then dropped into a lush outdoor environment, where you’ll take turns firing blasters (or slashing a light saber) against targeted baddies. You’ll soon unlock Chewbacca, who will join your second battle against even more B1 and B2 Battle Droids.

Each character has a special attack or skill, plus you can equip your heroes with better gear over time, train and level up your characters, and unlock special fighters to play through in both Light and Dark side campaigns.

Visually striking and with adrenaline-pumping Star Wars music, Galaxy of Heroes is a must-play for fans for the franchise.

Columnist Marc Saltzman writes on tech devices and trends for USA TODAY. Follow Marc on Twitter: @marc_saltzman. E-mail him at techcomments@usatoday.com.

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