Top 5 Apps of the Week: Phantom Tower, Adobe Firefly, and More!

If these top selections don’t catch your eye, you’ll be pleased to discover a selection of premium apps available for free, but only for a short period. Plus, if you're on the lookout for more hidden treasures, be sure to check out our "Free Apps of the Week" section, updated bi-weekly!

Phantom Tower (Android & iOS)

Here's a tower you can climb without tiring yourself out simply because it is a virtual tower! OK, lame joke. Phantom Tower is a fast-paced, action roguelike with just one goal — to climb a mysterious 100‑floor tower. It brings together elemental powers, gear crafting, and random dungeon‑style runs to help you get immersed.

I like the vibrant combat system and variety of builds which enhances replayability, letting me experiment with various combinations to find out which works best in different situations. It can be played without having an Internet connection, which is rather rare in this day and age. The crafting system also adds more depth to the game.

However, I do have one gripe. It clearly feels like a cash-grab or a pay-to-win system. The paywall issues, such as classes and inventory expansions, tend to be locked behind purchases. This can be frustrating, and I would have preferred the developer to just charge a one-time price for the fully unlocked game.

• Price: Free / Advertising: Yes / In-app purchases: Yes ($0.99-$12.99) / Account required: No

The user interface could also use some work, as it is not that intuitive, while the skill menu does take some getting used to. Overall, this is a roguelike with excellent build diversity and offline play support. I wish there were more in-game tutorials to help me get started instead of having to figure it out for myself, be it via online tutorials or online forums.

• Download Phantom Tower from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

Marvel Mystic Mayhem (Android & iOS)

It seems that the Marvel cash cow has not yet been milked dry. Enter the Marvel Mystic Mayhem game, a team-based, tactical RPG that features an auto-battler style. In other words, I am tasked with assembling squads of Marvel heroes and villains, placing them in strategic positions, and manually triggering skills. Oftentimes, this is done while the core combat runs. 

The production value is definitely very high, as with most Marvel games. The presentation is stunning, featuring high-quality, comic-style graphics and animations. I also like how the comic fonts for sound effects are part of the deal, and as always, a memorable soundtrack helps make the entire shebang more memorable. Voice-acting is also decent, helping me dive deeper into the game.

As with any tactical RPG, it might take a few tries before you get it right. Sometimes, it is a matter of swapping positions, and a lot of it is trial and error until you figure it out. Skills have their own area of effect, and directional targeting is also something you should master if you want to progress far into the game. 

• Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes ($0.99-$29.99) / Account required: No

Overall, this game offers a captivating story mode with fully-voiced cinematic scenes that tie into official Marvel lore for a more immersive experience. Thankfully, the graphics aren't too shabby, with very little lag, and if you love a good story, this game is worth checking out. However, if you dislike repetitive gameplay and don’t want to depend on microtransactions to progress, you can give this a miss.

• Download Marvel Mystic Mayhem from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Boomerang Parental Control (Android & iOS)

Ah, being a parent in the 21st century is not an easy task. You not only have to juggle with an increasingly crazy world, but your kids are subjected to a flood of information no matter where they turn, for better or for worse. Keeping track of what they can view on their mobile devices is not an easy task, so thankfully, there are apps like Boomerang Parental Control to help you in your parenting task.

The user interface is pretty much self-explanatory, where some of its core features are easy to understand and dive into right away. Basically, you can set scheduled times and daily allowances for apps or overall device usage. Scared of your kids looking at stuff that they're not supposed to? Fret not, they can browse safely using the SPIN browser, where it requires use of a proprietary browser on the child’s device to enforce web filtering. You can also keep track of calls and SMSes sent out/received, as it includes logs and filters to capture the possibility of questionable content or unknown numbers. Do note that this particular feature is available only for Android users.

I also appreciate the real-time geofencing and location tracking that helps you determine your loved one's current location. Also, fret not about having unwanted apps installed on the device since you have the power to review and allow newly installed apps or even block specific ones. You know what they say, prevention is better than cure! Not only that, I would say in terms of safety, it is relatively affordable at approximately $16 annually for a single device.

• Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes ($19.99-$39.99) / Account required: Yes

In terms of usability, it works better on Android than on iOS, as the latter is rather limited, lacking direct monitoring. I would also like to see push alerts included, so I can receive real-time notifications for activities such as blocked content or new messages. Ah well, I guess policing can only go so far in terms of an app, and it still takes common sense when it comes to parenting. 

• Download Boomerang Parental Control from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

Hailuo AI: AI Video Generator (Android only)

Want to generate videos on the fly with your smartphone? Perhaps you can check out Hailuo AI, a mobile-first AI video generator that transforms text or images into cinematic short videos. It uses a model called Hailuo-02, letting me generate realistic, animated clips in a matter of seconds with the option to enjoy camera movement and visual effects. I must say the quality is pretty good, although you will have to be content with 1080p videos, considering how many have moved on to 4K visuals these days.

The generated textures are vivid enough for social media, and I must say, I was impressed with the way the physics and animation were rendered, especially when they involved the likes of moving objects such as hair and water. It often feels polished compared to other, more obvious AI-generated videos. The app works via prompts, so once again, it pays to be a good prompter. I like how even on the free tier, I am able to render videos that are up to 10 seconds in length, now how about that for flexibility?

Another unique aspect of this app is how “Director Mode” camera controls are implemented. In other words, this feature allows control over camera angles such as pans, zooms, and follow shots. This provides additional flexibility to develop a more cinematic storytelling style. And as a new user on the free tier, I receive hundreds of free credits to get started. Just to get an idea, a short video costs only 30–50 credits, which makes it usable without needing to pay right away.

• Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes ($4.99-$95.99) / Account required: No

I did run into occasional prompt issues, where the app struggles with complex or highly specific prompts. I guess this is just part of the growing pains. Overall, it is more than decent as a free AI video generator, combining realism, speed, and user control. Casual content creators, marketers, and anyone who wants to explore AI video will definitely benefit from it.

• Download Hailuo AI: AI Video Generator from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

Adobe Firefly (Android & iOS)

Generative AI has its fair share of proponents and detractors, but I think when a reputable company like Adobe comes up with a generative AI for images and short videos, it is advisable to sit up and take notice. Adobe Firefly was specially designed for creators, marketers, and designers, as it allows the user to generate high-quality images and short videos via simple text prompts or uploaded visuals. I like how this app is tightly integrated with Adobe’s Creative Cloud ecosystem for a more seamless extension of desktop workflows.

One of the key features is text-to-image and text-to-video generation, allowing me to create stunning visuals or short cinematic video clips on the fly. Of course, it does help a lot if your smartphone's processor is of the flagship variety, otherwise be prepared to wait. I love how the end product offers high-quality visual fidelity. In addition, there are gaps that can be filled using AI tools, such as Generative Fill, to add, remove, or modify parts of an image. Want to extend a composition? No problem, just use Generative Expand, and voila! 

The fact that it relies on Adobe’s own AI models provides me access to others from leading AI providers, resulting in more stylistic variety and flexibility in my creation. I guess at this point in time. It is a matter of mastering prompts and how I am able to describe what I want to visualize. It is also comforting to know that all my work in Firefly will automatically sync to my Adobe Creative Cloud library. This makes it much more convenient to continue my projects later in Photoshop, Illustrator, or Premiere Pro. Oh yes, it is also good that each image or video generated includes transparent metadata that depicts it was AI-generated to prevent unethical use.

• Price: Free / Advertising: None / In-app purchases: Yes ($4.99-$49.99) / Account required: No

What are some limitations? Generating content consumes credits, and while the free tier is usable, those who want to create at a more frequent pace might need to upgrade, which could get expensive in the long run. The video duration is also another thing to look into, as it is currently limited to around 5 seconds. Overall, I found this to offer one of the best mobile experiences for AI-powered creativity.

• Download Adobe Firefly from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.

We're excited to bring you a fresh lineup of apps next week, but we hope this week's picks meet your needs! Feel free to share any other helpful apps you've discovered in the comments below!