6 apps to help you pass the time during Chinese New Year

It's Chinese New Year - again.

Feasting on festive treats and stuffing hongbao into your pockets never gets old. Having to answer the same old prying questions about your life (or lack thereof) from relatives you haven't seen in a year gets old very quickly.

And of course, if you're one of those who has a few houses to visit every year, there's the mind-numbing time on the road too.

Your easiest way out? Grab a few snacks, make yourself comfy, glue your eyes to your phone and try out some apps from our annual lowdown of apps to try out.

In case anyone accuses you of being anti-social, we've thrown in a few creative apps for you to show that you're not just indulging in brainless fun.

Best of all? They're free (mostly).

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1) CLASH ROYALE

Available on: iOS and Android

The most ridiculous duel that is ridiculously fun.

Clash Royale has been around for a little over a year and has been gathering steam since. It was named Game of the Year in 2016 on Google Play as well as the Apple App Store.

A spin-off of the massively popular Clash Of Clans featuring card game and strategy elements, Clash Royale plonks two players into a real-time arena in a bid to destroy each other's towers.

Your tools of destruction? A wacky array of troops (including cannon-wielding giants, hammer-wielding men riding giant hogs and enchanted armoured, buildings and spells.

Don't be fooled by the game's goofy cartoonish facade - this is a well-balanced, fast-paced game that requires quick thinking to make full use of your cards in hand and resources to defend as well as attack.

One misplaced or wrongly-chosen card can be the difference between an emphatic victory and a crushing defeat.

While additional cards for strengthening your deck are obtained from chests that require time or money to unlock, the game doesn't have a pesky resource dictating the number of times you can play - effectively allowing you to play for as long as you like.

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2) MARVEL TSUM TSUM

Available on: iOS and Android

It was only a matter of time before Marvel superheroes started getting the Disney Tsum Tsum treatment. Don't forget Mickey owns Hulk and co.

For the benefit of those who missed out, Tsum Tsum (pronounced "soom soom" after the Japanese word "to stack") is an addictive connect-three puzzle game using cute stylised versions of Disney's iconic characters.

While the original game has since expanded to include Star Wars characters, the Marvel universe has received its own standalone Tsum Tsum game.

Featuring the same core gameplay, Marvel Tsum Tsum brings a whole new host of collectible heroes and villains from the comic books and movies.

It also has a few additional modes such as story mode and even multiplayer co-op, meaning you can band together with your cousins and bust baddies together.

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3) JETPACK JOYRIDE

Available on: iOS and Android

An oldie but a goldie, Jetpack Joyride puts a mad scientist spin on the running game genre.

Made by Halfbrick Studios, the makers of Fruit Ninja, Jetpack Joyride places you in control of Barry Streakfries, who is trying to escape from a secret lab filled with booby traps after stealing an experimental machinegun-powered jetpack.

Players can control Barry's vertical movement, which changes patterns whenever he finds one of the game's various vehicles.

Collecting coins allows you to purchase power ups and items which you can use to further mix things up.

To celebrate CNY, Halfbrick has even put up a limited edition skin pack which you can buy, featuring a Chinese dragon skin for Mr Cuddles (a mechanical dragon vehicle), a firecracker jetpack and a... cheongsam outfit for Barry.

Moving on...

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4) AUTODESK SKETCHBOOK

Available on: iOS and Android

If you're an artist, you're probably nodding your head knowing full well about this app and what it can do.

For those who don't know, Sketchbook is an excellent drawing and painting app that is easy to use and will have you doodling on your phone in no time at all.

While the basic app gives you a nice number of tools to work with, another $7 (give or take depending on which platform you're on) will unlock a tool suite meant for pros.

You can even appear to be social and offer to sketch caricatures for your relatives - it's a great excuse to tell them to stop moving and keep quiet if they start to probe too much...

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5) VIDEORAMA

Available on: iOS and Android

While Apple users have access to a pretty powerful free video editor in iMovie, the app does have its limitations, especially when it comes to positioning text on your videos.

Step forward Videorama, a video editor that gives you that little more control over your video - along with a few more bells and whistles.

Apart from basic video editing tools, Videorama also provides special effects and sound effects which you can insert into your videos.

Of course, there are some limitations in that most features need to be paid for to be unlocked - it will set you back around $30 to unlock everything.

That said, I did find a limited time offer in-app that unlocks everything for a third of the price.

One of the paid packs also contains explosion effects, allowing you go all Michael Bay while your relatives drone away in the background.

A bit like this:

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6) Music Maker JAM

Available on: iOS and Android

If you're more of a music person, Music Maker JAM might be the best way for you to indulge in your talents and get away from the relentless CNY questioning.

After all, you can stick your earphones - the ultimate act of being anti-social during CNY - in your ears as you create your own tunes.

While the app's store mostly contains music styles that need payment to unlock, there's a number of free options to choose from.

Who knows, maybe you could even come up with your own CNY song...

Related article: 8 apps to help you kill time during Chinese New Year