Google Play Instant lets app marketers offer game trials for free on Android devices

Google has redesigned its Google Play Games app and added a new Google Play Instant feature on Android devices that lets marketers offer trials of their games without users having to download them first.

“With Google Play Instant, you can just tap and try a game without having to download it first,” says Google in an announcement on the Google Keyword Blog.

Google says Google Play Instant will be available in the Play Store, the Google Play Games app “or wherever game links are shared,” but only for a handful of games to start. More games will be available in Google Play Instant later this year.

As part of the redesign, the Google Play Games app is also getting an “Arcade” tab where it will display game-related video trailers, news and YouTube videos. “You can check out game video trailers or use tags like ‘New’ or ‘Action’ to find a particular type of game,” says Google.

Google reports the number of Android users who have installed a game has more than doubled during the last year.

Last week, Google made several ad-related announcements for game developers, including a new video ad unit on the Games tab of Google Play.