Among the best things in life is playing printed games in person with family and close friends. When those are not convenient we like iOS Board Games.
News, reviews, previews, and opinions about board gaming on iPhones, iPads, iPods and even Android devices. (iPhone board games, iPad board games, iPod board games, Android board games)
Here are some highlights and comments on some apps I have been playing this week. I got the chance to play many iOS titles this week:
HappyMeeple.com Earlier this week Gabe mentioned Happy Meeple.com. This site is a way to play board games online and is formatted to be play well on both iPad and iPhone. While the site is certainly a dud in the graphical department, there are some cool features. One such feature is the varying levels of AI. For each game there appear to be several AI opponent that play in different ways and can be unlocked by beating the previous opponent or purchasing them with in game currency. Some may be scared by this micropurchase system, but initially you get Lost Cities (perhaps the most popular game on the system) and can play several games of that in a row before your “energy” is depleted. Spending money appears to only be necessary if plan to play extensively which seems fair. You can check the game out here.
Hearts Tournament I am not terrible at all classic card games, but Hearts is one that I fail at. Sadly, in my family we grew up playing Rummy and Canasta but never Hearts or Spades. If you actually do see me a “Hearts tournament” do not elect to be my partner. The app Hearts Tournament on the other hand is actually a success. It has a very polished look and is focused on having multiple games going at one time. You can play with AI, random folks online, or friends. One of our team members is currently working on a full review. For my two cents, if you are a fan of Hearts this is one of the best iOS implementations. You can check it out here.
Conquest! Medieval Realms Before I go on I must tell you that every game of this app I have played so far has been very enjoyable. The game is quite fun and brings back memories of old games like Civilization and Rise of Nations. However, unlike Battle Academy, Conquest! Medieval Realms lacks polish and stability. The game is a hex based strategy game where the player is trying to conquer 80% of the map to win. You start with a few territories and must use soldiers to conquer additional hexes. Each soldier can only conquer one hex per turn and only hexes below their attack level. Players can build defensive buildings and defend with soldiers to raise the level needed to invade a certain hex. Players must also make sure they build enough economic buildings in their territory to support their army or the soldiers will disappear and riots will start in the territory. It is a fun concept but is hindered by a few problems: 1. The app has been unstable in my experience. After rebooting and clearing my iPad the game will crash randomly. It has been more stable on my iPhone but I have still experienced crashes. This can often be far into the game, which can be very frustrating. 2. The interface is clunky. One example: the tutorial hints that there are more types of units and buildings but it does not teach you how to pull them up. If you press and hold the soldier unit it will pull up the list of other units to buy, however this was never explained clearly. Also this system is quite slow. 3. The end game can be quite slow. After conquering about 50% or 60% you are so supreme that the last 20% is quite uneventful. I guess this is more of a complaint against the entire genre rather than this game in particular.
I have to say that despite all of these problems, I really enjoy the game when it works. There are several maps to choose from and starting position is always random, which provides new challenges. You can check it out here.
Draw Something Pics of the Week I did not receive any new submissions this week and I have not had any great ones myself lately. As always, if you want to share your drawing please submit it to iosboardgames@gmail.com, with your BGG username, and you may see them show up here.
War of Honor War of Honor is a game I have had for a while but it has been hard to get to the table. War of Honor is a variant of Legend of the Five Rings which focuses on multiplayer and multiple paths to victory. It is lauded as a great entry point for new players. In junior high, when I was trying a new CCG every few minutes or so I had played L5R and remember enjoying it. For this reason I was excited to play War of Honor.
This week a stalwart gaming companion and I decided to try it. We both had some experience with the CCG and had both read the entire rulebook so we were ready to go. In the end we abandoned the game. It is not that the game is bad, in fact it was quite fun and the ability to go after different victory conditions is a nice touch. However, what pushed us away was the amazing amount of game text. The prebuilt decks they give you are meant to be simple but even they contain lines of game text. Almost every card can be used in two ways and your opponent has so many abilities available to him, it is hard to judge when going to battle is a wise move. We want to try it again with multiple players. There is a fine game in there but it will take time to study and learn the decks.
The Stats: Compatibility: iPad Only Current Price: $5.99 Developer/Publisher: Stephane Maurel/Ludonaute Version: 1.00 Size: 83.1 MB Multiplayer: Pass and play AI: NA Itunes link: Yggdrasil for iPad Read more »
Ascension: Storm of Souls We were informed by George Rothrock of Playdek that Ascension: Storm of Souls, an in app purchase expansion to Ascension: Chronicle of the God Slayer, has been submitted to the app store. This means, if all goes well, we should see it available for download on iTunes in the next week or so.
George ensured me that the expansion will feature an IAP manager to help you restore previous purchases on multiple devices. This feature will also be part of the Summoner Wars app. Check back here later in the day for a screenshot of the upcoming expansion.
BattleCON for iOS Brad Talton of Level 99 Games just informed me that BattleCON has been submitted for approval as well. He informed me that the app will then launch very soon after approval. To get a closer look at the app, you can check out the trailer below.
Here are some highlights and comments on apps I have been playing this week. I got the chance to play many iOS titles this week:
Samurai Bloodshow Having been impressed by Total War Battles by SEGA, I decided to try Samurai Bloodshow as it was on sale. I had the opportunity to try the upcoming sequel, Alexandria Bloodshow at PAX East and so I was familiar with the basic mechanics.
Overall it is a pretty fun lane defense game that combines those mechanics with deckbuilding. The art style is also very interesting though the interface seemed a little overly complicated and unpolished. From what I played of the sequel, it seems like the level polish has been increased. You can pick up Samurai Bloodshow now for $0.99.
Rinth Island Last week I spoke about some of the platformers I had been playing on iOS. This week I checked out Rinth Island which is a puzzle platformer. In this game you are moving around cylindrical levels trying to collect a wanted item. There is no jump and the puzzles come by pushing blocks in the right patterns to open up new pathways. The concept is neat and makes for some challenging puzzles. I have just started this game but it looks like it will present some good challenges. You can check it out here.
Jetpack Joyride Gadgets Update Several months ago Jetpack Joyride was my casual addiction. During every spare minute in a car or while traveling I would pull it out. As many of you know, this app is especially addictive because of its mission system. In the latest update they have allowed you to use coins to purchase several gadgets which will give you special abilities. The best part about these gadgets is that they can be paired to your liking. I really enjoyed this level of customization, allowing me to prep my self for specific challenges and missions. If you have not played Jetpack Joyride in a while, I recommend trying this update. You can check it out here.
Draw Something Pics of the Week I received some really great drawings from BGG Users RainFired, Greyrocks and Wildabeast this week. If you want to share your drawing please submit it to iosboardgames@gmail.com, with your BGG username, and you may see them show up here.
Board Games
Game Night and Battlegrounds Gaming This week I was able to play more Lords of Waterdeep. This is really becoming a staple at the weekly game night and it is easy to find players. I also got the chance to play Summoner Wars this week. I tried a new to me faction, the Jungle Elves. I put up a good fight but the Fallen Kingdom managed to get several champions on the board using special abilities and in the end they were just to much for me. It was a bitter loss. Before leaving for the night I played my second game of King of Tokyo. This really is quite a fun dice game and, if players are focused, can play fairly quickly. It may be one that I need to pick up in the near future.
Thought of the Week
My thought this week stems from the latest update to Jetpack Joyride. Using the gadgets in this update you can set up different strategies to complete each mission in the game. For example if your mission is to collect 500 coins, you can switch to gadgets that increase you ability to collect coins. This element of strategy made this game even more interesting to me.
Thinking more closely about it, it appears that many of the top ranking iOS games contain elements of strategy, defined loosely here as rewarding the player for pre-planning. We can see it in Angry Birds as players must decide how most efficiently to use the birds they are given. We also can see it in Draw Something as much of the fun is deciding how to present the clue to your friends.
We are strategy gamers and we like large doses of strategy in our games, but can you think of a case where small elements of strategy have made a casual game appealing to you?
Note: I intended to have a video review completed for Xenoblade Chronicles this week but I ran in to last minute technical difficulties. Look out for the review next week.
The Stats: Compatibility: Universal Current Price: $6.99 Developer/Publisher: SEGA Version: 1.1 Size: 266 MB Multiplayer: Yes, tablet play. AI: Yes. Itunes link: Total War Battles Read more »
Here are some highlights and comments on some apps I have been playing this week, spoiler alert...it has been a light week:
iOS Platformers Platformers are one of the genres that I feel do not work very well on iOS. Virtual controls often leave so many opportunities for failure that it is hard to perform the precise movements needed for this type of game. However, occasionally it is possible to get it right.
Paper Monsters is a recent platformer from Crescent Moon games. It has a cute arts style and theme that it carries throughout. It also gets through the usual control problems by using a virtual joystick and dividing the action areas to either side of the screen. This one was actually quite fun to play through and I was impressed by how complete of an experience it was. You can check it out here.
NyxQuest is a beautiful iOS platformer that was originally a WiiWare game. It is not a new title but certainly one to check out if you are an iPad user. NyxQuest does not have spot on controls but the platforming is more mild and the movement is floaty, so the controls are easier to forgive. Nyx Quest is about the experience and the atmosphere, similar to the recent Journey. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a light platformer. You can check it out here.
Hippos and Crocs A few months ago, during a busy holiday season, Nestor games told me about their latest app Hippos and Crocs. I apologize for not mentioning it sooner, but I saw again the other day and decided to put it here. Hippos and Crocs is a abstract game where players are either hippo pieces or croc pieces, which are different shapes. Players are trying to place their pieces and prevent their opponent from placing pieces. The first person to be unable to place a piece loses. It is a fun little game and at $0.99 it is one that you really should check out. It even has online multiplayer. For me, I am still getting trounced by the AI. You can check it out here.
Draw Something Pics of the Week I received some really great drawings from BGG User deadsqwirl this week. If you want to share your drawing please submit your drawings to iosboardgames@gmail.com, with your BGG username, and you may see them show up here.
Other
Thunderstone for Facebook Thunderstone in Facebook is an excellent implementation by Zabu games. Facebook games have something of a taboo among gamers (as does iOS), but in some cases Facebook can just be the platform for delivering great content. Thunderstone on Facebook may not have the easiest interface, but it works well enough with a little experience. The single player campaign is fun and it is usually easy to find an online opponent. This will definitely be more played by me on iOS, but it is great to have an electronic version of this game to enjoy. You can check it out here.
Other
Castellan Castellan by Steve Jackson games is a two player game where players compete to complete enclosed sections of a castle. It shares similarities to the dot game you may have played as a child. At PAX East I was lucky enough to get an early version of this game. It is quite fun and very tactile. Each turn you play cards to obtain building materials (walls and towers) for the castle. The key is to know when to spend your cards, as you only draw one per turn but may play as many as you like on a turn. It is a fun back and forth game that plays fairly quickly. That said, I am terrible at it. Seeing the castle fill the table gives the game a fun toy factor and should appeal to older children. Check this one out when it releases later in the year. You can read more about it here.
Thought of the Week
Many games on the market, videos games and sometimes board games, tend to objectify women (arguably they objective men too, just in a different way). Some recent examples for me include the "16 year old" from Hero Mages and Sharla, a character form Xenoblade Chronicles. Most pieces of armor worn by Sharla in the game are revealing and, sometimes, down right ridiculous. One recent rare drop is simply a bikini top. Sill, right?
So for this week, can you think of any situations where men or women are objectified in a game in a ridiculous, exploitative manner? Is this right or wrong, is there a line or perhaps a line based on the intended audience?
Here is part two of my interviews from PAX East 2012.
Thank you, Brad
Plaid Hat Games I got the chance to speak with Colby about his latest Summoner Wars releases and Mice and Mystics. Sadly, I should have asked him more questions about Mice and Mystics. Hopefully we will hear some more news about that soon.
Parsley Games Parsley Games let me know about their latest releases of table top replications of old school computer adventure games.
Halfbrick Got to speak with the guys form Halfbrick about their upcoming expansions for Jetpack Joyride, that is the gadgets.
Dungeons and Dragons I got to speak with the folks from D&D about the upcoming campaign setting for this year as well as the success of Lords of Waterdeep. They also teased a tactical battle game coming out, set in the D&D universe.
Burning Wheel I got to speak to Luke about his latest releases including the Mouse Guard RPG. I have never been an RPG gamer but this title has interested me so I may be trying to start a group in the future.
Zpocalypse I got to speak about Zpocalypse, the recent Kickstarter success. If you are a fan of survival games, you may want to check this out.
Fantasy Flight Games Fantasy Flight Games did not have a lot news this time around, but they were demoing some new released. They were also showing of the miniatures rules for Dust Tactics.
Cryptozoic Entertainment I got have a conversation with Cryptozoic Entertainment mostly focused on the Food Fight expansion and the expansion to the Penny Arcade Card Game.
Steve Jackson Games I got to speak with Steve Jackson games about some of their upcoming games as well as the Ogre Kickstarter (which is currently going crazy about to reach $300k).
Paradox Interactive Paradox Interactive was new to me but I had the chance to speak about their latest titles including a recently released DLC for Crusader Kings 2.
Here are some highlights and comments on some apps I have been playing this week:
Total War Battles: Shogun The bread and butter of iOS development is the indie scene but it is great when a major studio puts out an app that fits the strategy audience. Total War Battles is a great example of this from Sega. It is a real-time with constraints strategy game where you recruit and direct units against your opponents. The game does initially appear to be lane based game as units will continue to move forward in a specified lane unless directed, but you do have the ability to move units anywhere forward on the board and this requires you to think about the whole strategy, rather than lane by lane. This is a lighter version of the Total War genre, but I found it very enjoyable and fun to play. The game includes a story track with additional missions along the sides. Each mission has different objectives, and I was surprised to find that some of the missions are more of a puzzle game than a battle (one has you figuring out how to build 8 temples without violating any of the building rules). The heart of the game though is its battle system and it does feature local multiplayer.
Graphically the game is a triumph. It has a distinct hand drawn style throughout and the in game animations are excellent. When units of soldiers meet they actually fight one on one. When a soldier dies, you see him stabbed by the enemy. This really increases the appeal of this game and you can see the big publisher polish. You can check it out here.
Sketch Nation Studio This app is quite interesting, though not as promising as it may initially sound. Sketch Nation Studio allows you to make your own iOS games and then put them up for others to play, either through the app, or if the game is good enough, actually on the app store. The games you can make are limited to a few templates from the endless, score chase genre. These are not genres that always appeal to me but it is a fun experience to build your own graphic assets and then see the game in motion. It reminds me of the old RPG builder days. You can check it out here.
Kingdom Rush A friend who I respect kept urging me to try Kingdom Rush. I am not a huge fan of the tower defense genre so I was reluctant to start out but eventually I gave in. This game does follow the basics of the tower defense genre but it does so with its own unique style. The art is great and the level design seems more interesting than other tower defense games I have played. There was always something new to do. If you are a fan of the genre or have not tried it before, Kingdom Rush is a good, quality example of tower defense.. You can check it out here.
Draw Something Pics of the Week I received some great submissions this week and here are two of them. For those that made these drawings, please let us know in the comments below. I do not know your BGG usernames and do not want to give out your actual names. If you want to share your drawing please submit your drawings to iosboardgames@gmail.com, with your BGG username, and you may see them show up here.
Other
Apples to Apples on XBLA I will be creating a video review of this in the near future, but I wanted to mention it briefly here. Apples to Apples is wildly popular party game and this digital implementation seeks to play off the popularity. The nature of Apples to Apples makes it a strange digital game to play solo and the mode offered by this game is really just a mild distraction. The real meat of this game is multiplayer over xbox live. Playing with strangers or friends is quite enjoyable, and I found that my wife and I can both enjoy sitting down and playing as a team. It is a strange fit in the digital space but it was still enjoyable. There is talk of this coming to other platforms (iOS?) so we may be seeing it again. You can check it out here.
Xenoblade Chronicles Not often does the Wii get an amazing exclusive but this is one of those times. Much like Baten Kaitos at the end of the Gamecube’s life, Xenoblade Chronicles is an amazing example of JRPGness that is for Wii only. Many critics have lauded this as the best JRPG in a while and though I have just started, I am intrigued. The fighting system reminds me of Final Fantasy 12, though you do have complete control over your character. I will give a further review of this game once I have chance to get more than an hour in. You can check it out here.
Fez I have to admit that before iOS I was generally outside of the indie video game world or even most of the video game world. I have been thrust back in and Fez is the first indie platformer I have experienced. Check out my video review below:
Thought of the Week
This week I was wowed by two games, Fez from an indie developer and Total War Battles from a big publisher. In both video games and board games we have large publishers and small indie publishers. I personally enjoy the mix and like the variety from indie publishers as well as the stability of larger publishers. Some game from big publishers feel like tailored works while playing indie games allows you to discover diamonds in the rough.
My question for this week: how do you feel about indie developer and big developers? What are the advantages to having both types? Do you generally prefer one over the other?
Thank you and have a good weekend, Brad
Note on Purpose of this Column: Welcome to my weekly columns. After shifting the way we post here on iOS Board Games, I decided that a weekly column like this may be useful. This column, apart from possibly being vain, will allow me to talk about more apps and games than we usually have a chance to cover. This column will also evolve as I receive new ideas and suggestions.
Initially, this column will do the following things: - Allow me to highlight and comment on games that may not receive a full review for one reason or another. Perhaps because they are on the edges of what we cover or perhaps they are in need of severe technical fixes.
- Be a platform to speak about video games that may be of interest to lovers of digital board games. It will be a space where I can talk briefly about my physical board gaming experiences.
- Lastly, this column will be a place where we can discuss various topics surrounding table top and digital gaming. This will mostly be thoughts about the genre and industry as a whole.
I hope you enjoy reading this weekly and that it provides a small look at the bigger picture. If you have ideas or things that you would like to see in the column, please let me know in the comments below.
