Strategy 101: Through the Ages, Wonder Edition

September 29, 2017 David Neumann 5

iOS Universal, Android • To me, the best parts of any civ-building game are the Wonders. From the moment I built the Pyramids in Civilization II and was presented with a FMV movie showcasing my achievement, I was hooked. In fact, while I’m not a huge fan of FMV, I do wish they still had them in the Civ series. Nothing was cooler than adding that last brick and hearing the CD-ROM drive fire up. Through the Ages doesn’t have any FMV movies celebrating your achievements, either, but Wonders still play an important role in building a competitive civ. They’re also just fun to play around with, so let’s take a look at them Age by Age.

Strategy 101: Through the Ages, Corruption Edition

September 26, 2017 David Neumann 5

iOS Universal, Android • After posting yesterday’s mammoth strategy guide for Czech Games‘ awesome port of Through the Ages, I was asked by several people to go over one of the game’s most frustrating mechanisms, Corruption. Let’s do this!

Strategy 101: Through the Ages, Resource Edition

September 25, 2017 David Neumann 9

iOS Universal, Android • I’m pretty sure I’ve stated my incompetence when it comes to winning games of Vlaada Chvátil’s masterpiece, Through the Ages. Now that it’s out on the App Store, many of you have been witness to said incompetence. For those who have yet to see it, t’s truly a wonder to behold. While I may suck at TtA, I have played the game, hundreds of times, actually. While my win percentage doesn’t back up that claim, I attribute my woeful performance far more to my adult ADD and less to understanding how the game operates. I cannot resist building a Wonder, even if everything in my current “strategy” screams against it. I like shiny things. While Through the Ages can seem complex, the rules are actually rather simple. The complexity comes from trying to juggle all of TtA’s parts so they work together. Let’s take a look at how this thing ticks.

Here we come, hat in hand

September 15, 2017 David Neumann 79

We’re nearing the one year anniversary of launching Stately Play and while we haven’t reached the heights of our old living quarters, it’s been a lot of fun being able to write again about topics that I love. Of course, I could write all I want but without you guys reading it, I would just be another mad man bellowing into the wind. Therefore, I have to thank each and every one of you, whether you stop by every day, once a week, or only when you spy a story you might like via our Facebook or Twitter feed. None of this would exist without you reading, contributing in the forums, playing in tournaments, and all the other stuff you do that doesn’t deal directly with what appears on the front page.

Yes, Warhammer Quest 2 is coming in October, we asked Perchang to fill us in on the details

September 6, 2017 David Neumann 92

iOS, Android • As most of you are probably already aware, the much-anticipated dungeon crawler, Warhammer Quest 2, is due to arrive in October. October 19th to be exact. You can find this information all over the internet, but we saw it first over at Touch Arcade where Ben Murch, ex-Rodeo Games and current-Perchang head honcho spilled the beans in their forums (observant readers will notice our own Nick Vigdahl as the author of that TA story. Hooray, Nick!). I was kind of loath to simply write a post regurgitating release date news, so instead we got Ben Murch on the horn and asked him a few questions about the upcoming Warhammer Quest 2. Enjoy!

Pocket Tactics is wondering what we’re thinking, let’s help them out

July 11, 2017 David Neumann 5

If you haven’t read my Antihero piece from earlier today, you might have missed my descent into warm fuzzies for the good old days. I wasn’t sure what had caused me to slip into darkness until it dawned on me that I received a missive from my counterpart at our old digs, Pocket Tactics. Why would that send me into a state of depression? Well, it’s been just over a year now since I picked up my ball and went home and, yes, there are days I miss it. I love it over here at Stately Play, don’t get me wrong, but getting paid didn’t suck.

Spiel des Jahres nominees announced. Yawn.

May 23, 2017 David Neumann 18

Every year around this time, gamers try to predict which games will be nominated for the prestigious Spiel des Jahres award, signifying the best tabletop games of the previous year. From the early aughts, I’ve been one of those gamers, always wrong with my guesses and then trying to nab each nominated title as soon as possible because, they have to be good, right? This year is a bit different. This morning it dawned on me that I don’t give a shit anymore.

Recommended musical pairing: Cthulhu Strikes Back, by The Darkest of the Hillside Thickets. Because our concern for anachronism is inconsistent.

Arkham Extras: Stubborn Detective Ponders Free Will

May 16, 2017 Kelsey Rinella 5

[What follows is an account of the campaign from the core set of the Arkham Horror: The Card Game, told from the perspective of a single card: Stubborn Detective. It contains minor spoilers, but, due to the variable nature of the campaign and the limited perspective of a detective interested in seeing the world through a comprehensible lens, keeps most of the discoveries hidden. Also, the Stubborn Detective remained true to his name, stubbornly refusing to be drawn during the final scenario, thus not being present to share any secrets from the campaign’s denouement. If you can’t tell, I followed  Dave’s recommendation, and am very impressed by this game. – Kelsey]

Look at this…just LOOK AT IT! (The Nick Edition)

May 8, 2017 Nick Vigdahl 0

Oskar Stålberg is an artist and game designer and we just realized he’s got some skills when it comes to making cool stuff for your laptop. Consider his Polygonal Planet Project, a browser-based Unity thingamabob where you can build your own planet. You can place continents and islands, raise up mountains, spread forests, and build massive cities. It’s a creative and fun tool with which to play. You can also download it to your computer for faster performance. Oh, there’s more. (Warning: gifs ahead!)

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