Tabletop • Over the past year I’ve become rather fond of a certain breed of game labeled as COIN games. As you most likely already know, these games deal with counter insurgency warfare where getting the locals on your side is just as, or more, important than putting the enemy in pine boxes. Root is an upcoming tabletop game that offers some light COIN mechanisms while also fulfilling my furry quota. In other words, it’s a win-win.
PC/Mac (available now), iOS/Android (coming soon) • In the “Oh, Shit, When Did That Happen?” department comes the discovery that Hidden Achievement has launched their digital version of the Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game on Steam. The answer to the question, by the way, is Monday.
iOS Universal, Android, PC/Mac/Linux • Next to real-time strategy, another major genre of game that has failed to make a huge impact on mobile is the Action RPG. There are a couple that don’t suck, Titan Quest for example, but there doesn’t seem to be a good way to translate the hectic craziness of overwhelming odds, combos, and tactical shenanigans that you expect in ARPG stalwarts, such as the Diablo series, to a touchscreen. Of course, me stating that a certain genre is neglected will be immediately followed by me stating that a new game in that genre has been released. I’m way too predictable, even for myself. That game is called Runic Rampage and yada, yada, yada.
PC/Mac/Linux • Due to some unforeseen issues that popped up yesterday, I wasn’t around the Stately offices to sound the alarm when Handelabra unleashed their latest endeavor, One Deck Dungeon, on Kickstarter. I’m back today, so…um, Handelabra has launched the One Deck Dungeon Kickstarter. Yeah, I really should have practiced this intro more.
PC • Despite how most people around these parts feel about Slitherine [disclaimer: I used to work there -ed.], the announcement of their latest game is worth at least a mention. First of all, it’s designed by Turnopia, the developers behind the wildly underrated, and iOS 11 incompatible, Qvadriga. Secondly, it’s a game about ancient naval warfare, which sounds too cool for us not to take a look. It’s called Mare Nostrum and it’s coming to PC on Thursday.
iOS, Android, PC/Mac • For a bit it was looking as if Asmodee Digital was going to corner the entire digital board game market, pushing out more titles than anyone else could possibly manage. DIGIDICED doesn’t seem to be buying into that scenario, and has been just as active with releasing and announcing new board and card games for iOS, Android, and Steam. All but one of their titles, however, have been 2-player Uwe Rosenberg titles, so it’s hard to be surprised by any of their announcements unless, of course, they announce a non-Rosenberg, non-two-player game, which is what happened last night. Their next title will be Isle of Skye, and it’s coming in early 2018.
iOS, Android • It’s kind of funny that other, better card drafting games keep popping up on mobile making the long-awaited release of 7 Wonders less and less important. We already have Age of Rivals, which I think is a better overall game than the SdJ winner, and Through the Ages, which might be the best card drafting game ever. Over the weekend, the folks behind Brass announced another card drafting title is making its way to iOS and Android, Among the Stars.
Tabletop • My bike is a recumbent–basically a recliner welded to a bike frame–which is perfect for getting my fat butt around town. And that, ladies and gents, is the full extent of my cycling knowledge. Much like all sports, cycling is something I neither participate in nor understand. Several members of my regular game group, however, are active cyclers who not only own more bikes than I’ve owned in my entire life, but, when not cycling, will sit and watch other people racing their bikes. I bought Flamme Rouge for them, thinking that getting it on the table would be an easy sell. It wasn’t, but we did finally manage to play it which led to three consecutive games in a row. In other words, it went over well.
iOS, Android, Steam • Thanks to Gen Con, we already knew Asmodee Digital had a ridiculous amount of new games slated for later this year and 2018. This week is Essen, however, and it seems they still have some tricks up their sleeve. Yesterday they released a teaser trailer for Scythe that failed to show any gameplay but did manage to remind us it’s coming. They also mentioned some new Catan vehicles which we’ll talk about when they get closer to launch. Today, however, we learned that apart from all the new releases coming down the pike, they still had at least two they were holding back. That would be Arcane Wonders‘ abstract Onitama and Steve Jackson‘s ubiquitous Munchkin.
iPad, PC/Mac • Subsurface Circular exists primarily because of a willingness to experiment during a lull in the developer’s schedule, but it also seems to suit the needs of a maturing game-playing public. While its gameplay is aptly described as “text adventure”, the game deserves credit for establishing an atmosphere and an aesthetic using high-quality audio and visuals. This is possible in such a short window largely because it’s a single-room mystery: the game is played entirely on a train for robots, with the player taking the role of a robot detective smart enough that humans have rendered it unable to leave the train as a precaution.