August 2017 – Page 2 – Stately Play

Through the Ages coming to iOS/Android in September

August 21, 2017 David Neumann 9

iOS Universal, Android • Nearly seven years ago I picked up my first iPad, the stalwart iPad 2. The decision to pick up a tablet had nothing to do with Apple’s selling points, but instead was based on a short blurb I spotted over on Board Game Geek. Through the Ages, my favorite tabletop game, was slated to make its way to the platform and there was no way I was going to miss it. That blurb was from a small company called Codito, which nearly did release a version of TtA before their license ran out and digital rights reverted back to CGE. That happened back in January of 2013 and we’re still waiting. After talking with Czech Games Edition at Gen Con, it appears we won’t have to wait much longer.

Lords of Waterdeep going 64-bit and coming to PC/Mac

August 16, 2017 David Neumann 15

iOS, Android, PC/Mac • With all the negative news surrounding Playdek these days, it’s sometimes hard to remember they’re still one of the best digital board game developers out there. That’s going to become obvious later this month when the all-new version of Lords of Waterdeep hits the App Store, Google Play, and Steam.

Remember that Through the Ages beta? It just got awesome.

August 14, 2017 David Neumann 4

iOS Universal, Android, PC/Mac • Back in April, Czech Games unleashed the online beta for Through the Ages, the app that we’ve all been waiting for since before iPads were even a thing. Several Stately Players were in the beta and it was all very fun for a time, but then other games arrived, and, with the beta remaining somewhat stagnant, most of us moved on. A few weeks ago, the beta added the ability for AI bots to join multiplayer games if someone dropped, which had been the biggest advancement we’d seen. The latest beta update, however, pushes TtA into a whole new realm of awesome.

Tim Fowers’ cooperative heist game, Burgle Bros., goes live

August 11, 2017 David Neumann 0

iOS Universal, Android • It’s a pretty big week on the App Store for board game designer Tim Fowers. Earlier this week his fantastic word game, Paperback, was updated with online multiplayer and, today, a brand new board game arrived for iOS Universal and Android. That board game is Burgle Bros., a cooperative (or solo) game in which you’re attempting an Oceans Eleven style heist.

Fantasy deck-builder, Legendary DXP, is set to arrive next week

August 10, 2017 David Neumann 59

iOS, Android, PC/Mac • A few years ago, Upper Deck leaped onto the board game scene with a deck-builder set in the Marvel universe. It was called Legendary, and since then has taken on so many different IPs that it’s nearly impossible to name them all. Luckily, we don’t have to name them because the digital version of Legendary is right around the corner and instead of using one of the existing IPs, the digital version will have a new fantasy theme tacked on. Considering how much everyone seems to love Marvel everything, I might be the only person on Earth excited by this change of scenery.

There’s a new sheriff in town, West of Loathing lands on Steam

August 10, 2017 David Neumann 2

PC/Mac/Linux, iOS (coming in 2017) • As a kid I had no use for the Old West. Immersed in things like D&D, Tolkien, and Dragonlance, the Old West seemed like a boring, dusty place filled with images and stories that just didn’t push my buttons. As an adult, I stumbled onto the Deadlands RPG, and all the possibilities and adventure of the Old West suddenly made sense to me. These days, my favorite TV show of all time is Deadwood and I didn’t miss an episode of last year’s Westworld. Thus, when I heard about West of Loathing, I was excited. An RPG set in the untamed West that would, eventually, be coming to iOS? Sign me up! Then I saw the screenshots, and had to wonder what the hell was going on.

On August 24, the App Store is going Dark

August 9, 2017 David Neumann 7

iPad, PC/Mac/Linux • It’s official. Darkest Dungeon is officially coming to our iPads, and it’s happening in only a couple weeks. We’ve been asking about Darkest Dungeon on our iPads before the PC/Mac version was out of Early Access, but were always given answers that neither confirmed or denied a mobile port. Makes sense, as developer Red Hook is up to their eyeballs with supporting and expanding the PC/Mac version. Turns out Red Hook had an accomplice in getting the iPad version up and running, Blitworks, which I’d never heard of before, but have instantly become one of my favorite devs. If you can’t tell, I kind of like Darkest Dungeon.

Outstanding word deck-builder, Paperback, adds asynchronous multiplayer

August 8, 2017 David Neumann 17

iOS Universal, Android • Paperback is one of the better board game apps released in the last couple years, but not because of the app. I mean, the app is fine and works great if all you want to do is build words against the AI, but it falls short in one area that Stately Players demand in their board game conversions: multiplayer. Originally released with only pass-and-play capabilities, last night the app was hit with a stealthy update that adds what we all wanted, asynchronous multiplayer.

Cardboard Critique: The Fox in the Forest

August 7, 2017 Nick Vigdahl 7

Tabletop • I’ve been on a quest of late to find the best two-player tabletop games the world has to offer. Card games, board games, dice games…it doesn’t matter, I just want fun games to play with my wife around home or with a friend now and then. I may have stumbled onto something with my latest conquest, The Fox in the Forest.

Faeria expansion, The Adventure Pouch: Oversky, unlocks today

August 7, 2017 David Neumann 0

iPad, Android, PC/Mac/Linux • Faeria is one of the many games on my “must play” list that I never seem to get around to actually playing. The combined CCG and tactical board game elements would seem to be my chocolate and peanut butter but, alas, Race for the Galaxy came out and pretty much ruined me for card games until some time in 2019 when I might get a little bored with it. Still, Abrakam, is trying to get me to put RftG aside early by unleashing new expansion content for Faeria. Looking at what’s in the expansion, they might just succeed.