iOS, Android • I’m officially over collectible-card games. I’m done buying packs and chasing rares all to play random people on the Internet. I do love the strategy of deck building and tactics of turn-based card slinging, however, which makes me happy we have people like the fine folks at Slothwerks making games for us all to enjoy. Games like the upcoming Meteorfall.
iOS Universal, Android, PC/Mac/Linux • Harry Dresden is the other wizard named Harry who didn’t go to Hogwarts and doesn’t have a lightning scar on his forehead. I just wanted to let you know that I know the difference between Harry Dresden and Harry Potter before anyone gets angry that I mixed up the two worlds in the headline. I may be a muggle, but I’m an informed muggle. The Dresden Files Cooperative Card Game landed on Steam back in November, and Nick quite liked it as did I when I finally gave it a go. All you mobile gamers out there can now join in on the fun, as it arrived for both iOS and Android devices Sunday. [yeah, it launched on a Sunday -ed.]
iOS Universal, Android, PC/Mac • We looked at the Steam version of original board game, Antihero, last year and kind of loved it. We knew it was coming to mobile at some point down the road, but yesterday it just showed up on the App Store without any warning. Did we do something wrong to not get a press release? Does Versus Evil hate us? Probably, but I like to think they were just releasing it all stealthy. You know, like a thief in the night. Because it’s a game about thieves. Yeah, you’re right, they probably just hate us.
iOS, Android • The holidays are over, it’s 2018 and we’re all probably going to die in a nuclear apocalypse but, on the bright side, digital board gaming just wrapped up its best year ever. Will 2018 come close to 2017’s grandeur? Unless we get a surprise release of Through the Ages 2: Electric Boogaloo, probably not, but there are reasons to be optimistic about digital board gaming this year beginning with Acram Digital.
iOS Universal, Android • Sigh. Look, I’m all for new games on the App Store, but at some point we need time to, you know, actually play some of the games on the App Store. Can we slow down a bit? Today’s new addition and must-try is Lotus from Renegade and Dire Wolf, the same pair behind another board game puzzler, Lanterns: The Harvest Festival. Like that game, Lotus has a zen-like quality to it and is more of a relaxing card game than cutthroat experience. It also has flowers, lots of flowers.
iOS, Android, PC/Mac/Linux • Digidiced‘s digital version of Terra Mystica brought one of the heaviest and most complex board game titles to our tablets earlier this year and, for the most part, did so successfully. I say “for the most part” because the digital version didn’t alleviate any of the game’s complexity, which is usually something you expect when the CPU is handling the rules and fiddly bits. I’m not saying they didn’t create a good port–I’m not sure how they could have fit everything TM has to offer in any other fashion–but it’s a daunting game to play and even those of us who have played the tabletop version need to dedicate our full attention to follow just what the hell is going on. It’s worth the effort, however, as TM is a pretty great euro game once you wrap your head around it. It gets even better when you add the Fire & Ice expansion which is currently being worked on in the Digidiced labs. Luckily, they need our help to iron out the bugs, so we’ll have a chance to try it out for ourselves over the holidays when it becomes available for owners of the TM app as part of an open beta.
iOS, Android • Last week we opened the doors for nominating your favorite mobile games of 2017 and you responded by, well, nominating games. If, instead, we were polling for worst opening sentence in a Stately Play post, I think we might be looking at a winner. We’re not, though, so, yeah. [Oh boy, he’s not getting any better. Actually might be getting worse. -ed.] Anyway [brilliant way to start a new paragraph -ed.], 2017 was an excellent year for gaming in general, but mobile gaming specifically had one of its best years ever. As such, we’re going to open the polling to let you pick your top three games of 2017 and we’ll tally them all up and give you the full run down of results on Friday. Poll after the break.
iOS, Android, PC/Mac/Linux • There are mornings when I wake up and read press releases and really wish Owen were around. Today is one of those days. There weren’t too many developers that Owen appreciated more than Luca Redwood, whose 1000000 and You Must Build A Boat were always on his top whatever lists. Luca has a new game in the works, Photographs, and it’s unlike anything else he’s done. Maybe unlike anything anyone has done. I know I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around it.
iOS Universal, Android, Kindle, PC/Mac • Much like a nuclear apocalypse, Asmodee Digital publishing everything on the App Store is a foregone conclusion these days. Take, for example, Talisman. Talisman is a game that was happily developed and published by Nomad Games for years, but now resides under the Asmodee flag. Why? World Domination, my friends. Talisman today, Pathfinder Adventures tomorrow. Wait…hold on…Kelsey is trying to say something. What? They already got Pathfinder Adventures? No corner of the App Store is safe, it would seem. All joking aside, we welcome our new benevolent overlords and wish them good tidings and peace (and maybe beg for a job). Oh, and today they released a new expansion for Talisman, The Harbinger.
iOS, Android, PC • As can be seen in our Readers’ Game of the Year nominations, Race for the Galaxy is considered one of the best games of 2017. Temple Gates did a bang up job on it, crafting a wonderful UI, bringing in Keldon’s AI for solo play, and providing a robust multiplayer experience. As great as it is, the thing it’s lacking in comparison to its cardboard ancestor are expansions. It launched with two, Gathering Storm and Rebel vs. Imperium. The third, Brink of War arrived today, just in time to help it get more votes in our end of year polling.