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)
The Stats: Compatibility: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad at 2x Current Price: Free Developer/Publisher: Zarksoft Version: 1.0.6 Size: 222 MB Multiplayer: Yes, Online. AI: No Itunes link: Empire of the Eclipse
Review: Empire of the Eclipse is a new social 4x game for iOS. We were a little skeptical at first but then we learned that the game is online on servers but it does have a clear end. Once one player achieves their end game condition, the server ends and that player is the winner. It is a deep game that will take weeks to complete and so this review can only touch on a portion of what is available.
Like many 4x games Empire of the Eclipse tasks players with building a space empire to meet one of three goals. These goals include having a wide trade network, leading in research and ruling warfare. Each of these has an end game condition that will make that player the winner of the server. In the game players will build ships to fight and travel to planets. They will also build outposts and other buildings to obtain resources from planets and expand their empire. Players have options to form alliances with players they have encountered or declare war. This app is a real time app but each action takes time. Building a fleet of ships could take a few hours, and certain projects could take half a day or more. Do not fear, there is not way to play real world money to speed up this process, players simply all operate under the same constraints. The app also lets you set up notifications to alert you when certain tasks are complete. Play continues until one player reaches their win condition.
Empire of the Eclipse is strictly an online game. One thing that may scare off some players is that a subscription is required to play. This brings me to a major concern with this game. The number of hoops to get a player up and going number so many that this may only be for the truly hardcore. First a player must set up an account, this is simple but many players are annoyed with creating multiple iOS game accounts. Second, the app features a video tutorial with several sections. To go through all of these sections it can take perhaps an hour or more. These videos are also unable to be sped or jumped around in, you must watch as presented. Once players have done all this, they must then get a subscription to try to game. The subscription is a small amount ($2 for a month) and is paid month by month (not automatically taken out), however, it presents a discouraging hurdle for new players. Once a player clears all of these gates they can enjoy a deep 4x game with an innovative multiplayer system. The ability have an MMO 4x game should appeal to fans of the genre as it gives you the feeling you are used to while including hundreds of players in the mix.
The interface and graphic design of Empire of the Eclipse works well for the type of game it is. The game is presented in a series of grids until you get down to the system level and even this is somewhat defined by a grid. This seems most likely a needed tool to track the position of hundreds of players on a server. Most of the building actions can be accessed by clicking the planet you wish to build the item. Likewise clicking on ships will allow you to order them to harvest or attack. The symbology is pretty straightforward but like many 4x games it will take sometime to find your way around (even post tutorial). The grid system really give it a board game feel but it does lack some of the sleekness of something like Starbase Orion.
There will be many negative reactions to Empire of the Eclipse because it is not a game for everyone. You must be willing put in the time to learn the game and then commit to a massive online game for several days or weeks. The MMO setting seems like a great experiment and can be very enjoyable. It seems like a game that you could play with friends and have stories to tell.
Conclusion: Your enjoyment of the Empire of the Eclipse is very conditional. I recommend you read this and others reviews and view the tutorial and then decide if this is for you. If you are a fan of 4x games and find the idea of a 4x game with hundreds of players, I would check this out. The small one month subscription fee is not a lot to simply try the game, if you are a fan of the genre.
Rating:2/4Not for every player but an innovative idea
The Stats: Compatibility: iPad Only Current Price: $4.99 Developer/Publisher: Touch Dimension/Bullypix Version: 1.0 Size: 107 MB Multiplayer: Yes. Local and Online. AI: Yes. Itunes link:Autumn Dynasty Read more »
Note: Sadly, no column this week. I felt like it was important to release this video review of Neuroshima Hex in its stead. I hope you enjoy.
The Stats: Compatibility: Universal Current Price: $2.99 Developer/Publisher: Big Daddy's Creations Version: 2.0.1 Size: 163 MB Multiplayer: Yes. Local and Online. AI: Yes. Itunes link: Neuroshima Hex Read more »
The Stats: Compatibility: Universal Current Price: $4.99 Developer/Publisher: Ravensburger Digital Version: 1.01 Size: 65.3 MB Multiplayer: Yes. Local and Online. AI: Yes. Itunes link: Scotland Yard Read more »
I am pleased to announce that BoardGameGeek and iOS Board Games will be attending Origins Game Fair 2012. I want to meet with you and will be filming interviews and demos of both physical board games and digital products.
BoardGameGeek has been lucky enough to be selected to participate in a pilot program at Origins 2012. We have been given a table to use as a base of operations in the Origins Game Day Live area of Hall D.
For Publishers and Game Developers:
I will be attending all day Friday and Saturday. I would love to meet with you or have you demo any of your physical games or digital games. All of these video demos will go up on BoardGameGeek.com.
I will be available to visit booths from 10am to 1pm and will be at the BGG table to film demos from 2pm to 6pm.
Please let me know if there a time that works for you. I am also free for after hours meetings
You can PM me here or you can email me at brad@boardgamegeek.com.
For Readers and Friends:
I would love to meet you at Origins. Feel free to come visit the BGG table anytime from 2pm to 6pm on Friday or Saturday. Also after hours it would be great to meet and play games or chat either at the BGG table or in another location.
Here are some highlights and comments on some apps I have been playing this week. I had the chance to play many iOS titles this week:
Ascension: Storm of Souls It is more than likely that most of you are already enjoying Storm of Souls on your iOS devices. This recently added in-app purchase for Ascension: Chronicles of the God Slayer is a great addition and provides an alternative way to play Ascension. Along with this expansion, the latest update to the app also adds a promo pack expansion and several welcome add-ons. Some of these include a next game button in online play and fast app switching.
I think this update is a must have for any fan of Ascension. The added expansions really add a lot of variety to the game and increase the number of ways you can customize the experience. I really enjoy no longer having to load the game each time I go in to play, though the connection to Game Center does seem to take a while (this could be my device). The new cards are interesting to check out and really open up new strategies. The next game button is amazing and has done a lot to ease playing multiple games at a time. The IAP system is actually set up well and restoring purchases is fairly easy. I would check this out if you have not already. You can check the game out here.
Casino by Zeniz Casino games are not something I often try out. I had a stint of really enjoying Texas Hold Em when I was in high school, but not much since then. Casino by Zeniz is basically an online portal to play slots and poker. The poker interface is pretty well done and offers several levels of play. It is easy to hop in and out of a game. The slots, beyond the basic slot game, are somewhat beyond my understanding. It does seem like strong poker simulator and you do start out with credits, so there is no initial investment. I am not sure it is exactly my cup of tea, but if you are up for Texa Hold Em on your iPad it is a well designed option. You can check it out here.
Neuroshima Hex Online The latest update for Neuroshima Hex is just around the corner. I was able to take a look at the update this week and have been quite impressed. The online system is a large improvement over Caylus and Army of Frogs. You start by creating a simple log in and password, it is sad that it is not straight Game Center, but it is not a long process. You can login in to see games that are available to join or start one of your own. Games can be async or real time if both players are online at the same time. There are also are neat options, like the ability to fast forward through the battle scenes like in a single player game. There is also in game chat. This seems like a laundry list of features, but really it is just to show that Neuroshima Hex online appears to be full featured. It really seems like this can be a new async go to. I hope that you all will check out the app when the update launches. I am very pleased. You can check it out here.
Scotland Yard This week Scotland Yard was released from Ravensburger Digital. I have had a chance to play around with it and it is quite well done. You can play with up to six players with local and AI players. There is also online play real time through Game Center. The interface is very well done and captures the game quite well. I will be doing a full review of this next week, but for now it looks like a great game, especially for families. You can check it out here.
City of Secrets: Pipes City of Secrets seems to be becoming something of a franchise and Reiner Knizia appears to be an essential part of it. Much like the previously released Skyline, Pipes is a puzzle game. Each round a series of pipes will be given to you and your task is to connect them to sockets around the edge of a grid in the optimal way. Pipes have large and small connectors. If you connect a larger connector to the outside sockets you score double the point shown, but if you connect a small connector you only score the points shown. You can also score bonus points if you have a chain of large pipes from the center (starting point) to an outside socket. It is a game that rewards preplanning and a little luck (as you don’t which pipes will come when). If you are a fan of these Knizia puzzle games this one is well done. You can get it for $.99 right now.
Draw Something Pics of the Week One picture to post this week from user katamarimanatee, who posted his excellent Monopoly pic a few weeks ago. 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.
Other
Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition Here is a video review I made this week of Minecraft Xbox 360 Edition:
It seems like more and more “old” video game and board game franchises are being redone or reprinted. A prime example is Diablo III which was released this week. Sometimes these sequels and reboots are improvements but at other times these rehashes can disappoint.
So my question of the week: Should board game and video game companies continue to reprint or sequelize old releases or should they focus on creating new content that learns from the past but is not directly connected to it?
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.
