App Review: Reiner Knizia’s Samurai app makes it fun to influence Buddhas, peasants and helmets

Samurai is the most in-depth, "heaviest" game design by Reiner Knizia to make an appearance on the App Store, and it arrives in all of its interesting glory. Medici and Small World, two other games we've reviewed in this series, are meaty Euro board games we can compare this to, so if you enjoyed those games, the just -released Samurai app (US$4.99) is very much worth a look.

Conlan Rios' other iPhone games -e.g., Monumental, Robot Master, and Knights of Charlemagne - show that this developer is really getting better with each release. Just compare the graphics from Samurai to Charlemagne to see what I mean. While I prefer the less colorful appearance of the Samurai board game, I think the game looks quite good on the iPhone. With Rios' constant improvement, I can't wait to see what's coming next. Read on to see if you're excited, too.

Continue reading App Review: Reiner Knizia's Samurai app makes it fun to influence Buddhas, peasants and helmets

App Review: Reiner Knizia's Samurai app makes it fun to influence Buddhas, peasants and helmets originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

App Review: Reiner Knizia's Samurai app makes it fun to influence Buddhas, peasants and helmets originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 25 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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App Review: Tafl brings Norse asymmetry to your game table

Mancala. Chess. Backgammon. The number of ancient board games available in the App Store is long and somewhat predictable. A fresh new entry that deserves notice is Tafl, a pretty and interesting abstract strategy game that has existed in Northern Europe since at least 400 C.E. Exactly how the game was played has been lost to history, but the general idea was to have one player move a king pawn from the center of the board to the exits, which maybe have been simply off the side or maybe into the corners. Given the wide variety of boards and locations where the game was played - and knowing what we know about how ancient games traveled - it's entirely likely that the games in the tafl family were all played differently. Well, now you can play it on a touch screen on your iPad or iPhone (or iPod touch). There is a great history of the board game(s) here; keep reading for the rest of our review.

Continue reading App Review: Tafl brings Norse asymmetry to your game table

App Review: Tafl brings Norse asymmetry to your game table originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

App Review: Tafl brings Norse asymmetry to your game table originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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App Review: EveryGame offers up (potentially) every game

Filed under: iPhone, App Review, iPad

Ever wanted to open up an iPad app and have an entire game closet with just about every game ever tumble out? Well, given enough time, that's what could happen with an appropriately titled app called EveryGame [$3.99, universal].

The app is the brainchild of Andrew and Nathaniel Dirksen and it's a strange little bird. Basically, the app is a way for graphics files to sit on top of other files - i.e., a pawn image in a board image - and EveryGame is designed from the bottom up to make it possible to play the game you want on the iDevice you have.

There are a lot of apps with multiple board games built in (something we want to review/compare in the coming weeks, so if you've got a suggestion for a good one, say so in the comments), but EveryGame allows you to build your own. Sure, there are computer-based apps that offer this functionality (like Vassal), but those don't have a magical touch screen. How does EveryGame work in practice? Is it the game closet app to beat all others? Read on to find out.

Continue reading App Review: EveryGame offers up (potentially) every game

App Review: EveryGame offers up (potentially) every game originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

App Review: EveryGame offers up (potentially) every game originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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High Society card game app is money (almost)

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review, iPad

As promised, RPGnet has transformed another Reiner Knizia card game into an iPhone/iPad app. The coders' last such project was the very well done Money. This time around, it's High Society [US$2.99], and RPGnet has kept the interface and look of the games almost exactly the same but swapped the bidding, set-collecting gameplay from Money with the bidding, card-collecting gameplay from the High Society tabletop game. Like with the first app, High Society is smooth and intuitive, allowing you to easily wrap your head around the new challenges and strategy. While they appear similar, the two games are quite different - as different as two light, auction-based card games can be.

The High Society card game was originally released in 1995, and it has since been published in a variety of editions. The RPGnet app takes its art from the latest physical version, currently in print from Gryphon Games (there's even a code in the app for a 10 percent discount off the card game, which almost covers the price of the app). Keep reading to find out if that discount is something you'll be interested in.

Continue reading High Society card game app is money (almost)

High Society card game app is money (almost) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

High Society card game app is money (almost) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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App Review: Pathology HD looks, is a simple board game for your iDevice

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review, iPad

A few years ago, the game company Wizkids - best known for collectible offerings like Mage Knight and HeroClix - took a stab at the everything-in-the-box game market with an offering called Tsuro: The Way of the Path. The game had decent graphics and a vague Asian theme but looked (and was) pretty simple. You have a pawn that moves as far as it can along the path that it's on. Each turn, you have to extend the path by playing a tile in front of your pawn, and get a little bit closer but hopefully not too close to crashing into another player or running off the board.

Tsuro got a lukewarm reception from the boardgame community, and Wizkids eventually stopped producing the game (but it will soon be picked up by Mayfair subsidy Kosmos) Now, a graphically-simple version of the game lives in the App Store, and it makes an easy and light filler even easier.

The app comes in two versions, one for the iPad called Pathology HD that costs US$2.99, and one for the iPhone/iPod touch that's just called Pathology and costs $1.99. Looks and gameplay are the same on both devices, and there's only a little bit lost when playing on the small screen. Still, even a game this graphically simple is much more engaging on the iPad's bigger screen. Read on to find out how "the Way of the Path" operates and why it takes the idea of a filler game to the extreme.

Continue reading App Review: Pathology HD looks, is a simple board game for your iDevice

App Review: Pathology HD looks, is a simple board game for your iDevice originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

App Review: Pathology HD looks, is a simple board game for your iDevice originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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App Review: Roll Through The Ages makes dice-rollling, civ-building easy on the iPhone

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

Any dice game review is required by law to compare the new game to Yahtzee (if we don't, we lose our right to ever roll a d6 again). So, let's get this out of the way early: the Roll Through The Ages app [$2.99], released last week, shares but three features with Yahtzee: it uses dice, you roll them three times (keeping the ones you like between throws) and you mark things off on a scorecard after each roll.

Instead of collecting simple numbers, in Roll Through The Ages, the goal is to quickly build up an ancient civilization from three small cities to, well, that's the challenge: do you go for more cities? Monuments? Developments? Goods? Or a little bit of everything?

RTtA (which is how the name appears when installed on your iDevice) faithfully implements the tabletop game, but it doesn't do so elegantly. Right now, the app is pretty much a trial-and-error mess with no tutorial or well-written rulebook explaining what it is you want to actually do in the game. Still, by using the limited in-app help menu and some online resources (the video pasted at the bottom of this review was quite helpful), we managed to struggle through.

Of course, anyone who's played the tabletop version of Roll Through The Ages should be able to adapt to the iPhone version in mere minutes. The app had better improve fast, thought, in order to attract people who aren't familiar with the dice version, lest it suffer the fate of getting lost in the never-ending barrage of good game apps. Thankfully, there's some precedent for board game apps that start weak and improve quickly. The Small World app didn't have a good way to learn the game at the beginning, either, but look at it now.

Read on to see if you want to give RTtA a chance now, wait for the improvements to come or pass altogether.

Continue reading App Review: Roll Through The Ages makes dice-rollling, civ-building easy on the iPhone

App Review: Roll Through The Ages makes dice-rollling, civ-building easy on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 12 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

App Review: Roll Through The Ages makes dice-rollling, civ-building easy on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 12 Jun 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TUAW Review: Carcassonne finally, gloriously comes to the iPhone

Filed under: iPhone, App Review

After from Small World, Carcassonne is one of the most anticipated designer board game apps to hit the App Store. It took a little longer than expected, but everything from the basic Carcassonne game is here. Nothing more, nothing less. There are no river tiles, no traders, no princess or dragon. It's completely easy to play, and the plethora of options - local or online human opponents, very well-created AI players and a new solitaire version - mean this is the game to get if you know what a meeple is and enjoy sending them off to do your bidding.

Sure, we've had the clone (or not, depending on who you ask) app called Might And Card: Golden Edition, but now we finally and awesomely have an official Carcassonne app for the iPhone / iPod touch [$4.99] and it was well worth the wait. Read on to see why board gaming on the iThings is only getting better and better.

Continue reading TUAW Review: Carcassonne finally, gloriously comes to the iPhone

TUAW Review: Carcassonne finally, gloriously comes to the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 05 Jun 2010 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW Review: Carcassonne finally, gloriously comes to the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Sat, 05 Jun 2010 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Keltis Oracle is a great, light strategic board game for iPad, iPhone

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review, iPad

Keltis is a relatively new marquee family of board games - in Europe, at least - with a somewhat meandering history. The series started as the Lost Cities card game, which evolved into the original board game in the series, Keltis. That game won the Spiel des Jahres, Germany's highest board game honor, in 2008. Since then, there have been two expansions: a card game version (different from the original Lost Cities card game) and, most recently, a new board game called Keltis Oracle. U.S. board gamers will most likely recognize the Keltis games in the similar Lost Cities: The Board Game. Are you wondering why the European version of the game made it into your iDevice? Because the developers in Tribeflame are based in Finland.

In any case, the universal app (US$4.99) that's now available on the iPad and iPhone (and iPod touch) is the latest Keltis game. Is it the greatest? To some, maybe. It's certainly the most player-friendly of the batch, and it looks good on the iPad screen. The game works, but as you can see in the galleries below, it's crowded when packed into the iPhone's 480 x 320 pixel screen. Read on to see what the Oracle can do for you.

Continue reading Review: Keltis Oracle is a great, light strategic board game for iPad, iPhone

Review: Keltis Oracle is a great, light strategic board game for iPad, iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 13 May 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Review: Keltis Oracle is a great, light strategic board game for iPad, iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 13 May 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Bananagrams is addicting without the clicking

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

Perhaps you've seen them, in Word Wars or another Scrabble movie; people who are a wee bit obsessive about their word games. For the iPhone-carrying among them, there is the official Scrabble app or Words With Friends. For people who like a little more variety in their word game apps, there are a hundred other options. Today, we look at one of the better ones, Bananagrams [$.99], which is quickly developing a fanatic player base similar to the Scrabble fans.

In bookstores, libraries, and cafes around the world, people are playing Bananagrams face to face. There is also an online version through Facebook. While Bananagrams shares a lot of gameplay with Scrabble, it's really much more similar to a less famous game called Pick Two!, which was released in 1993, and to the homebrew game of Speed Scrabble. Since Bananagrams hit it big a few years ago, Parker Brothers has responded with the Scrabble Apple, and the Bananagrams company also released Pairs in Pears. There was also an official Bananagrams tie-in book. As we said, there are a lot of word game freaks fans who like to build crosswords competitively. If you're interested in ways to play a quick game like this on the iPhone, read on to see what all the fuss is about.

Continue reading Review: Bananagrams is addicting without the clicking

Review: Bananagrams is addicting without the clicking originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Review: Bananagrams is addicting without the clicking originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TUAW Faceoff: Skat vs. ProSkat on the iPhone

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

We've covered quite a few board and card games in this ongoing series of iPhone / iPad app reviews, but I haven't been as excited about any of them as I was when I saw that there was not just one but two Skat apps available for the iDevices. Considering that Skat is my absolute favorite card game of all time (in second place: SWCCG, an entirely different beast), I knew I'd need to download them both (at US$4.99 each, sadly) and see if either one offered an experience that is in any way similar to playing against real humans. The answer: as much as a touch-screen interface can replace your friends, they do.

The first of the two apps is called Skat and its icon looks like this . The other is called ProSkat and has this icon . Skat's icon is much better-looking and does a better job of instantly identifying the app as Skat, but in almost every other aspect, ProSkat is the winner. Read on to see why both of these apps have their place and how they allow you to cleverly bid and take tricks in style on your iPhone.

Continue reading TUAW Faceoff: Skat vs. ProSkat on the iPhone

TUAW Faceoff: Skat vs. ProSkat on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

TUAW Faceoff: Skat vs. ProSkat on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: here’s hoping the Kachina board game app gets some serious kinks worked out

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

The tile game Kachina came to the iPhone/iPod touch platform in waves. First, the app appeared as a single-player puzzle game using the Kachina rules. Then, an upgrade with in-app purchase allowed you to spend US$2.99 to get multiplayer functionality. Now, the Kachina app [$2.99] that you can find in the App Store is the full-featured version that includes both the puzzle and multiplayer modes. The developer, Gourami Games, has posted a mea culpa of sorts, saying:

The in-app upgrade has been removed and all copies are now enabled to play 2,3,4,5 player games. Now with an option to chose the computers difficulty level. Those of you that have made the in-app upgrade purchase, Thank you for your support, and we will make it up to you in a future update that will automatically detect the sale.

We like the idea behind the Kachina game, which uses Hopi spirit imagery and tests your math skills as you race for the high score, but this is a situation where too many serious bugs destroy what's really an elegant game. Read on to see what we mean.

Continue reading Review: here's hoping the Kachina board game app gets some serious kinks worked out

Review: here's hoping the Kachina board game app gets some serious kinks worked out originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Review: here's hoping the Kachina board game app gets some serious kinks worked out originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 09 Apr 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Honey, That’s Mine!

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

Board gamers looking for ported game apps on the iPhone (and now, finally, the iPad) might overlook the just-released offering Honey, That's Mine [$1.99]. The game uses little honeybee characters that fly across a board of hexagons to collect drops of honey. As they leave a location, that hex is removed from the board. Even though the bees fly, they can't cross an open space; this rule sets up a game that is much, much more than meets the eye.

Honey, That's Mine can be played in three flavors: simple, normal, and advanced. The simple game is almost an exact clone of Hey, That's My Fish, a 2003 game designed by Günter Cornett and Alvydas Jakeliunas that used penguins jumping around ice floes. Honey, which claims to be the design of Jeffery Vanneste, does have a few alternative rules for different bees, but the fact that it fails to mention its penguin roots makes us suspect it won't be available in the App Store for long. Hey, That's My Fish was ported to some mobile platforms and the Wii, but not (yet) to the iPhone Why? No one knows. However, the fact that this is at least the second version for the iPhone - a short-lived clone called Mining Bots is no longer available - proves that the original game designers should look into licensing the game for Apple's iDevice line. There's a hunger for a game like this out there, whether it's using bees, penguins, or robots. Read on to find out if you'd be interested as well.

Continue reading Review: Hey, That's My Fish Honey, That's Mine!

Review: Hey, That's My Fish Honey, That's Mine! originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Review: Hey, That's My Fish Honey, That's Mine! originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Mü app proves that deep, real card games can thrive on the iPhone

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

Fans of light, mindless card games should not download Mü [$2.99]. There are plenty of thought-like time-killers in the App Store. Go play one of those. Mu, on the other hand, is a complicated (in a good way) game with a medium-high learning curve that should manage to entertain gamers for quite some time.

At its core, Mü is a trick taking game like Hearts or Skat, and the physical card game version is much loved by regular card gamers because it is deep, replayable and fun. The app manages to recreate all three of these important factors in one slick package, giving old hands a way to bring the challenge along for the ride. For new players, the iPhone version is a good way to learn how to play. Read on to see if more Mü would be good for you.

Continue reading Review: Mü app proves that deep, real card games can thrive on the iPhone

Review: Mü app proves that deep, real card games can thrive on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Review: Mü app proves that deep, real card games can thrive on the iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 02 Apr 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Reiner Knizia’s Topas

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

We don't mind it when iPhone versions of board games differ from their realspace counterparts, but the Topas app ($2.99) takes the basic ideas behind Reiner Knizia's 2009 game Topas and twists them into a mash-up of Tetris, the standard line-up-three-of-a-kind video games, and dominoes. The dominoes thing was in the original, but the video game vibes are all new.

Is this a good thing? Well, it kind of is. We like the variety that the app brings to basic Topas, but we don't understand why it was apparently impossible to carry over original gameplay from the physical card game. Even the game mode that comes closest to the card game version - weakest link, which is very similar to the card game's solo play - changes one minor rule. As to why, we have no idea. Still, Topas offers a decent amount of challenge and fun in an attractive package - maybe slightly overpriced in the App Store's admittedly low-cost ecosystem - for people who like their puzzle games to sparkle.

Keep reading to find out more about how Topas works and doesn't work as an iPhone game.

Continue reading Review: Reiner Knizia's Topas

Review: Reiner Knizia's Topas originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Review: Reiner Knizia's Topas originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Set card game on the iPhone is oh so close to the perfect puzzle app

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

The idea behind Set, the now-classic card/puzzle game, can be mind-numbingly difficult to explain. Some people just can't wrap their heads around the "all the same or all different concept." Of course, some people get it right away. For both types, the new Set app [$2.99] for the iPhone and iPod touch is a fine challenge, even if it's not perfect in all aspects.

Here's the gist of the game: each card in the 81-card deck has between one and three images on it. These images come in three shapes (diamond, oval, and squiggly), three colors (red, green, and purple), and three levels of shading (solid, lined, and empty). Every possible combination is available on one single card.

The goal is to find sets from a collection of cards laid face-up on the table. A set is any three cards where each of these four features are, independently, either all the same or all different? So, a single red solid diamond, a single green solid diamond, and a single purple solid diamond make a set (in that example, the number, shading, and shape features are all the same while the colors are all different). Also, a single empty purple squiggle, two lined green diamonds, and three solid red ovals make a set. Got that? Good. If not, click through the gallery of images from the app starting here to see how the game's designers explain things.

If you want to give Set a try for free, you can try an online daily puzzle here, or download the very limited lite version of the iPhone app here. For learning the game, the app's tutorial is tremendously helpful. Keep reading to find out more about how the game works, or doesn't, on the iPhone.

Continue reading Review: Set card game on the iPhone is oh so close to the perfect puzzle app

Review: Set card game on the iPhone is oh so close to the perfect puzzle app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Review: Set card game on the iPhone is oh so close to the perfect puzzle app originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aol Autos app strips down car buying data for research, daydreams

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

Most people don't buy a car but once every few years (or more). But that doesn't mean that people don't like shopping for new cars. If you're one of those kind of people, then a new app from Aol Autos*, released today, could be your new favorite toy.

Basically, the App is a stripped down version of the New Cars section of the Aol Autos website. Start by entering your search parameters - price, type, style and make/model - and the app will show you all the new vehicles currently available that fit what you're looking for.

If you want a new sub-$15,000 hatchback, for example, there are 18 on the market right now. How about a hybrid that costs between $15,000 and $25,000. You get your choice of six. For those lazy Sunday afternoon daydreams, you can also price options for the $1.38 million 2010 Maybach Landaulet. $12,250 for a three-place rear seat? Sign me up. Keep reading to find out more.



*Aol, of course, owns TUAW.

Continue reading Aol Autos app strips down car buying data for research, daydreams

Aol Autos app strips down car buying data for research, daydreams originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Aol Autos app strips down car buying data for research, daydreams originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Knights of Charlemagne card game is simply simple, and we like it like that

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

The clever 2006 card game Knights of Charlemagne has made it to the iPhone and iPod touch as a simple little number placing app [$1.99, iTunes link]. We don't mean simple in that it's easy to beat or uninteresting. We mean that the game is clearly designed and plays quickly. While the beginner level (the Squire) is really only worth playing through once or twice with the tutorial minstrel on to learn the rules, getting to and beating the AI at Knight, and then the King level (which is supposed to be Charlemagne himself) is a good challenge and provides plenty of game for two bucks.

There's a whole lot of math and bluffing in the game. That is something which is better experienced in person and using real cards, but board games on the iPhone are their own experience. So, when you want some light brain-burning with a medieval theme, look no further than this simple app. Read on to find out more.

Continue reading Review: Knights of Charlemagne card game is simply simple, and we like it like that

Review: Knights of Charlemagne card game is simply simple, and we like it like that originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Review: Knights of Charlemagne card game is simply simple, and we like it like that originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reiner Knizia’s Money app worth spending time with

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

The iPhone is shaped a little bit like a deck of cards. Like a deck of cards, Apple's little magic toy device can be used to play any one of a number of different games. Unlike standard cards though, the iPhone can easily transform into specific decks of cards from the Eurogame world.

We recently took a look at the iPhone version of Reiner Knizia's card game Poison and there are a slew of other "decks" (ok, programs) available in the App Store. Today, we turn our focus to the card game Money [$1.99, iTunes link], which might be the best card game app out there. In the near future, we'll be reviewing Mü and some other card games, so the position is not secured forever. Still, of the iPhone card game apps we've played so far, Money is our hands down favorite. Continue reading to see how this clever bidding game won our heart and why we're excited for more.

Continue reading Reiner Knizia's Money app worth spending time with

Reiner Knizia's Money app worth spending time with originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Reiner Knizia's Money app worth spending time with originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Viva il Re board game app asks to be crowned

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

The iPhone might be the most amazing computer you can slip into your jeans, but there are some things it just doesn't do very well. For example, you can't really get into a bluffing match against the machine, at least not with the iPhone/iPod touch app Viva il Re ($1.99). Here's what we mean.

Viva il Re (which means "Long live the King" in Italian) is a well-designed board game by Stefano Luperto that has been beautifully ported to the iPhone by by Pro-netics S.p.A. The object is to score points and hopefully get one of your characters to become the new king, because the old king has decided to retire (can kings do that?). With the retirement announcement, "the pirouette for succession begins!" according to the official game setup. Each player is secretly hoping one of their six characters manages to reach the top, out of 13 total.

When you play the board game version of Viva il Re, called King Me!, the reasonably slow pace of the game and the face-to-face interaction means that there is time to develop guesses about which characters each player is hoping will take the throne. While the app looks almost exactly like the tabletop version and most of the functionally is the same, it's just not as much fun to compete against bots as it is to outwit other people. Continue reading and see if you agree.

Continue reading Review: Viva il Re board game app asks to be crowned

Review: Viva il Re board game app asks to be crowned originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Review: Viva il Re board game app asks to be crowned originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: Reiner Knizia’s Poison a fun way to kill (a few minutes)

Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review

One of the criticisms launched against prolific game designer Reiner Knizia is that his games get their the theme pasted on. This means that whatever the players are trying to accomplish through the game's mechanics really doesn't have much to do with the graphics and the box description. He has at least 200 published games - and might have another one thought up by the time you're done reading this review - so we understand that they can't all be perfect matches.

Knizia's card game Poison, first released for the table top in 2005, is a perfect example of this. The game could almost be played with standard cards - the deck includes three colors/suits (each with three 1s, two fours and one each of 2, 5 and 7) and eight "poison" cards worth 4 each - but the company that released the game, Playroom Entertainment, printed it with a magician/warlock/witch theme. It was later rebranded and slightly tweaked to include donuts as the game Baker's Dozen in 2008.

The iPhone and iPod touch version of the game (US$2.99) uses the earlier Poison graphics, and it's a gorgeous looking little translation. The app was released 2009 by Griptonite Games and we honestly wish they'd have updated a few nagging items by now. Read on to find out what is good, and what could be improved, in this clever card game.

Continue reading Review: Reiner Knizia's Poison a fun way to kill (a few minutes)

Review: Reiner Knizia's Poison a fun way to kill (a few minutes) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Review: Reiner Knizia's Poison a fun way to kill (a few minutes) originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments