7 New Board Game Apps

Over the last few years there has been a massive surge in the popularity of board game apps, with publishers more keen to embrace the digital age and present their games to a wider audience because, even with the hobby growing, tabletop gaming is still very much a niche hobby. But there are signs of growing crossover audiences – gamers who buy tabletop games after enjoying an app or video game (that’s how my love of the hobby started), or boardgamers that invest in digital apps of their favourite titles.


Complete Gaming Apps

These apps have made the transition from cardboard to digital, offering new players the opportunity to sample the experience before making a more informed decision on buying the more expensive tabletop version. Or if you simply can’t get enough players over to your place, or if you’re on the go, playing online offers a easy solution.

For those extra lazy weekends, low energy /  zero enthusiasm days, some apps offer a pass-and-play system for multiplayer, meaning that you don’t need to set up a whole board (sorry Lords of Waterdeep).

Castles of Mad King Ludwig (now available – iOS | Android )

Ted Alspach’s Castles of King Ludwig is a tile-laying game in which each player must construct the best castle ever. EVER.

The app is a faithful representation of its tabletop version, though we are slightly disappointed at the lack of online play with Castles of Mad King Ludwig only offering 2-4 player pass-and-play gaming, and an AI opponent to hone your skills.

Colt Express

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The 2014 Spiel Des Jahres winning game is being developed for mobile formats and Steam. In Colt Express, players each take on the role of a bandit robbing a moving train, but everybody’s actions are occurring at the same time. Each round everybody lays down a card of what action they want to take

It will feature full online multiplayer, but also a story mode with a unique adventure and experience for each of the 6 characters. We’re keen to see the app in action, but in the tabletop version half the fun was seeing and interacting with the 3D train.

Lanterns: The Harvest Festival

Lanterns

Direwolf Digital will be bringing the popular Lanterns: The Harvest Festival to mobile platforms… soon.

This tile placement game is set in imperial China, with players taking up the roles of artisans decorating the palace lake with floating lanterns. The player who earns the most honour before the festival starts wins the game.

Nominated for quite a few awards last year (such as the 2015 Golden Geek Best Family Board Game), the digital adaptation will be available later this year.

Sushi Go (iOS)

Sushi Go is a drafting game in which you collect sets of specific sushi dishes to score the most points. Its cutesy artwork and easy rules made it one of the best games to teach the drafting mechanic to new players.  Release a day ago, the app is only available on iOS at the moment.


Companion Apps

Mansions of Madness Second Edition (now available – iOS and Android)

Mansions of Madness Companion App

Fantasy Flight Games recently updated and released their classic tentacled horror co-op title Mansions of Madness in the form of a second edition. The main feature of this update was the inclusion of a free app that takes the places of the Keeper, a role in which a player took to oversee the game. Not only does this free up somebody to play a regular role, but it also randomises what happens in a room, as opposed to the system of set events that featured in MoM 1st Ed.

“This companion app guides you through the haunted halls and misty alleyways of Arkham in stories of varied length and difficulty. In addition, investigators need to overcome various challenges, including fending off terrible creatures, befriending non-player characters, and solving puzzles.”

Stuart reviewed the complete game this week, have a read to see what he thinks of it and the new companion app.

 

Imperial Assault

Recently Fantasy Flight Games released a companion app for Descent 2nd Edition called Road to Legend, which took the role of the overlord player so that you and your friends can gang up against fantasy Skynet. Also, solo play is now an option.

At Gencon 2016, Fantasy Flight tweeted that they were working on a similar companion app for Star Wars Imperial Assault, to be released in 2017. I was pretty happy about that, considering that the CBQ crew can’t always get together to continue their campaign, and I need to get my skillset up before I next take up the fight against the rebel scum of Paul and Stuart. Now, unfortunately Fantasy Flight deleted that announcement Tweet, and nothing has been mentioned since.

We’re hoping for news that the app will be available soon, and that the paranoid rumours of a new Imperial Assault second edition is unfounded (my poor wallet).

 

Spector Ops

Emerson Matsuuchi from Naza Games announced at Gencon that the companion app is in beta right now, and it was developed for use by the agents characters. Simple select how many players are present, which hunters characters will be used, and finally which agents will be taking part.

It was designed to speed up the setup process, check out all the details in this video.


And those are not the only apps yet to be released this year, we’re still waiting on the following: Twilight Struggle (Android), Evolution, Mr Jack and Mr Jack Pocket, Mysterium, Roll For It, Smash Up, Through the Ages, Tokaido, Zombicide and more!

Let us know what your favourite board game companion app is by dropping a comment below.

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