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App News: Labyrinth Lands in Early Access, Switch Getting More Board Games, A Bunch of Stuff we Missed and The Blog is Dead, Long Live the...who am I kidding?

David Neumann
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In life you have to do a lot of things you don't f*cking want to do. Many times, that's what the f*ck life is... one vile f*cking task after another.
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Board Game: Labyrinth: The War on Terror, 2001 – ?

Labyrinth: The War on Terror arrives on Steam Early Access
Much was made of the seemingly perfect blending of GMT Games and Playdek when their partnership was announced in July of 2018. Since then, however, we've only had one itty-bitty baby arrive, the polished-as-only-Playdek-does gem, Fort Sumter: Secession Crisis. We've been waiting for the next arrival for a long time and...it's here! Kind of. It's here in beta form and available for purchase right now on your Windows PC.

I've never played the physical version of Labyrinth: The War on Terror, 2001 – ? but I know it has a lot of Twilight Struggle's DNA in its blood. So, considering that the Playdek developed version of Twilight Struggle is a gem, I think we can expect this one to be pretty shiny as well.

If you're worried that it's only for Windows, fret not! Playdek has stated in an update that it currently works in Catalina for Mac, but there are issues with Mac/Steam preventing them from posting that version at this point in time. Also, they are going to support iOS and Android, so you can expect to have this on your tablet as the very least a short time after it appears in full-release on the big screen.

Curious? Head over and pick up the Early Access version right now and let us know how it plays.

- Labyrinth: The War on Terror for Windows PC from Steam Early Access, $13




From gallery of Neumannium

Mystic Vale arrives on Switch
Who's not afraid of porting games to Switch? Nomad Games Ltd (II), that's who! Yesterday saw the release of their plastic, transparent card simulator, Mystic Vale, on Nintendo's plucky, portable console.

Mystic Vale has been around on Steam and mobile for bit now and, from what I hear, is a pretty great recreation of the druid-centric (no one knows who they were or what they were doing...) card game. Now you can play it when you're on the go. Well, you could on your phone too, but...<insert shrug emoji>.

The point is, you can go play Mystic Vale regardless of what platform you love the most. Seriously, it's everywhere. Soon you'll be able to have a cranial implant and just play Mystic Vale in your imagination. The future!

- Mystic Vale for iOS Universal, $5
- Mystic Vale for Android, $5.50
- Mystic Vale for Windows PC/Mac via Steam, $15
- Mystic Vale for Switch, $20
- Mystic Vale cranial implant, price not yet determined


From gallery of Neumannium

Talisman arrives on Switch
As I was saying previously, Nomad...wait a minute. I can make this way easier...

Who's not afraid of porting games to Switch? Nomad Games Ltd (II), that's who! Yesterday saw the release of their plastic, transparent card simulator fantasy-adventure game, Mystic Vale Talisman: Digital Edition, on Nintendo's plucky, portable console.

Mystic Vale has been around on Steam and mobile for bit now and, from what I hear, is a pretty great recreation of the druid-centric (no one knows who they were or what they were doing...) card game [There are druids in Talisman, too, so I let this one slide -ed.]. Now you can play it when you're on the go. Well, you could on your phone too, but...<insert shrug emoji>.

The point is, you can go play Mystic Vale Talisman regardless of what platform you love the most. Seriously, it's everywhere. Soon you'll be able to have a cranial implant and just play Mystic Vale Talisman in your imagination. The future!

- Talisman: Digital Edition for iOS Universal, $4
- Talisman: Digital Edition for Android, $3.50
- Talisman: Digital Edition for Windows PC/Mac via Steam, $7
- Talisman: Digital Edition for Switch, unknown (the Switch page for Talisman is currently down...)


From gallery of Neumannium

Epic Card Game Out for Mobile
Epic Card Game from Wise Wizard Games has arrived for mobile! Why the exclamation point? Why not, they're free. Also, I know a lot of folks love their digital edition of Star Realms and this is from the same publisher/developer and the gameplay is similar. Basically, if you love Star Realms, you're going to want to check this one out.

The game is free to download with some IAP, but it sounds like you get quite a bit for just downloading it.

White Wizard wrote:
You start the game with a hand of five cards, and draw a new card at the start of your turn. Your cards represent powerful champions that will fight for you or game changing events you can use to thwart your opponent.

Each turn every player in the game gets one "gold." Some cards cost a gold to play, others are free. This means you can play any card in your hand from the very first turn. There is no slow building of resources in this game. Epic starts at full throttle!

Challenge your friends or random players around the world to as many Dark Draft, Random Deck30 Sealed, Preconstructed and Full Constructed games as you like, for FREE!
You can pick up Epic Card Game for iOS, Android, and Windows PC/Mac at the following links:

- Epic Card Game for iOS Universal, free
- Epic Card Game for Android, free
- Epic Card Game for Windows PC/Mac via Steam, free




From gallery of Neumannium

Charterstone beta chugging along
Not so much of a news story here as a reminder that the beta for Charterstone: Digital Edition is well underway and Acram Digital seems to be updating new versions and squishing bugs at a record pace.

I've been playing it a bit and it's got incredible polish even at this stage. No word yet on when it will be ready for prime-time, but the way they're working on it, I wouldn't think it would be more than [redacted].


From gallery of Neumannium

On Tour is On Mobile
This isn't news, either, I just want to share this with you so you can all feel my pain. There's been a digital version of the roll-and-write On Tour Board Game since December but I only became aware of it in early February and...well, I hate it. Hate. Hate. Hate.

The game is ported fantastically and, if you're a fan of the game, it will be a perfect addition to your mobile device. Then again, if you're a fan of this game you are probably a masochistic savant who won't be around long anyway. You see, that's the problem. This brilliant little game is hard. So hard. Freaking mind-breaking-yell at your children for no reason-throw your phone into a brick wall-write angry blog post kind of hard. It's hard is my point. After about a hundred games, I'm pretty sure my top score is 1 which I don't think is even possible and yet the game hates me that much.

Is there strategy? Probably! Have I even come close to figuring out how to use it and get better scores? Have you read the previous paragraph?

So, if you hate yourself or just want to hate the world a little more than you already do, go download this fantastic little gem of a game and get ready to buy yourself a new phone.

- On Tour for iOS Universal, $4
- On Tour for Android, $4


The Blog is Dead! Long live nobody!
As you may have noticed, it's been 2 months since my last post here at the wonderfully ill-named iOS Board Games [no, we can't change it -ed.].

There are many reasons for this: I have a new job that is literally taking up more time than any gig I've ever had in my life, I'm all alone in blog-land and it's hard to get news when you're not posting daily and your editor has moved to Seattle and is too busy to work on the blog, and--probably the most significant--I've lost my mojo. My board game mojo, that is.

The first one there is pretty easy to understand...jobs suck and their only apparent purpose is to prevent us from playing and writing about games. Everyone knows this.

The second has been a big factor, too, however. When you stop writing daily news posts and your presence on social media slows, it's amazing how much less excited game publishers are to contact you. I don't blame them; spend your time where you'll get the most bang for your buck. That said, having to do research and whatnot rather than getting emails and DMs sent my way from pubs has made the job harder and with less time to actually write, it's had a snowball effect.

The last issue is really the big one. I'm not sure what the trigger has been, but I've lost my passion for board games. Oh, I still play them all the time, but my focus has shifted to 18xx and heavy economic games and I realize that I couldn't care less about the 12 generic euros getting pooping out weekly or whatever shlock is the current hotness on Kickstarter. I've started purging my collection and hope to be nearly euro free (except Martin Wallace, Vital Lacerda, and Splotter...I'll never leave you guys, I promise) by summer.

In the past, games like Mystic Vale coming to mobile would have made me jump out of my chair (and then sit right back down in my chair because I can't write when I'm standing up) and start a new blog post here about the exciting news. Now, I shrug, make a note and tell myself I'll get to it...sometime.

You've probably noticed this already...I mean, there has to be some reason I went from posting 1x (sometimes 2x) a day to once every month or two. You probably guessed the reasons, so none of this is even news to you.

Anyway, I'm sorry that I just can't keep doing it like I used to. It's just not going to keep happening. I'm not going to kill the blog and I don't think it costs you anything to subscribe, but will I post again? I don't know. Maybe? Maybe not?

Maybe I'll break out of this funk or, maybe, someone will start making digital versions of 18xx games and my fire will reignite, but for now I think I'm going to take a long, open-ended break. Good night everyone and thank you for your support all these years (it's been nearly 10!!!). Even though my passion for writing about games has subsided, I have to admit I still love the comments and I'm going to miss that feedback the most. You've all been great (except the few who haven't....you know who you are) and I hope to see you again here on BGG either in this blog or in one of the other game forums down the road.

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Thu Mar 12, 2020 6:44 pm
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App News: Fury of Dracula headed to digital and Android gets Wordsy

David Neumann
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Whitefish Bay
Wisconsin
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In life you have to do a lot of things you don't f*cking want to do. Many times, that's what the f*ck life is... one vile f*cking task after another.
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From gallery of Neumannium

Fury of Dracula Coming to Digital
Well, this came out of nowhere. What might be my favorite hidden movement game is coming to digital! Fury of Dracula (Third/Fourth Edition) from WizKids (I) is going to be landing on [redacted] later this year. Worried it will be a slapdash mess of a port? Stop worrying! It's being developed by Nomad Games Ltd (II), makers of Talisman: Digital Edition and Mystic Vale, so we're in good hands.

If you haven't played Fury of Dracula before, you're missing out. Hidden movement dripping in theme and conflict whose only problem is a running time that might stretch a bit long.

From gallery of Neumannium


Nomad wrote:
Nomad Games are incredibly excited to announce their next project, a digital adaptation of the classic board game ‘Fury of Dracula’.Originally published in 1987 by Games Workshop, Nomad Games will be adapting the Fourth Edition of the board game, which was released in 2019.

Set in late 19th century Europe, Fury of Dracula sees four brave vampire hunters hunting down clues to stop Dracula before he creates an unstoppable army of mindless thralls! With a strong emphasis
on teamwork and gothic horror, Nomad Games are aiming to create a digital adaptation that appeals to fans of the original game and new players who have never had the chance to stalk Dracula across Europe!
We don't know much more than "it's coming!" at this point. No platforms have been announced nor has a release window. We'll have our ear to the ground and let you know when more info pops up.


From gallery of Neumannium

Wordsy Comes to Android as AVOWEL
Designed by Gil Hova and published by Formal Ferret Games, Wordsy is a 2017 reimplementation of the game Prolix from way back in 2010. It's been released for Android by Wheeler Games (Video Game) (and Android only! Why do Apple users always get the shaft???) as AVOWEL (Wordsy was already taken, so the name change was necessary).

Let's blurb this one:

Wheeler wrote:
AVOWEL is a game of longer words! In this official digital adaptation of the board game Wordsy, you are trying to find the single best word on the board each round. Unlike other word games, you don’t need all the letters in your word to be available, but you’ll want to use as many as you can.

AVOWEL features AI with adjustable difficulty levels, as well as a daily challenge mode that lets you compete with players from around the world.
The current version (did I mention it's Android-only?) is free to download with IAP to unlock the full game. It's solo at the moment, but you can expect online multiplayer to go live in Q2 of this year. That said, the solo version has multiple levels of AI to battle as well as a daily challenge mode. Sounds good to me...if only I had an Android device. cry

AVOWEL is available right now and it's free, so what are you sitting around here for?

- AVOWEL for Android, free to download
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Wed Jan 8, 2020 3:56 pm
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App News: Gloomhaven goes Into the Woods, LOTR: Adventure Card Game gets definitive, Dragon Castle releases and more...

David Neumann
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In life you have to do a lot of things you don't f*cking want to do. Many times, that's what the f*ck life is... one vile f*cking task after another.
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Board Game: Gloomhaven

Gloomhaven Gets Forest Update
The digital version of Gloomhaven arrived on Steam Early Access earlier this year and won't reach its final release until some time in 2020. That's not to say that this beta version isn't worth your time. There's a ton of stuff to do in the game already and the team at Asmodee Digital and Flaming Fowl Studios are continually adding new content. A couple weeks ago it was a new character, this time around it's a new biome: The Forest.

Asmodee wrote:
We’re very pleased to announce the release of a new major update for Gloomhaven! You can now roam the gloomy forests of Gloomhaven, but do not expect to find any rest, as fearsome enemies roam this terrifying environment.

Brace yourself to meet new guards and archers, from the race of the Inoxs and Vermlings. Do not underestimate the forest Imps and the mysterious powers of shamans. And stay sharp, for hounds lurk among the vegetation...
For the bravest of you, a new monstrous boss is awaiting, beware!

Welcome them well, with a sword and a few fireballs!

With this update, you will also discover an all new music track and six new cards for your characters. We also improved the GUI with an undo step to the Ability Infuse items, an info bar which displays the XP earned and more!

The Forest update highlights:

Spoiler (click to reveal)
-A whole new experience when exploring new environments and facing new challenges.
-7 new enemies, and their Elite variants (Vermling Scout, Vermling Shaman, Inox Guard, Inox Shaman, Inox Archer, Hound, Forest Imp).
- A new boss (Inox Bodyguard).
If that's not enough, they've also put Gloomhaven Early Access on sale! You can nab it now for 25% less than some dumb blogger who paid full price even though he doesn't have a Windows PC to play it on. Don't be like that loser!

Look for more Gloomhaven updates to land and, who knows, at some point we might even get a real release window.

- Gloomhaven for Windows PC via Steam Early Access, $18.74 (on sale)



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Thu Dec 19, 2019 9:32 pm
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App News: Yellow & Yangtze Arrives and Warhammer Underworlds Gets Trailer & Early Access Release Date and more...

David Neumann
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In life you have to do a lot of things you don't f*cking want to do. Many times, that's what the f*ck life is... one vile f*cking task after another.
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Microbadge: statelyplay.com
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From gallery of Neumannium

Yellow & Yangtze comes to mobile, Steam
Ever since they announced a bevy of board games being brought to mobile, Dire Wolf has been front & center of our digital board game wishlist. They've already released some incredible ports like Lotus, Lanterns: The Harvest Festival, and Raiders of the North Sea. Today they're dropping the next title from their burgeoning portfolio. No, it's not Mage Knight Board Game, instead we're getting a Reiner Knizia gem, Yellow & Yangtze.

Yellow & Yangtze is...well, here's the blurb:

Dire Wolf wrote:
Found an Empire
Lead your dynasty to victory in the Warring States period of ancient China in the new digital adaptation of the acclaimed board game from Tigris & Euphrates designer Reiner Knizia.

Build & Conquer
Conflict is inevitable as your influence expands. Wage war upon neighboring states to slow their growth, and build spectacular pagodas to increase your own prestige. How will your reign be remembered?

Balance in All Things
Expand your civilization by placing tiles that represent the five facets of a thriving kingdom:

-Governors - Keep the peace and quell revolts with a strong civic leadership!
-Soldiers - Defend your growing empire -- or wage war upon your neighbors!
-Farmers - Cultivate the banks of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers!
-Traders - Acquire the resources your people need to prosper!
-Artisans - Shape the culture of your dynasty and inspire your citizens!

Your legacy will be judged by your weakest category, so a wise leader must maintain harmony to achieve victory!
Yellow & Yangtze is arriving today for iOS, Android, and PC/Mac via Steam. If you're familiar with any of Dire Wolf's previous outings, you know that their apps are right up there with the greats. Wonderful ambiance, great UI, and async online multiplayer that works. I'm assuming Yellow & Yangtze will continue in those footsteps.

- Yellow & Yangtze for iOS Universal, $10 (link not yet up)
- Yellow & Yangtze for Android, $10
- Yellow & Yangtze for PC/Mac via Steam, $15



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Thu Dec 12, 2019 8:04 pm
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App News: Terraforming Mars hits mobile, Asmodee launches three surprise titles, Roll for the Galaxy beta opens and more...

David Neumann
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In life you have to do a lot of things you don't f*cking want to do. Many times, that's what the f*ck life is... one vile f*cking task after another.
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To quote Led Zeppelin, it's been a long time. Been a long time. Been a long, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time. Just over 2 months to be exact. So, let me give you a quick update before we jump into the news. First of all, the delay was due to me losing my job at the end of September. I was unceremoniously dumped (along with about 20 other people) from my company in what they lovingly termed a "reduction in force". Thus, my time has been filled with trying to locate another source of income lest my children go hungry (this is a bit of hyperbole, but let me have this one, okay?) and sitting down and playing/writing about games just wasn't in the cards, pun fully intended.

Well, I found a new gig and started this week. So, life is better, but still busy. That said, I can at least start writing again without being inundated by crushing guilt. So, hopefully these get a little more regular. We'll have to see how things go as I get more comfortable at my new job.

Now, on to the news:


From gallery of Neumannium

Terraforming Mars Releases for Mobile
This summer the fate of Terraforming Mars on our phones was up in the air due to developer Luckyhammers shuttering their doors. We knew Asmodee Digital had taken over the development reins, but weren't quite sure if we'd ever see mobile Terraforming Mars in the wild.

Well, this week it arrived for both iOS and Android and, if you don't care about online multiplayer, you're in for a treat.

Visually, the game is stunning and I personally like the UI. Solo games against the AI are a relaxing and great way to spend some time.

Multiplayer, however, is riddled with issues. None of them make online async games unplayable; you can still get in full async games of TM on your phone as long as you're willing to put up with some head-scratching issues. Things like notifications sometimes happening, sometimes not. Lack of indication of which game is currently active (if you're in two or more games and get a notification that it's your turn, there's no way to tell which of your games is the one asking for your attention). No names in-game, so you're never sure who's who. No replay of other players' turns (you can look at the log, but I find seeing a replay of their actions much more user-friendly).

There's some more middling things, too. Again, none of these prevent you from playing an online game of TM, they just turn what should be an incredible experience into a somewhat frustrating one.

If you're a TM fan, I would recommend the app. I'm really enjoying solo play much more than I do just about any other board game app. Something about the presentation and interface that make the game fun to play. I'm also enjoying multiplayer, but looking at how great the online system is in games like Through the Ages or anything from Playdek just makes me wish Asmodee could get their stuff together on the online multiplayer side of things.

- Terraforming Mars for iOS Universal, $9
- Terraforming Mars for Android, $9
- Terraforming Mars for Windows PC via Steam, $20



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Fri Dec 6, 2019 12:35 pm
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App News: Aeon's End now on tablets, Cutthroat Caverns heading to mobile, Dire Wolf strikes with Yellow & Yangtze and more...

David Neumann
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In life you have to do a lot of things you don't f*cking want to do. Many times, that's what the f*ck life is... one vile f*cking task after another.
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From gallery of Neumannium

Aeon's End Comes to Steam and tablets
It's been a while since we posted so I'm a bit behind. As such, here's some news you probably already know. The next digital time sink from Handelabra Games Inc. has arrived! It's a port of the cooperative card game, Aeon's End and it's fantastic.

The game puts you in the boots of a handful of mages tasked with saving the town from a big bad monster and his minions. It's all done with cards and like Handelabra's other big card game port, Sentinels of the Multiverse, seems like it would be too complex to truly enjoy playing in physical form. In digital form, however, it shines.

It's a deck builder at heart, but it has some twists that separate it from the usual formula. Yes, you play cards to earn currency to buy other cards, but turn order is randomly generated each round and, instead of shuffling your deck, cards are played in the order they were discarded adding a whole new layer of strategy and a smart way to set yourself up for big combos a turn or two down the road.

Handelabra wrote:
Aeon’s End is a deck-building game where you create a team of up to 4 mages who will fight cooperatively to defeat whichever Nameless nemesis has come through the breach today. You begin with a starting deck of 10 cards, with 5 in hand. Each turn you play gems to gain aether, which is used to buy new gems and relics, learn new spells, and increase your casting potential by opening additional breaches. You can also play relics to give yourself or your allies a boost. Then prep spells to your opened or focused breaches to be ready to cast them on your subsequent turns.

What makes Aeon’s End unique is how it uses randomness. Unlike other deck-building games, players do not shuffle their deck when it runs out. The order in which you discard is preserved, so plan your discards carefully to set yourself up for subsequent turns.

Instead, randomness in Aeon’s End comes in the order of turns. At the start of each round, the turn order deck is shuffled to determine the order of play. Will the nemesis go twice in a row, pushing back the mages’ defense? Will the mages get 4 turns in a row to set up for the coming onslaught? It can be hard to know what’s coming next when you are deep in the melee!

Finally, there’s the city of Gravehold. The breach mages of Aeon’s End are not just fighting for their own survival, but the survival of all of humanity, and the Nameless know it. If Gravehold is ever reduced to 0 life, the mages have lost and humanity is but a memory.
Aeon's End arrived on Steam back in the middle of September, but just arrived for iPad and Android tablets this past Monday. You can pick it up right now for 10% off as well.

- Aeon's End for iPad, $9
- Aeon's End for Android, $9
- Aeon's End for PC/Mac/Linux via Steam, $20



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Thu Oct 3, 2019 8:28 pm
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App News: Leaders & Wonders arrives for Through the Ages and Munchkin: Quacked Quest delving this autumn

David Neumann
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In life you have to do a lot of things you don't f*cking want to do. Many times, that's what the f*ck life is... one vile f*cking task after another.
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From gallery of Neumannium

Through the Ages gets expansion: Leaders & Wonders
We've known this day was coming, but it's finally here. Today you can download the first expansion for the venerable giant, Through the Ages. It's called Through the Ages: New Leaders and Wonders and it's available right now for Android and PC/Mac, but Apple has their heads firmly shoved up their butt and those within the Apple ecosystem will have to wait until tomorrow at the latest.

[company=7345 wrote:
[/company]"]The New Leaders and Wonders digital expansion doubles the amount of leaders and wonders, introduces brand new military cards, thus significantly increasing variability of the game, and adding new mechanisms for a more exciting, edge of your seat experience.
I'm super excited for this, so excited that I had planned on writing a lengthier post detailing all of the new Leaders and Wonders available in the game. That's not really possible now that I can't get the expansion on my phone until tomorrow, so <shrug>

In a very cool move, CGE has made the expansion 'buy once-play everywhere'. Thus, you can buy it on your phone and it will also unlock on any other platforms you log into with your CGE account. Hooray! You can also get the expansion for free if you head to your local FLGS and pre-order the cardboard version that will be arriving in late October. Pre-order the physical version and they'll give you a code to unlock the expansion for free in digital form.

The expansion costs $5 on all platforms and to celebrate CGE has lowered the price of the base game by 40%. Now's the best time to grab TtA on that second platform or buy it for the first time. You won't be disappointed. It's probably the best board game app you'll find in the App Store.

- Through the Ages for PC/Mac via Steam, $9.50
- Through the Ages for PC/Mac via GoG, $9.50
- Through the Ages for Android, $6
- Through the Ages for iOS, $6




From gallery of Neumannium

Asmodee Announces new title, Munchkin: Quacked Quest
I know that Munchkin gets a bad rap amongst 'serious' gamers and I haven't played it in years on the tabletop, but I think a digital version of Munchkin is actually a pretty cool idea. Today Asmodee Digital announced that we're getting a new game based on the Steve Jackson Games staple this autumn. It's called Munchkin: Quacked Quest and looks pretty neat.

Asmodee wrote:
The digital game is based on Munchkin, the award-winning card game designed by Steve Jackson. The winner of the 2001 Origins Award for Best Traditional Card Game, Munchkin: Quacked Quest captures the essence of the dungeon experience, but with none of that stupid roleplaying stuff. You compete to kill monsters and grab magic items, and what magic items they are! Don the Horny Helmet and the Boots of Butt-Kicking. Wield the Staff of Napalm, or maybe the Chainsaw of Bloody Dismemberment. You may start by slaughtering the Potted Plant and the Drooling Slime, and work your way up to the Plutonium Dragon.

Munchkin: Quacked Quest is the first video game based on the hit card game universe designed by Steve Jackson, loaded with:
- Humor: the narrator breaks the fourth wall by commenting on the actions of the players; the silly items, weapons and enemies in the game; and the unique objectives (such as the Golden Duck win).
- Pop culture references: mixing entertainment with RPG parody.
- Cooperate (now) to better betray (later): players need to constantly keep an eye on their friends, as backstabbing your comrades is an efficient road to victory.
We can expect to see Munchkin: Quacked Quest arrive on PS4, Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch within the next few months.


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Thu Sep 12, 2019 8:04 pm
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App News: Aeon's End set to arrive next week and Siberian Dawn moves to 2.0

David Neumann
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In life you have to do a lot of things you don't f*cking want to do. Many times, that's what the f*ck life is... one vile f*cking task after another.
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Board Game: Aeon's End

Aeon's End Comes to Steam Next Week, Tablets later
They started with a humble helper app for Sentinels of the Multiverse but today Handelabra Games Inc. is a powerhouse in the digital board/card game world. Last year's release, One Deck Dungeon, is still my go-to time waster when I have my iPad with me and their port of Sentinels has gone completely epic with all published expansions now available on your touchscreen.

So, when Handelabra announces a new game is in the works, our ears perk up. We know they're currently working on a port of Spirit Island, but today's news involves that other game they're working on, Aeon's End.

Aeon's End is currently in Early Access on Steam but that's going to end very soon. How soon? Next week on Tuesday. That means the PC/Mac/Linux version will be up and live around noon on September 17.

You'd rather play on your iPad or Android tablet? Me too! Don't worry, while it won't arrive in the App Store on the 17th, we only have a couple of weeks to wait. We can expect the tablet version of Aeon's End to go live for iPad and Android tablets on September 30.

Not sure what the hell Aeon's End is? Here's a primer:

Handelabra wrote:
Aeon’s End is a deck-building game where you create a team of up to 4 mages who will fight cooperatively to defeat whichever Nameless nemesis has come through the breach today. You begin with a starting deck of 10 cards, 5 in hand. Each turn you play gems to gain aether, which is used to buy new gems and relics, learn new spells, and increase your casting potential by opening additional breaches. You can also play relics to give yourself or your allies a boost. Then prep spells to your opened or focused breaches to be ready to cast them on your subsequent turns.

What makes Aeon’s End unique is how it uses randomness. Unlike other deck building games, players do not shuffle their deck when it runs out. The order in which you discard is preserved so plan your discards carefully to set yourself up for subsequent turns.

Instead, randomness in Aeon’s End comes in the order of turns. At the start of each round, the turn order deck is shuffled to determine the order of play. Will the nemesis go twice in a row, pushing back the mages’ defense? Will the mages get 4 turns in a row to set up for the coming onslaught? It can be hard to know what’s coming next when you are deep in the melee!
So, it's a tower-defense style game where your mages defend the town of Gravehold from The Nameless and you do so by building decks. What's not to love?

We'll remind you of the release next week and on Sept. 30 when the tablet version arrives.

- Aeon's End for PC/Mac/Linux via Steam, arrives Sept. 17




Board Game: Siberian Dawn

Siberian Dawn 2.0 Released
Siberian Dawn is a deck building card game from renaisance man (and reader) Stephen Winterflood. It's a labor of love: he created the game, art, programming, everything. He's basically the Ryan Laukat of the digital game scene.

He's been hard at work on his baby and, just recently released version 2.0. This huge update not only fixes up bugs and whatnot, it also adds a shiny new veneer in the form of HD graphics and a new tutorial system to get new players up to speed.

Stephen Winterflood wrote:
Siberian Dawn is an original, solo, digital card game that combines the core soul of a deck builder with the tactical power of a war game and the strategic challenge of crisis management.

You are an Overseer in the Union, one of the tactical controllers who has to deal with the increasing dangers facing the Union through Objective based Missions. Recruit and deploy Units, enlist the help of the Guilds, and build your Bond with those in the shadows, whilst trying to control the conflict unfolding before you.

The basic Training Run Mission is available for free with the base game, to give you a taste for how the game works, and the first Mission Pack available as DLC adds the full Core game and first 3 Missions of the Siberian Dawn story.
Considering that most of the negative reviews on Steam are about the huge learning curve and rules complexity, the new tutorial should be just the trick to make Siberian Dawn playable. If you haven't tried it--or did and had no idea what was going on--you might want to give it another shot.

- Siberian Dawn 2.0 for PC via Steam, free
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Wed Sep 11, 2019 6:31 pm
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App News EXTRA: Bezier Games Unleashes Silver

David Neumann
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In life you have to do a lot of things you don't f*cking want to do. Many times, that's what the f*ck life is... one vile f*cking task after another.
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From gallery of Neumannium

Bezier Games Releases Silver on Mobile
As always happens when I'm gone for a long time and have to do a mega-post (as I did earlier today), I miss something. This time I missed something that was actually #2 on my list of news to share this week. How did I miss it? I don't know. My brain works [or doesn't work -ed.] in mysterious ways.

Anyway, consider this an addendum to my main post today. Thanks!

I should get to it, so here goes. Bézier Games has created an app for their new card game Silver and it's available right now for iOS and Android. Even better, it's completely free.

Silver is a card game, but the first of what will be a string of games.

Bezier wrote:
In Silver, your village is overrun by savage werewolves and it is up to you to deter as many as fast as you can! In this 2-4 player traditional card game, each player starts with five face down cards, which make up their village. Each card shows a resident, their unique ability, and a number - which is how many werewolves that resident attracts.

The game begins with everyone peeking at two of their five cards. On each turn the player chooses a card, and then decides to either replace high valued residents or to take advantage of the new resident’s special abilities. Silver contains fourteen different abilities, allowing you to view face down cards, trade cards with neighboring villages, protect your best cards, and more. Once you believe your village has fewer werewolves sniffing about than the neighboring villages, call for a vote! Your neighbors each have one more chance to save themselves before all is revealed. If you are correct, you receive a score of zero for the round, but if you are wrong, you get the sum of the cards in your village plus an additional ten points! All other players receive points totaling the sum of their cards. The winner of each round is awarded the glorious silver amulet (an actual metal token that comes with the game), granting them an additional source of protection in the next round. After four intense rounds, the player with the lowest score wins!
The second game in the series will be out around Essen and is called Silver Bullet. No word on whether that will be coming in app form or not, so let's focus on the first game, Silver.

Silver is currently available and has only a 2-player mode (the physical game is 2-4 players) vs. an AI. So, it's a great way to learn the game or be a fun timewaster. Hey, it's free!

The app shipped with several bugs, but it's been updated quite a bit since its release in early August and it seems to be rather polished at this point. Head over to the App Store of your choice and pick it up before the price is no longer free. Yep, that's going to happen at some point, so don't dawdle.

- Silver for iOS Universal, free
- Silver for Android, free


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Tue Sep 10, 2019 6:07 pm
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App News: Evolution coming to Switch, Stonemaier games exploding (digitally speaking), More Talisman and more...

David Neumann
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Evolution coming to Switch
When NorthStar Game Studio released Evolution (2019) back in February its polish pushed it into the upper echelon of digital board games with one exception: no asynchronous play. Well, we know that async play is coming at some point, but today we learned that's not the only thing being worked on behind closed doors. It's also coming to Nintnedo Switch.

The Switch version will have all the features of the current version including online multiplayer and pass-and-play. We're not sure of a release date, but we're told to expect it in early 2020.

Even more good news! For those who haven't taken the Evolution plunge, North Star is celebrating the Switch announcement with a 40% off sale on all current platforms. So, if you haven't tried Evolution yet or just want it on another platform, now's the time to grab it.

- Evolution for PC/Mac via Steam, $9
- Evolution for iOS Universal, free to download ($6 full unlock)
- Evolution for Android, free to download($6 full unlock)




Board Game: Wingspan

Stonemaier Games bringing Wingspan, Viticulture and more to digital
This is old news, but when I looked back to check it appears I never fully covered it. Well, we kind of covered it. We mentioned that Charterstone was headed to your favorite screen at some point but it appears that's just the tip of what Stonemaier Games has in store.

First of all, we can expect the Kennerspiel des Jahres winner, Wingspan. It's being developed by Monster Couch and is currently on Steam, not for purchase but you can wishlist it now. No mention of a release date or other platforms at this time, but we'll let you know when more news drops (probably a month after it drops, but <shrug>.

From gallery of Neumannium
From gallery of Neumannium
From gallery of Neumannium


The other game coming is Viticulture and that's coming via digital board game veterans, Digidiced UG.

Digidiced wrote:
Features:
• 1 to 6 players
• Play in single-player with challenging computer opponents, against your friends in local multiplayer, or face players from all over the world in online mode!
• Learn the rules with our Interactive tutorial or even watch games of the top players on your device!
• Take your time in asynchronous game mode with push notifications and never miss a turn.
• Family friendly – non violent theme
• Easy interactive tutorial to learn the game from scratch
• Analyze your best games or learn tricks from the best with playback
• 3 different computer opponents
• uses the newest rules of the board game
No word on when Viticulture is going live either, but I think we can safely assume that Digidiced will follow their previous releases and we'll see it on both mobile and Steam.


From gallery of Neumannium

In news that surprises no one, Talisman gets more content
Ah, Talisman. We can't go a month without posting without some new Talisman expansion news, can we? No, we cannot. In fact, I'm shocked that we only have three expansions to mention in this update, especially considering that we have two Talisman games to worry about.

First, Nomad Games Ltd (II) has updated Talisman: Digital Edition with a new expansion, The Clockwork Kingdom. This expansion adds something we've never seen in Talisman before: the ability to craft your own items. You will have all sorts of different crafting combinations that will allow you to build thousands of different items.

Nomad wrote:
The Clockwork Expansion includes:
● 41 New Adventure Cards
● 8 New Spells
● 30 New Material Cards
● 3 New Characters
● 2 New Alternative Endings
That's not all!

We also have Talisman: Origins, the solo version of Talisman that tells stories from the history of Talisman.

There are two expansions for Talisman: Origins: The Legend of Pandora's Box and The Assassin's Tale. The Pandora's Box expansion will cost you a little bit of coin to unlock, but the Assassin's Tale addition is free for owners of Talisman: Origins.

Nomad wrote:
Talisman: Origins - The Legend of Pandora’s Box adds a new book to the Origins Library with a whole new five chapters to play through. This book isn’t for the faint-hearted, as the challenging Nether Realm creatures are some of the strongest in the history of Talisman. Featuring 5-10 hours of new content, The Legend of Pandora’s Box adds new challenges and achievements in which you have to use your wits to survive.

The Assassin’s Tale is the 4th free DLC to be added into the Talisman: Origins Library. Featuring 3 new chapters, this free content update tells the tale of the Assassin proving his worth and becoming the feared character players know in Talisman. Will he be able to remove the bounty on his head?
All of these expansions are out now for iOS, Android, and Steam.

- Talisman: Digital Edition for iOS Universal, $4
- Talisman: Digital Edition for Android, $4
- Talisman: Digital Edition for PC/Mac via Steam, $7

- Talisman: Origins for iOS Universal, $4
- Talisman: Origins for Android, $4
- Talisman: Origins for PC/Mac via Steam, $7


Board Game: Dixit

Dixit coming (again?) to digital
Way back in 2011, when Dixit was still the shiny new kid on the block, there was a mobile version that kind of flopped. I mean, the app itself wasn't terrible but there were massive bugs at launch that ruined online play and it just never recovered. Then again, maybe the fact that Dixit is a social game and playing alone staring at your screen isn't the best way to play it? Maybe?

That's not stopping Libellud Digital from trying! They're working on something called Dixit World and it's currently in beta. In fact, you can head to their site right now and sign up to beta test this thing and let us them know what you think.

Here's what we know: It's coming to iOS/Android, will have both offline and online play, and will be free to download with the ability to buy more cards inside the game.

Head over and see if you can get in the beta...I'm curious to hear how they're going to pull this one off.

- Dixit World for iOS/Android beta signup page


Board Game: The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game

Lord of the Rings Adventure Card Game now live
It released back on August 29, but we were indisposed so we weren't' able to share it with you. If you haven't seen it yet, The Lord of the Rings Living Card Game is now live on Steam from Fantasy Flight Games and Asmodee Digital.

Asmodee wrote:
The first adventure card game set in the quintessential fantasy world of J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game lets players face epic challenges during solo and cooperative adventures. The game is inspired by the cooperative Living Card Game®, The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game. Combining a strong immersive narrative experience with rich deck-building strategies, The Lord of the Rings: Adventure Card Game will put players’ skills to the test.

-Adventure card gaming: Players can experience the only card card game that lets them play an adventurer in Middle-earth. They will craft their own stories in the rich world of J.R.R. Tolkien by engaging in solo card-based battles or in collaborative campaigns with a friend in co-op mode.

-A new story in Middle-earth: Gamers can develop and discover new stories in the world depicted in J.R.R. Tolkien’s books. They can build a Fellowship of heroes from some of the most iconic characters and wage battle in the most famous locations of the Third Age of Middle-earth.

-A unique way of delivering new content: Players can obtain full expansion packs that provide both campaigns with new quests and hero packs with thematic cards, forging their adventures in Middle-earth.

-Unique game mechanics: Players build custom decks, each based around three heroes with unique abilities. They draw upon an ever-growing pool of cards based on the distinctive spheres of the selected heroes. Players can then challenge themselves along with friends to complete Quests. They progress through their story by defeating the forces of Sauron in combat, and by using Willpower to resolve Objectives. Willpower can also be added to the Fate Pool, used to trigger contextual abilities during a Quest. In turn, the Threat Meter displays the increasing danger from Sauron, triggering roadblocks that can disrupt player strategies.
While I think the general consensus was a little negative when we heard it wasn't a 1:1 remake of the card game in digital form, everything I've heard about the game as it currently stands has been positive. Like really positive. People seem to really like this new version and I'm looking forward to taking the plunge myself.

It's currently available for PC/Mac, but we can expect it to land on Xbox, PS4, and Switch this autumn.

- Lord of the Rings Adventure Card Game for PC/Mac via Steam, $20


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Tue Sep 10, 2019 5:27 pm
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