Now, wait, here me out on this one before you all run for the hills…
We've talked about Armello before. Gar has it, I know, and we can all concur that the on-screen text is stupidly small, making it hard to play (it falls into the same trap as Darkest Dungeon). HOWEVER, it's still a great multiplayer strategic board game thing… it's not asynchronous, which is a bit annoying, but it's still great.
Yesterday, I discovered that there's a mobile version of the game. It's pretty much identical to the console versions bar a tiny, tiny bit of graphical degradation. The text issue is better because, being on a mobile, it's bigger by default (and you can hold it nearer to your face). And, most importantly, it's free. It has IAPs, certainly, but they're all cosmetic and pointless rather than being integral to the game: additional characters are quite nice, as they can mix up the rules a little, but they're not essential.
That all said then… does anyone want to play a few games sometime, if we can set it up? There's a full tutorial in the game that walks you through all the rules, so you could do that first to get up to speed. I just thought, as unlikely as it is, that we could set up a game now and then - chat in Skype in the background, whatever. I mean, I'd still prefer to play it on PS4 but, given the cost, this seems a better way.
Anyone? Anyone? No? Anyone?
What’s the state of the PS4 version these days? I’d heard that at one point it had fallen well behind the PC version in terms of updates and fixes but I have a feeling that may have changed. Is it still regularly supported?
Like you say I have it and never really played it because I simply couldn’t read the text but, well, I have a bigger TV these days and it seems like the sort of thing my boy would love. If it’s still worth digging into I may give it another go.
I'd need to check on the PS4 one - I believe it has been pulled up somewhat, but some of the features like bespoke dice (that don't matter) and some other cosmetic/event stuff was never put into it. Nothing that really matters, but like you say… bit of a shame.
It's a great game. I hate to see it not get the love it deserves. Genuinely good fun.
I liked it a lot, but found playing against the AI a bit frustrating, because there only ever really seemed to be one reliable way to win, and a rot victory was RNG-dependent bordering on the impossible.
Still, the art and the concept were great; I'll have to fit it back up again and see what's changed.
I can't find a mobile version, though - is it iOS/tablet only?
I'm playing on Android on my phone, so I don't believe it's locked to a specific format. My phone's quite big, but I don't think the Play Store thinks it's a tablet.
The Google Play store page is here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.leagueofgeeks.armello&hl=en_GB
That said, it's telling me that the game isn't compatible with any of my devices… even though one of the devices on the list is the one I'm playing it on. Weird.
Yeah, it says my phone isn't compatible. I really need to get around to repairing my tablet.
It's on sale on Switch right now. Do I need to buy it?
I think you should. It's great.
The only sticking point - which may be a deal-breaker in your case - is that you can't play it local multiplayer, it's online only. The gameplay has card and movement elements which, if other players saw what you were doing, would ruin the strategy. You couldn't have multiple people looking at the same TV, it wouldn't work.
I've downloaded it on my phone just to take a look. It looks very inspired by modern boardgames.
Shame it's not async multiplayer.
I would genuinely buy a physical version of it if it existed (as in a board game, not a boxed videogame), but I'm not sure how it'd work. Super complex.
I think you need to play a few more modern boardgames.
I play a lot of modern board games, thanks.
Armello doesn't explain some of its mechanics enough to be totally practical in physical form… for instance, are the cards a pool for everyone to draw from, or does each player have their own? Same for the quest cards. Same for how it decides where/when Spirit Stones and Banes are spawned. Same for how the guards decide where to go. Would need a lot more explanation of things that are currently under the hood.
