Armello

Armello makes a great first impression, but it has a bad habit of making you feel like you're playing alone.

Board gaming come to life, with none of the missing pieces.

Matches take a long time to complete - sometimes upwards of an hour and, for that reason, are best played against human competitors, where one's cruelty and wisdom takes on sharper significance. That said, the AI in the single-player game is able, and for players worried about entering games via Steam matchmaking, with all the attendant risk of having a human competitor who drifts away from their keyboard half an hour in, the single-player portion provides useful on-going training grounds.

Despite being a bit abstruse at times, Armello is excellent at maintaining your interest and offers plenty of guidance to improve your playing technique. Overall, this is a remarkable digital board game that combines an engaging lore with likeable scenarios and fascinating mechanics.

It's taken three years to get here, but the long journey hasn't dulled Armello's blades. From the deep tactics of its living board game gameplay to the sheer charm of its world-building and character designs, it's a turn-based quest filled with back-stabbing, political power plays and rampaging monsters that's different each and every time you play. It's at its absolute best when played in multiplayer, that human factor making for an even more predictable battle for the corrupted throne. You'd be doing yourself a disservice not to add this anthropomorphic tale to your wish list.

Playing is both a joy and infuriating, depending on your back stabbing/stabbed ratio. In either case, I found myself wanting to go back for more.

Armello is a game with some deeply complex but very rewarding mechanics. If you like board games, or want to take your first step into the genre, Armello is one of the best options currently.

Armello brings a set of strategy and RPG elements to the Nintendo Switch and while it does not feature a very compelling plot, it offers an interesting mix of gameplay mechanics, along with very attractive views to look at and a good level of challenge. Its tutorials and rules do feel excessive though and its local multiplayer could use some work but overall, Armello is a fun package that can be enjoyed by many players.

A board game that's overly complicated, doesn't really teach itself fully, and heavily based on luck. That's three strikes and I'm out. Maybe people will like this, but there's far better.

This game, like most strategy games, might not be for everyone, especially for those who can get frustrated easily with a bad roll of the dice or a bad card draw, but the short "per game" length the high replay value make this one definitely worth a try… because if you like it the first time, you will keep loving it the next 40 times as well! Armello is perfect for people looking for an intermediate and customizable title to get into the genre; and people looking for little indie gems as well.