It’s time for another year-end list from your favorite boardgame content creators! And we’re doing it too!
It’s a busy week for Em here at Overlords HQ, so once again, we’re tackling a list that she doesn’t have an opinion on, and that is Digital Ports of games. Now, obviously, I haven’t played all your favorites, so I’m sure you’ll feel like I left some of your favorites off the list, (for instance, I still haven’t played the digital version of Root), so don’t take any exclusions as an attack on those games.
With that out of the way, let’s get started!
I know what you are about to say: “Jay, Talisman is a terrible game! It’s roll-and-move!” I get that, but it’s roll-and-move where you make decisions on where to move, so I’m OK with it. Don’t @ me. Here’s the thing, though: I started playing this as I was just getting into Warhammer 40,000, and this game, along with Horus Heresy: Legions, helped me understand the lore of that universe.
As a digital post (and it’s a port AND a reskin), it’s…fine? The icons are a little small and difficult to keep track of, but as far as games you can play on your tablet while you watch TV, it’s one of the heavier ones. There are lots of characters in the base game, and you can buy characters and missions (much like the vanilla Talisman board game and its digital counterpart). So hey, I like it, and it’s on the list. Deal with it.
Em and I play Elder Sign (the tabletop version) fairly often. In fact, later today, two of the expansions should be arriving at the Overlords Pandemic Bunker. It’s a nice, co-op dice chucking game in one of our favorite game settings.
The digital version, Elder Sign: Omens, is a similar experience to the tabletop version. It’s not one I would play with other people, as pass-and-play is annoying to me, but as a solo game, it’s fun. My only complaint is that, at least the last time I played it (since switching to IOS devices, I have yet to repurchase the game), there aren’t many Old Ones to fight without buying DLC. Still, if you don’t mind stopping Azathoth over-and-over, give it a try!
3) Warhammer Underworlds: Online
The second of three Warhammer games on this list. There’s a reason for that: Warhammer miniatures games are expensive. I own Warhammer Underworlds tabletop, as well as several warbands, as it’s one of the cheaper games to get into.
Even cheaper is the digital version. From a strictly gameplay perspective, it’s identical to the tabletop version, and it has an AI you can go up against. If that’s not your thing, you can play against living opponents online. It also adds lighting and mist effects, animated minis, and all sorts of thematic sound effects. So why isn’t it number 1 on the list?
Well, first of all, you can’t “paint” you minis. You can unlock skins (through winning online matches…they don’t make you pay for skins), but that’s not the same. I want to paint my Spiteclaw’s Swarm like my physical copy. Secondly, if your computer isn’t moderately optimized for gaming, it can be laggy, and the lag can cause you to accidentally make moves you weren’t trying to make. This isn’t a problem with the game itself, but it is an issue you wouldn’t run into with the physical version of the game. Still, it’s worth getting, and if you have the digital version, let me know, and we’ll play!
I’ve already written a review of Blood Bowl II, so you know how I feel. To summarize: Blood Bowl is an expensive game to get into, and it’s niche enough that it can be hard to find people to play with. The digital version is cheaper, it had an AI that is pretty good, it has online-opponent capability, it it keeps track of the book-keeping, and if your computer is good enough, it plays well. I recently upgraded my computer, and now it plays Blood Bowl II as it was intended. I love it.
Again, if you play this online, let me know. I’d love to put my Thousand-Yard Sons against you!
1) Sentinels of the Multiverse
This is the one digital port that I’d play over the tabletop version. Sentinels of the Multiverse is a great card game, and I love the world it takes place in (see the game’s podcast for details of that world). However, as a tabletop game, it is EXTREMELY fiddly. There are so many little tokens to keep track of, and you’ll find yourself constantly counting them to see what status effects and how much life each card has on it.
The digital game is identical to the board game, but without tokens. It does all the math for you. Not just that, but it adds sound effects and music. I often get the theme music stuck in my head, but that’s OK because it’s a banger. Also, because it’s on the app, it’s easy to just load it up and play solo, rather than spending the time to set up the decks, figure out the villain-specific cards to put out, dedicate table space, and play the damn thing. On the digital version, you can stop at any time and pick it up later.
Out of all the digital ports I own, this is the one I’ve played the most. I’ve bought all the DLC except the OblivAeon expansion, and I when I look at how much that much content would cost in the physical version, it’s a bargain. Seriously, play this game.
And that’s my list of my favorite Digital Ports. What did I leave off? What games should I try? Let me know in the comments, or find us all over the internet.