Category: Mobile Game Releases

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears! Feral Interactive have just announced that the release date for the iPhone port of Rome: Total War.

The iOS specialist developer originally brought us Rome: Total War on iPad in November 2016, and then preceded to port both the Barbarian Invasion and Alexander expansions as separate apps in 2017. We first heard about the iPhone version of Rome: Total War back in October last year, but the iPhone version will finally be releasing ten months later on August 23rd, 2018. That’s next week!

This is not a separate app – Rome: Total War is now essentially going ‘universal’ on iOS, so you’ll be able to play the same saves on both devices, and if you already own the game you’ll be able to install the iPhone version for free. Here’s a new trailer showcasing the iPhone UI to get you excited:

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Remember, you will need an  iPhone 5S or later, iOS 11, and 4GB of free space to install the game on your iPhone. We reported on the full list of requirements and compatible devices at the start of the month.

Rome: Total War is currently available on iPad for $9.99/£9.99/€10.99.

On returning from a hunting trip the king finds his people revolting. Revolting in the social unrest sense of the word to the point that they are threatening to riot over tax increases. Although it is probably true to say that they were also revolting in the physical sense since they only bathed once a year and got by on a diet of cabbages and turnips, which play havoc with the digestive system. The king, refusing to heed the warnings of his advisers, decides to put on a show of strength by gathering his most trusted knights and marching back to his castle through the town square. The crowds are incensed and gather in the square to protest. Just who are those sinister grey hooded figures that lurk amongst their numbers? 

King and Assassins is an asymmetric two-player game in which one player will take on the role of the king and his knights, whilst the other plays as the citizens. Amongst the citizens lurk three hired assassins and in order to win, the people must either commit regicide or at least prevent the king from reaching his castle before the game ends. The king wins by reaching the safety of his castle, or by putting down the rebellion by eliminating all of the assassins. 

The king’s retinue starts the game in one of the two lower corners of the town square, whilst the citizens will be spread across the square on various specified spaces.  Before battle commences, the player controlling the citizens must secretly select three people to be their undercover assassins. These hired killers are the only citizens capable of slaying the king and his bodyguards.

At the beginning of each round, a randomly selected round card is drawn. This card will determine how many action points the king, assassins and citizens will be able to spend during the round. Some cards will also have a shackle icon, which means that on this turn the knights will be able to carry out the bonus action of capturing a citizen.

An overindulgence of the high life means that the king is not in the best physical condition; he has a meagre supply of action points, which can only be used to move slowly from space to space. His knights are much more athletic; they can climb onto the roofs of nearby buildings, shove back any unfortunate citizens unlucky enough to get in their way, kill a revealed assassin or possibly use shackles to capture and remove a citizen from the board. The citizens can use action points to move individuals, who can also scale buildings and drop back down to the ground. They can also choose to reveal an assassin.  Once uncovered, an assassin can eliminate a nearby knight, or if close enough, even attack the king. A first attack on the king will only wound him, but a second attack will finish him off.

The rules are simple to understand, as there is no need to remember the abilities of a mass of different unit types or special powers. The tutorial does a great job of teaching you to play using either side, although the addition of an in-game rules reference screen would have been appreciated. Graphics are bright and breezy, although things do get a little messy when units are partially obscured by buildings. Helpfully, the screen can be rotated and zoomed to ensure the optimum view of the action. The interface also works smoothly, although I did feel like selecting and moving a unit takes one more tap than is strictly necessary. Options are a bit sparse; you can play a practice game against the rather poor AI, which really only serves as a means of becoming familiar with the rules. You can try to find an online match, although opponents can be difficult to find. These matches take place in real-time, with each player having a total of twenty-five minutes to complete all of their moves. The final option is to partake in a pass and play contest. Games can be played using one of two different board layouts. The most significant difference being that one layout has an extra exit, making it easier for the king to escape.

Asymmetric board games have their own particular design challenges. Opposing sides need to feel significantly different and offer their own challenges but must also remain balanced. Furthermore, the different factions need to be equally as fun to play. I do not think that King and Assassins entirely succeeds here. The player in control of the king seems to have less strategic options, which means that turns feel rather repetitive. The knights bully the citizens out of the way and ensure that the king is guarded as he slowly makes his way to the castle but there is no real subtlety or bluffing involved. The citizens, with their covert assassins, offer a much more interesting challenge. Sneaking around, using standard citizens as red herrings and deciding when to actually pounce by revealing their hidden killers feels much more satisfying and involved.

The level of luck does sometimes sit a bit awkwardly with the game’s abstract mechanics. It is perfectly possible to get lucky and end the game within a couple of turns. The player controlling the king has no idea when the shackles are going to turn up, which means that capturing a hidden assassin often feels more a case of good fortune rather than good judgement. One thing that the game does have in its favour is a palpable feeling of tension and escalation. The king has so few action points that he cannot afford to dawdle, whilst the citizens must choose the right time to reveal their assassins, who will then immediately become vulnerable to attack.

Much like it’s straightforward, no-nonsense title, King and Assassins is an uncomplicated, quick playing board game conversion. Actually, it is a good job that the game does play quickly, as the app doesn’t save games that are in progress. It could have been a very dry abstract game of moving pieces around a board, but the theme does make sense and works rather well. There is a strong Assassins Creed vibe and the game’s background was obviously inspired by that popular series of games. Overall, it is a neat game that works well on mobile formats but unfortunately feels a little under-cooked.

2018 is well underway. Over half-way, in fact, and there’s still plenty more awesome titles expected to arrive between now and December 31st. Below is an up-to-date list of all of the best new mobile games due out before the end of the year. Some of these are more wishful than others, so don’t be surprised if you see some games turn up on 2019’s list as well. Let us know if you spot any others!

Bad North (RTS)

Bad North is a real-time tactics game where you’ll defend your kingdom from waves of Viking invaders. Between fights for the very survival of your realm you’ll have to gather precious resources and negotiate the aid of your nobles and commoners to stay in the fight. The game looks beautiful, is clearly a potential game-of-the-year contender and is one of the games I’m most looking forward to this year. There’s no firm release date but Bad North is coming to mobile (and we may have to consider knocking it off this list), but it’s due out on PC via Discord’s new game store later this year.

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Command and Conquer: Rivals (RTS)

Fans were stunned, awed and a little concerned when Rivals showed its face as the next entry of the classic series. Right now details are a little scarce, aside from the promise to see some familiar faces and engage in whirlwind base-building and battle. The visuals are already incredibly polished, and while its nerve-wracking seeing a legacy series carried forward, this game has the potential to be a killer distillation of the iconic C&C experience.

Dungeon Warfare 2 (Tower Defence)

Dungeon Warfare is my pick for the best tower-defense game on mobile. If you haven’t tried it and enjoy the genre, you really ought to remedy that, if for no other reason than to get ready for the sequel. Dungeon Warfare 2 has been in development for some time and will be released to Steam this year. Hopefully, we’ll see a mobile release as well as was the case with the first Dungeon Warfare. Dungeon Warfare 2 will include over 60 maps, 12 unit types, 6 traps, and 3 different skill trees.

Donut County (Puzzle)

If Seinfeld is a show about nothing, Donut County is a game about nothing. The ‘hero’ is literally a hole lurking and swimming across the surface of L.A., land of fantastic donuts and pending seismic disaster. The ‘whole’ game ‘circles’ around swallowing various objects, growing larger and holey-er and solving puzzles by interacting with the environment. The novelty of its central mechanic (here as elsewhere described as a Katamari Damacy in reverse) is strong. Its irreverent, off-the-cuff tone as delivered by a raccoon narrator and soft-poly aesthetic point to a wonderful game.

Epic Card Game (Card Game)

White Wizard Games has become a competitive-card-game behemoth. So much so that they only have to hint at a Kickstarter and it is instantly fully backed. Well, not quite, but pretty close. Their digital version of Epic Card Game has been in alpha testing for a few months and is on track for a 2018 release to both iOS and Android. Like their previous titles, Epic is a buy once and have all the cards you need for sealed, draft, and constructed for up to four players. There are even preconstructed decks to start with and modify.

Nowhere Prophet (Card Game/Roguelike)

Nowhere Prophet one is a doozy and a little secretive. The dark horse of this race, if you will. In the game, post-apocalyptic leaders trek across a scabrous landscape to gather supporters and supplies, occasionally clashing with foes or environmental dangers. This card game has grid-based combat as well procedurally generated encounters. It’s a card-battler roguelike, essentially, with a unique setting and what seems to be a robust battle system. It’s due to hit steam in Q3 this year, although no word on when the mobile versions are due out.

Evolution (Boardgame)

Evolution is a bit of a strange beast. It isn’t quite directly competitive but at time the kinds of nature and ecosystems it simulates can be punishing and downright hostile. Eating the last scrap of food or eating your opponents, it certainly embodies survival of the fittest. If the devblog is any indication, the digital version should be as lovely and clearly presented as the original. They’ve taken their time perfecting the interface, and now Evolution is ready for its next form, to be released next month.

Heaven’s Vault (Interactive Fiction)

Inkle (of 80 Days interactive fiction fame) has been teasing their mechanically ambitious Heaven’s Vault for some time now. An archeologist-slash-xenolinguist explores the dusty remains of an alien civilization on an unknown planet, with a vivid backdrop of sienna sand and celestial blue. There’s some pretty nifty procedural tricks behind the code-breaking and translation, and while its approach to storytelling is a little less handcrafted, it has the potential to have even more surprises and replayability than the globe-trotting 80 Days.

Lord of the Rings Living Card Game (Card Game)

Fantasy Flight Interactive is working on a Lord of the Rings living-card game. It is coming to Early Access on Steam sometime in Q3 with a full release to follow later this year. Lord of the Rings: The Living Card Game will be free-to-play with in-app purchases of non-random packs to add more cards with which to play. Mobile releases haven’t been officially announced, but there are Apple and Android logos in the video reveal, so we know they are coming. 2018 may be a longshot though.

Night in the Woods (Interactive Fiction)

In Night in the Woods, an anxious young critter comes home to a town, down in the dumps and feeling like a fresh failure. Sometimes just relating to others who care about you is an effort, or your childhood town strange as much as comforting. Oh, and there’s something dark and sinister afoot in the woods. Animal characters with human struggles, empathetic storylines and moving dialogue combine to create one of the best indie games of the past few years. It’s conversation-based gameplay and touch-and-go interactions.

Monster Slayers (Card Game)

It’s a deck builder. It’s a roguelike. It’s one of the best games of 2017. Monster Slayers is heavily influenced by Dream Quest and, for my money, is a better game. It’s coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PS Vita this spring and the developer has confirmed mobile is on the docket. Whether we can get our hands on it yet in 2018 is TBD.

EVE: War of Ascension (MMO)

The game that launched a million spreadsheets, space-based MMO Eve Online, is getting a mobile spinoff. Formerly known as ‘Project Aurora’, Ascension will be based in the same universe as EVE but will not be integrated into the existing game. CCP have partnered up with Kongregate to publish the game, and you can glean some insights as to how the project will be made here. While it’s supposed to have the same open world, player-driven gameplay as the PC game, it’s being specifically designed for a wider audience. It is expected to release to both iOS and Android later this year, although it has already soft-launched in the Phillipines.

Scythe (Boardgame/Strategy)

Slowly but surely all of the most-popular tabletop games are making their way to digital, and Scythe is on that list. The game is set in the alternate-history 1920+ universe where mechs and other mechanicals exist side-by-side with agrarian society. Each player acts as a leader of a faction seeking to bring it to glory and success. Asmodee Digital is at the helm of this port, and a mobile port is expected sometime this year. It’s already in Steam’s Early Access program.

Terraforming Mars (Boardgame/Strategy)

Yet another Asmodee digital title on its way is Terraforming Mars, and it should be a big one. Set 500 years in the future the game is all about the race to colonize Mars and out greed your fellow space-faring corporations. The tabletop game is perhaps the most popular board game still without a digital variant, but not for long. Transforming Mars is coming to iOS, Android, and Steam sometime this year, and will probably hit Steam Early Access first.

Void Tyrant (Card Game/RPG)

Do you dig Solitairica and other cool card/RPG/roguelike hybrids? If so, Void Tyrant is one worth watching for later this year. In Void Tyrant you pick a hero from a number of classes and head out to explore a chaotic galaxy. The graphics look good and combat has an interesting twist where either you or your opponent gets to do damage based on a Black Jack style showdown with special skills and items to monkey with the results. Void Tyrant is coming in Q4 for iOS and Android. It’ll be free-to-play by the developer cites “no annoying timers” so hopefully the monetization will be player friendly.

Seen anything else you’re excited for on the horizon? We’ll be keeping this list updated as the year progresses, so make sure you check back every couple of months!

Welcome to the Weekender, your weekly look at the best new games, sales, and updates. It’s the week after GenCon and the week of a new release for one of the biggest games out there, Hearthstone. The result is a slow week overall in new-releases, and fewer than average sales to boot! Fear not, we’ll make up for it by showcasing some games coming soon to an app store near you.

In terms of the website this week, our review of the excellent Pocket City went live, and we learned when the new Football Manager games will be coming out. Not only that, Nomad have a cool new boardgame license, and Fortnite‘s android beta is live.

Best New Mobile Games

Hearthstone Boomsday Project Expansion (iOS and Android)

I suspect a lot of developers avoid Hearthstone release week like movie studios avoid the new Marvel films, so let’s talk about the latest and greatest from the king of collectible-card games. The Boomstown Project adds 135 science-gone-wrong themed cards to the game and focuses on the “mech” creature type. A new magnetic mechanic allows you to Voltron up smaller mechs by fusing them together, creating a giant and deadly robotic monstrosity. Attaching one mech to another combines stats, effectively giving the new mech charge. It’ll be interesting to see what the new set does to what is generally regarded as a pretty stable metagame (for once).

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King and Assassins (iOS Universal and Android) – Full Review Coming Soon!

Asmodee Digital strikes again with King and Assassins, the digital recreation of a two-player turn-based strategy game. One player plays the role of a Joffrey Baratheon like monarch and his guards forcing his way through an angry mob back to the safety of the castle. The other plays an assassin, looking to move their agents through the mob and find an opportunity to strike the tyrant-king down. There are twelve peasants on the game board, but only three of them are the assassins, which creates interesting opportunities for strategy and deception. The game is fairly attractive, though there’s only two game boards at present, which could get a bit old. Perhaps they’ll add more down the road.

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Project Highrise (iOS Universal and Android) (Review)

Project Highrise, where you build your own skyscraper, has released two new bundles for those looking for more options. The Highrise Deco Bundle is $4.99 and includes every decoration in the game. The Citywide Maps Bundle gets you all three extra maps, complete with special scenarios, for $5.99.

Holedown (iOS Universal and Android) – Full Review Coming Soon!

An arcade-style ball shooter isn’t the traditional Pocket Tactics game but it’s a slow week and Holedown is very, very good. You are a space-miner and must dig deep into asteroids, moons, and even planets to find valuable gems. You mine by firing balls that ricochet and chip away at rocks allowing you to delve deeper and deeper. As you earn gems you can unlock upgrades like more balls or a larger cargo hold, allowing you to grab more gems. It’s a clever design that’s been well executed and is rather hard to put down. The developer made rymdkapsel, so they have a pedigree of great games going.

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New & Noteworthy iOS Pre-orders

It’s a slow week so there’s no better time to look to the near-future of mobile game releases. Here are some games currently available for preorder on the App Store that look good. You can expect more on these from us upon release!

Release dates were accurate at the time of writing, but are subject to change – the app store will keep you up to date.

Barbearian (August 15th, 2018)

A real-time combat game that features a frenetic pace and big-time hits against hordes of enemies, Barbearian is almost upon us, releasing next week. I got a review copy of this one and have already written my review. I won’t spoil anything, but, if you’re into pre-ordering and enjoy real-time combat, this is a safe bet.

Mars Power Industries (August 15th, 2018)

Mars Power Industries looks to be a puzzle game wrapped in a sci-fi story with a hidden mystery told through the game’s graphics alone. It’s an intriguing combination if it works.

Powerless (August 23rd, 2018)

Another game about electricity, this time interactive fiction meets simulation as you play through an “interactive doomsday simulator.” There are a bunch of levels/adventures including landing a helicopter during a solar storm, fighting a wounded gorilla, and escaping from a prison.

Chaos Reborn: Adventures (September 12th, 2018)

“Chaos Reborn: Adventures combines RPG-style turn-based combat with the tactical positioning of chess and the bluff of poker to create an entirely unique strategy game.”

Well OK, I’m intrigued. There’s also apparently tons of loot and both single-player and multiplayer modes. Oh, and it is a premium game that hopefully won’t have in-app purchases tacked on. We wrote more about it during the week, if you’re interested.

Sales & Updates

A Dark Room (iOS Universal and Android): $.99

Minimalist, text-based RPG A Dark Room was a viral hit in 2014 and is on sale for just a buck. It’s entertaining and well worth the price if you enjoy text adventures.

Tabletopia (iPad) (Overview)

We heard form Tabletopia this week that they’ve updated their iOS app to include online multiplayer. Huzzah! Players can now create games on their device, and then invite other players to participate over the internet to play or be a spectator. The platform currently has 31 boardgames in its library, including My Little Scythe, Clans of Caledonia, Roll Player and Hansa Teutonica. The next step is to create an Android version and enable cross-platform multiplayer.

Seen anything else you liked? Played any of the above? Let us know in the comments!

Android users are finally able to find out what all this fuss is about regarding Fortnite. Or you play it on PC and are finally looking forward to being able to play a match on the go. Either way, your time has come!

Beta invites will be rolling out to people over the weekend, with anyone owning a Samsung device (S7 or higher) getting priority access for the moment. The list of supported devices is modest, but they’re being very strict about it. If you’re new to Fortnite and not sure what the hell is going on, we’ve put together this handy guide to get you started…

Installation

Fortnite on Android is by-passing the Google Play store completely, requiring users to download an apk file directly from Epic. This is what is sometimes referred to as ‘side-loading’, and usually requires you to change a security setting to allow app installations from ‘unknown sources’.

On a Samsung Galaxy S6 (Our Editor tried testing to see if he could get in the beta despite not having a supported device. Spoiler: he couldn’t) for example, you can start running the install and it will automatically take you to relevant setting. It will also allow you to check a box that creates an exception only for that specific install, leaving your device protected.

It’s worth noting that what you’re actually downloading is an app called ‘Fortnite Installer’, which then checks to see if your device is supported. If it is, you can then pre-load the game on your device and start playing whenever you get given access, which will be via a separate email.

With the technical bits out of the way, let’s talk gameplay tips & tricks…

SMGs Are Your Best Friend

With the recent nerf to the ‘double pump’ shotgun tactic, SMGs have risen as the dominant force in Fortnite. Even though assault rifles can output a healthy amount of damage, accurately aiming with them on a phone is very tricky.

Given you are restricted to a smaller screen, trying to land headshots can be a frustrating experience. Fortnite’s touch controls aren’t that intuitive, especially if you have bigger fingers. SMGs, on the other hand, are still quite useful when fired from the hip and don’t require a ton of precision. A lot of this is thanks to the high fire rate of the guns and their ability to quickly dispatch targets.

Additionally, the Drum Gun – despite the recent nerf – is still /very/ powerful on mobile. Always bring a Drum Gun with you if you have the chance. It shreds buildings, which is extra effective on mobile since people cannot place walls down as quickly. This weapon also offers a good amount of damage, so you should be able to rapidly eliminate opponents. Finally, remember to always carry a shotgun with you because they are still very useful when playing on mobile. The new double barrel is quite dangerous given the sheer damage potential it offers.

The only weapons we advise on avoiding – at least until you’re familiar with the controls – are sniper rifles. While they are really good for taking out players, hitting someone at a distance can prove difficult.

BE AGGRESSIVE

One of the biggest mistakes new mobile players make is they are too passive when it comes to engaging enemies. We strongly discourage this behaviour since you can easily be overwhelmed by a player willing to fight. When you get into a battle with enemies, be aggressive and attack their position. Weapons like the Compact SMG, Drum Gun and LMG are great for ripping apart structures. Since “spam building” is less of a tactic on phones, most users will be left out in the open for easy pickings.

Once you get a handle on the controls, work on quickly assembling ramps over your enemies position. This not only gives you a height advantage but renders your foe’s cover useless. The only time we don’t recommend rushing into a fight is if you’re both in the same building. It’s very easy to safely peek around corners, so enemies can just wait for you before springing their trap. In this case, take your time and methodically check the building so you don’t get ambushed.

DON’T BE AFRAID TO BUILD

The single most important mechanic to master in Fortnite is building. Whether you’re on console or Android devices, constructing cover is critical to your survival. There are a lot of people who don’t build and simply try to use the environment for protection. Using hills and buildings as cover can save your life, but eventually, you’ll need to build some walls.

To build, select the tool icon in the bottom right corner at the end of your item bar. This will swap to your build menu, where you have to manually tap which tile you want to use. Once selected, you can tap the screen to place your structure of choice. However, if you hold your finger down and turn, you can assemble a box around you. After this is done, add a ramp so you can look over at your foe.

It’s vital to go into the mobile version of Fortnite accepting that you can’t build. The speed and general feeling of building are wildly different than on a PC. Because of this, it may take a few hours before you’ve obtained a strong understanding of how to quickly make cover. Start small and work on just rapidly building a small box for cover. Getting fancy is an easy way to get killed, especially if your opponent knows what they are doing. If you’re looking for more tips, we have a dedicated building guide you should check out – the mobile meta is pretty consistent across iOS and Android.

MOVING WILL BE AWKWARD AT FIRST

As mentioned above, there are a lot of icons that crowd your screen, which can be quite awkward for those of us with big thumbs. This means the positioning of your fingers will factor into your overall combat effectiveness. Try to always keep your right thumb in the bottom corner so you don’t accidentally tap the jump or crouch button. Only move this thumb when you want to jump, crouch, swap items, or fire at foes.

You’re going to have stilted movements – especially if you’re just starting – so save yourself some trouble by using the Auto-Run feature. To enable this, double tap on the virtual joystick to force your character to run in a straight path. This is great for evading the storm and scanning the horizon when moving between locations.

ATKs are also really useful on mobile since they can quickly get you from place to place. Since players have slower reaction times on mobile, it’s completely possible to drive up to someone, get out, mow them down, and drive off. If you see an ATK, make sure to grab as soon as possible.

USE PLAYGROUND MODE

Playground Mode is a special game type that lets you run around an empty island and freely build without concern. Make sure to take advantage of this mode and use it as a way to train yourself. Playing on mobile is quite different, so having an island to yourself is fantastic for learning how to build, move and shoot. Before you even hop into a game, make sure to jump into the Playground.

Since materials and weapons are plentiful, you can quickly begin understanding how Fortnite’s mobile version works. This mode is also wonderful for finding the right sensitivity and learning how to use the Turbo Build functionality. Playground is typically available for a month or two, so don’t put off getting some practice in!

If you do get into the Android beta, let us know how you’re finding it!

Epic have just launched sign-ups for Fortnite on Android. Tim Sweeney made the announcement during Samsung Unpacked, and now you can go to the official website and drop your name (or more precisely, your email) into the hat.

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Seems like Samsung have some kind of semi-exclusive on the beta – initial invites will roll out to anyone sporting a Galaxy S7 or newer, Note 8/9 and Tab S3/S4. According to Pocket Gamer, owners of the Samsung Galaxy S9 or Galaxy Tab S4 will get access to a new outfit.

After Samsung’s turn today, invites will start being emailed out to other users provided you have one of these devices:

• Google: Pixel / Pixel XL, Pixel 2 / Pixel 2 XL
• Asus: ROG Phone, Zenfone 4 Pro, 5Z, V
• Essential: PH-1
• Huawei: Honor 10, Honor Play, Mate 10 / Pro, Mate RS, Nova 3, P20 / Pro, V10
• LG: G5, G6, G7 ThinQ, V20, V30 / V30+
• Nokia: 8
• OnePlus: 5 / 5T, 6
• Razer: Phone
• Xiaomi: Blackshark, Mi 5 / 5S / 5S Plus, 6 / 6 Plus, Mi 8 / 8 Explorer / 8SE, Mi Mix, Mi Mix 2, Mi Mix 2S, Mi Note 2
• ZTE: Axon 7 / 7s, Axon M, Nubia / Z17 / Z17s, Nubia Z11

The following devices are currently unsupported, but Epic are working on fixes:

• HTC: 10, U Ultra, U11 / U11+, U12+
• Lenovo: Moto Z / Z Droid, Moto Z2 Force
• Sony: Xperia: XZ/ XZs, XZ1, XZ2

The final bit of advice Epic has regarding device compatibility is that provided your phone/tablet meets the following specs, the game might work anyway:

OS: 64 bit Android, 5.0 or higher
RAM: 3GB or higher
GPU: Adreno 530 or higher, Mali-G71 MP20, Mali-G72 MP12 or higher

Whether you’ll receive a beta invite if it’s not a supported device is another matter – you can always try. Signing up for the beta requires you to have an Epic Games account.

Remember because the devs are by-passing the Google Play Store, you will need to install the beta via an ‘Unknown Source’ install.

By Joe Robinson 09 Aug 2018

Space Hulk (the original DOS game) is a forgotten gem that by all rights should have inspired an entire genre of ‘real-time tactical horror’ clones. Based loosely on the Warhammer 40k board game (that also gave us the more-faithfully-adapted but less-critically-acclaimed Space Hulk: Ascension), Space Hulk was a masterclass in tension and tactics, with slow, powerful Terminator Space Marines stomping their way through abandoned corridors, and alien Genestealers doing their best to sneak around behind them and tear their hearts out through their armor.

Much like its venerable grandfather, Dereliction sees your squad of marines making their way slowly through a derelict vessel while fighting off swarms of alien bugs as they try to get from point A to point B and close the blast door behind them (ideally, for drama’s sake, at the last possible second.) Dereliction‘s also played in real-time with time-slowing if it all gets too overwhelming. After the encounter you can buy upgrades including new weapons and are free to replay missions you’ve unlocked previously for more coin.

Unlike Space Hulk, in Dereliction you have perfect information about the map and enemy movements. Rather than carefully managing an unknown threat you must deal with an overwhelming threat: but that razor-edge sense of impending doom stays with you. You need to juggle several tasks–locking doors, picking up useful and necessary items, operating terminals–while also being on watch for a stream of bugs that could instantly mess up your whole game plan. Well-coordinated, your marines can easily hold back the horde, but if you let something slip through its game over, man, game over.

The setting is your typical military-style spaceship built of square rooms and unlikely corridors, lockers full of cash and ammo crates stuffed with grenades, all shadowy or sickly lit. Creepy ambient noises and music set the mood perfectly. The story text is even well-composed; just evocative enough without seeming too purple.

Dereliction is dripping with atmosphere, which unfortunately tends to smear all over every important element of gameplay. The interface is largely integrated into the game map, which is highly immersive, but difficult to use. To know what keycard you need for a given terminal you have to peer at the actual in game model. To lock a door you have to spin the camera until you can hold your finger on the keyhole. To look at the map, you have to zoom all the way out, which is elegant at first, but cumbersome when you are trying to get a quick overview of your tactical situation. The lurid acid green floor lighting is the same color as the discs you drag around to identify and control your marines. 

These discs are also where you have info on health status, weapon and carried items. Since you are dragging this around to move the marines they can easily become separated from their vitals. There’s no other way to know at a glance even how many marines are still alive, not to mention what they are carrying or armed with. What’s more, without their discs around them troops gray-black armor blends into the gray-black bulkheads of the ship. If they are stuck somewhere away from their control spot, good luck trying to find them before they get eaten. You do have the ability to slow time while still handing out orders, but that doesn’t help much if you can’t figure out who’s who, where they’re going, and what they’re supposed to be doing.

Controls are especially fiddly. If your soldiers are stacked up it can be tough to grab the one you want. Dragging to move takes precious extra seconds, and sometimes fails if you try to move the wrong way, leaving your finger hovering over the screen for far too long. Some destinations will grab your cursor like a magnet while others won’t activate no matter how hard you try. It also takes a lot of wiggling to get the soldiers facing the right direction.

This is especially a big problem because units need so much handholding they won’t even turn around until the swarm is already devouring them. Pointed in the generally correct direction they will effectively defend their angle but turned too far one way and they’ll stubbornly ignore approaching death. They will also happily wade out into danger if they think that is the most efficient path to where you want them to go.

There’s a good game in here about carefully managing the movement of the aliens and protecting your perimeter. Some features do have opportunities to make interesting gameplay choices. For instance, I loved how locking a door behind you had the potential to backfire if the bugs were able to break through, thus essentially turning the passage into a one way path for aliens only. It was cool how you had to be careful not to break batteries–but they could be used as electrical bombs.

As it is, Dereliction has some pretty fundamental design problems that prevent it from being recommendable. It’s just plain hard to play for now, which is a shame since the atmosphere is so good and the genre is so under-served.

Epic have released Patch 5.20 for Battle Royale sensation Fortnite. As we’re well into Season 5, this isn’t a game-changing update although the double-barrelled shotgun is now a thing. Reading through the patch-notes, there’s a mobile-specific section that’ll be relevant to you guys:

• Customizable fire mode selection screen added to mix and match fire modes.
• Added FPS (frames per second) mode setting for mobile devices.
• Added another individual quickbar button to the HUD layout tool.
• Added mobile Elimination Feed.
• Separated Quickbar buttons are more visible in the HUD Layout tool.
• Harvest tool will now alternate between itself and the previously selected item when tapped.

Bug Fixes

• Completed or expired Challenges are now cleared while navigating between Challenges.
• Ramps will no longer be built through other ramps.
• Shooting when interacting with objects no longer occurs.
• Fixed inconsistency with mobile low power mode support.

As Collin has pointed out in our building guide, building is less prevalent in the iOS meta because of the fiddly controls. Fixing the ramp issues will mean you may have to pay more attention to what you’re doing if you’re trying to throw down some elevation in a hurry.

Also, did you hear? Fortnite’s Android version is by-passing the Google Play store. Whenever it releases, you’ll need to download the game’s APK directly from Epic Games’ website, and then do an ‘unknown source’ install. It’s not as scary as it sounds; on my Galaxy S6 it takes you straight to the relevant security setting when you’re trying to install something outside of the Google Play store. It also gives you the option to only grant an exception for that specific install, leaving you secure against anything you might accidentally download that will try and install itself.

We’re going to put together a proper guide for Android users, including installation instructions, so that you guys can get up-to-speed with the iOS crowd as quickly as possible.

Football fans, rejoice! The next iteration of Sports Interactive’s Football Manager series has been announced. Football Manager 2019 will be launching on PC, MacOS Android and iOS on November 2^nd.

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As with Football Manager 2018, the mobile version of Football Manager 2019 will come in two flavours:

• Football Manager Touch 2019 will be a direct port of the PC game, and only works on tablets. It costs more (FM Touch 18 goes for $19.99 at full price), and has higher spec requirements, but is essentially the PC game on your tablet.
• Football Manager Mobile 2019 will be a slim lined/adapted version of the full game for mobile. It’ll be iOS Universal and work on phones generally, have lower spec requirements and will be priced in-line with other premium mobile experiences. FM Mobile 18 is $8.99 at full price.

There’re quite a few changes coming in FM 2019 – for the first time there will be licensed German DFL teams, for one thing, and they’ll be talking about more concrete game changes towards the end of September.

We have yet to get around to actually reviewing 2018’s FM Mobile and FM Touch releases, so we’ll try and plug those gaps as soon as possible.