12-21-2019, 06:21 AM
The Weekender: Last of 2019 Edition
<div style="margin: 5px 5% 10px 5%;"><img src="https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/the-weekender-last-of-2019-edition.jpg" width="1280" height="720" title="" alt="" /></div><div><div><img src="https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/the-weekender-last-of-2019-edition.jpg" class="ff-og-image-inserted"></div>
<p>This’ll be the last Weekender update of the year so enjoy it – the next one will land January 3rd, 2020. This week has been a little bit mixed simply because I’ve been travelling a bit for various company stuff, but I’m glad we got a few updates out. It’s a little sad to think this will be my last GOTY session as Editor, but thankfully there’s still plenty of time until the new people come on board that I don’t have to worry too much about ‘handing over’ just yet.</p>
<p>We’ve got content planned for the Christmas break – got a few op-eds reflecting on the year coming through, and of course the official GOTY post at the end of the month, but other than that, don’t expect a lot of news or reviews from now until we’re back.</p>
<h2>Out Now</h2>
<p>There’s not actually much I feel warrants special attention this week, but I also don’t want to leave you completely in the lurch so here’s a few games that caught our interest:</p>
<p>Firstly, we have another new board game release, huzzah! This one is called <em>King Tactics – War of the Roses</em>, which despite sounding like F2P trash is actually the digital adaptation of <em>The Rose King</em>, or ‘<em>Rosenkönig</em>’, which is a KOSMOS game created by Dirk Henn. It’s a minimalist strategy game for one or two players, with a couple of game modes and online multiplayer. It’s out on both <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/king-tactics/id1471309505" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.usm.rosenkoenig2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Android</a> and isn’t that expensive, although beyond that I’m not really sure how else to describe it. Maybe you’ll get more from the trailer than I did:</p>
<iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='980' height='552' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZfyMrd4CJbE?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'></iframe>
<p>The next game is <em>Hoop League Tactics</em>. It’s a turn-based strategy game that mainly revolves around making smart choices as to the placement of your players, focusing on their ability to make shots. Each player on your team can either move, pass or take a shot, and there’s a timer of sorts that acts as your stamina so knowing when to make the shot and when to keep pushing is key. Really, it comes down to positioning so that the right player is in the right place, at the right time.</p>
<iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='980' height='552' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/kml3aSJnqDE?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'></iframe>
<p>This game is available on both <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hoop-league-tactics/id1484372351" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.koalitygame.hoopleaguetactics" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Android</a>, and as a free-to-download trial with a full-game unlock that’s currently $2.99 – 40% off the full price during December.</p>
<p>The final one is <em>AI Dungeon</em> – this is a free text-adventure game. There’s nothing much to it, but it boats and AI-driven text engine that’ll allow you essentially play forever? It says it’s a <em>“limitless text adventure”</em> thanks to the AI that powers it. Might be worth checking out just for the concept, although it’s <a href="https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/ai-dungeon/id1491268416?mt=8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">only on iOS</a>.</p>
<h2>App Updates & News</h2>
<p>The <em>Mario Kart Tour</em> multiplayer beta has finally rolled out, although only Gold Pass subscribers can access it for now. It’ll be running from now until December 26th, and will let people play against each other in actual head-to-head matches, as opposed to whatever it is that happens currently.</p>
<p><em>Hearthstone Battlegrounds</em> has also received a new update (as well as <em>Hearthstone</em> itself), which removes Nightmare Amalgam from the card pool. This is pretty huge, as Nightmare was pretty key to the meta at large, and one of the most sought after cards in the game. Brann Bronzebeard has also been removed from the pool of minions, and plenty of other minions have had their tiers changed as well.</p>
<p>Apple Arcade has also introduced an Annual Subscription option to their new subscription service. It costs $49.99 ($59.99 in Canada) and £49.99 in the UK, which essentially gets you 12 months for the price of ten and saves you around $10.</p>
<p>Also, if any of you have been missing the <em>Eclipse</em> digital board game app, one of our readers made the bold move to ask the table-top game’s creators about a mobile adaptation, now that the boardgame’s second edition is in the works. You can see an <a href="https://imgur.com/sMlQSYJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">image of the reply here</a>.</p>
<p>But essentially the original version is due to return Q1 2020, with news regarding a digital implementation of the Second edition due sometime in Q2.</p>
<p>We’ve also noticed a slew of other updates, including <em>Minecraft Earth</em>, <em>DOTA Underlords</em>, <em>Santorini</em> and more.</p>
<h2>App Sales</h2>
<p>I wasn’t expecting so big a sales event so soon after Black Friday, but here we are. It’s Christmas in exactly five days, and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon to offer up some holiday app sales. There’s honestly a bit too many to list out properly as several publishers have just gone all-out, but here’s a hap-hazard summary of games to look out for that are going cheap:</p>
<ul>
<li>Seemingly anything currently published by Asmodee Digital. They’re discounts are as high as 75% and this is across iOS and Android.</li>
<li>ACRAM Digital’s <em>Istanbul</em>, <em>Eight-Minute Empire</em> and <em>Steam: Rails to Riches</em>.</li>
<li><em>Battle Chasers: Nightwar</em></li>
<li><em>Star Traders: Frontiers</em> & other Trese Brothers games</li>
<li>All of the <em>Kingdom Rush</em> games + other Ironhide titles</li>
<li><em>The Banner Saga 1 </em>&<em> 2</em></li>
<li><em>One Deck Dungeon</em> & other Handelabra games</li>
<li><em>Reigns: Game of Thrones</em></li>
<li><em>FTL</em></li>
<li><em>Holy Potatoes! A Spy Story|?</em></li>
<li><em>Holy Potatoes! We’re in Space!?</em> & the other Holy Potatoes games</li>
<li><em>Motorsport Manager Mobile 3</em> (Free!?)</li>
<li><em>Solitairica</em></li>
<li><em>Peninsular War Battles</em></li>
<li><em>Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions</em></li>
<li><em>Galaxy Trucker</em></li>
<li><em>Raiders of the North Sea</em></li>
</ul>
<p>There’s probably more, but the tool I use is listing so much from the past 24 hours alone, I’m trying to just skim through for the highlights. I’ve also checked a couple of games that are on both iOS and Android and the majority of sales seem to be on both platforms where applicable, but obviously double-check before you buy.</p>
<p><em>That’s all for this week’s update, Merry Christmas if you don’t come back to the site much next week, otherwise see the rest of you on Monday!</em></p>
</div>
https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2019/12/...9-edition/
<div style="margin: 5px 5% 10px 5%;"><img src="https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/the-weekender-last-of-2019-edition.jpg" width="1280" height="720" title="" alt="" /></div><div><div><img src="https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/the-weekender-last-of-2019-edition.jpg" class="ff-og-image-inserted"></div>
<p>This’ll be the last Weekender update of the year so enjoy it – the next one will land January 3rd, 2020. This week has been a little bit mixed simply because I’ve been travelling a bit for various company stuff, but I’m glad we got a few updates out. It’s a little sad to think this will be my last GOTY session as Editor, but thankfully there’s still plenty of time until the new people come on board that I don’t have to worry too much about ‘handing over’ just yet.</p>
<p>We’ve got content planned for the Christmas break – got a few op-eds reflecting on the year coming through, and of course the official GOTY post at the end of the month, but other than that, don’t expect a lot of news or reviews from now until we’re back.</p>
<h2>Out Now</h2>
<p>There’s not actually much I feel warrants special attention this week, but I also don’t want to leave you completely in the lurch so here’s a few games that caught our interest:</p>
<p>Firstly, we have another new board game release, huzzah! This one is called <em>King Tactics – War of the Roses</em>, which despite sounding like F2P trash is actually the digital adaptation of <em>The Rose King</em>, or ‘<em>Rosenkönig</em>’, which is a KOSMOS game created by Dirk Henn. It’s a minimalist strategy game for one or two players, with a couple of game modes and online multiplayer. It’s out on both <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/king-tactics/id1471309505" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.usm.rosenkoenig2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Android</a> and isn’t that expensive, although beyond that I’m not really sure how else to describe it. Maybe you’ll get more from the trailer than I did:</p>
<iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='980' height='552' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZfyMrd4CJbE?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'></iframe>
<p>The next game is <em>Hoop League Tactics</em>. It’s a turn-based strategy game that mainly revolves around making smart choices as to the placement of your players, focusing on their ability to make shots. Each player on your team can either move, pass or take a shot, and there’s a timer of sorts that acts as your stamina so knowing when to make the shot and when to keep pushing is key. Really, it comes down to positioning so that the right player is in the right place, at the right time.</p>
<iframe class='youtube-player' type='text/html' width='980' height='552' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/kml3aSJnqDE?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'></iframe>
<p>This game is available on both <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hoop-league-tactics/id1484372351" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.koalitygame.hoopleaguetactics" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Android</a>, and as a free-to-download trial with a full-game unlock that’s currently $2.99 – 40% off the full price during December.</p>
<p>The final one is <em>AI Dungeon</em> – this is a free text-adventure game. There’s nothing much to it, but it boats and AI-driven text engine that’ll allow you essentially play forever? It says it’s a <em>“limitless text adventure”</em> thanks to the AI that powers it. Might be worth checking out just for the concept, although it’s <a href="https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/ai-dungeon/id1491268416?mt=8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">only on iOS</a>.</p>
<h2>App Updates & News</h2>
<p>The <em>Mario Kart Tour</em> multiplayer beta has finally rolled out, although only Gold Pass subscribers can access it for now. It’ll be running from now until December 26th, and will let people play against each other in actual head-to-head matches, as opposed to whatever it is that happens currently.</p>
<p><em>Hearthstone Battlegrounds</em> has also received a new update (as well as <em>Hearthstone</em> itself), which removes Nightmare Amalgam from the card pool. This is pretty huge, as Nightmare was pretty key to the meta at large, and one of the most sought after cards in the game. Brann Bronzebeard has also been removed from the pool of minions, and plenty of other minions have had their tiers changed as well.</p>
<p>Apple Arcade has also introduced an Annual Subscription option to their new subscription service. It costs $49.99 ($59.99 in Canada) and £49.99 in the UK, which essentially gets you 12 months for the price of ten and saves you around $10.</p>
<p>Also, if any of you have been missing the <em>Eclipse</em> digital board game app, one of our readers made the bold move to ask the table-top game’s creators about a mobile adaptation, now that the boardgame’s second edition is in the works. You can see an <a href="https://imgur.com/sMlQSYJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">image of the reply here</a>.</p>
<p>But essentially the original version is due to return Q1 2020, with news regarding a digital implementation of the Second edition due sometime in Q2.</p>
<p>We’ve also noticed a slew of other updates, including <em>Minecraft Earth</em>, <em>DOTA Underlords</em>, <em>Santorini</em> and more.</p>
<h2>App Sales</h2>
<p>I wasn’t expecting so big a sales event so soon after Black Friday, but here we are. It’s Christmas in exactly five days, and everyone is jumping on the bandwagon to offer up some holiday app sales. There’s honestly a bit too many to list out properly as several publishers have just gone all-out, but here’s a hap-hazard summary of games to look out for that are going cheap:</p>
<ul>
<li>Seemingly anything currently published by Asmodee Digital. They’re discounts are as high as 75% and this is across iOS and Android.</li>
<li>ACRAM Digital’s <em>Istanbul</em>, <em>Eight-Minute Empire</em> and <em>Steam: Rails to Riches</em>.</li>
<li><em>Battle Chasers: Nightwar</em></li>
<li><em>Star Traders: Frontiers</em> & other Trese Brothers games</li>
<li>All of the <em>Kingdom Rush</em> games + other Ironhide titles</li>
<li><em>The Banner Saga 1 </em>&<em> 2</em></li>
<li><em>One Deck Dungeon</em> & other Handelabra games</li>
<li><em>Reigns: Game of Thrones</em></li>
<li><em>FTL</em></li>
<li><em>Holy Potatoes! A Spy Story|?</em></li>
<li><em>Holy Potatoes! We’re in Space!?</em> & the other Holy Potatoes games</li>
<li><em>Motorsport Manager Mobile 3</em> (Free!?)</li>
<li><em>Solitairica</em></li>
<li><em>Peninsular War Battles</em></li>
<li><em>Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions</em></li>
<li><em>Galaxy Trucker</em></li>
<li><em>Raiders of the North Sea</em></li>
</ul>
<p>There’s probably more, but the tool I use is listing so much from the past 24 hours alone, I’m trying to just skim through for the highlights. I’ve also checked a couple of games that are on both iOS and Android and the majority of sales seem to be on both platforms where applicable, but obviously double-check before you buy.</p>
<p><em>That’s all for this week’s update, Merry Christmas if you don’t come back to the site much next week, otherwise see the rest of you on Monday!</em></p>
</div>
https://www.sickgaming.net/blog/2019/12/...9-edition/