Legends of Andor

Andor as a board game was... well, different... to wrap my head around, and the app version plays exactly like the physical game. It isn’t a hack-and-slash, attack everything kind of game - you have to carefully consider when to attack enemies and when to let them attack your castle (or similar... based on scenario). Also, even though you’re always tempted to “divide an conquer” the multiple quest objectives, your characters have to stick together whenever possible (at least in pairs) if you want any chance of beating enemies stronger than the basic Gor (and even a Gor has the ability to beat a single hero... so teaming up on them is often a good idea too). The digital version of the game is - of course - beautiful. And I really like the additional maps and scenarios (at least “additional” to the base physical game I purchased years ago). Only real complaint... sometimes the lack of an undo button is frustrating when I click something by accident... but that’s a minor complaint for such an enjoyable game.

My initial review rightfully blasted the game publishers for releasing a buggy game that crashed relentlessly. Happily, all issues seem to be resolved. So, let’s talk about the game itself. Simply stated, it’s a fun game. The graphics are simple and clean, yet effective. The music and sound effects are appropriate and, although repetitive, they never annoy. More importantly, the gameplay is solid as it utilizes both familiar mechanics and original ones. The challenge, as a whole, is fair as it steadily inclines as the game progresses. My one complaint, and depending on the player this could be significant, is that the game is less of a role playing board game and is more of a puzzle/strategy game. And, unfortunately, it depends a bit too much on a trial and error mechanic. Worth the five bucks.

I love this game. I own the table top version and was excited to see it available for iOS. This app version was easy for me to learn and I was playing right away. I'm not sure how complicated it would feel for a new player. For example not every rule is explained in the tutorial or first campaign. However things the game is designed to start off relatively easy and ramp up from there. If you like strategic board games, this is for you. Expect a little up front rule learning. So far the story line it's exactly like I remember from the physical game. You can adjust difficulty level though in case you have played before. I haven't played enough to know if the iOS version has the same randomness built in to the ai as the physical board game (for example placement of certain things on the board based on dice rolls). This randomness is what gives the game replayability. So far I'm really happy with this version. Recommended!