Let's Play! Oink Games+

There are not a lot of fun board or card games on the App Store. This collection provides fun and variety for different levels of players interested in stretching their brain a little instead of just their thumbs

I had previously downloaded the non-Arcade version of this app and purchased Scout in hopes to play some games online. But no matter how long I queued, I could never find another person to play with online. I had hoped that the Arcade version of this app, with its built-in subscriber base would alleviate this problem, but I'm still running into the same issue. Look, Oink makes some good tabletop games, and Scout is an all-time great card game. But playing against a CPU can never replicate the feel of competing against real people. There are only so many games you can play solo before it starts to feel incredibly stale. It's a good, well-made app. But it just doesn't have staying power without online play. There are plenty of tabletop game implementations on the app store, and I almost never have trouble finding an online game in other apps. But it's straight up impossible here unless it's you have friends who also play. For now, I'll keep queuing and hope to see you there.

Only half of the games in this collection have actual gameplay. You're typically not doing much as a player - you spend a significant amount of time watching others play, then you get a turn where you maybe place a token or roll some dice. You don't get to move your own piece, you don't get to select which murder victims you look at, and you can't move your cards. That works around a table, but it's just not interactive unless multiple people are playing around your phone. Point and round totals to end a game are also really high, so games take quite a while to end. Win conditions are only customizable upwards. Some of the games are good though! Rafter Five is solid, although I wish there was a way to play continuously until an absolute ranking was determined (i.e. last one standing wins), and Nine Tiles is fast-paced and fun.