by League of Geeks’ debut game Armello was one of the stars of the show floor at the PAX Australia pop-culture convention last weekend. Coming next year to iOS, it’s a gorgeous turn-based strategy offering that draws elements from card and board games, as well as several popular video games — most notably Sid Meier’s Civilization series. We spent some time with a pre-alpha build, and walked away impressed.
Your goal is to become king or queen of the Kingdom of Armello, playing as the hero of one of four animal clans: Rat, Rabbit, Bear, or Wolf. Each hero has his or her own skills and advantages, such as extra health or movement points, which you can shape and develop during a campaign. Other skills and buffs came from cards in the demo, but we’re told the final release will also include quests and skill trees. There are more than 100 cards in the game, offering bonuses in attack, defense, magic, and various other areas.
You can equip up to three cards at a time, while additional cards may be “burned” in battle for extra bonuses that might tip the scales in your favor, regardless of the dice roll that determines how many hits each combatant gets. You’ll need to think carefully about which cards to equip or burn, and in true Civilization spirit, you have plenty of opportunity to pick your battles by using terrain strategically. Entering a forest tile at night hides you, while stepping on other tiles will heal or hurt your hero, or claim a settlement under your banner. Like Civilization V, Armello uses a hexagonal grid and a procedurally generated map that’s different every game, ensuring that no two campaigns will play out the same way.
It’ll help here if you have some friends to play with. Armello can be played solo against the computer, but it’s designed for single-screen or online multiplayer. We found that a penchant for card games or strategy games is not necessary to enjoyment; Armello might just have stumbled onto that elusive formula where it transcends traditional genre preferences.
This may be due to its broad inspirations. League of Geeks founder and director Trent Kusters rifled off a long list of influences on every aspect of the game, including Studio Ghibli’s award-winning animated film, Spirited Away – which specifically impacted the art direction and story. It looks to have paid off handsomely. A year from release, Armello already commands attention and oozes the same kind of charmingly fantastical personality you’d expect from a Miyazaki film or Civilization game – both juggernauts of their respective forms.
