by Known for console and computer heavy hitters like Civilization V and XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Firaxis’ latest strategy game is the unexpectedly kid-friendly and cartoonish Haunted Hollow for iPhone and iPad. Starring familiar monsters like vampires, ghosts, and witches, this free-to-play game offers a surprisingly rich level of depth and enjoyment that is sure to please any fan of the genre.
Haunted Hollow puts you and your opponent on opposite sides of a town – one that you must fully scare in order to win. Each turn, you are given “scare tokens” that you can use to make monsters, move them into town to scare and control houses, or fight against other monsters. Because both you and your opponent are ultimately fighting for supremacy, the game offers plenty of room for strategic calculations that reward you with more scare tokens, and thus a better chance at winning each showdown. Scare groups of houses and you’ll get extra tokens and experience points that unlock items for you to use, giving you strength-enhancing tools to choose from.
Each turn also presents you with a random room to add to your mansion, letting you create different monsters or level up their abilities. Monsters specialize in scaring, fighting, or a mix of these two abilities, so there are plenty of options when it comes to planning your moves. A den, for example, lets you create a basic werewolf, but adding more dens next to each other lets you make a more formidable fighter.
Computer-controlled opponents don’t offer much of a fight, and the single-player challenges can be cleared rather quickly. Thankfully, you can you can also play against a local friend using the pass and play option, or online opponents in asynchronous turn-based multiplayer via Game Center. Additionally, while the initial free download comes with a limited number of monsters to make, you can purchase additional monsters (with real cash) that also let you play on different maps beyond the one available to everyone. These new monsters come with unique abilities, but are balanced enough to give your matches a touch of variety without feeling overpowered.
The bottom line. Haunted Hollow is an uncomplicated, charming, and fun strategy game that’s particularly potent with pals.
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