Game Zone13: IOS Review

Information NEW Game APK: IOS Review #118: Imbroglio- By Bos Ciu

<b>Title: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/imbroglio/id969264934?mt=8">Imbroglio</a></b><br />
<b>Developer: <a href="http://www.smestorp.com/">Michael Brough</a></b><br />
<b>Platforms: IOS Universal</b><br />
<b>Price: $3.99</b><br />
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Between his titles like Zaga-33, Corrypt, and 868-Hack, Michael Brough is known for delivering odd abstract roguelikes and puzzlers that seem simple on the surface but gradually reveal a wealth of hidden depth and complexity. His newest work Imbroglio is no different, blending roguelike, RPG card game, and board game into  one challenging and engaging game<br />
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In some ways, 868-Hack veterans will feel at home with Imbroglio. The two share some similar elements and mechanics, such as randomly spawning enemies, the level layout shifting when you achieve a certain goal, enemies moving when you move and swiping towards them to attack, and so on. But while both share a similar skeleton, Imbroglio is its own beast. Choosing from a selection of different classes, each with their own unique abilities and deck limitations, your goal is to collect stars to increase your high score, evading or destroying enemies along the way.<br />
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Every star collected is another point to your score, but also alters the level layout and refills part of your health and mana bars; this aspect adds a risk-vs-reward element to increasing your score: how long can you use the level to your advantage, before needing to grab a star to balance out your health and mana. The two act as more of a resource to be managed, since certain weapons also draw from those meters to attack.<br />
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Yes, weapons. Imbroglio isn't your usual card game. After a certain score threshold is reached, you can build your deck of weapon tiles, ranging from swords that teleport you to a random spot or stun nearby enemies to ranged crossbows, and then use those tiles to construct the level floor. Standing over a weapon lets you use its properties, and killing enemies levels up that individual tile, unlocking new effects and buffs.<br />
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This complex interconnected web of class and tiles and board layout turn Imbroglio into a simple-to-play, but deep strategic roguelike. Finding synergies between different weapons, choosing the most opportune moment to gather a star, deciding which tile to use and when, Each class offers new strategies to master, due to the tiles they can or can't use. Every movement counts, as it can mean another enemy appearing or you being cornered. Every tile counts, as upgrading certain weapons can be more useful against different enemies. Every placement of those tiles count, as some can level up adjacent weapons or work in tandem against enemies.<br />
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Imbroglio is available for <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/imbroglio/id969264934">$3.99</a> on iPad and iPhone.

Title: Imbroglio Developer: Michael Brough Platforms: IOS Universal Price: $3.99 --- Between his titles like Zaga-33, Corrypt, and 868-...

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Information NEW Game APK: IOS Review #117: Blackbar / Grayout- By Bos Ciu

<b>Title: <a href="http://mrgan.com/blackbar/">Blackbar</a>, <a href="http://mrgan.com/grayout/">Grayout</a></b><br />
<b>Developer: <a href="https://twitter.com/mrgan">Mrgan LLC</a></b><br />
<b>Platforms: iOS Universal, Android</b><br />
<b>Price: $2.99 each</b><br />
<b>---</b><br />
Sometimes it can be easy to forgot the power of words can play in games. Often words are merely relegated to mere UI indications or the names of cool new loot. Dialogue, flavor text, and logs of lore remind us of their importance, while the Torments, Sunless Seas, and 80 Days of gaming show us how effective well-crafted prose can be. But outside of text adventures and word games, fewer still focus on blending the words themselves with the gameplay. Perhaps the most recent examples I can think of are Device 6's use of text to mirror the described environment and Type Rider's platforming journey through the history of typography.<br />
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Blackbar and Grayout are two narrative-driven text-based puzzlers that use their words to tell their stories and as gameplay. Set in a dystopian future, both explore different aspects of the same world through different lenses and mechanics.<br />
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Blackbar draws us into its heavily surveillanced and controlled future through the correspondence of two friends. One works in the government, and thus her messages and letters are censored by the Department of Communication. As you progress through the story, story context, past knowledge from other letters, cyphers and codes hidden in the text, and other means allow you to fill in the redacted words and phrases.<br />
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Grayout is a prequel to Blackbar, and explores a different element of its world. Rather than letters and messages, you're in the headspace of Alaine, a woman suffering from aphasia - a condition that affects one's ability to communication - and recovering from an industrial accident. At least that's what the doctors tell you. Grayout dives into the subject of medical experimentation; Alaine (and yourself) struggle to express your thoughts to the queries and comments of doctors and others in the hospital research lab where she is kept, choosing terms from a word cloud to respond.<br />
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Both games tell engaging stories that explore their world through interesting lenses. Blackbar's restrictive perspective of letters and offical mandates from the government hauntingly shift from everyday small talk between friends to unease fear, all presented through taut well-crafted prose.<br />
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Grayout's narrative is more intimate and personal, but expands on the merging of gameplay and text in a more clever, interesting execution. Understanding what you want to say, but puzzling out the correct terms from screen's word clouds mirrors Alaine's own struggle with her impaired communication, brilliantly placing the player in the protagonist's shoes through mechanics alone. Furthermore, Alaine's emotions and other narrative twists will affect which words are present, or even how words are spelled and colored.<br />
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Blackbar is available for <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/blackbar/id672002602">iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.colinpcornaby.blackbar">Android</a>, while Grayout is only on the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/grayout/id1023152763">App Store</a>.

Android Blackbar Grayout IOS IOS Review IOS Spotlight IOS Universal Information NEW Game APK: IOS Review #117: Blackbar / Grayout- By Bos Ciu

Title: Blackbar , Grayout Developer: Mrgan LLC Platforms: iOS Universal, Android Price: $2.99 each --- Sometimes it can be easy to for...

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