Board Games for the iPhone

I own a lot of apps especially games.  In this article I am going to review 3 board game apps that you may want to play on the iPhone.

Catan (Settlers of Catan)

Catan is named slightly different from the actual board game it is based off of but plays just like it.  The rules are exactly the same, which I won't go into assuming you know how to play Settlers of Catan.  Before you begin, you choose to play against your friends, the A.I. or both.  But you can't play online.

For $5.00 this app ain't bad.  The A.I. isn't smart enough to give you a challenge which makes solo boring.  Since it is a "pass and play" game, you can't see the board and your cards when it's not your turn when playing against your friends. This could make for a longer game than the actual board game.  There are no other playing options other than to play the game normally.  So that is why Catan deserves an app rating of a D.

Knights of Charlemagne

Knights of Charlemagne plays just like the actual board game.  You can play against the A.I. or your friends.  The A.I. is a bit challenging at first but as you progress you will eventually overcome the A.I. everytime.  Playing with your friends is a little different though.  Since it is a "pass and play" game, the screen will go black at the end of each turn so that it gets passed to the next player without revealing the other player's strategy.  I actually like this feature on the game and give credits for putting that continuity in because it is a very important element.

Overall, Knights of Charlemagne is a great game for its $2.00 price.  Go buy it if you like the board game!  But you can't play against online so your only options are the A.I. or the "pass and play" method with your friends.  Knights of Charlemagne is worth every penny you spend but still has some minor issues with A.I. and "pass and play" so it gets an app rating of a B.

Carcassonne

Carcassonne is the best out of the board games I have played.  Since I am a fan of Carcassonne already I instantly bought the game back when it cost $5.00 instead of what it costs now ($10.00).  It plays just like the real game.  The A.I. is actually hard but after playing the game so much I am catching up to my A.I.  The "pass and play" method to play with friends is kind of slow just like Catan and Knights of Charlemagne.  But you have the option of playing against your friends online which is a way better method.

Overall, Carcassonne is a great app.  There is another option to play called Solitaire which is quite fun.  The game play is very nice and easy to understand especially if you have played the game.  I really like Carcassonne especially for $5.00 but at $10.00 it is expensive so that is why it will get an app rating of a B.

Here is the link to the official app page of the Carcassonne game.

Overall

All 3 apps are fun but won't be what you might expect them to be.  The real board games are still better than these apps.  The best feature these apps have is to teach new players how to play the game or to work on your skills.  It is your choice whether you want to spend your money but I'd say all 3 can be worth it.