Comment: Knights of Charlemagne card game is simply easier, and we like that17: 00 11/03/2010, Sebastian Blanco, the knights of Charlemagne, Charlemag

Comment: Knights of Charlemagne card game is simply easier, and we like that17: 00 11/03/2010, Sebastian Blanco, the knights of Charlemagne, Charlemagne's knights game, Knights of the application of the game of Charlemagne, the Knights of Charlemagne's iPhone, iPod Knights of Charlemagne knightsofcharlemagne, knightsofcharlemagnegame, knightsofcharlemagnegameapp, knightsofcharlemagneiphone, knightsofcharlemagneipod, Reiner Knizia, Reiner Knizia knights of Charlemagne, reinerknizia, reinerkniziaknightsofcharlemagne, The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
Filed under: iPhone, iPod touch, App Review



The smart card game, 2006 Knights of Charlemagne has done with iPhone and iPod touch as a small number and simple to place app [$ 1.99, iTunes link]. We do not mean simply that it is easy to conquer or uninteresting. We mean that the game is clearly designed and plays fast. Playing while the beginner level (the landowner) is really only worth through once or twice with the minstrel tutorial to learn the rules, to go and beat the AI Knight, and then the level of the King (that is supposed to Charlemagne himself) is a good challenge and provides a lot of play for two bucks.

There are plenty of math and bluffing in the game. That is something that is best experienced in person and use the actual card, but the table games on the iPhone is its own experience. So, when you want a light burning brain with a medieval theme, look no further than this simple application. Read on to find out more.


Gallery: Knights of the application of the game of Charlemagne




The Game

As a poison, the Knights of Charlemagne, could just as easily use pictures of animals or themeless a collection of colors and numbers. The game begins with a deck of cards and ten spaces knight, called states, to fight anymore. Five are numbered 1-5 and the others are colored one of five colors (which could cause problems with players colorblind). Each card depicts a knight that can be sent to fight in one of two places, either the color space that matches the color or the numbered space that matches your number. Although there are only ten states total, the application highlights nicely the two spaces in which a gentleman can be selected prior to placement on the battlefield.

The deck consists of 50 cards, two of each number or combination of colors, and each player is dealt half the deck. Of course, as a designer Reiner Knizia not want you to be completely unable to predict what lies ahead, two cards are randomly removed before the cards are dealt, adding an element of uncertainty to the end. "My opponent actually still have a" 1 "the first state to take away from me? You will not know until the last card is played. Speaking of which, each player must play 24 cards in a complete game, something that takes just a matter of minutes once you've learned the rules. The hand opening is eight letters, and the icon of the little shop on the left hand side shows how many cards remain in their draw pile.

Why send the Knights to a particular place? Whoever has the most knights on a farm at the end of the game (when all the cards have been played) will score points for the farm. The estates are numbered points equal value regardless of their numbers, whereas the color properties are each worth five points. If both players on a farm, each earning a point. Why did not you put all the knights in the color properties? Because whoever wins the first two lower value estates (estates are scored from left to right) receives the crown of five bonus points, which usually determines the winner, in our experience.


The App

As mentioned, the word for the application for the iPhone version of the game is "simple." Bare-bones also work, but it is a kind of two words. Everything on display is easy to see and read. Gameplay is very easy to "get" and the graphics are basic Schrumpfkopf. No music and sound effects are minimal. Application is loaded, the game for a few minutes and see who won and then maybe play again. If you are interrupted, the easy application saves games in progress, but no winner registration screen for loss of or any way to track how well you've done in time. Simplicity is the name of the game here, and informs all areas of design.

Want to see who is winning a private property? For small sword icon. Want to make knight cards even easier to identify? Activate the high visibility, which turns the cards in the hand of the knight icons into simple little colored squares that are easier to read. You can switch between half of the game, but that's not a huge deal.

Another peculiarity is that the application feels backwards. When you play, is with the start button on the left, and no way to change the orientation. Another interface issue that can make a gentleman is bad play when selecting a blue number five gentleman, as the two places that can be sent are close to each other. We have never clicked the wrong space, but we can see that it is possible. Oh, and here is a difficult thing. The few sound effects in the game (and, fortunately, can still be heard while playing iTunes music, unlike version 1.0) is counterintuitive to turn on or off. In the menu screen, if you say "sound", which means playing there to turn the sound. Same with "sound." So, while it appears that these items are saying that the situation of the sound effects in that game, they are not.

The application can also play only two-player version of the game. The physical play of Playroom Entertainment can handle up to three and the first version, released in 1995 and was called Tabula Rasa, could play two to four players. IRL, three players is a bit more fun, but the designer has said he has no plans to introduce that option to the application and it seems doubtful that a tip even change your mind. Instead, we have three levels of AI and the human being against human choices. Two steps from player-n-play works well - with the screen dimming and hiding his cards in his opponent's hand between the turns - but we are always interested in network play. Obviously, this requires more time to program in application, but we believe the potential to double its sales should be enough incentive for developers (of mathematics in our right, right? Of course it is).

Generally no, the knights of Charlemagne is as elegant as other Knizia games like Lost Cities (which we are still waiting to see in the App Store) or money, but is a game with lots of replay value. We know that we will continue fighting for the property for some time to come. This is not a day of each game type, but simply fun to take from time to time.
TUAWReview: Knights of Charlemagne card game is simply easier, and we like that originally appeared in The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms of use of feed.


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