Tactical witch combat, medieval town building, and a cat-themed role-player are amongst the most interesting smartphone games this month.<\/p>\n
As the games industry continues its traditional summer lull, touchscreen gaming continues as if it was Christmas. This month\u2019s releases include the mobile ports of Middle Ages city builder Townsmen: A Kingdom Rebuilt, as well as Beat Hazard Arcade \u2013 which uses your music collection to procedurally generate a 2D shoot \u2018em-up. Plus, there\u2019s the latest addition to Game Stew\u2019s long running Tower Of Fortune series.<\/p>\n
Witchcraft! is the touchscreen version of a solo card strategy game, that gives you control over a coven of witches with a set of discrete missions to undertake on behalf of local villagers, whose lives you must preserve.<\/p>\n
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That\u2019s no easy task given the difficulty of many of the randomly chosen tasks, your witches\u2019 powers varying depending on when they\u2019re played, which other witches are on the board, and whether you choose to reveal them, removing them from play for the rest of the round, or let them work in secret.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s extremely complex, with decisions having knock-on effects not just for your current mission but also potential future challenges, although having your phone set everything up and apply a rule set that seems to have endlessly complex networks of buffs and bonuses, makes this far more accessible than it is on a physical board.<\/p>\n
iOS & Android, free \u2013 unlock all maps \u00a32.49 and scenarios \u00a32.49 (Handy Games)<\/p>\n
Townsmen is an isometric medieval city builder, that has you reconstructing dilapidated villages into thriving towns, making sure their populations\u2019 need are met, along with ensuring town guards protect against bandits, and firewatch prevents conflagrations.<\/p>\n
As is traditional for the genre, you\u2019ll be managing increasingly intricate networks of dependencies, and working your way past bottlenecks using your town\u2019s labour force to build, operate, and maintain various pieces of Dark Ages machinery.<\/p>\n
There is a sandbox mode, which starts you in differing landscapes whose size and difficulty you can select, but the meat of the game is scenario based, where you take on an existing town with a problem to solve.<\/p>\n
Its visuals might look friendly, but it\u2019s a rigorous challenge, the balancing act between keeping your populace happy, managing their various appetites, and not going bust turning out to be a significant acquired skill.<\/p>\n
iOS & Android, free (Monster Planet Corp)<\/p>\n
This slick idle game features charming cartoon cats in armour, their increasingly powerful attacks auto-slaying legions of enemies and bosses, the game getting on with everything from battles to deciding which loot to keep, leaving you mutely following along in its robotic wake, collecting rewards when buttons flash to tell you they\u2019re ready.<\/p>\n
It looks great, has jaunty music, and progress is initially swift, but it doesn\u2019t take long to notice that your own humble button pressing is the real inhibiting factor, and if those few dexterity and skill free interactions were also automated, things would work even better.<\/p>\n
That slightly depressing realisation doesn\u2019t add to Meow Knights\u2019 longevity, leaving you feeling like a spare part rather than a managing director, even if its high production values prop up a facade of colourful good fun.<\/p>\n