Armello is a grand swashbuckling adventure that combines three styles of play; The deep tactics of card games with the rich strategy of table top board games, combined with a character role-playing system.
As a hero from one of the clans of Armello, you'll quest, scheme, hire agents, explore, vanquish monsters, cast spells and face off against other players, with one ultimate end goal in mind — storming the palace and becoming King or Queen of Armello. The Kingdom of Armello is as dangerous as it is beautiful, perils, banes and bandits hide around every corner and a spreading corruption known as the rot is leaving no creature untouched.
Armello is League of Geeks’ attempt to revolutionise digital board and card games, whilst providing players a rich world within which they can craft their own stories of epic adventure. The aim was to create a rich game full of backstabbing, close shaves, shattered alliances, ruses and empty promises - a perfect game to play with your friends.
Armello brings a set of strategy and RPG elements to the Nintendo Switch and while it does not feature a very compelling plot, it offers an interesting mix of gameplay mechanics, along with very attractive views to look at and a good level of challenge. Its tutorials and rules do feel excessive though and its local multiplayer could use some work but...
Overall, Armello has a level of polish and depth that is rare for an indie title, and especially for a studio's debut. It's truly another feather in the cap for the Australian gaming industry. We can only hope that sooner, rather than later, the powers that be will finally take note of this.
It's taken three years to get here, but the long journey hasn't dulled Armello's blades. From the deep tactics of its living board game gameplay to the sheer charm of its world-building and character designs, it's a turn-based quest filled with back-stabbing, political power plays and rampaging monsters that's different each and every time you play....
Armello is a game that has a promising concept and a top-shelf presentation but falls far short of its potential. Despite its adept systems the game often proves a slow, monotonous affair that suffers from balancing issues. Tabletop enthusiasts and strategy game fans may glean some joy from this game. However, your time would still be better spent playing...
Armello oozes charm, and its myriad gameplay systems keep you busy for hours, but it relies too much on luck to keep things interesting.
