A fairy-tale board game with cards and dice
Armello is a turn-based strategy game built like a tabletop board game. Each match takes place on a hex grid that is procedurally generated, so the board and the quests are different every time. You pick one of 8 heroes, each with a special power, a stat line and an AI personality, and you can customise them with Amulet and Signet Ring load-outs to fit your play style or counter an opponent. Your goal is to storm the palace and become King or Queen of Armello. Along the way you quest, scheme, hire agents, explore, fight monsters and cast spells. The game mixes deep card tactics with board game strategy and a character role-playing system, and it has over 150 animated cards.
Playing together online
Armello has Online PvP, and you can play with friends or strangers. Cross-platform multiplayer lets you team up or face off with players on Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch while you quest for the throne. The game is built for backstabbing, close shaves, shattered alliances, ruses and empty promises, so it works well as a game to play online with your friends.
How a match runs
Turns cycle between Day and Night phases in a fuzzy turn system. That means you can still play cards and take certain actions when it is not your turn, and when it is your turn you spend Action Points to move around the hex board. The world changes with a dynamic quest system, and the board is procedurally generated each game, so no two matches are the same.
Chance is part of the design
Armello leans on chance on purpose, in the spirit of a tabletop adventure that generates stories. You draw from shared decks, roll physics-based dice, take skill tests in quests, explore dungeons automatically and run into random story events. The strategy lies in mastering these systems so the odds tilt your way, and in being ready to change your plan at any turn. If the mention of RNG makes your blood boil, this may not be for you. If you enjoy the storytelling that comes from chaos and like bending it to your advantage, it should suit you.