It’s been two months, so it’s time for a new Lion and Gazelle comic! More Lion and Gazelle? You can read the previous comics here: #1#2#3#4#5, #6 and #7 here!

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Een bericht gedeeld door Semi Co-op (@semicoop)

There are some pretty good games out there that use an app in a variety of ways. From taking over the complete storytelling aspect in games like Mansions of Madness, Destinities and Chronicles of Crime to just a handy tool offering an endless amount of puzzles for a game like Turing Machine. But apps can also extend the possibilities of a game in other ways, like taking away the asymmetrical part of Imperial Assault since the app takes over the role of the Imperial player. And let’s not forget how handy an app can be for bookkeeping, we were so happy when we started using Gloomhaven Helper (discontinued, alas) during our Gloomhaven campaign – it just made the game a lot quicker to play. Personally, I do need to be in the mood for a game that is fully dependent on an app and I wouldn’t recommend playing them with more than three players if it’s important for all the players to see the screen.

Despite this being the subject of this week’s comic, we didn’t play such games from the future but rather older games. Like Kombo Klash! and since we launched our pop-up webshop last week, we instantly felt like playing a game with a lot of cubes and ended up playing Tiny Towns and a game of Clank!

During a family gathering this weekend, our nephews challenged us to a game of Pokémon TCG and they’re currently really into Chess and are even taking lessons. Now, Pokémon is easy enough to bluff our way through and we are yet to be defeated – but Chess is something different. Heinze has some experience with Chess and I don’t, at all. I think I’ve played my first full game of Chess this weekend and it’s clear that as a first-time player, you’re not going to beat those who actually have experience, haha. Heinze put on a good fight though and won some games.

App-driven games, yay or nay?

Honestly, app driven games are a situationally enjoyable thing. I love things like My Father’s Work, which is *massively* reliant on the app, but other games, such as Betrayal at the House on the Hill are better because they do not use the app, because they are always a mystery.

Yay. The app version can streamline an otherwise complicated game (like Sentinels of the Multiverse), and they often let you play solo on days where you don’t have anyone else to play with.

I do regret investing in the Colt Express app, though. That game just isn’t as fun when you can’t see the reaction of the player you just shot.

Did a solo and 4 player campaign of Gloomhaven and in the middle of a 4 player Frosthaven campaign and we love and use the X-haven assistant to help manage all of the scenario stuff. I’ve got my 35″ TV set up on one edge the table so everyone can see initiative order, how much health, etc everyone has. Works so much better and easier than trying to track all of that information on the table.

Played Ready Set Bet last weekend and used their app for rolling and calling the race, primarily so I could participate in the fun and not have to be the person playing the house/announcer.

Search for Planet X had a nice app intergration that worked really well.

I believe those are the only app based games I”ve played.

My biggest concern when it comes to app-driven games is, what happens when the app is no longer maintained or supported, and you are left with a game that is driven/timed/managed via an app that is no longer available and therefoore (potenially) unplayable?

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