Great for All Ages
NOTE: Some of these games are free to download and play, but buying items can help with gameplay. Because of this, a gift card for the app store is a great present.
Armello
Armello is a complex, but really good digital board game. I found it satisfying to simply play against AI characters, but multiplayer was fun too. There’s no chat, so you don’t have deal with any objectionable behavior from other players. The developers recently released an expansion pack that adds more characters that you can play as. I really liked this game and very much recommend it for someone whose looking for a strategic board game experience, but can’t get the friends together to have one. Though you could all play Armello together from any location.
Burly Men at Sea
It’s the perfect type of game to simply relax with. The dialogue and the sense of humor were great. The burly men, themselves are pretty entertaining, but some of the other characters were even more so. My favorite was the grim reaper. Burly Men at Sea is funny, fun and short. Typically short games aren’t well-liked, but the length is perfect for what it is. It’s easy to pick up, play through making different choices and put down again. The art style fits perfectly with the whimsical charm of the game, and the whole package makes for a really great gaming experience.
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft
This game has been out for awhile, but it’s got a thriving community that continues to grow.
Pokémon GO
If you haven’t heard of this one, then you’ve really been out of touch. This game brings Pokemon into the real world and is a huge sensation.
RYB
The bright colors, clean lines and uncomplicated rules make RYB not only a fun, relaxing challenge for adults, but also a great tool to introduce children to logic.
Skylanders Battlecast
I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed Skylanders Battlecast. It shamelessly rips most of its gameplay from Hearthstone – but that’s a great game to rip from. There’s just enough added gameplay, like the Skylander swapping and random energy, to create a satisfyingly replayable experience.
Great for Older Gamers
1979 Revolution: Black Friday
1979 Revolution: Black Friday is a game that gives you an enjoyable story with plenty of twists and lots of great characters. But perhaps the best aspect of the game is the potential it holds for using a game to teach real history to its players. I’m hoping iNK Stories can take me somewhere else in the future.
Batman: The Telltale Series
This is a classic episodic story done in Telltale’s tried and true method. Not all of the episodes have been released yet, but the one’s that have are great.
