Armello

The game has kinda decayed over time into a buggier state. LAN games work for me fine still but it's difficult to connect to online games, I'm not sure if matchmaking is even possible anymore. Lots of balancing issues from the very first version have never been addressed. The devs seemed more interested in creating fancy dice for loot boxes (which is already a skeevy practice especially in a game that isn't free to play). A promising game that developed into a lazy cashcow. Big shame.

honestly I can't really recommend this game in its current state, its full of game breaking bugs and its multiplayer barely functions, and not only have the devs abandoned this game they have also shut there doors so the odds of this getting the much needed updates it needs are next to 0 the game itself when not glitching out is a solid enough board game with a unique idea so if your willing to deal with it crashing OFTEN then give it a shot

Armello is one of the most successful indie games funded entirely by public funds, marking an era within independent development in the mid-2010s. Nowadays, the game hasn't aged—at least not much; the art, music, and creative/artistic direction remain among the best seen in decades for a game of its genre. The stories, written by author Alex Kain, are not only free in the in-game store but are also incredible at explaining the lore behind the four main clans. However, behind the world's epic atmosphere and the visual and narrative style inspired by literary tales and fables, there lies a gameplay that, despite being functional, lacks versatility. It doesn't vary at all, and although the experience depends entirely on the player, its game modes don't offer many opportunities to keep enjoying it, at least not all the time. This is a board game; that is to say, the ways to win are completely linear and strict, and the established rules are fair (advantages with disadvantages). But in the case of Armello, obtaining victory depends entirely on luck. Despite the fact that since the tutorial (which, by the way, doesn't fully explain how the base mechanics work) we are told that 'skill' is required to break free from traps (perils) and obtain rewards (cards, equipment, and recruits), what it doesn't implicitly explain is that the entire gameplay is based on an algorithmic system known as RNG (Random Number Generator). In other words, the entire core gameplay depends on 'luck' or on probabilities that the game system itself will decide for you. No matter how well your game is going, with good cards, equipment, and excellent recruits, you don't have total control over how your match should go. At any moment, a bad move or positioning, a Bane or King's Guard, the other players or the game's own AI, and above all, the randomness of the dice in battle, will end up changing the course of your game with even the slightest negative action (and by slightest, I mean literally any action). This is not satisfying since, thanks to this very system, matches often stretch beyond 60 minutes. Basically, luck devalues logic and eliminates the strategic factor within the match. This game is governed almost entirely by probabilities; these define whether your match will be victorious or if you will suffer a bad omen of ill luck, which is not pleasant for a board game. Generally, turn-based strategy games give you the necessary tools so that you, as a player, know exactly what to do with them at any time. But here, even if you have good rewards and good cards, the dependence on randomness does not work in your favor most of the time; therefore, having patience regarding these highly questionable mechanics will be fundamental to getting through a standard match. And this is extremely important to highlight: the game has character DLCs, and these DLCs contain probably the best characters in the game, which partially aligns the game as a 'Pay To Win.' Yet, even with such a mechanical system, the game can be (and occasionally is) enjoyable in single-player, multiplayer, or with friends, because as previously mentioned, the experience of a game varies from player to player. Armello has a universe so vast and unique for it to remain trapped by these kinds of mechanics... This doesn't mean I don't like it, but I don't agree with what it currently offers either, so, consider this opinion as a mixed one. ;>

Balancing issues & Rng riddled games. Most players quit games on the first few rounds due to snowball and such. When you're promised an item/follower that'd give you a huge advantage over other players on a 50/50 and you loose it you're just feeling down. When you're given no such good options (or invest in spirit stones) this feeling is lessened, sure, but seeing someone else getting those game ending items feels even worse. This only happens when players get the chance to complete quests which is way too luck based (following the idea that you/other players will do anything and everything to stop anyone else from completing them due to snowball). Magic & Rot are unbalanced, some cards will just ruin others even if their cost is semi-high, some king cards will just ruin any form of setup you were going for, way too many unexplained background interactions to keep track of, etc... Any game is technically winnable (based on information/misinformation) on a streak of perfect luck while pulling cards from the common decks, (through bonus actions and teleports) BUT those are not realistic options once you're already too far down as we're often talking about probabilities under 1%. Players will stomp on you once they've got any form of setup going on, and the game's Rng won't ease the pain. Veterans will know that the deck has limited copies of every card (as well as a rough number of each) and counting them is key to knowing your options. Add on top the many unexplained mechanics and you're in for a bad time while playing in public lobbies. The artstyle is lovely and credits their creators, animations are alright and this game has a few novel ideas worth exploring. Just a few bugs here and there but nothing major, except one that has never been fixed... If you disconnect mid-game due to ping or any reason actually, you're just unable to join back period. That caused so much trouble during so many sessions I had with friends. (sometimes joining friends is a struggle but I believe it's just a special case for us due to special circumstances) There's just so much to say about this game, right and wrong. If you're looking for a fun "turn based*" tabletop game, pass this one. If you're searching for one that breaks friendships and forces at least 1 person out of 4 to hate the experience through and through, this is the one. *I'm referring to the fact you can play your hand outside of your turn, just not directly on the active player. (Oh and the AI is rubbish... that's why I didn't even talk about it. A 5 years old would beat it if you forget the fact all AI will focus you specifically once the game recognises you're ahead enough, turning playing alone in a 3v1)

25 bucks for a game which servers are so frail you're guaranteed to never be able to actually learn how to play a good game online. Truly I struggle to understand why Armello has been abandoned in such a state of non functionality, several UI issues, connection issues out of the wazoo. And the game is still 25 bucks. With an extra ten for three different DLCs each. The game itself can be very fun to play, but it by all means not worth purchasing in this state (in which it is going to remain, considering LoG has stopped support fully years ago).

Game is broken and abandoned by developers, multiplayer doesn't work. Don't waste your money.

Разрабы 10 лет не могут починить баг, который на пожизненно фризит всех в матче, по факту завершая игру в рандомный момент без победителей и проигравших. Я люблю Армелло, но когда это не могу поправить ТАК долго это уже стыд

Armello is a tricky game. I like the art style and want to enjoy it but, personally, I just don't get it. I don't understand the strategy or find the gameplay patterns particularly enjoyable or rewarding. I have this game a shot on many different occasions and have still not cracked it. One thing I think it might struggle with is a lack of a cohesive identity. I really struggle to summarise what exactly is the core gameplay of Armello and because of that it feels like there are many parts of it that just don't feel that important or fit in. I really want to like this game, but just don't and because of that, I can't recommend it.

Armello sempre teve um charme único. É um jogo de tabuleiro digital com uma atmosfera fantástica onde criaturas antropomórficas — lobos, ratos, coelhos e ursos — lutam pelo trono de um reino amaldiçoado. O que realmente cativava no jogo era a habilidade de combinar estratégia e sorte em uma aventura com uma pegada competitiva e, ao mesmo tempo, camarada. As noites jogando Armello online, com dezenas de amigos e desconhecidos, davam aquela sensação de um lugar mágico onde cada partida era uma história diferente. Era como se estivéssemos em uma taverna de fantasia, trocando histórias e estratégias, rindo e planejando emboscadas. Mas o cenário mudou, e agora a única opção é o modo offline, já que as filas levam em torno de uma hora pra encontrar jogadores suficientes. A experiência fica como uma lembrança de tempos passados, quase melancólica — como um castelo vazio onde só ecoam memórias. Jogo o mesmo Armello, mas a taverna está vazia; não há conversas, risadas nem aquela adrenalina de tentar prever as ações de um amigo. É quase como se cada personagem estivesse lá, mas os jogadores, meus antigos companheiros de aventura, tivessem partido para outras terras. Ainda assim, Armello preserva sua essência. As cartas, os dados e o tabuleiro digital carregam sua atmosfera cativante. Mas, por mais que o jogo brilhe em sua singularidade e complexidade, ele carece do espírito que tornava cada partida única: os jogadores reais. É como revisitar um álbum de fotos e recordar os bons momentos, sabendo que algo não volta mais. Entrei hoje uma última vez para cavar as conquistas que faltavam, e no offline são bem tranquilas de serem feitas. Sinto falta do tempo que joguei Armello, e da possibilidade de tentar reavê-lo. Obrigado pelas "sextas-feiras da fúria", Armello.