Our sister site TouchArcade this week went hands-on with the just-announced iOS game "Reigns: Game of Thrones." For those unaware, "Reigns" is a series of games created by Devolver Digital that tasks players with making important monarchical decisions using a simple left swipe and right swipe mechanic.

The first two games in the series [Direct Links: Reigns and Reigns: Her Majesty] focused on generic characters in medieval and renaissance eras. Now the developer has partnered with HBO to meld the "Reigns" gameplay mechanics with characters, events, and locations from "Game of Thrones" and George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" series as a whole.

In "Reigns: Game of Thrones," players take the viewpoint of a character gazing into the flames of the Red Priestess Melisandre, witnessing the potential outcome of events without those events specifically tying into plot points from the books and HBO series.


As TouchArcade points out, this enhances "Reigns: Game of Thrones," since it gives fans of the fantasy series numerous "what if" scenarios to watch play out:

This allows them to utilize the Game of Thrones universe and its associated characters while having plot lines in the game that are best described as “zany," in a good way- With many “what if" scenarios, like exploring what would happen if Sansa Stark married Jamie Lannister.

Unlike previous "Reigns" titles, the Game of Thrones spinoff tasks you with controlling numerous point-of-view characters instead of just one king or one queen. These include well-known Game of Thrones characters like Daenerys, Tyrion, Jon, Cersei, and more, with each character needing to manage relationships with the military, church, public, and all facing negative status effects and even potential death.


TouchArcade explains that watching your decisions play out leads to a fun gameplay experience, for both Game of Thrones fans and non-fans:

The interesting thing about the way this game is written is that if you know Game of Thrones, Reigns: Game of Thrones will be like main lining fan service. If you don’t know Game of Thrones, it’ll be just as enjoyable as any other Reigns games, you might just not understand some references (or the significance of some of the events).

For more coverage, be sure to read Eli Hodapp's full hands on with "Reigns: Game of Thrones" over at TouchArcade. Those interested can pre-order the game on the iOS App Store [Direct Link] for $3.99, ahead of its launch on October 18. It'll also be available on Android and Steam.


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