I tried a large merchant with a board game application 'Istanbul: The Digital Edition' that collects rubies as a peddler of the Islamic world

The 2014 German Annual Game Awards " Istanbul " which won numerous awards including the expert game award collects goods and money while moving the map on the board to each other and the person who gathered rubies early is the winning board It is a game. Since Android version , iOS version , Steam version has been released, even if you can not find an opponent, you can get AI to take charge of it, so what kind of feeling is it like playing a board game alone? Actually play I tried to.

"Istanbul: The Digital Edition" on the App Store
https://itunes.apple.com/jp/app/istanbul-the-digital-edition/id1296756606

Istanbul: Digital Edition - Apps on Google Play
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.acram.Istanbul&hl=en

Steam: Istanbul: Digital Edition
https://store.steampowered.com/app/943410/Istanbul_Digital_Edition/

This time I will play iOS version (840 yen). After purchase · installation, start up by tapping this icon.

The initial setting starts when you start up. First, check the check box next to Japanese from the language setting, and then move on.

Enter your name. Tap the blank ... ...

Enter the user name you use. "Istanbul: The Digital Edition" corresponds to Japanese, so Japanese names could also be registered. Tap Done and the initial setting is OK.

This is the start screen of "Istanbul: The Digital Edition". This time, "From the beginning" is selected. Since you can play the tutorial at any time, you do not have to choose the tutorial for the first time or you want to play the tutorial again.

The number of players is 2-5 people, in addition to yourself, it is possible to select up to four AIs of "easy," "normal," "difficult", or "human". Multiple people can play with one smartphone by selecting a human. This time I will try to play with myself "friendly" AI.

For game setting, select whether there is "Neutral Assistant" for experts and map where 4 × 4 tiles are arranged from among four types which rearrange the order of tiles. There is also a map where maps are random maps of tiles arranged every time, and it is configured to get tired. When you finish setting, start the game from the button on the bottom right.

The player becomes a merchant, gains various kinds of trade goods and money while peddling on the map, and the rule that the person who gathered five rubies first (six of only two players) using that sales is the rule of winning. When the game starts, random order is automatically assigned to the players, starting from the "fountain" on the top right of the map, the starting point. I will collect rubies while moving this 4 x 4 16 square map.

I am going to actually move because my turn came. The player can move 2 squares if it is on the top and bottom, left and right straight lines from the current position, and 1 mass at the diagonal. This time we will go to "warehouse of fabric" on 1 mass.

The effect of tile of "warehouse of fabric" can be confirmed by clicking the (i) icon to the right of the place name displayed at the top. "Textile warehouse" seems to have the effect of "filling the wheelbarrow with" fabric ". "Textile" is an item called "item", in the initial state you can possess two each.

Tap "Textile Warehouse" to enlarge it, and the command "leave assistant" appeared. Pushing it ... ....

I was able to place the assistant in the "warehouse of fabric". The effect of "tile" can not be obtained simply by moving, and it will be effective only after placing an assistant. It is possible to just move your piece without placing an assistant, but in that case you will not get the effect of "warehouse of textile".

Since we arranged assistant, we could get textile by the effect of "warehouse of textile". In this way, we will collect products and money around each place.

Also, assistants can not only "place" but also "collect". I will move again to the "warehouse of fabric" where the assistant was placed earlier. Now there is a green assistant piece that I placed, so the "take assistant" command appeared. Pushing it ... ....

Then I not only moved myself but also collected the piece of assistant who was placed. And we can obtain the effect of "warehouse of fabric". When collecting an assistant, "It is not necessary to dispose one assistant", "one assistant can be obtained", "It is possible to obtain the effect of a tile even after the move", it is one stone birds rather than one bare stone. Since the assistant is 4 at the initial state, it is important to efficiently obtain the effect of the tile by moving to retrieve the assistant. Therefore, when placing an assistant, you also need a strategic reading of "Can Coco go through again and collect the assistant?"

When placing assistants on unnecessary tiles and getting in trouble, if you return to "fountain" at the start point, there is no problem because you can freely call your assistant to your own piece. But going to the fountain will waste the turn by that much, so if you can, I will not want to use it.

Will you ask the sultan to replace the collected items with "Ruth of Sultan" for the aim of the ruby ​​... ...

In exchange for money with "big market" "small market" ......

I will purchase 5 rubies by purchasing ruby ​​at "jeweler".

Besides simply collecting money and goods, there are also tiles that allow you to upgrade your own wheelbarrows and have many goods on other maps. Paying money to the "cart production facility" will upgrade my own wheelbarrow ......

At the start you could only have two items each, but by upgrading you will finally be able to have as many as five. You can collect products efficiently by going around the map with the upgraded wheelbarrow, but if you overdo the wheelbarrow upgrade, the victory will be more distant.

In "Caravan", you can draw two bonus cards and discard one card from your bonus card which includes two bonus cards you drew. The bonus card has a powerful effect such as "get 5 money lilies" and "move to your favorite tile", but because it is disposable, its use is crucial.

"Small mosque" "Great mosque" will give special ability which can be used any number of times only at a specific timing. There are many tiles that extend the choices of play among the tiles, and it is the key to victory to make good use of these tiles.

An example of actual play is like this, winning 22 turns. I tried playing more than once under various conditions, but it takes around 20 turns to get around the victory or not. Since it is about 10 minutes to 20 minutes in real time, crisp and play will proceed.

Also, during play, when you have something you do not understand such as "How about the effect of this ability ...??" "I want to know the effect of that place in detail", tap the (II) icon at the top right anytime ...

(I) Tap the icon.

Then you will see help & rules, so you can check it at any time. Help & rules are written in more detail than the tutorial, and you can solve what you did not understand by playing the tutorial.

Also, you can compete online, you can fight against strangers and friends over the net.

When you actually play, the difficulty setting of AI is exquisite, you can easily win the "easy" AI if you get used to it, while "difficult" AI is also a skilled player. AI tends to overwhelm humans with strategies without tapping, such as "AI of the highest difficulty always gives good eyes always a dice" which is common in this game's game. In order to overthrow such AI, it was important to utilize the capabilities of the mosque and to move while recovering the assistant well without returning to the fountain. Also, the UI is also excellent, it is possible to redo the action at any time by using the command "return" before the end of the acting turn, and it is possible to do the action again without stressing the regret that does not relate to regret "Oh no, it should not move like this!" The design reaches the itching point. Easyness that one play is finished in a short time is also attractive, there is addiction that will proceed to the next play whether you win or lose, and some of the editors are playing over 100 games. It is recommended for those who are looking for games that will play several times over and over.

"Istanbul: The Digital Edition" can be purchased for iOS version of 840 yen, Android version 760 yen, Steam version 1010 yen at the time of article posting.