This is the latest installment of our feature covering what games are currently in development and any details we know. There haven't been many new game announcements over the past few months, but many games announced last year have had some new information come out, so we figured it was time for a giant roundup. Upcoming Releases are an inexact science as often publishers or developers don’t officially announce a game until shortly before its release. Sometimes when the news does get out earlier, the details are scarce, if not completely non-existent. Be sure to check out our upcoming game database for a quick overview of games currently in development. Click on the images to purchase the board games.
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Istanbul
Platform
Android & iOS
Release Date
June 26
Developer
Acram Digital
Istanbul is currently in beta on Android and iOS, and was recently announced with a release date of June 26. Acram Digital has done a really great job with both of their previous ports (Steam and Eight-Minute Empire), so we are very excited to see this one in the coming months. The game is a neat route optimization puzzle where players race to grab a handful of gems, the first player reaching the goal wins. The game features a modular board which provides a different setup each time. The beta for this game didn't last all that long, which either means it was in good shape going in or it is being rushed a bit. We'll see soon, but Acram has a strong history so we suspect Istanbul will be another great port for them.
Viticulture
Platform
Android, iOS & Steam
Release Date
2019?
Developer
?
This is mostly wild speculation. The only news comes from a Stonemaier Games blog post discussing some of the details of getting a digital version of Scythe made. The post is quite interesting, and can be found here. The post mentions that Viticulture Digital is in the works. Scythe went to Steam first with plans to his mobile later. We have no more information so much guess that Viticulture will take a similar path. Viticulture is a fantastic worker placement game and a digital version is great news.
Hardback
Platform
Android, iOS & Steam
Release Date
2018
Developer
Fowers Games
In typical Tim Fowers fashion, Hardback slipped through the cracks and quietly entered beta testing recently. Fowers tends to keep details under wraps. We knew Burgle Bros was coming last year but we didn't get any more information until it was released. Hardback appears to be on the same path. The game is a mechanical sequel, but technically prequel, to Paperback. They are both deck building word games. Hardback has been well received by Paperback fans and all of the Fowers apps have been strong, so we are very much looking forward to this port.
Kings & Assassins
Platform
Android and iOS
Release Date
2018
Developer
Asmodee Digital
Asmodee Digital announced they were looking for beta testers for this game recently. Before then, we didn't even know it was in the works! Kings & Assassins is a two player deception game in which the player controlling the king must seek out and eliminate the assassins before time is up and they are overthrown. Much like Onitama, this two player game will provide some very interesting head-to-head play. We can expect a solid online system and AI when the game does release.
Onitama
Platform
Android and iOS
Release Date
Q2 2018
Developer
Asmodee Digital
Onitama has been in beta testing for a while now, at least a few months. It's never easy to tell what's going on in these tests. Some companies will wait until the product is almost finished and use beta testing to iron out some last bugs. Others will purposely release an unfinished game so the bugs can be ironed out sooner. We expect it won't be too long until Onitama hits app stores, but Asmodee Digital has a ton of properties to promote and thus far Onitama hasn't been getting much hype from them, so we suspect the release will come after the hype levels rise a bit.
Scythe
Platform
Android & iOS
Release Date
Q4 2018
Developer
Asmodee Digital/Knights of Unity
Scythe is now live on Early Access in Steam. In the comments section of the post mentioned earlier (here - again), the owner of Stonemaier games mentions they hope the iOS version will be ready by the end of 2018. Hopefully the Android version has the same estimate.
Evolution - The Video Game
Platform
Android & iOS
Release Date
2018
Developer
North Star Digital
There is no update on Evolution, which is why we're mentioning it. This game went through a very successful Kickstarter which ended last September. Things were right on schedule with the tablet then phone betas releasing. North Star Digital asked for screenshots not to be released, but the game looked and played really well from the get-go. By the time the phone versions came out it was even more polished, albeit not complete feature-wise. However, the beta app hasn't been updated in nearly three months now. This has us scratching our heads. It makes sense to go silent immediately before release, but three months? Add in that their Twitter account, usually fairly active, hasn't posted since late April, and you have some curious circumstances at the very least. Whatever the case may be, we hope this game sees a full release soon.
