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
2018
Developer
Acram Digital
This is the only new announcement on this list, and it's a great one in our book. Istanbul is a really strong medium weight game that sets up well for a digital implementation. 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. There are two very highly regarded expansions for the game and Acram has a history of offering up expansions for their ports. If Acram puts everything together as well as they have for their previous games, Istanbul could be a fixture on our phones for a long time. It hits the "not too heavy but not too light" complexity perfectly, something that only a few current digital games offer.
Terraforming Mars
Platform
Android, iOS & Steam
Release Date
Q2 2018
Developer
Asmodee Digital
Not a lot of news here, but there is a Steam page up for the game now, with a Q2 release date listed. Asmodee has been showing off a Scythe a lot lately (more on that below), but Terraforming Mars seems to be proceeding nicely as well. Recent articles have suggsested Terraforming will get the full slate of modes: vs. AI, pass-and-play, and online games. These are frankly expected modes at this point, but it is the only information we can get at this point, so we'll take it.
Isle of Skye
Platform
Android, iOS & Steam
Release Date
Q2 2018
Developer
Digidiced
Digidiced has begun teasing this on their Twitter account recently. The takeaway, aside from some screenshots that look a lot like other Digidiced games, is that the game will release on all platforms simultaneously in Q2 2018. Android and iOS included, along with Windows/Mac/Linux. We expect a typically strong port from Digidiced here, give them a follow on Twitter to make sure you get to see all of the latest screenshots.
Onitama
Platform
Android and iOS
Release Date
Q2 2018
Developer
Asmodee Digital
Onitama has entered beta testing, which means it likely isn't far from its release date. There are a lot of big names on this list, but Onitama shapes up to make a potentially great digital game, we are very excited to see how this port turns out.
Lord of the Rings: Living Card Game
Platform
Steam and ?
Release Date
2018
Developer
Fantasy Flight Interactive
Lord of the Rings: Living Card Game is approaching early access in Steam, with a recently advertised Q1 release date for early access, which means the next two-ish weeks. It is the first effort from Fantasy Flight Interactive and they have been extensively previewing it for a while now on social media and frequent articles/Twitch streams. The big takeaway thus far is that this will NOT simply be a port of the physical game. They are changing things up in a few key places. Including, but not limited to, the way new cards are released. They won't simply be porting each expansion and offering to sell them to you. The big unknown right now is what platforms this will reach. The initial preview video included iOS and Android icons, but every mention of the game since has been only the Steam version. We will update when we know more.
Scythe
Platform
Android, iOS & Steam
Release Date
Q2 2018
Developer
Asmodee Digital/Knights of Unity
Asmodee Digital kicked off their new Twitch channel with a preview of this game, including quite a bit of gameplay action. The Twitch stream confirmed that it will arrive on mobile, but there hasn't been a release date given yet. Asmodee is previewing this more than Terraforming Mars, which suggests that Scythe is closer to release between the two titles which are both currently listed as Q2 releases on their Steam pages.
Among the Stars
Platform
Android & iOS
Release Date
2018
Developer
Cublo Games
Cublo Games stays fairly quiet on social media, so details about this one are sparse. However, what we do know is that they are now accepting requests for beta testers. Check out the link in their tweet here to see how you could get a chance to test an early version of this game.
One Deck Dungeon
Platform
Android, iOS & Steam
Release Date
April 2018
Developer
Handelabra Games
The roadmap for this one is well known. It was funded through a Kickstarter and has recently entered into Steam Early Access. Backers are playing the game now while Handelabra releases fixes and updates. The Steam version is slated for full release in April and will be followed by tablet versions for Android and iOS five days later. Early impressions on this one have been strong, it won't be long before we are playing this on our mobile devices.
