Astraware launches boardgame bumper pack
Eight different boardgames and no chance of losing any little plastic pieces
Boardgames may be better suited to post-Sunday roast entertainment on a rainy autumn afternoon than quick-fix bus stop boredom killers, but there is no denying there is a perfect crossover in terms of casual appeal between boardgames and mobiles.
Astraware is looking to capitalize on this by releasing eight boardgame favourites all in the same package for Palm OS and Windows Mobile smartphones.
The somewhat blandly titled Astraware Boardgames include chess, backgammon, Ludo, checkers, Reversi, Nine Men's Morris, Snakes and Ladders, and Tic-tac-toe.
Quite a selection, and it ought to be for the $19.99 asking price (though currently it is available for the special introductory price of $9.99).
Apparently all of the games in the package include single- and multiplayer modes (in pass-the-handset option as opposed to over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth), as well as a range of difficulty settings to keep things challenging over time.
Sounds like fairly standard stuff, really, but the presentation looks accomplished and if the game mechanics are well implemented, there's little reason why it shouldn't win players over.