Asynchronous free-to-play strategic multiplayer battling is becoming a regular feature of the App Store, kicked off by the rather good Hero Academy.
Outwitters sets out to do pretty much the same thing, albeit with a different look and a few variations to the style of play.
The end result is an entertaining, inherently tactical base-smashing game with a strong community that will fill a gap in your play time nicely.
Outwitted and often outgunnedThe game takes place on a map made of tiles. You and your opponent each have a base with five hit points. You start out with a few units at your disposal, the aim being to destroy the other player's base.
The units you begin with change depending on which map you play on, but you always start a game with five Wits - the currency you spend to perform actions.
Each of your units can move and perform one action every turn, so long as you have enough Wits to spend in order to do so. Special tiles let you acquire more Wits, and if you have any unspent at the end of your turn they stack up for use in the next round.
Spawning more units costs Wits as well, with more powerful units costing more than you have to start with. Creating a competitive army while still being in a position to defend your base becomes a fine balancing act of points and positions.
Out to get youYour units all fulfil specific roles on the battlefield, including all-rounder soldiers, long-range snipers, medics that hand out health boosts, and scouts who can race across the battlefield without taking damage. The game ships with a single race, but you can buy more as an in-app purchase.
Outwitters doesn't quite have the depth of Hero Academy, but it has a unique charm of its own, and a different set of tactical decisions that you need to make each turn. It's easy to get to grips with, but you need to think a few moves ahead, or a stronger opponent will always overwhelm you.
The inclusion of pass-the-device play is a nice touch, and while the game might not be quite as feature-packed as its inspiration it's still an impressive and entertaining addition to the asynchronous genre.