Armello

 PC
Metascore
75

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 19 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 26
  3. Negative: 2 out of 26
  1. Twinfinite
    Sep 7, 2015
    100
    With so much to offer and such a great presentation, it’s hard for me not to consider Armello a must-buy for anyone with even a passing interest in digital board games or innovative RPGs. Deep gameplay and a wide variety of characters, victory conditions, and more, there’s a ton to dive into that’s all wrapped in a gorgeous package.
  2. PC PowerPlay
    Oct 1, 2015
    90
    A short, sharp dose of boardgame action, that has a disarmingly sweet art style and great mechanics. [Oct 2015, p.62]
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  3. CGMagazine
    Sep 11, 2015
    90
    There’s a lot of potential in this to sit around with three other random people, even though the emote system is a bit limited (no way to directly congratulate players, for example). Still, it’s a quite fun online board game.
  5. GameWatcher
    Sep 3, 2015
    90
    If you enjoyed playing board games or card games when you were younger (or are still young), Armello will captivate you. The game is beautiful to look at, fun to play, and challenging enough to keep you coming back for more. Even if you’ve never played a game like this before, it’s enjoyable just learning to play and finally getting a satisfying victory.
  6. PLAY! Zine
    Sep 7, 2016
    85
    Armello is so gorgeous, it kept reminding us that there is no an actual physical board game like this even though it really deserves to be. The game successfully mixes several elements from other genres, telling story and making our imagination run wild.
  7. Pelit (Finland)
    Jan 4, 2016
    85
    Game of Thrones with fantasy animals. Light tactical game is great fun as multiplayer. [Dec 2015]
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  8. GameOver.gr
    Dec 11, 2015
    85
    Armello is as close as we can get to a board game experience, and a great one at that. Its rules are quite deep and very well thought, providing a well-balanced mixture of luck and skill.
  9. Multiplayer.it
    Sep 30, 2015
    83
    A brilliant blend between video game and a board game, with a refined artistic component and a significant strategic depth.
  10. GameSpew
    Apr 9, 2016
    80
    I’d highly recommend Armello to fans of Hearthstone, World of Warcraft, Starcraft, D&D, or anyone wanting to branch out from traditional board games. The graphics, though not the most exceptional in terms of quality, are beautiful; the combination of 3D effects with almost anime-esque cu scenes gives the game a unique and striking look. It’s interesting, the music has a calming effect, and it gives so much for a relatively unknown game, for not much money.
  11. GameSpot
    Oct 6, 2015
    80
    Whether you're bumbling your way to the top or playing all your cards right, Armello makes regicide ridiculously entertaining.
  12. Critical Hit
    Sep 22, 2015
    80
    I often get frustrated, often spit fire at other players, or the game itself for doing something as simple as moving a Palace Guard onto the village I wanted to move into, delaying me and causing me to lose any time I had to win. But I’m always happy to start the game up again and give it another go, because it’s a type of frustration that’s damned good fun.
  13. Vandal
    Sep 8, 2015
    80
    It isn't perfect, but it is a great surprise every fan of strategy/card games should try.
  14. Softpedia
    Sep 7, 2015
    80
    Armello shows a lot of promise and its mechanics work well in a virtual environment while still keeping their tabletop feel. However, the lengthy AI turns, not to mention the sometimes-unfair RNG and erratic AI behavior, weigh it down.
  15. GameCrate
    Sep 4, 2015
    80
    Mixing a unique setting with classic strategic and board game elements, Armello is easy to recommend.
  16. 3DJuegos
    Sep 4, 2015
    80
    Armello is a clever strategy card game with original gameplay mechanics and a flavor of the best tabletop board games. Is even better when you play with your friends.
  17. Shacknews
    Sep 2, 2015
    80
    The intensity ramps up very quickly, which is crazy, because no game that's this cute should be this stressful. Playing is both a joy and infuriating, depending on your back stabbing/stabbed ratio. In either case, I found myself wanting to go back for more.
  18. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Oct 13, 2015
    79
    Armello is unpredictable right to the last turn, making it fun to play both on your own and with friends. [Nov 2015, p.88]
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  19. SpazioGames
    Oct 27, 2015
    75
    An intelligent and beautiful virtual table top-game, that can be very fun if played online. Especially with friends. The ruleset isn't perfect, and its multiplayer-only nature leaves something to be desired, but it's still pretty impressive as a first try.
  20. Gameplanet
    Sep 18, 2015
    75
    Armello is a solidly-constructed and enjoyable turn-based title that offers a unique setting and plenty of depth.
  21. CD-Action
    Dec 16, 2015
    70
    An interesting and beautiful, but also slow and repetitive board game. [12/2015, p.60]
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  22. Eurogamer Italy
    Oct 20, 2015
    70
    Armello is a digital board game with a great audiovisual experience and fun gameplay. Better to try it with friends, though, or its lifespan might not be great.
  23. Game Revolution
    Sep 14, 2015
    70
    While it doesn’t quite compete with some of the compelling tabletop games I have played over the past couple of years—and it’s marred by some confusing design choices that stand to stifle some of its more unique features—if you and a group of friends enjoy tabletop games but struggle to find the time to meet up and play them, then you’ll likely find Armello worthy of your time.
  24. Gamer.no
    Sep 15, 2015
    60
    While Armello is undoubtedly a well-made digital board game, the clever mechanics and strategies usually go out the window as each game descends into a disappointing race for cheap victories. Without the social aspect that can make almost any board game fun, Armello struggles to produce truly memorable moments.
  25. IGN
    Sep 9, 2015
    56
    The big problem is that even when it works smoothly, there’s nothing special about Armello beyond its style to elevate it beyond passable.
  26. Riot Pixels
    Oct 29, 2015
    45
    Random chance plays a huge role in Armello, and the players rarely interact with each other. It is interesting to discover new strategies at first, but soon, after you stumble upon the optimal winning strategy, you realize that there is nothing more to do. The multiplayer lacks variety (just one mode without any settings), and the single player is just same, only with AI bots.
  27. Quarter to Three
    Sep 10, 2015
    40
    I admire what League of Geeks has attempted because I’m their target audience. But it’s deeply frustrating to peer down through this smear of bad decisions at a design I really want to play. This should be a great fifteen-minute adventure. It has the necessary components: smart interlocking gameplay systems, snappy pacing, adorable artwork and animation, a truly imaginative setting. But it’s not a fifteen minute adventure. It’s an hour-long interface nightmare. Armello, which would be a great boardgame, is a terrible videogame.

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 86 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 45 out of 86
  2. Mixed: 28 out of 86
  3. Negative: 13 out of 86
  1. Kl0kwurk
    Sep 4, 2015
    1
    Great artwork but a disappointing board game.

    Armello has some similarities to Talisman, in that a way to win is in the middle of the    Great artwork but a disappointing board game.

    Armello has some similarities to Talisman, in that a way to win is in the middle of the board, but you need to improve your character's stats and gather useful equipment before you have any chance at it.

    However, killing or curing the king hardly ever happens as you have to be incredibly lucky for either to be feasible, so pretty much every time the game will run out of turns and the player who happens to have the highest prestige wins.

    Winning or losing is almost entirely based on luck. Meaningful decisions don't really come up, each player will tend to do their own thing, clicking on the next 'quest' and hoping to randomly have the most prestige when the game ends.

    Quests and encounters consist of a random die roll. Most of your time is spent waiting for the other players to take their turns, more so even than most other board games thanks to all of the neutral units taking their turns.

    In general it is just rather shallow, dull and repetitive.

    I love board games but there are many other board games, both physical and digital, that are better and cheaper than this one.

    However the 2D artwork is gorgeous and the in-game graphics and animations are nice.    … Full Review »
  2. Shoki
    Sep 3, 2015
    6
    I was hoping that this would be so much better. It's pretty flat. So much is based on luck that there really isn't much strategy to be had.I was hoping that this would be so much better. It's pretty flat. So much is based on luck that there really isn't much strategy to be had. The sound design is pretty weak and the levels are all over the place. Maybe they will improve it as time goes on. I think you are better off with something else for the time being.… Full Review »
  3. Dagfinn
    Sep 2, 2015
    0
    A mediocre board game disguised by pretty videos and art.

    This game is incredibly random, there is no depth and no story, everything is    A mediocre board game disguised by pretty videos and art.

    This game is incredibly random, there is no depth and no story, everything is determined by random dice rolls, there are no strategic choices to be made.

    There are supposed to be various ways to win, but unless someone has a lot of blind luck, the game time will run out and whoever happens to have the highest Prestige value wins.

    You constantly have to wait for all your opponents and NPCs to take their turns and that takes a very long time.

    The supposed RPG elements are non-existent.

    The videos and artwork are very pretty but they don't make a good board game alone.    … Full Review »
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