Armello

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 51 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 51
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 51
  3. Negative: 10 out of 51
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  1. SuperkenGaming
    Sep 5, 2015
    7
    Armello
    About as fun to play as watching paint dry
    Now don’t get me wrong, Armello is a great strategy board game with many layers to make this game potentially insanely addictive, but it’s problem is it’s pacing. There are 4 heroes on the board at a time, now not only are there 4 heroes, there is a king, 3 guards and sometimes multiple banes.. and you have to sit through all of the    Armello
    About as fun to play as watching paint dry
    Now don’t get me wrong, Armello is a great strategy board game with many layers to make this game potentially insanely addictive, but it’s problem is it’s pacing.
    There are 4 heroes on the board at a time, now not only are there 4 heroes, there is a king, 3 guards and sometimes multiple banes.. and you have to sit through all of the these characters turns and it becomes dreadfully boring quickly.
    To be fair, heroes can play cards on each other at any time and the king makes decrees but an optional fast forward button absolutely needs to be patched into this game at least in single player, with a force pause when a character plays a card that affects you, there really is no point in waiting for what feels like an eternity to go again, there is already a tab that allows you to check the current stats of the other 3 heroes you are competing against.
    Other than the dreadfully slow paced gameplay, Armello is a wonderful game.
    Every character has their own bonus perks and starts out each game with a mission that they can
    go towards for cards, companions, gold, and prestige to help further their odds of winning this chance based strategy game. After you’ve completed a mission, you’re then given a choice of the mission you want to go for next, but these missions are completely optional, there are tons of strategies that can be used to win the game.
    You can use your gold to activate combat and trickery cards, and can use your magic to activate magic cards.
    You are allowed to draw cards every turn assuming you have less than 4 cards available to play
    If you don’t want a certain card you can burn it in battle for a guaranteed attack or a guaranteed shield
    or really to just free your hand for hopefully a better draw.
    Combat cards will boost your combat skills,
    Trickery and magic cards can be used either on individual heroes or effect a section of the board.
    These hurdles can hinder the other heroes in their quest, which is a good thing because you can also gain gold and prestige by killing other heroes, by claiming villages on the board, by killing banes, or exploring ruins.
    By being the character with the highest prestige, you get to choose the decree the king makes, this decree can effect the entire board or just a few, which does include you
    If the king dies by the rot before a character can defeat him, you will also win the game.
    The rot can be a good or a bad thing depending on your strategy.
    You get the rot by playing cards or losing a battle against banes, if you get up to 5 bane your character becomes corrupted, and like the king, every dawn you lose 1 health, but by defeating other character you gain 1 health. And dying isn’t all too bad here in armello,
    if you die you aren’t out of the game, you just go back to your starting space.
    To win with the rot, you simply get your rot higher than the kings is, you attack the kingdom and defeat him in battle.
    You can also just straight up attack the king to win or collect all 4 spirit stone to cure him.
    I really love the game of armello, I want to pour hours and hours into this board game
    But I feel like it doesn’t respect my time enough and in the current state it’s in I just can’t
    For being a game, you do a lot more waiting than you do playing, and that’s a huge issue
    For what it is
    Strategy Boardgame:
    8.5/10

    Overall:
    6.5/10    … Expand
  2. Ascyltus
    Sep 1, 2015
    9
    I registered on Metacritic just to say that this game is a lot of fun if you're a fan of Civilization V and Magic : The Gathering.

    Great online game to play, very machiavelian. I only wish they'd increase the animation speed so that the whole process would go faster, but I'm optimistic that it will be patched.

    Finally an original game.
  3. Akimond
    Sep 2, 2015
    10
    Debo mencionar que el juego cumple con las expectativas que prometieron, tiene la duración adecuada referente a cada partida, los que estan familiarizados con juegos de rol y magic: the gathering, no notarán la diferencia, ademas, de que con cada partida puedes ir descubriendo nuevas armas, hechizos entre otras cosas, podemos mencionar que si es muy entretenido, no duden en probarlo
  4. Caleb37804
    Sep 2, 2015
    9
    This is the perfect game if you are into board games, but your friends either live across town or far away. Mixing classic board game field (hex field) with cards, dice, and rpg elements, the game really is a blast to play. The combat is easy, not complex, but a lot of fun since it has a big luck element to it. Equipping your characters with armor and weapon cards remind me a lot ofThis is the perfect game if you are into board games, but your friends either live across town or far away. Mixing classic board game field (hex field) with cards, dice, and rpg elements, the game really is a blast to play. The combat is easy, not complex, but a lot of fun since it has a big luck element to it. Equipping your characters with armor and weapon cards remind me a lot of Munchkins card game. The goal is simple, taking over the crown, but they give you many ways to do it and to play. I personally like to be the strongest I can be and show off my combat prowess, but you can be a dungeon diver and still win the game. The ONLY reason I don't give this game a 10 is because of I believe they could've added a couple more elements to it: cooperative combat to promote team work, traps cards that aren't always visible (though I havent unlocked all the cards yet so that may still be), and a way to steal a light stone from another player because sometimes a player gets stupid lucky and happens to be right next to all the stones that spawn. (though stealing that may also be a card). Overall, the game is excellent. I've had only one freeze so far. Characters are fun and each one brings different elements. I hope they make some kind of DLC where more friends can join. Easily 9/10.… Expand
  5. JawnTrawn
    Sep 2, 2015
    10
    One of the best strategy games I've ever played.

    The tutorial does a great job of teaching how to play, and the cast of characters gives many play style options, not to mention how different each game is due to the randomly generated map and card set.
  6. CKGP
    Sep 2, 2015
    10
    This game is fantastic.

    The online runs great, the gameplay is fun, the art is great.

    Definitely worth the money, especially with the 30% off sale on PS Plus..
  7. ThinkDummies
    Sep 4, 2015
    10
    This is a great game that just requires a little bit of thought to enjoy. If you just roll dice and move around aimlessly, you're just gonna get spanked and miss all the goodness that lies within. That's exactly what my young son did and he hated it at first. Then Dad sat him down and showed him how to think.

    Is the game perfect? No. But it certainly doesn't deserve a 0 and a 1. Those    This is a great game that just requires a little bit of thought to enjoy. If you just roll dice and move around aimlessly, you're just gonna get spanked and miss all the goodness that lies within. That's exactly what my young son did and he hated it at first. Then Dad sat him down and showed him how to think.

    Is the game perfect? No. But it certainly doesn't deserve a 0 and a 1. Those are likely the aimless and the spanked venting frustration. In fact, those reviews are misleading. I've seen the King killed in almost every match I've played.

    Yes, dice roll outcomes are random but what game with dice rolls isn't a random outcome? That's almost like complaining the sun is bright or water is wet. Once again, if you just put a little bit of thought and reading into this game, you'll realize that many of your cards can greatly improve your chances of being on the winning end of dice rolls.

    The gameplay is smooth, The graphics are really nice. I would love to see a Big Cat class added into the next update. Maybe a Leopard or a Tiger. Maybe even a Monkey Class with some chimps and Apes.

    I like the fact that every game is different because the location of plains, mountains and stones changes each game. As I said earlier, perfect? Not many games are. But in terms of graphics, gameplay, originality, and the fact you have to THINK to succeed, I give it a 10 rating. Probably would have been a 9 rating but these 0 and 1 ratings are just ridiculous and an obvious attempt to draw the score down.

    If you haven't bought this yet, grab it now and tell your friends about it as well. Armello is a great addition to any library.    … Expand
  8. blubberguts
    Sep 3, 2015
    8
    A good game. Could have been a great game, but it's just too random; there is too much luck involved.

    Your strategising does help; but the most important thing in the game is chance. I've played for turn after turn and gotten nowhere (0 prestige ) and then suddenly gotten a card that allows me to gain 1 prestige per turn for the next three turns: After three turns I was prestige leader    A good game. Could have been a great game, but it's just too random; there is too much luck involved.

    Your strategising does help; but the most important thing in the game is chance. I've played for turn after turn and gotten nowhere (0 prestige ) and then suddenly gotten a card that allows me to gain 1 prestige per turn for the next three turns: After three turns I was prestige leader and was able to make the king choose to award me a 4th spirit crystal and I won.

    Armello is verging upon greatness. Music is top notch; visuals are some of the best I have ever seen. The whole game screams quality and care. They really put effort into it and I congratulate them.

    Unfortunately the thing about strategy gamers is...we want to think to win. Armello is more like a slot machine; whoever is the luckiest wins.

    My interest is already waning...when I've won, it's because I got a lucky break so it's hard to take pride in it; when I lost it's usually because I was unlucky so it's infuriating. There's no denying there is SOME strategy in the game; however it is far outweighed by luck. When I can play for 8 turns and gain zero prestige; only to get 3 prestige in the next three turns because I got a lucky card....how am I supposed to feel skillful? Was I skillful in getting a lucky card?

    Perhaps a patch could fix this, but I doubt it. I think there needs to be an Armello Two and athey need to make some serious adjustments to the game.

    I'm giving it 8 anyway because it has been fun to play for a while , it's beautiful and sounds beautiful and is a high quality product. But I doubt if anyone will be playing it for more than a week.

    Better luck next time guys please make the game less reliant on luck and more on skill and you've got a 10 on your hands.    … Expand
  9. The_Garays
    Sep 3, 2015
    9
    A game that very clearly fulfills its purpose: RPG Board Game.

    A very nice art design, very entertaining game table to play alone or with another person VS AI, or online, which works very well with no apparent problems. The soundtrack is perfect, you do not realize it's there until you think about it, which is appreciated and enlivened the game. You can propose yourself little    A game that very clearly fulfills its purpose: RPG Board Game.

    A very nice art design, very entertaining game table to play alone or with another person VS AI, or online, which works very well with no apparent problems. The soundtrack is perfect, you do not realize it's there until you think about it, which is appreciated and enlivened the game.

    You can propose yourself little challenges to unlock items, specialize in a Clan of the four available, in addition to the long list of trophies that are available PS4.

    Definitely a good pursache.    … Expand
  10. TripleACritic22
    Sep 3, 2015
    8
    Like board games, cards, and fantasy this game is for you i dont know if theirs coop, but there is multiplayer to play with friend or others in a boardgame come to life..so right now its 13$ go get it before its back to 20 because to me its not worth 20 but 13.
  11. HENCHMENsports
    Sep 4, 2015
    10
    There is a lot of strategy in this game which can make for some very intense outcomes. It's not just about rolling dice and hoping for the best. Choosing the right path and using your cards to your advantage also plays a huge roll into winning or losing. I'm constantly checking on the other players stats and inventory to think of who I need to focus on, who I need to hurt, who I need toThere is a lot of strategy in this game which can make for some very intense outcomes. It's not just about rolling dice and hoping for the best. Choosing the right path and using your cards to your advantage also plays a huge roll into winning or losing. I'm constantly checking on the other players stats and inventory to think of who I need to focus on, who I need to hurt, who I need to cripple to work it to my advantage.

    Stating there are no various ways to win and needing blind luck is simply untrue. Its a game of strategy more than luck so it requires some thought. Just last night, I decided I would try to win by getting the 4 healing stones to cure the King of Rot. I had them all with 5 days left to spare and literally missed my mark by 1 move. 1 move!! I made it inside the castle on the final evening with no moves left only to have the Rabbit climb the back wall and Kill the King just as dawn was about to break.

    I've seen time run out and games end by prestige leaders and I've also seen the the King slain in battle. I have yet to see the King healed with the 4 stones but I was right there and I'll keep trying until I do it.

    This game isn't just nice artwork and dice rolling. There is definitely a lot of thought that goes into winning and losing. Don't just play cards to play cards. Think about why you are using those cards and when to use them.

    I haven't played Multiplayer yet so maybe waiting for other players to make their moves takes a bit longer than CPU games...I don't know yet. Hopefully there is a timer of 2-3 minutes so people aren't waiting for Joe Shmoe to heat up his pizza or finish cutting the lawn. But overall, I gave this a 10 rating because I like original titles like this. And a game that has strategy, cards, dice, great artwork and strong replay value is always a nice recipe for success and fun. If you haven't picked up Armello yet, I strongly urge you to do so. You can't go wrong for $20 bucks. I didn't get mine for $13.99 even though I'm a PSPlus member. Hmm..... Anyway, THINK and ENJOY"    … Expand
  12. cypherhalo
    Sep 5, 2015
    7
    The game is a lot of fun. There's a lot of tactics to be had and I love how it combines board/card/video game into one. Adjusting strategies to deal with the various perils that are thrown out or figuring out who to target is great. Aesthetically it's cutesy but don't let that fool you, it's a serious and pretty tough game.

    That said, the RNG is a bit too strong with this one. Cards you    The game is a lot of fun. There's a lot of tactics to be had and I love how it combines board/card/video game into one. Adjusting strategies to deal with the various perils that are thrown out or figuring out who to target is great. Aesthetically it's cutesy but don't let that fool you, it's a serious and pretty tough game.

    That said, the RNG is a bit too strong with this one. Cards you want just never seem to be there when you need them (where are all my +2 health cards, where?) and if you get bad cards in your hand you cannot discard them. You can burn them in combat and that can help but even then if it's something like a rot card, it will probably just be a total waste (you'll understand when you play the game). Oftentimes, the winner seems determined by about turn 7 or so and the last turn too often feels like a formality. Mainly because the whole game is on a timer waiting for the king to die.

    Now, that is not a totally bad thing as it keeps games from spiraling out of control in the length department (say average game is about 30 minutes) and adds urgency to the whole experience. However, given that quests often spawn on opposite edges of the map and that someone can gain a ridiculous prestige lead, it's a mixed bag which is why I'm giving this a mixed review. Ultimately, I wish I could propose fixes for the issues I have with the game, it's tough and I can't. Beyond saying I strongly feel there should be a way a limited way to discard cards, you get the good and the bad with this one but it is mostly good. If you're a fan of any kind of tactical video game and/or board game, Fire Emblem, Risk, Axis and Alllies, etc then I'd say you should really check this out. You'll have fun more often than not but there will be moments of serious frustration.    … Expand
  13. 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 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    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.    … Expand
  14. LadyRoller
    Sep 4, 2015
    10
    I don't normally play video games but my husband bought this the other day and I caught myself watching how it worked. I try and keep it simple with Candy Crush and Panda Pop but it was hard not to pay attention to this when the Lion King Roar filled the living room.

    It looks really nice and seems quite unique. Our kids are now playing it and love it as well. It sounds a little    I don't normally play video games but my husband bought this the other day and I caught myself watching how it worked. I try and keep it simple with Candy Crush and Panda Pop but it was hard not to pay attention to this when the Lion King Roar filled the living room.

    It looks really nice and seems quite unique. Our kids are now playing it and love it as well. It sounds a little complicated with all the cards and the dice rolling but the kids picked t up relatively fast and now every night after homework, it's Armello with Dad.

    I suppose from a replay value, it was well worth the money. If your family plays board games together, you might want to give Armello a chance on the console. Dad and the kids said to give it a 10 so I did.

    Hope this review helps :)    … Expand
  15. Codex7
    Sep 6, 2015
    10
    What a great game! I am really enjoying it a lot. Deep strategy. I was worried about the dice aspect before I got the game, but I an glad that it is not a concern. One can influence the outcome with smart play of items and burning of cards. It is NOT completely luck based.

    One of the best, if not THE best strategy game currently available on PS4.
  16. Steyraus
    Apr 28, 2021
    3
    Very slow very dull, . Generic AF.. It is ridled with bugs and have had seberal crashes mid game. How they managed to mess up coding such a basic game is a mystery. The just game steals from other games , but implements the mechanics badly.. Seems like a kids game eccept their is some very shallow adult themes..IDK who this game was meant to appeal to.
  17. lightcrown
    Sep 10, 2015
    8
    Price/Fun ratio is quite satisfactory with this game. This game could become much better with some little tweaks... Maybe with a patch or two I'd increase my review score...
  18. Pureray
    Sep 17, 2015
    8
    Armello is a real board game?
    I never knew it was even a thing until I heard about it during the vote to play event.
    It was the only game that just so happened to catch my attention despite it not winning, but was still interesting, so I ended up buying it. It's does a great job on welcoming you into this world where the tutorials and game guide are simple and easy to go over on the    Armello is a real board game?
    I never knew it was even a thing until I heard about it during the vote to play event.
    It was the only game that just so happened to catch my attention despite it not winning, but was still interesting, so I ended up buying it.

    It's does a great job on welcoming you into this world where the tutorials and game guide are simple and easy to go over on the many possibilities on winning or just screwing someone over.

    Before you start your match, you first pick a character, then a few special perks that you can use for the entire game and you could unlock more by doing the 4 different ways of winning and by playing several matches as a different clan.

    My issues with Armello, is that there is no local co-op! That really needs to be included since this is turn based after all. Will it becomes problems with the hud and being able to see the opponents cards may be the reason as to why it isn't.

    If you enjoy the thrills of playing a board game with some rpg elements, that'll require skill and mostly luck to win then Armello, would be a great choice, even if you got some online buddies that are willing join, which always would make the experience better.    … Expand
  19. sefrabu
    Apr 11, 2016
    7
    I got pleasantly surprised by this game, as I came across it by pure chance, since it doesn't get much publicity. Which again, makes me think how many good games are out there that we even't don't know they exist. I'm taking one point out of the score for introducting a game mechanic that disallows playing a local multiplayer. Other than that, it's a pleasant breather from all thoseI got pleasantly surprised by this game, as I came across it by pure chance, since it doesn't get much publicity. Which again, makes me think how many good games are out there that we even't don't know they exist. I'm taking one point out of the score for introducting a game mechanic that disallows playing a local multiplayer. Other than that, it's a pleasant breather from all those "great" tripple A games.… Expand
  20. Dagfinn
    Sep 22, 2018
    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 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    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.    … Expand
  21. Vinnykin1
    Sep 14, 2015
    8
    Just bought the game last night after it was discussed on the co-optional podcast, I got a discount on PS+ which put the game at about 11 pound, I have to say for the money this is a great little game! I have played it for about 8 hours straight now... The game starts with a nice prologue/tutorial which lets you play as 4 characters and learn the different mechanics and play styles, afterJust bought the game last night after it was discussed on the co-optional podcast, I got a discount on PS+ which put the game at about 11 pound, I have to say for the money this is a great little game! I have played it for about 8 hours straight now... The game starts with a nice prologue/tutorial which lets you play as 4 characters and learn the different mechanics and play styles, after that it's up to you how you want to play. There are 8 characters in total with varying stats and ability's, along with the cards, king decree's and the 3 ways to win you are guaranteed a different game each time. The game requires strategy and using the cards you are dealt efficiently as well as a little luck (the RNG can be a bit brutal in certain games)

    I recommend this game highly for the price and the re-playability, the multiplayer works well but takes a while to find a match I have found...I've actually typed this while waiting...    … Expand
  22. HappyCamperCo
    Sep 30, 2015
    3
    Average board game, but not for 20 dollars and not on PS4.

    This game had so much potential. The amazing art, music, and preview video made it seem like there was so much more to this game, a story, an adventure. Even the playable prologue makes you feel like you are in a more story driven experience, but that's not what is in the game. Instead, you are stuck running around on one map    Average board game, but not for 20 dollars and not on PS4.

    This game had so much potential. The amazing art, music, and preview video made it seem like there was so much more to this game, a story, an adventure. Even the playable prologue makes you feel like you are in a more story driven experience, but that's not what is in the game.

    Instead, you are stuck running around on one map (or one type of map), while you foolishly try to accomplish uninteresting tasks while the AI opponents just seem to get everything without issue. You will spend most of your time waiting for everyone else to finish their turn, with no ability to fast forward if playing a single player game.

    The game tends to run out of turns before anyone actually beats the game, resulting in a prestige victory. I attempted a spirit stone victory, only for the game to tell me I couldn't because I had another active quest going on, then the king died due to rot the next turn and an AI player won.

    I can understand how this game would be good on PC, after all, you are already hooked up to the internet and finding other players to game with is a lot easier. On console, the only multiplayer option you have is online, which of course requires a playstation plus subscription adding at least another $4 dollars a month to the cost of purchase. The fact that Armello offers no local multiplayer seems to undercut the potential of what it is, a digital board game, something to be enjoyed with friends. If there had been a demo of the game on the Playstation store, you could have played it and not missed out on anything this game had to offer.

    If you have $20 dollars and you are looking for a strategy-rpg experience, there are plenty of other games to look for that have a lot more for the same price.    … Expand
  23. gameuser22308
    Dec 30, 2015
    0
    This game is too shallow. All of the strategic point is random. (mostly by specific card luck). This game is like handphone game. (in respect of not having too much content.)

Awards & Rankings

97
#97 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
74

Mixed or average reviews - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 15
  3. Negative: 1 out of 15
  1. 4P.de
    Sep 3, 2016
    82
    A clever digital board game in which the various elements connect quite well.
    Read full review
  2. DarkStation
    Oct 23, 2015
    40
    Armello has a lot of potential but the interesting bits never come to the forefront in any meaningful way, leading to a rather bland experience.
    Read full review
  3. Brash Games
    Sep 29, 2015
    80
    For those who are board game fans, this is a game you should add to your collection. For anyone else, Armello offers something different to what is currently available on the Playstation 4. It is a beautiful looking gem and certainly worth a king’s ransom.
    Read full review
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