Seller: Devolver Digital

Developer: Nerial Ltd

Platform: iOS 9.1+

Size: 124 MB

Price: $3

Reigns is a simple card-based game where you play the new king of a nondescript western European country. The objective is to reign as long as possible.

Each card draw advances your reign by a year. After a card is drawn you get two responses -- drag the card left or right to choose. Many cards will affect the four kingdom attributes at the top of the screen: church, people, army, treasury.

To help you a little bit when you drag the card left or right dots appear over the kingdom attributes: small dot for small change and big dot for large change. You don't know whether the change is up or down though from card text and experience you can make a good guess.

If any attribute hits 0% or 100% the game is over. You can also die from violence, sickness or old age regardless of the kingdom attributes. The bottom right of the screen shows persistent effects like you built a hospital so disease should be lessened. It's hard to tell cause and effect sometimes especially with cards that give you portents or that have no apparent immediate effect.

Your first king starts at 600 AD. Each succeeding king starts when the last king died. As time passes different comes are added to the mix so you do see things changing over time. Also there are effects that last beyond your current king. e.g. I started a crusade, which constantly lowers population score and raises treasury score, and didn't have a chance to end it for three kings.

Graphics are simple and bright. Card text is in general humorous. A reign can be done in less than five minutes. Overall it's a unique game and well executed.