Istanbul: Digital Edition

Why does it clearly state you cannot move diagonally and yet everyone moves diagonally? The tutorial freezes after the first few pages. The AI does actions it cannot do in a physical game.

I’m a big fan of the board so this is a good version of it. I just wish that they would make the expansions for it.

This is a great port of a great game. The unique aesthetic has been well-translated, the AIs are difficult and play well, and the game functions without a hitch. But, years after release of the base game, we really need the expansions: Mocha and Baksheesh, as well as Letters and Seals.

This has been an excellent app version of the board game. We play it frequently as it is much faster than setting up the actual board. I have never been any issues with bugs or crashes. My only request is that they would add the expansions to the app.

This is quite an elaborate game. I tried bcz of the high reviews, but gave up trying to understand it.

This is a very nice, quick adaptation of the great board game. I love that you can randomize them board with one tap before the game and also randomize the number of opponents and their skill/difficulty level with one tap. My only desire is for the addition of the expansions.

Playing with the AIs works well, but the online part of the game to play with other people is constantly full of glitches and bugs. It’s never ending. So frustrating.

Update: March 2020 The Istanbul App is still extremely well made. It really is one of the best. However, there’s been no word on the expansions being added in. The base game is good, but is more limited in the available options.l for each player. In short, the expansions make a good game a great one...so I’m now providing 4 stars for the app (a good app, but short of great due to the missing expansions.) Original Istanbul App Review: INTRODUCTION: If you’re reading this review, chances are pretty high that you’re already familiar with the tabletop game. If that’s you, feel free to skip ahead to the sections that may be more relevant for you. If you’re unfamiliar with Istanbul (or modern tabletop / board games in general), then I’ll try to provide a little bit of additional insight for you. WHAT IS ISTANBUL? Istanbul is a modern tabletop game (eg. Boardgame) in which you and your opponents are racing around the board trying to be the first player to collect 5 gems (6 in a two-player game). Basically, there are 4 different resources you collect to earn gems, or money to buy them, and you’re trying to do this more efficiently/quickly than the other players. If you’re new to modern tabletop gaming, the rules may at first seem overwhelming. But trust me, they will begin to click and you’ll quickly come to see why Istanbul is one of the most highly rated games today (currently in the top 100 on BoardGameGeek. That really is saying something since BGG has well over 10,000 games that are ranked.) IS THE USER INTERFACE ANY GOOD? The UI of Istanbul is perhaps one of the best, if not THE BEST of any digital adaptation of a boardgame I’ve played. And I’ve played a lot. A lot a lot. All 16 tiles are easily discernible, and the [I] logo on any tile or card can quickly bring up additional information to help remember the rules. Not only that, but the UI also shows a wonderful light-gray or white option under the board reminding you what you can do with the bonus cards in your hand. It’s these small things that show just how much attention to detail the developers (ACRAM) put into this app. ARE THE AI OPPONENTS ANY GOOD? At this time, there are three levels of AI - Easy, Medium and Hard. As somebody who has played the physical version a good bit, I can honestly say that the Hard AI is really good. Honestly, I thought I was pretty good at this game, and the Hard AI has been a humble reminder that I still have some room to grow. HOW IS THE ONLINE PLAY? Confession, I haven’t played online…yet. But I’ve got an account set-up and from what I’ve read, it’s a very smooth experience. Play async with family and friends, and I believe it’s cross platform as well. So if you’re playing via iOS and others are playing Android, you can still play head to head online. IS THERE ANYTHING MISSING? If you’re unfamiliar with Istanbul, you should know there are two expansions in the physical edition. The first expansion is titled MOCHA & BAKSHEESH and it introduces new action tiles, and a new way to purchase gems (coffee!). It also introduces Guild Cards. The second expansion is titled LETTERS & SEALS which grants yet another new way to purchase gems (Letters/Seals) as well as a handful of other new interesting actions. There are also a few PROMO tiles which mix up a few of the actions. ACRAM has noted that they MAY develop the expansions if demand is high enough and if they get the license for them. In other words, the more sales they get, the higher the chance we’ll see the expansions available as an IAP in the future. While each expansion only adds 4-5 more tiles, the introduction to the Guild Cards, Letters, Kiosk Tiles, and more, all would take a lot of programming to get them coded. FINAL VERDICT: I give the Istanbul app a 5/5. It’s seriously flawless in its execution of the tabletop game. The UI, AI, online play, artwork all work together seamlessly. WHERE DO I RANK IT WITH OTHER DIGITAL TABLETOP GAMES? This is an insanely difficult question to answer as we’re currently seeing an incredible number of modern games being ported to digital. That said, Istanbul is easily in my top 3. If you’re interested in some other fairly easy to learn modern board games, then I can easily recommend the following: 8-Minute Empire Patchwork Ticket to Ride Splendor Pandemic (and/or Forbidden Island / Forbidden Desert) Onirim Jaipur Race for the Galaxy Roll for the Galaxy (coming soon!) 7 Wonders Carcassonne Paperback and/or Hardback Potion Explosion Burgle Bros Castles of Mad King Ludwig Colt Express Tsuro

Pretty please make the Baksheesh and coffee version!!!! I know 4 other people who would also pay for this!!! PLEASE!

A phenomenal adaptation of an excellent game.