The “Hot Games" list in our TouchArcade app (Free) as well as right on our website is always a great tool for gauging what games our community is currently buzzing about. Over the weekend, the Hot Games list brought Calculords (Free) to my attention, and I’m very thankful that it did. Calculords is the first game from long-time games journalist, comedian, and all-around cool dude Seanbaby, and it’s quite impressive for a first effort.

First off, Calculords is an incredibly unique concept. It’s a card-battling game at its core, mashed up with lane-based battling where all the action plays out. On top of that, the entire gameplay is built around simple math. Wait! Don’t run away. It’s not as bad as it sounds if you’re not a big fan of math. And as the name eludes to, there’s even a built-in calculator to help you if you need it.

Gameplay is pretty much what you’d expect from a CCG. You’ll build a deck of various types of units, and then take turns against an assortment of AI opponents. As mentioned, battles play out on a lane-based playing field, so there is a lot of strategy in where you end up deploying your units. In fact, if this was all there was to Calculords it would still be a fantastic game.

However, the math element is what really pushes Calculords into “brilliant" territory. You see, in order to deploy units you’ll need to come up with the number required on each card using a selection of nine numbers on a grid. So, if a certain unit requires a 24 you can multiply a 6 with a 4, combine a 10 with a 2 and multiply the sum by 2, or basically any other equation you can think of that nets you a 24.

You’ll do this for each unit you deploy, and the real kicker is that you’ll get a bonus for utilizing every card in the grid during each turn. This leads to some really creative uses of your math skills. Sure, you could just add 6 with 6 and end up with that 12 you need, but if you multiply 3 with 1 and then add 3 and then multiply all that by 2, you’ll still end up with 12 but you’ll have used more cards in the process. It’s this sort of thinking that really makes Calculords stand out.

Now, it’s very possible you aren’t a huge fan of math, but don’t be quick to dismiss Calculords because of that. Like I said, there’s a calculator built right into the game so you’re free to try different combinations of equations until you get the result you need, and if you make a mistake you can simply clear and start over. Having a basic understanding of what addition, subtraction and multiplication is is important, but actually being good at math isn’t. In fact, after spending just a little time with Calculords the math portions become second nature.

I could jibber jabber about Calculords all day, but your best bet is to simply download it for free and give it a try yourself. The tutorial shouldn’t take more than 15 or 20 minutes to complete, and it does a great job of explaining the ideas in the game. By then end you should be able to tell whether Calculords is your cup of tea or not. As for the free to play elements, they’re nothing to worry about. There’s no consumable IAP, instead you can buy additional card packs for two bucks a pop. Additionally, you can purchase a membership to the “Calculords Fun Club" for two bucks which will disable the infrequent in-game ads, give you a bonus card after every match, and increase the rate at which you’ll receive rare cards.

I’m not super far into Calculords yet, and I’m also not the most skilled at it, but I’m having a blast nonetheless. For a free download it’s definitely a game everyone should consider checking out. The impressions in our forums have been overwhelmingly positive too, so give it a shot and drop by the forum thread or the comments below to let us know what you think.