Anyone know any good fantasy/medieval games for mobile? I just finished marathoning all the extended editions of LotR with my roommates again so now I need something else to scratch that fantasy itch. I tried searching around google for recs and found a few lists like this one: https://appgrooves.com/article/best-medieval-fantasy-role-playing-games-old-school-epic-stories-anime-and-heroes (Medieval Fantasy RPG and Paladins both sound good from the reviews, and I do love text adventure), but if anyone has any better suggestions I'd love to know! Anything that I can play on my way to work is ideal.
That’s a pretty good list. If you are looking for something like a gamebook, I would recommend the Lone Wolf series — they combine a good story with fun combat and challenging gameplay. Another series to look at is Ravensword (full disclosure — I helped with the story on the second one). Those games are more action oriented (think Skyrim-lite) but they hit all the fantasy tropes. The second one in particular has a big world to explore and a wide range of monsters and quests. If you like it, try Aralon: Sword and Shadow, too. If you are looking for a big, truly absorbing fantasy tale, my bet would be Final Fantasy Tactics: War of Lions. Unlike many FF games, this one is purely fantasy, with a story and characters that are truly compelling. It doesn’t hurt that it’s still one of the best tactics RPG ever made. Finally, you can also try the Dungeon & Dragons games on iOS — Baldur’s Gate I & 2, Planescape Torment, and Icewind Dale. Those are truly hardcore and tough to play on a small screen (IMO), but they are deservedly considered classics.
Wow. This is a wide open question yet a fun one to answer. I’m going to narrow it down to RPG’s with a western style that have some attribute in common with Lord Of The Rings. Avernum (party based, open world) - One of the best RPG’s on any platform if your into the type of RPG that excels at well written stories and characters. While Avernum is a modern game it is unapologetically a product of the time it’s inspired by (early 90’s isometric computer RPG’s). The UI might be challenging for some if this is your first foray into the Spiderweb Software universe or are used to a more modern style of RPG but it’s well worth learning since it truly is an amazing RPG series. Darkest Dungeon (heroism, surviving against all odds) - While it may be more roguelike than a full on role-playing game I really wanted to include it since it contains those heroic moments in spades when all hope seems to be lost for your adventurers. I would almost consider it the pinnacle of a heroic style game. The game is very difficult, unforgiving and a bit sparse on story but it’s very mobile compared to any of my other suggestions and it’s just an amazing fantasy game overall. Villagers & Heroes (whimsical, massive world, playful/serious) - This is a fantastic game that is reminiscent of early PC MMORPG’s and out of the three games this feels the most Tolkienish. The story starts out pretty light but gets more engaging as time goes on. What puts it over the top is the options available for your character. Want to partake in all the out of combat activities instead of fighting then go ahead. If you want to do a bit of both or focus primarily on being an adventurer, no problem. Also the game is true free to play with purchases completely optional. The Midnight Chronicles: Lords Of Midnight / Doomdarks Revenge (strategy, fantasy, armies) - I remember as a child “tinkering” with this game on my old Commodore 64 not knowing what I was doing or what I was supposed to do. Admittedly even now I have yet to play the iOS mobile remakes and actually learn the game but I had to recommend this just based on the praise both of these games receive from diehard fantasy fans. Certainly wanted to recommend this since I’ve read numerous times that LotR was a strong inspiration for both games. You can head to thelordsofmidnight.com and download the accompanying novella for both games absolutely free (just google the lords of midnight if you want to find the site that way).
Thanks guys! I played through Darkest Dungeon a while back and loved it (while also simultaneously hating it, if that makes sense - god, I lost so many good characters). I'll definitely check out Villagers & Heroes, Avernum and Ravensworld. Between those my commutes should definitely be less boring!
