Evolution Board Game

One of the first rules of nature is "Adapt to survive." North Star Games took this advice to heart when bringing its Evolution board game off the tables and onto mobile devices. The mobile version doesn't just add visual polish and animated moves, it also gives players more ways to play. There's the basic player versus player mode, which can be played locally by passing the device around between turns, or by getting matched up online with other players globally in private games or tournament matches. But to add to the fun, there's also a single player campaign that not only helps players hone their species-enhancing skills, but adds extra tidbits of knowledge and unique extra that can raise players' curiosity on evolution and its effects on life as we know it.

While Evolution is a lot of fun to play, there are some rough spots that could have stood a little extra evolution of their own. For starters, the game's resolution may look sharp on mobile screens, but fitting it all in means the game pieces and much of the text on the board are small and hard to manage. And even though there's an initial tutorial for those that have never played, it doesn't do a great job of explaining the gameplay. Things make more sense the more you play, but early on, it feels like you're guessing at what moves are best and how the game operated. Finally, though the game is free-to-play, it's more of a stripped-down demo, with the full campaign and unlimited multiplayer only unlocked after paying a one-time $5.99 charge. The game is definitely worth the price, but it just would have been better to be more clear from the start about the free version's limitations.