Maracaibo Digital 12+

For the most parts this is a really good - if very perfunctory- adaptation of the board game. No more, no less.

There’s basically no animation beyond icons sliding around the screen, sound effects are very basic, and most people will mute the short music loop within the first 5 minutes.

Worse than all of this however is a complete like of computer controlled opponents. The experience is like playing the board game solo, where the single opponent is controlled via a card draw in the exact same way as the tabletop. It can’t plan, it can’t anticipate. It just does its own random thing which may include rushing around the map within 3 turns doing very little, and playing entirely within its own unique rules.

It’s a great replica of the (fantastic) board game, but it’s totally reasonable to expect a little more than that in the move to digital, and it fails to deliver on that.

The board game is for up to 4 players but this app is a solo affair, which is a shame really. Useful for learning the game and playing an automata is kind of interesting for a bit, but ultimately it is like having a car without an engine. It wouldn’t take much to knock together a rules based ai with a bit of randomness just so we can have a proper game with multiple opponents - I have done a few games where I play myself as an opponent who follows basic rules and it’s OK, but a bit sad.

Ok, there’s the Automa to play solo but come on! The least we expect from a digital board game implementation is digital AI opponents. Sure, AI is the trickiest part to program well but, frankly, that’s what we’re paying a higher end price for. Maracaibo is a fantastic game but this app offers nothing the board game doesn’t. And no online multiplayer either. A massive disappointment.