Ever since Game of Thrones’ eighth and final season came to a disappointing end, the HBO television series has inspired a variety of different browser games, mobile titles and casino instalments as well as a whole host of free-to-play and X-rated games. The television series is much loved by millions of people so why do 90% of the video games inspired by the series completely suck?
Whatever the reason, here’s a look at several Game of Thrones inspired games. Admittedly, the majority of these are worse to spend your time on than having to tell The Mountain that you just accidentally ran over his beloved childhood dog, but some are worth checking out!
A Game of Thrones: Genesis
Bearing in mind that Game of Thrones: Genesis was released during the same year as HBO’s first season (2011), it does a pretty good job of making you feel like you are in Westeros; if your idea of Westeros is totally different from the actual series. Unfortunately, the games developers, Cyanide, only had the rights to George R.R. Martin’s book series and not the shows assets.
In order to get past the fact that they could not copy the TV show, Cyanide decided to utilise an entirely different period of history. Therefore, Cyanide ended up creating a real time strategy game (RTG) that is set 1000 in the past of what you see in the proper Game of Thrones.
Should I buy?
Although on paper this game sounds good – an Age of Empires type game based on Game of Thrones – in reality, A Game of Thrones: Genesis is not so good. The game play is lacking to say the least, expect to be sat simply watching your units make their way slowly across the map to attack whichever enemy building or unit you told them to attack. At the same time, the combat system is not based on anything apart from luck, so if you pride yourself on being an RTG tactician, this is not the game for you.
That being said, if you are a Game of Thrones and RTG aficionado, there’s no harm in checking this game out. At time of writing it is $9.99 from the Steam Store. It really is not anything to write home about, though.
Reigns: Game of Thrones
Reigns was a super fun swipey-card type indie game released in 2016 that put you in the hot-seat of power and whether you were successful or unsuccessful was based on the decisions you made. This style of game suited perfectly to being on the Iron Throne and having power over Westeros, thus Reigns: Game of Thrones was created.
The player is assigned at random a character from the series and then asked to rule the Seven Kingdoms by making a number of yes or no decisions. The decisions you make will decide whether the people love you and erect a statue of you or whether they hate you and rise up and de-throne you.
Should I Buy?
For sure! Reigns: Game of Thrones is not the most in-depth game to have ever existed, but it is a fun game to play. The charm of this game comes in its over-the-top endings as well as how it allows you to explore scenarios that the TV series did not such as whether Jon Snow would have made for a good ruler or perhaps Little Finger would have been the man to lead the people of Westeros to the most prosperous times in history. Play and find out!
With an iTunes store rating of 4.8 stars out of five and a price of just $3.99, it is certainly value for money, and you will have a good albeit short time playing.
The games format does rely quite heavily on chance, meaning that you can sometimes lose because the random card draws don’t come out in your favour, but hey – that just sounds like life in King’s Landing, right?
Game of Thrones: A Series from Telltale Games
Telltale games have produced certainly the most ‘proper’ Game of Thrones game. Unfortunately, we won’t see any more of this series since the developers Telltale closed their doors in 2018, but I digress.
Telltale decided to produce an interactive game which focussed on House Forrester – a minor house which acted as bannermen to House Stark. Players can take control of several different House Forrester characters who are flung throughout different locations in Westeros from Kings Landing to The Wall. The game features cameos from the likes of Jon Snow, Daenarys Targaryan and Ramsey Bolton with full voiceover and facial recognition from their characters as in the television series.
Should I Buy?
Fans of this series will certainly agree that no other Game of Thrones title will make you feel like you are in the world of the books/TV series like this one. The game does rely quite heavily on dialogue and scripted events for the gameplay; however, the story line is exciting and engaging.
Unfortunately, there is only one season of Game of Thrones in this series, due to Telltale Games closing their doors. Unfortunately, Meta Critic gave the game a pretty average 64/100 score but the first season finished on some pretty crazy cliff-hangers, although it does not look like we will ever know what was planned for season two. Either way, this is as close you will come to a good Game of Thrones inspired video game so if this is what you are looking for, then go ahead and purchase!
Honourable Mentions:
Game of Thrones Slot Game
With fancy images, great graphics and a soundtrack hailing from the TV series, this is a good game to play if you are looking for a quick and fun time. Slot games are of course a form of gambling but given that the Game of Thrones slot game has so many fun features that give it the Westeros touch, it certainly feels more than a simple slot. It is worth checking out!
Game of Thrones Winter is Coming
Game of Thrones Winter is Coming is a free to play online browser game. It is your mission to conquer Westeros and claim the Iron Throne. This title is very similar to Clash of Clans. You must align with one of the great houses of Westeros, create your castle, build up your army and then crush your enemies. This game is fun and addictive but lacks any true soul or depth.
Game of Thrones XXX Games
There are a variety of Game of Thrones games that are for, let’s say, a more mature audience. There is of course only one reason to play these games and it is not for the gameplay!
