This week I am covering two games with some historical connections. Now not all games need to involve guns and blood to be fun. Some of my favorite games do not even have any violence in them at all! One of those games is Reiner Knizia’s Medici HD by Codito Development Inc, which I am covering here. The other game is Medieval Merchants by RapidRabbit over at my site AppReviewCentral.net

The game is set in the Renaissance Italy and you play a member of the infamous Medici family. The Medici family was a rich family that was involved in politics, banking and even produced 4 popes in the 14th and 15th century. You can read more about them on their wiki page.

In the game you need to make the most money in three days time. You will be competing with 2- 5 other players and your competition can be other humans or computer (AI). There does not seem to be an online multiplayer option but there are nine different computer opponents, each with a different tactic. If you need help, there is a nice help section that gives you the basics of the game which I would recommend you read it. Overall the game is pretty easy to pick up and play.

The graphics and music are very well done, plus if you do not want to listen to classical music you can play your own in the game! As was mentioned above, you are trying to make the most Florin (money) in a three day bidding war. The goods up for sale at the dock are cloth, fur, grain, dye, spice, and gold. Each turn is started by opening crates on the dock and you can open one to three crates. Each player can bid on the crates shown as long as they have space in their ship for them. At the end of each day, when all ships are filled, Florins are paid out to the merchants.

Scoring for the game is as follows:

• At the end of each day the merchant with the most valuble cargo in their ship gets a bonus.
• At the end of each day, the amount of purchases for each item is tallied and the merchant with the most of any single item gets a bonus.

So to do well in the game, you need to be smart on what you bid on. See what you opponents are going after, keep any eye on the type of item and value of it. Be patient. The game is only 3 rounds and once you get the hang of it, you should be able to play a game in only a few minutes.

I found the game to be challenging and enjoyable. It is not overall complicated but it does take some practice and thinking to excel at it. So if you are looking for a casual, thinking board game that will not take all day, Reiner Knizia’s Medici HD for the iPad is right up your alley. You can bet your Florin on it!

Sharkfish Studios, an independent game development studio located in Finland, has announced the release of Wordmare — a word puzzle game for iOS. Wordmare offers a fresh view on word games with a focus on solving word associations. Each level starts with a visible word and with the help of hints it is up to you to solve the associated words. Solving words will reveal more associations and the aim is to locate and solve goal words or to complete 75 percent of the whole level to unlock the next one.

Tens of hours of gameplay include both smaller and larger levels with different themes. Some words have image or audio clues attached and if you get stuck you can use power-ups to reveal letters for unsolved words. Complete larger levels with no time limits or challenge yourself in shorter time attack levels.

Matti Anttonen, CEO of Sharkfish Studios, is excited about the release: “We have had such a great time designing and play testing the levels that I am sure the players will enjoy them as well. If you are looking for mind stimulating games, give Wordmare a try, I bet you’ll get hooked.”

Here’s a video showing some gameplay footage for you to get an idea of the game:

Interested? You can download Wordmare on the App Store for $0.99 by clicking here.

The three apps for this weekend’s AppyFridays sale have been finalized and are all set  to go on sale today. Like usual this sale will end sometime late Sunday, so you’ve got plenty of time to pick any of these apps up if you have your eye on them. Here’s the list of apps along with a little bit of information about each of them:

• Bluenote $9.99 -> $0.99
  All-in-one app: secure note taking, tasks, and password manager for Mac. Bluenote lets you store, encrypt and sync the data that is always relevant to you, all combined in a beautiful interface.
• MultiMon $9.99 -> $1.99
  The perfect solution for dealing with a multiple-monitor setup on a Mac, makes working with more than one monitor a breeze.
• Font Kit Mix $4.99 -> $2.99
  A collection of 100 professional fonts that can be used for both commercial and personal projects.
  Pretty decent app, I must admit – anyone can find a font that he needs.

Probably one of the most successful new overseas iOS titles with already more than 6 million active monthly users in Asia, Locojoy‘s I am MT: Card Battle has finally arrived in North America. Players will find and collect more than 500 cards as they conquer dungeons and defeat powerful bosses. Take note though, cards can be evolved with experience into more powerful versions. I am MT: Card Battle also brings a new feature to trading card games where players can borrow cards from their friends to use in battle.

I am MT: Card Battle has both PvE and PvP action. In PvE, players pit their wits and cards against the CPU as they level up their deck. When players feel ready, they can enter the PvP Arena to struggle for control of one of 16 dungeons.  The trick is to hold on long enough in a “King of the Hill” style battle against other players. Victors gain gold and honor as they rise through the ranks of the game. PvP ranking promotions earn players additional bonuses.

Features:

• Find, collect and level up more than 500 cards.
• Climb the ranks in PVP for awards and glory.
• Summon rare cards to defeat even the toughest bosses.
• Invite friends from Facebook.
• Take your friends’ best cards into battle.
• Automatic combat system: feel the rush of victory.
• Beautiful character artwork.
• Daily rewards and events.

Interested? Currently, I am MT: Card Battle is available for free on the App Store.

Starting May 14th and running through May 19th, G5 Entertainment‘s hidden object game, Totem Tribe Gold, is available for as low as $0.99 on iPhone and $1.99 on iPad. Upon its launch on mobile platform, the game instantly captivated both casual and more hard-core game fans, and was praised by critics. In Totem Tribe Gold you are tasked to help Aruku, a chief of the Hawk tribe, restore peace and lead her tribe to a better future. The first stage of this epic challenge is Tetala Island, where your first quest is to find an ancient and mighty relic called the “Tear of Heaven.” All in all, you will visit 23 islands and other mystic locations during this journey.

At the beginning of each level, your first task will be to build up a village for your people. Workers dwell in huts and are responsible for the construction of buildings and research. You will train scouts and military units like hunters, shamans or archers protect your village against hostile creatures or tribes. Then, you will discover the island, find enemies, complete tasks, and eventually main objectives.

The later levels will bring more challenges and more powers so you’ll be building huts for workers, training grounds for warriors, towers and archery ranges to defeat your enemies, witch doctor shacks to cure the villagers and guard towers to protect your people when your army is away fighting. You’ll also be solving puzzles, completing quests and searching hidden items over Seagull Island, Blueberry Island, Mushroom Island, Witch Island,  and more to progress in the game.

Features:

• 32 Enchanted locations to search
• 22 Adventurous quests and mini-games
• 20 Precious artifacts to locate and preserve
• Real-time strategy and adventure game

Interested? You can download Totem Tribe Gold for $0.99 on the iPhone and $1.99 on the iPad.