Armello

Armello is one of the most successful indie games funded entirely by public funds, marking an era within independent development in the mid-2010s. Nowadays, the game hasn't aged—at least not much; the art, music, and creative/artistic direction remain among the best seen in decades for a game of its genre. The stories, written by author Alex Kain, are not only free in the in-game store but are also incredible at explaining the lore behind the four main clans. However, behind the world's epic atmosphere and the visual and narrative style inspired by literary tales and fables, there lies a gameplay that, despite being functional, lacks versatility. It doesn't vary at all, and although the experience depends entirely on the player, its game modes don't offer many opportunities to keep enjoying it, at least not all the time.
This is a board game; that is to say, the ways to win are completely linear and strict, and the established rules are fair (advantages with disadvantages). But in the case of Armello, obtaining victory depends entirely on luck. Despite the fact that since the tutorial (which, by the way, doesn't fully explain how the base mechanics work) we are told that 'skill' is required to break free from traps (perils) and obtain rewards (cards, equipment, and recruits), what it doesn't implicitly explain is that the entire gameplay is based on an algorithmic system known as RNG (Random Number Generator).
In other words, the entire core gameplay depends on 'luck' or on probabilities that the game system itself will decide for you. No matter how well your game is going, with good cards, equipment, and excellent recruits, you don't have total control over how your match should go. At any moment, a bad move or positioning, a Bane or King's Guard, the other players or the game's own AI, and above all, the randomness of the dice in battle, will end up changing the course of your game with even the slightest negative action (and by slightest, I mean literally any action). This is not satisfying since, thanks to this very system, matches often stretch beyond 60 minutes. Basically, luck devalues logic and eliminates the strategic factor within the match.
This game is governed almost entirely by probabilities; these define whether your match will be victorious or if you will suffer a bad omen of ill luck, which is not pleasant for a board game. Generally, turn-based strategy games give you the necessary tools so that you, as a player, know exactly what to do with them at any time. But here, even if you have good rewards and good cards, the dependence on randomness does not work in your favor most of the time; therefore, having patience regarding these highly questionable mechanics will be fundamental to getting through a standard match.
And this is extremely important to highlight: the game has character DLCs, and these DLCs contain probably the best characters in the game, which partially aligns the game as a 'Pay To Win.' Yet, even with such a mechanical system, the game can be (and occasionally is) enjoyable in single-player, multiplayer, or with friends, because as previously mentioned, the experience of a game varies from player to player.
Armello has a universe so vast and unique for it to remain trapped by these kinds of mechanics... This doesn't mean I don't like it, but I don't agree with what it currently offers either, so, consider this opinion as a mixed one. ;>

Take this as someone who has only ever played the base game and has only ever played single player.

I really enjoyed Armello. The art style, the mechanics, the board game feel. It is just all very nicely done.
Apparently there may be a few issues with the DLC characters, but I know nothing about that.

Just something I enjoy coming back to now and again for a game or two between other games.

Fun, cute, and very pleasing to the eye. I love playing this game - especially without timers. no stress, just serotonin

Armello feels like someone mixed a tabletop board game with a fantasy RPG and somehow made it work. Every match is a mix of strategy, RNG, politics, and betrayal, which makes even losing entertaining sometimes. The art style and soundtrack are gorgeous, and each character has enough personality to make experimenting with different playstyles fun. Matches can drag a little with bad luck, but overall it’s a really unique multiplayer game that deserves more attention.

I'd like this game more if MY FRIEND RODNEY STOPPED GETTING ALL THE GOOD ITEMS AND FLEXING ON US HOES. This is just like mahjong all over again.

This game is great if you have friends to play it with. Last random match I tried took about 20 minutes to find. Single player is playable, but computer AI is a joke. Once you figure out the core mechanics, they won't stand a chance.
Note: the game is no longer supported by its devs. You will encounter bugs like game crashes. If your connection is unstable, do NOT hope to play multiplayer, because there is NO reconnect option.

Friendship ender, swear to god i never win this stupid ass game! My friend airy always wins, if not its my friend Rodney, my quest is always up a mountain with a guard standing on it or somehow on the other end of the map so i spend the whole game trying to get to it!
I never do.
♥♥♥♥ this stupid ass game.