REIGNS Review: Swipe Right to Lead the Kingdom

Reigns is a PC and mobile card game that uses Tinder swiping as its main mechanics. You are presented with two options; all you must do is to swipe right or left to pursue the direction you want for your kingdom.

DEVELOPER: Nerial
PUBLISHER: Devolver Digital

This is such a unique and very quirky game that hides its story and puzzles within its simplistic presentation can be addicting to many or very underwhelming to some players. That said, I really find charm quite appealing, unlocking all the characters really makes the story more interesting and me swiping through the cards.

The main objective is not to die as king and you are given to balance four meters, one is for faith, well-being of your people, military, and treasury. If any of these meters gets too low, you’ll die but if you get one of them at the highest point for a couple of turns it is still game over. Who would have thought being a caring king would make people confident enough to overthrow you and view you as weak?

Even though the cards are random, your goals are sometimes set; they are also added as achievements in the steam version. One of the goals is to have a royal line rule for hundreds of years, the other is to meet and survive the devil and his curse on your family.

There are multiple ways to get a game over in Reigns, dueling could also end a run if you lose, being lost in the catacombs could mean death, or even getting caught by an angry mob. All these scenarios are played using swiping right or left.

Though the gameplay loop is unique, it’s still very repetitive and after a few minutes I must put the game down. The quirky cast can be engaging the first time you meet them but after getting all the character cards and scenario cards in your deck you’ll see cards multiple times that it can be a slog to get through. The mindless swiping and not reading the description of the cards makes me realize how unengaging apps like Tinder are.

Even with this nitpick it is still worth it to pick up because of its unique gameplay. It is fun when playing it in short bursts only. It is not meant for a player to sit down for four hours just swiping the cards. So, if you want a game for when waiting for a bus or an appointment this game is good for it.