Premium titles are a rare commodity on mobile, especially ones based around turn based tactics. So the launch of Howl thanks to developer Mi’pu’mi Games and publisher astragon Entertainment is very welcome, especially as it’s perfectly suited to the format.
And we’re going to explain exactly why that is…right now.
Take Your Time
It goes without saying, but Howl being a turn based strategy title means there’s no need to rush through levels. You can play it at your leisure.
It sees you play as a deaf heroine who must combat wolf-like creatures who are the victims of a “howling plague.” This is a devastating disease that spreads through sound.
Being deaf you are tasked with finding a cure while also protecting the villagers who haven’t yet succumbed to the disease. To do this you play across sixty turn based stages based on grids.
Each of these levels contains enemies that you need to kill or evade. Enemies won’t move unless they can see you, but once they do they’ll take a step towards you every time you take a turn. Trust us, you don’t want them to catch you.
So even though the action is high stakes, it never rushes you. You have all the time to make your move, and you can even turn off your phone and come back to it anytime and at any stage - not so easy if you’re playing the game on a home console or a PC.
Intimate and Involving Plot
There’s also the factor of the game’s plot, which surprisingly drags you into the action more. Yet it’s not told through endless cutscenes, but also through the wonderful aesthetics - described by the development team as “living ink.”
They explain further by saying: “The game’s central theme of a dynamic prophecy, being written as you play, inspired us to present the game as an illuminated parchment come to life. A large part of this was coming up with a way to show ‘Living Ink' instead of static ink, dead on paper; the colors should flow, morph, and travel across the page as you ‘illustrate’ the game by playing the game.
We wanted to make the game feel as if it all takes place on one long, continuous piece of parchment, each level part of the prophecy, written out by you. Illuminated by the page, the color would seep in from the darkness surrounding this endless scroll.”
Touchscreen Controls
Strategy games have always felt like a bit of a fudge on home consoles, and Howl definitely feels a better fit on mobile in this regard.
Movement is simple and quick thanks to the touch screen based gestures, and you never feel like you’re fighting the controls.
Helpful Advice
No, Howl isn’t a multiplayer title. But if you do get stuck, employing the help of your friend on what move to make - and when - could be essential.
With that in mind the game being on mobile is perfect. As you’re far more likely to be able to bring up the game and show your mate with it in your hand than get them to help you out with the game on console or PC.
You can check the trailer here:
Everyone Can Play
The game is free to download initially, so everyone can try it out. But the development team at Mi’pu’mi Games also have made sure that everyone will want to play it as well, designing it for every level of player. Even strategy game novices.
They explained: “We tried to offer an easy entry point for everyone with a steady curve increasing the difficulty level. At some point we realised the game is actually quite tricky to solve, if players are aiming at 100% progression. Hence we created and introduced an assist mode that helps players to read and understand the opponents moves a bit better.
If you are playing with a purist approach, Howl requires some experience in the genre, but on the other hand the game offers you support if you get stuck at a difficult challenge. Taking all the available platforms into account, we believe Howl is a game addressing a very wide audience.”
So if this all sounds good to you - and it really should - we recommend trying out Howl for yourself via the Google Play Store or the App Store right now.