The newest entry in the Tinder-esque kingdom management video game series Reigns is taking players to a familiar locale. Reigns: Game of Thrones will allow players to swipe left and right while ruling from the Iron Throne as a variety of popular characters.
Reigns is a strategy game first released in 2016 for PC, iOS, and Android. Gameplay has you managing your four resources (military, church, people, and wealth) by making binary decisions via a Tinder-style interface where you swipe left or right. If one of the resources goes too low or too high, your reign comes to an end. This careful balancing act makes for some interesting narratives, including ones where you welcome plagues so you can stay on top for a little longer. The game received a sequel in Reigns: Her Majesty in December 2017.
Reigns: Game of Thrones takes a “what if?” approach to the land of Westeros and its people. In order to explain the non-canon nature of the game, the game is framed as being visions Melisandre the Red Priestess sees in the flames. This allows players to make wildly different choices from the ones set up in George R. R. Martin’s stories (or to be more specific, the version being made by HBO.) There seem to be nine characters available so far, and they can gain perks or curses that change up the gameplay. Tyrion Lannister, for instance, is very good at talking his way out of debts with the Iron Bank, which protects him from losing the game via running out of wealth. It’s possibly the most expansive version of Reigns to date, and is one of the rare mobile franchises that benefits from being based off of a pre-existing IP.
Reigns: Game of Thrones will be releasing October 18 for $3.99 on Steam, the Google Store, and the App Store. Speaking of Game of Thrones, the final season of the TV series will air next year.