06 Jul 2018
What do we have here? It’s a prequel – a ‘pre-quill,’ as the promotional material puts it – to Paperback, the deck-building word game about becoming a famous novelist. Hardback is now out for Android and iOS devices, and it adds a few new twists on the original formula.
As Penelope Quill, great-grandmother to Paperback’s Paige Turner, you’re once again racing to achieve fame as a novelist. This time, however, you’ll be able to use any card as a wild by playing it face down. That means you’ll lose the benefit from playing the letter on its face, but it gives you extra flexibility when forming words. Another new mechanic is four literary ‘genres’ for cards, each with its own additional traits that provide additional strategic options.
Created by Fowers Games, Hardback’s art (again done by Ryan Goldsberry) is lovely and nails the 19th century aesthetic with charm. It’s going for £4.50 or $4.99 on the App Store and Google Play.