The Battle of Polytopia would function really well as a single-player board game. It draws from strategy inspirations like Civilization, but sticks to the arcade-like style of game that the Switch does well. It knows where to keep things simple and tight, but also where to stretch its legs a little. It’s the perfect title to obsess over for a long-haul flight, drop for a few weeks, and then pick straight back up. Whereas the game doesn’t break a lot of new ground with its ideas, gameplay and mechanics, it undoubtedly has charm and depth. It certainly has what it takes to trigger a feeling of nostalgia in long-time gamers who long for that Gameboy Advance strategy era.

The Battle of Polytopia is available for free on iOS and Android. It’s available on Switch and Steam for $14.99.

Story

The game presents itself as a pure strategy title, and because of this, the story is not the focus. You play as one of a number of simple factions tasked with exerting your will upon the world of the game, playfully named the ‘Square’. The factions seem to draw inspiration from real-world civilizations, but they depict them in broad and reductive strokes. The Imperius factions are obviously Greco-Roman, the Xin-Xi are inspired by ancient Chinese dynasties and the Kickoo are simplified depictions of native Americans, to name a few. The list goes on. This isn’t a new concept in gaming… Developers like to speak to you in a language that you understand. But that doesn’t mean…