Terra Mystica is an area control board game that is now available as an app for Android and iOS.

Terra Mystica Rules Description:

Terra Mystica is a fantasy realm in which you are fighting for territory. You play as one of 14 races that prefer different terrain and have unique special abilities. The game is played over six rounds and each round has a different scoring mechanism.

In Terra Mystica you must terraform hexes in order to build dwellings. After you have built a dwelling, you can upgrade it to a different building. All this construction requires workers and gold. When you don’t have enough of those resources you can exert you power to help finish the job.

When you build a dwelling, you gain additional workers each round. You can upgrade a dwelling to a market to gain more gold. A market can be upgraded to a stronghold to unlock your faction’s special ability or a temple to gain priests. Priests let you move up the cult tracks to gain more power and score points at the end of the game.

Each round you get points for constructing buildings on the current round’s scoring tile. At the end of the game you score points for your position on the cult tracks and having the largest group of adjacent buildings. The player with the most points wins.

Quick Review of the Terra Mystica App:

Terra Mystica is a complex Euro with a lot going on. It comes with a learning curve and will take a few plays to wrap your head around. But if you can manage to push through the initial experience you’ll find a fun and challenging board game.

The Terra Mystica App is a well-done digital adaptation of the physical board game. The board game takes up a lot of table space and the app does a good job of organizing all the boards and information you need. It might take a couple games to remember where everything is, but you get used to it pretty quick.

The tutorial is just ok. They go over the rules quickly and, if you are new to the game, you might need to read the full rules (which are linked) or watch a video play through to get the full picture of how to play.

If you have wanted to try out Terra Mystica but don’t know anyone with the game, the app is a great way to figure out if you’ll like it without buying the physical game. If you are already a fan of the board game and would like to play this solo against the AI or via pass and play with friends, buy this app. It is available for both Android and iOS.