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Add to SafariWhen comparing Hoplite vs Angband Variants, the Slant community recommends Hoplite for most people. In the question“What are the best roguelikes on Android?” Hoplite is ranked 7th while Angband Variants is ranked 25th. The most important reason people chose Hoplite is:
You must plan your movements and attacks, paying attention to all enemy positions and their attacks. This makes for a game that the player can pore over their options, for as long as they like, which can be pretty enveloping.
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Deep gameplay that harkens back to chess or other grid based games, where planning and strategy take a front seat
You must plan your movements and attacks, paying attention to all enemy positions and their attacks. This makes for a game that the player can pore over their options, for as long as they like, which can be pretty enveloping.
Pro Easy to understand the rules as any pertinent info is relayed before a move decision is needed
Someone called it "Chess, the roguelike". You have all the information before you move, every time. Enemies follow a simple ruleset, with no variation. There is almost no randomness. You know that you will die the turn before you do, and you will die because you painted yourself into a corner.
Pro Great replay value thanks to the roguelike random generation
There is a good list of achievements, which creates a high replay value. It encourages the user to play very differently in subsequent replays. Which is great for keeping the game fresh.
Pro Can be played at your own pace thanks to the turn based nature of the title
Hoplite is a turn based game, making for something that people can take their time with, deciding on their strategy for each move.
Pro Extended gameplay when you finish the title, with the fun but difficult game+ gameplay mode
Starting on level 16, the altars get replaced by a portal. The player has the choice to "win" the game by exiting through the portal, or to ignore the portal on that level and venture deeper, aiming for higher scores on progressively more difficult floors. This is great for those that enjoy more challenge and extra content past the regular ending.
Pro Well-balanced
Other, more popular, mobile roguelikes are far too random. A lot of people associate roguelikes with randomness, but a lot of effort goes into making sure that they provide consistently winnable games. When you lose a game it should be because you did something dumb, not because the RNG didn't deign it today. Hoplite nails this.
Pro Large assortment of enemies keeps the gameplay and strategies required fresh
There is a wide array of enemies to encounter and fight, which keeps encounters fresh as well as the strategies needed.
Pro Contains ToME 2.3.5 -- which is a fan favorite
Pro Can be customized
Using the right app you customize the variant through the files.
Pro Based on Tolkien universe
Being based on the Tolkien universe makes for a familiar environment for fans as well as a deep offering of texture that would be hard to match from scratch.
Pro Five variants in one game
There are 5 variants of the original Angband included in this app, Sangband, Steamband, ToME, NPP Angband and Sil. With 5 games in 1 this app offers a robust offering of playtime.
Cons
Con Short game
Hoplite does not take that long to complete as it can be finished in an average playthrough in around an hour.
Con You need a physical keyboard to really enjoy this game
You can't select / customize software keyboards, which makes controlling the game more difficult than using a real keyboard that can.
Con Cannot change the game
It always starts with ToME.
Con Enemies can target from off screen
While enemies can target from off screen the player is unable to target them until they show onscreen, which means the player can get hit from enemies they can not see or retaliate.
