When comparing Hoplite vs Threes!, the Slant community recommends Hoplite for most people. In the question“What are the best iOS games without in-app purchases?” Hoplite is ranked 12th while Threes! is ranked 16th. 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
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion 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 No time limit to solve the puzzles
There's no time limit to force the issue, but that doesn't matter, because it's so damnably slick to both the touch and the brain that you'll throw moves out with the same speed and grace that climbing into a tiny boat forbids.
Pro Ideal for phones
Being a portrait style game that has large graphics that are meant to be played with one hand, Threes! fits better on a smaller screen device such as phones more so than a tablet.
Pro Pick up and play
A puzzle game should be quick and easy to pick up and play, but deep and challenging enough that it’s difficult to put down - that’s the cliche ideal. Threes is the embodiment of that ideal.
Pro Rewarding
The sense of reward one feels as title are combined makes for a very enjoyable game, no matter how many times it is played.
Pro Easy to learn, hard to master
Pro A free version is available
A free, ad-supported version was released on June 10, 2015 and is available here.
Pro Gameplay suits anyone's style
Threes! can suit anyone's play style, whether it is someone who takes their time and considers all option or someone who just blazes through each move without much forethought.
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 Randomness of game can be frustrating
The randomness of what new tiles appear can be frustrating when nothing is lining up very well.