The title Struck is literally a mash-up of strategy and luck, but this iPhone game combines much more than that. It pulls from board games like Checkers, Backgammon, Chess and Othello, throwing them all into this melting pot app to create a bizarre game you wouldn’t be surprised to see Spock contemplating aboard the Enterprise.
Its graphics — Salvador Dali meets Dr. Seuss — gives this app another twist, as you can choose different board designs and eerie soundtracks for playing online match-ups. In fact, you can play up to 10 games at once, Bobby Fischer style. I recommend this if you’re the type of person that gets restless watching your opponents take back their moves multiple times, as mulligans are encouraged. However, until more people start buying Struck, I doubt you’re going to find that many people logged in at once.
With options for both full multi-player face-offs and 10 solo practice puzzles, the game is played on a board of 140 black and white squares. Each player is trying to protect the four “goals” on their side while attacking those opposite. A rolling die determines the number of moves allowed per turn, which are made by sliding your pieces along same-colored tiles that can be flip strategically to outwit your opponent. Then add another dozen rules about “bumping,” “polarity,” and different specialty squares.
Like many board games, Struck is only as good as you are at it and can be difficult to pick up at first. But if you have the extra patience to spare (plus the $1.99 to buy it) you’ll find this app’s subtle complexities and endless strategic possibilities worth it.
