John Tiller Mobile Apps

For an old board wargamer like me, the recently released mobile versions of of several games from John Tiller Software are a joy.  I've been playing them on my Samsung Android tablet.  The touch interface reminds me of my early days physically pushing counters around paper maps.  It seems very natural to me to manipulate the units this way.  Once you get the hang of the interface, playing the games becomes very fluid.

Of course, the other advantage is mobility.  Having a nice set of operational level games that I can jump into and play for a few minutes on my tablet while I'm waiting on a meeting or on a trip is great.  I don't fly much anymore, but if I do, being able to just pull out my tablet rather than trying to fit a laptop into the non-existent space between my face and the seat in front of me would be wonderful.  The other thing I enjoy is being able to flip back and forth between the game and reference material or a manual easily.

Given the quality of most Android and iPad games, I wasn't initially very optimistic about the future of our hobby on these new devices.  These Tiller games, however, along with respectable efforts on the part of Battlefront with Combat Mission Touch, some offerings by Slitherine/Matrix, and new players like Shenandoah Studio are changing my mind.