Months later I'm still playing.

Great strategy puzzler

So well designed and so balanced. And really fun to play and master. Only iPhone game to date to make it to my home screen.

... It commits a cardinal sin, it stops my music from playing. It's my device, I pick the music.

If it doesn't bother you that starting the game cuts off a great song them this a great game. For me that's an instant 1 🌟 review.

I'll be happy to change this 5 🌟 if the author will fix this bug.

This game is beautiful in its simplicity. Gameplay is challenging and fun and the animations are kind of funny too.

One of the best sequential, asymmetrical, perfect information games of all time.

Excellent mechanics and the achievements give you a lot of difficult goals to accomplish.

This is just a great all around game. Looks, controls, challenging. As many times as I clean up my apps this one will never get deleted.

If you have some time to spare getting good at this game is a lot of fun. It has a steep learning curve and has almost infinite replay ability due to its multiple powers and daily challenges. My one complaint is that it is really hard to do a run without killing anybody since they sometimes kill each other.

This is by far the best game on the App Store. Cavern is similar but not quite as fun.

Hoplite reinvents the classic rogue like for an almost perfect mobile gaming experience. Nothing besides 868-HACK comes close.

Don't look like much, but it's got the goods for sure. Surprisingly addictive.

This is a pretty solid turn-based game. It will take you time to get good at it, which can be discouraging at first, but once you get the hang of it you'll start to like it better. It's not a perfect strategy game, but it does what it does pretty well.

Also, it has a fun challenge of the day mode that is shorter than the normal game where you start off with different varieties of power ups. This feature kind of saves the game for me, to be honest, as the longer game can take a good chunk of your time to get through. About 20-30 mins. Plus, it's kind of annoying to have to start off for the very beginning every time.

This game is brilliant fun, but there is a crashing issue that has popped up for me recently and persisted even after reinstalling the app. I am on ios8 and iPhone 6. Be careful but if it works it's a great game to pull out for 2 turns or for 1/2 an hour.

When this was a featured in an article on Bloomberg under "Best one handed games to play on your commute" - I was intrigued.

A game for adults that is featured on Bloomberg?

And am I glad I bought it!

It is a dungeon crawler and as you clear every level you have a choice to keep adding special abilities.

The gameplay is fun and special powers keep the replay value.

Don't let the basic graphics fool you. It is the ideal game for a quick 7 minute break before the conference call starts, or for an "after lunch" break before you head to your trading terminals.

MUST BUY!!

I didn't know what "rogue-like game" meant when I first played, but I can't find one now that compares to Hoplite. Fun the first time, and I've come back time and time again to replay

I don't buy a lot of games and I can't remember the last time I rated a game, but this game is great. Easy to get into, quick, and super challenging. I get a little better each time I embark. This is the best game I've downloaded in a while, highly recommended.

Very good "bite-sized" strategy game. The scale of the game is not huge, and that's part of it's appeal. The simpler graphics are also a part of it's appeal ( retro and more modern). When you do end up getting the fleece you feel you've accomplished a good battle run. The added options of more life, more energy, longer jumps, etc. are a nice addition to your strategy plans ( bonus -- they are IAP free). Well done!

Time for an adjective dump: highly addictive, strategic, fast-paced, turn-based roguelike dungeon crawler with surprising depth. I recommend turning on swipe controls.

Strategy, board game, turn-based, amazing little game. Well worth the money!!! And I love that there are no in-app purchases.

One of the best iPhone games out there. So satisfying.

I love this game! It's a turn-based dungeon battle. The rules are simple, but the game is randomized so that every game is different. You learn from every game, and it never gets old. Your game achievements actually unlock new possible skills!

The legacy graphics option is fun too, don't miss that.

Great fun, get it.

My only (minor) complaint, in case the developer is reading: I'd really like to see my health while I'm in the temple screen. It can be hard to remember how much damage I took in the last round.

I've taken to aborting games because the computer has me making moves I did NOT initiate. Everyone tests to see what the best move will be. Well, the computer arbitrarily decides to make one of those moves for real, literally as I press another spot. This game has been seeking an overhaul for some time. It's lure is weakening. Who can afford the time to play a whole game and then have the computer err on a crucial move? If I didn't trust programmers the way I do (unveiled sarcasm) I would think this is all a plot to give the computer an even larger edge.

Great strategy game

Excellent rogue-like / chess hybrid. My favorite game in the App Store.

Fun just like 868-HACK

This is an excellent little game with a great deal of depth. The learning curve is a bit steep, but the game is very fair in its difficulty. Well worth taking some time to learn the ropes.

I can't stop playing. The depth is really good once you are familiar with the move patterns of everyone

A great game that requires the quick tutorial provided, don't skip it! Once you learn the mechanics the game is an awesome challenge. I just wish there was more of a quest mode with more rewards as you progress, unlockables. I hate most games these days, this one is a gem. Get it.

A simple but fun game. Innovative. The rules are easy but it gradually becomes harder level by level sucking you in. Fun mechanics. Short games are easy to play multiple times in one setting. Achievements give you some longer term goals. More of a strategy game than everything, this is not a simulation or a role playing game. Highly recommended.

strategy game.

Why does a new version delete my high scores!?

Otherwise a great (and addictive) game.

Super dope game. Congratulations!

This game is a simple yet challenging surprise. It is well worth the money and offers an interesting version of a turn-based combat game. It plays well on both iPad and iPhone.

Love this game. Everytime you lose, you know it's your own fault. The game is never unfair. Plus no in-app purchases, which is fantastic.

My only feedback is to go back to the harder daily challenges, or at least make them available too! So much more fun than these new easier ones.

Period

Perfect, combat-centric roguelike that's short enough to play in bursts but with enough long term challenges to keep you coming back

Simple yet very deep. At first glance it doesn't seem very good at all. However, don't be fooled by the old graphics or the board game like movement of your enemies. This game is very well done. Multiple approaches are available to how you want to develop the hero to tackle each level. When you advance, there is an earned feeling of accomplishment. Definitely worth the download.

My only complaint is a lack of appropriate explanation of the game, I had to get the details of the game from a website before I understood everything.

This IS a fun game but I really don't get all the 5 star reviews, is there something I'm missing here? Getting to lvl 16 is relatively easy once you figure the game out however going past lvl 16 is pointless as you're unable to heal & there are no further objectives. If you access an alter but don't want anything there's no option to back out meaning you have to choose something even though the choices given may be counterproductive. The challenge mode is OK but eh.... Quest For The Fleece aka: spend 30 min making it to lvl 16 then either go further until you die or port to the surface and game over....

Well balanced gameplay. Great for quick pickup games. Overall, one of my favs, highly recommended.

This is one of those games you end up always cherishing. Especially in an App Store where gameplay crippled, pay to win, ad ridden apps, reign supreme. It is extremely fun, and with this new update I will be playing this game for a very very long time... Or at least until I rage quit because of my own stupid mistakes.

When I first saw this app, I was shocked—I had never seen an app with five stars. I looked down the reviews and saw only five stars. Needless to say I bought the game immediately. The game is great, and I know it looks like one of those games that is either really good or really bad; trust me, it's not very good— it's amazing. You have to think every move (it's like a board game, almost, but better.) There are in game upgrades, and none of them are too OP. The two biggest complaints I saw— not expansive enough, and annoying controls. First off, the controls are very accurate. I've had trouble with tapping the wrong space too, but come on, that only happens when you are tapping too fast and not thinking, which is a bad idea anyway, considering the game's need for slow, deep thinking. Second, there is a new mode called "challenge mode" in the newest update, and probably more modes in the future. And if a game like this is too expansive, it gets stupid anyway— look what happened to Pixel Gun. In short— perfect, beautiful strategy game – but think or else. Now excuse me while I go play a round our two. Level 17 scares me...

This game is awesome! It is very easy to pick up yet has challenging puzzle gameplay. The controls are simple but intuitive and responsive. The random generated levels, different ability combinations, and high score tracker give this game a ton of replayability. The new challenge mode gives the game even more longevity and provides even more difficulty to an already challenging game. This is a must-have game in my book.

you go.

Don't let the unfamiliar name or simple graphics fool you, this is a fun game with hours and hours of engaging gameplay.

Easy to get into with surprisingly satisfying gameplay and tactics. One of the best indie games I've played in a long while. Highly recommended!

Love it! Can't put this down. Tremendous replay value with a ton of little quirks that enhance tactical decisions as you unlock and discover them. Buy it.

It is by far the one of the best strategy titles available on iOS , toped only by FTL. Its easy too pick up and play a short session, or play for hours. It's very well designed, And I cant wait for a free content update, or even DLC. Keep up the good work.

This game has great replayability and is a good balance of strategy and fun. Just wish that once you actually get the fleece on LV16, they gave you a new objective! I got the fleece, and then!... Back to level one to do it again. Please keep the gameplay as is, just add more objectives and levels. Love this game.

Bite-sized game length, tons of replayablity, just the right amount of complexity, excellent ramping of difficulty, tons of fun.

Game is great, been having fun with it and is not my main game.

Only issue is that at times I can't predict if I'll stab or lunge or I'll just land on the spot and get hit by the footman. Don't know why I don't stab or lunge when the move calls for it.

Still a great game!

You are browsing the App Store and see game after game that claims to be 'free', but drives you crazy with IAPs and social media requests. Worse, you buy a game thinking you will now own it, but uh oh! The expansion is extra! Not this. You pay once for a cute, engaging game and are never bothered about linking to Facebook or paying for bonuses. Simple and fun.

I am increasingly addicted to this game. It is deceptively deep in strategic contemplation as choices made early have profound consequences for later gameplay.

The music really sets the mood and makes the experience immersive.

I stand by my earlier comments, and would like having different dungeons available which have different characteristics which are perhaps only available once certain abilities are unlocked.

-- Original

I am really enjoying this game. I'd like for it to be more in-depth. Some ideas:

- persistent Rpg elements like character development

- multiple quests

- rare items

Very good casual strategy without IAP; I'm on board

This is a pure experience that is so rare on the AppStore. The game is uncluttered; there are no daily challenges, overbearing social media integration, or annoying IAP. This game introduces some very simple rules that make the player very powerful but punishes you dearly for mistakes (usually if you're not thinking through your decisions).

Hoplite is a little bit like playing chess with one piece that you're able to upgrade slowly over the course of the game. The game balance is incredible - there are many different upgrades, and all of them are useful if you learn a good play styles to go with them. I've won a couple times now and keep playing because I enjoy challenging myself by trying out different builds that I haven't succeeded with yet. This has definitely been one of my most played games lately.

Not the epic that the 5-star reviews make it out to be. A competent little puzzler with randomly generated levels that is mildly compelling IMO. I got tired of it after 1/2 hour and don't think I'll be back to it.

It really needs an almanac explaining what all the different enemies are and all the different powers you can use. Otherwise it's a lot of trial and error.

Not my thing but might be yours. Give it a try if on sale.

This game is one of the best I've played on the iPhone. It has kept me hooked for hours with its great strategy and achievements. The power up system is awesome, and the variety of power ups allows you to try different strategies game after game. It has great replay value, because after you beat it (level 16) you can play again and again to see how deep you can go. I would love to see more quests with more achievements added, and would gladly pay for them!

This game just keeps getting better. I really like that the game feels hard to begin with and then those parts get easier and the game is still challenging. This is the first game I've played that unlocks upgrades in a way that adds to the game. I really like that throwing, bashing, and leaping are all workable strategies that play very differently. Very very well done.

This game is perfectly designed for mobile play. Strikes a nice balance between casual and more serious games. It's a turn-based dungeon crawler with randomly generated levels and light RPG elements. Games last from 5 to 20 minutes or maybe longer when you get good. In theory, you could keep going after you get the fleece, giving the game infinite replay-ability, but in practice I think it would get a little repetitive without meaningful secondary goals. I'll probably pick it up every once in a while just to see how far I can get. Can't really ask for more.

In brief, Hoplite is a clean, easy to pick up dungeon TBS with levels that become increasingly challenging, but at a pace that gives you time to learn and gain rewards. Definitely will remain on my iPhone for a long time to come. Kill a few minutes or a few hours. I would gladly purchase additional quests.

I love this game. The game play is so simple and elegant. I love that it's more of a pure strategy game than a lot of mobile puzzle and rogue-like games where luck plays a big part. The levels are a perfect length for mobile play. Runs perfectly on all my devices.

It's a great game but idk how to deep lunge? I've tried if there's 2 enemies behind each other I'll aim at the one behind the first one and the spear only kills the second enemy not the one in front of him. I'm confused on how this works if anyone has an idea please let me know thanks in advance

Ok, this game is pretty amazing, and as an adult gamer, there's few games on iOS that I will say that about. The concept is simple; make it through 16 levels of increasing difficulty to find the Golden Fleece. Like a game of chess, you have to consider the possible moves your AI opponent will make, and outflank them.

Please make more quests available! 😄😄😄

Update: Fat Finger Mode does not work well in iPhone 6. Please fix!

I like the gameplay, but after the third time I ended getting all the way to level 16 easily. I would keep playing this game if the option to choose difficulty levels is added (or perhaps the chance to start at lower depths for increased difficulty).

This sweet piece of programming perfection is fast becoming my favorite of all time. Admittedly I'm prone to retro-ish games, but design transcends genre and this little beauty sparkles. Simple yet complex, well balanced, by turns frustrating and thrilling, endlessly variable, it is, in a word, elegant. If D&D and Chess had a baby, it would be the spitting image of this adorable gaming software :D

Bravo, mr. Cowley!

If you like TBS games this games hits the spot. Also great if you can only play a few minutes at a time. Short learning curve. Satisfyingly deep gameplay.

I've been trying to get the flawless achievement for about a week now. Every failure has been my fault. The mark of a well-designed game

To be honest, Hoplite is the most brilliant and fun strategy game for iOS. It is like Chess shook hands with an RPG. Gameplay is extremely clever and will leave you thinking about every turn you take. There is also prayers which change gameplay drastically because they grant several abilities. And it is very difficult. You will die. Alot.

But there is a reason why i give Hoplite four stars. It took me about a week to complete the first quest. You don't have to necessarily end the game when you make it to your goal; you can keep going! But it feels empty. Why would I keep going? I have reached my goal, there is nothing to find in further depths and I will only keep going to beat my high score. That said, it would be nice to have other quests. Maybe am Arctic-featured quest that has ice tiles and instead of demons there are yetis and such. That would be neat. What I am asking for is more content. But for now, Hoplite is a must have strategy game for an awesome price of two bucks. Not bad at all.

This is a fun action-y, chess-like strategy game that provides a few hours of quality entertainment. It looks great -- I love the design. It could provide more hours of entertainment if you ‘re a gamer that like to get all achievements. Personally I wasn’t compelled to continue much after I finished the main part of the game. That said, it was fun while it lasted and I’m happy I bought it. I look forward to more projects from this game maker.

I adore this game. I play it daily and it never gets old. I have one request though.. I'd like to be able to listen to podcasts while playing hoplite. Unfortunately the volume of my podcast player is muted whenever I switch to the hoplite app. Otherwise.. The game is perfect!

It's an ok game in it's current state but with great potential.

I get a sense of wanting more randomness. Each game the first 10 levels feel the same, it wouldn't be an issue if it were to set up a strategy for the more difficult levels, but it's not. There are a few character "builds" which changes dramatically how the game is played, I wanted some outlier upgrades, perhaps a very small chance for an over powered game breaking upgrade (think barrage of spears or call down lightning strikes) or one that greatly boosts your abilities (like two moves per turn or unlimited leaps) but gives you a limited number of moves to finish a level. Maybe a chance at a level that's crumbling in 15 moves and you have to get to the exit ASAP. I could come up with a million of ideas but would be too long to list here. The devs are welcome to email me at hopliteideas at gmail dot com.

This is one of the best strategy games you'll find. It's reasonably hard without being impossible and you can still play after beating it to earn a great set of achievements.

The hero's moves are great and well thought out and the upgrade options are genius. Well done.

Fun and challenging. The difficulty is just right for a strategy game. It makes you think and can quickly punish you for mistakes. As you beat every level you get upgrades. Get the improved throwing distance. Makes progressing much easier. As you learn you get better. Sometimes you have to think how your enemies will move and make a choice that prevents an enemy from attacking. The best part is that it's quick to play. You can pick this up and quickly play a game. Also there are achievements you can get. I got to level 16 finally and recovered the fleece. And beat the game. At the point where you get the fleece you can either take the portal and beat the game and live out your life as king. Or you can continue down into the dungeon. And the fleece gives you health a bonus as you go down. It's an enjoyable strategy/ puzzle game.

I just finished the last achievement: atheist. The last few achievements get quite challenging but never unfairly so. I really enjoyed this game; so much so that I'm leaving my first five star review.

For those thinking about getting this game, realize that it's a thinker's game. Everything can be planned out several moves in advance, and needs to be to get the hardest achievements. That being said - the learning curve is great. Almost everyone should be able to return the fleece for the first time in a small number of games, and then you start working towards achievements.

Now that I've finished them all I can shoot for some super high scores. I wish there was a global leaderboard to compare with, though. That's the only thing I think is missing.

This is something like puzzle+roguelike. Very interesting and creative game. Buy it, won't regret.

+)This game has a great potential. I can't wait for a new update.

+) I hope there would be "Undo" button or undo skill. Sometimes I miss click a tile and got massive hits from enemies----game over. I need 1 turn undo button/skill !!

I don't review apps often, but this game isn't getting enough love. It's relatively simple, but very well thought and very fun. There are many different build paths you can take which lead to a very different style. Overall I'm thoroughly enjoying this game. It's nice to have a true strategy game on the iPhone, instead of social or time investment games.

This is the best $2 I have spent in the App Store in a year. Hoplite is part-Rouge part-chess. Trying out different combinations of skills and techniques is one of the best parts of the game. You have all the tools right there from the beginning to make it to the end, but you need to develop strategies to make it to the end. If you are slow and methodically, you can make it to the end without ever getting hit. I have already beaten the game several times and I am still hooked trying to get deeper into the dungeon.

Superb strategy game that continues to evoke emotions of just one more game. What hurts are the limitations of upgrades and starting points when you've died. You restart the entire game without any modifications to your single unit. Though that in itself leads to the glorious feeling of 'I can get further this time, I can do better.' That is what makes this a must play.

This game is insanely addicting. I can't describe how hooked I got. Just buy it now and forget about doing anything else for the rest of your day.

My one complaint:

It's very easy to accidentally hit the wrong tile and move somewhere you don't want to. Maybe implement a two tap option so you don't make accidental moves. It was really painful when I was on level 16 and this happened and killed me.

1. Make it harder. Roguelikes are supposed to be ball busters, and I'm almost done with my Achievements after 3 days.

2. Remove the feature to move by pressing anywhere on the screen, or make it an option (off by default).

3. Featherfoot is OP.

4. Allow turning off of Achievement skills so crap ones don't show up at shrine and punish us for progressing.

5. Consider changing Wizard attack, or introducing a new enemy type. Wizard is too similar to archer, and the 2 are the only true threats.

These are in order of my personal priority. Maintain this 5 star review and make some of these changes.

I've spent more time with this game than any of the "AAA" apps I own. Super addictive, deep mechanics, and lots of interesting achievements to keep you going after you beat it. Don't let the simple graphics fool you--this game is worth way more than the asking price. Looking forward to seeing more from this rev.

The fact that there are only 15 reviews is almost criminal - Appadvice and other Apple following websites need to direct some traffic to this game, which is not only surprisingly deep in its complexity, but is one of the few games I can play when I have 5 minutes, stop and then come back to an hour (or a day) later and pick right back up where I left off. Thats because of the simple mechanics and also because I can review the prayers I have already diner for that game, since it changes each time. Seriously, this is a great game and worth twice what I paid.

I love the strategy and randomized maps of this game. Sometimes though when I'm checking an enemy's distance the game thinks I've entered a move and all strategy is gone at that point as my dude runs into fire or something. After some thought I don't know how you could fix this without slowing down the game, but I hope you figure it out. Legendary mechanics here.

This game is amazing! When it does what I want it to. However way too often where I tap on the screen on my iPhone 5C is NOT where my dude goes. It's infuriating when you have a plan and know you are safe where you want to move to but it instead it puts dude in harms way. This completely puts a damper on this game and more often than not it keeps me from playing it altogether. Please tighten up the touch controls, or add a zoom so you can be confident touching a square is going to move you to that and ONLY that square.

Dev did a great job. It's simple but really well-thought out game. I feel as though I'll be hooked to it for a good while. Just checked out the site. This is one guy who created this during a 7-day gamejam - awesome! Look forward to updates and added features!

This game stimulates my brain, unlike a multitude of many previous puzzle games, on and off the iOS platform. The strategy used is very neat, and makes me feel powerful. The game is easy to pick up, but difficult to master. I extremely recommend this game if you like turn-based strategy games that can be play over and over again.

Has a couple bugs. First, at some point, my footstep sound will change to a sound that sounds like crashing thunder. Not sure why. Second, on level 16, I grabbed the fleece and tried this blue portal looking thing and my game locked up. Other than those two bugs, this here's a winner and very fun and engaging.

Wow, I really like this one. Great puzzle--and the mechanics really gel with the battles. Great feel when you start knocking down enemies turn after turn. Still trying to find my preferred build, all the powers seem pretty useful. Also like that a achievements unlock skills.

Recommended!