Board games for Nintendo Switch are currently still in short supply. Apart from the classic board game Monopoly, which Ubisoft offers, there are no board or card games worth mentioning. Nintendo's hybrid console offers ideal conditions for playing board games as digital versions in front of the television - also in local multiplayer mode with several players.
Asmodee Digital, one of the market leaders in the field of digital parlor games, has recognized the potential of the Nintendo Switch. Carcassonne will appear to me the first serious board game implementation before the end of this year. And more are to follow. In any case, Asmodee Digital seems to want to fuel the digital board game market.
Basics: Board games on the Nintendo Switch
Hardly any other console offers such good conditions for the implementation of digital board games as the Nintendo Switch. Whether mobile or on the TV at home: board or card games can be easily transported - and thanks to the multiplayer features of the Nintendo Switch, they can also be used with friends on the go. Technical top performance is not required of a console for the fluid display. Technically speaking, the Nintendo Switch is easily sufficient for a virtual round of board games. The sensitive touch function on the one hand and the innovative movement control using the Joy-Cons on the other hand are ideal for intuitively controlling board games on a console. The ingenious HD vibration of the Joy-Cons could also be used in a targeted manner in many parlor games, for example to generate tension, make timer functions tangible or to stage special game situations by vigorous shaking and shaking.
The practical NFC function can be used in the area of trading card games to transfer physical playing cards to the Nintendo Switch. A few months ago, Nintendo secured a patent for NFC cards. What the interface does with regard to the amiibo figures could also be used for other board game figures: physical and non-physical game elements could be combined to create completely new digital board games.
Asmodee Digital fuels digital board game market
According to the latest information, Asmodee Digital will further expand its position in the field of digital board games. Accordingly, Carcassonne will be just one of many board games for the Nintendo Switch. By the time Carcassonne appears for the portable console in winter 2018, Asmodee Digital will provide plenty of supplies in the board game porting segment. So appears Potion Explosion including DLC The fifth ingredient for Steam - and thus for PC gamers. Also Uwe Rosenberg's title patchwork fabric and Agricola will delight players on the iOS, Android and PC systems in the future. This also applies to the award-winning board game Le Havre.
Ascension is getting a complete makeover of the user interface and a DLC on Steam. You could say Asmodee Digital would like to catch up on sleepy years with a content offensive.
Interested players can try out the digital board games as part of beta tests before they are released. Information can be found on the website of Digital Asmodee.
Carcassonne for the Nintendo Switch
Carcassonne will be the first board game for Nintendo Switch from Asmodee Digital. The adaptation of the award-winning placement game by Klaus-Jürgen Wrede (Hans im Glück Verlag) is expected to appear in winter 2018. Players can then expand their fortress regions on Nintendo's portable console by adding landscape tiles and hunt for points with the help of digital meeples - either in handheld mode or docked on their home TV. The adaptation will continue the triumphant advance of the Carcassonne board game. At least Moritz Brunnhofer, managing director of the publishing house Hans im Glück, is certain of this:
"Carcassonne is an opportunity to make this iconic game even more successful".
It shouldn't be difficult for the developers to adapt the gameplay of Carcassonne for the... Nintendo Switch to adapt, because the digital version of the placement game also cut a good figure on Android devices as well as on the PC and MAC. It remains to be seen whether and how the innovative control options of the Nintendo Switch will be used for the adaptation. In any case, it would be desirable.
Pierre Ortolan, CEO of Asmodee Digital, already gives console fans a vague glimpse into the future:
"Carcassonne is just the first of many Asmodee Digital titles to follow for Nintendo's platforms."
With our partnership, we're creating completely new experiences for Nintendo fans, while at the same time following Asmodee Digital's goal of bringing great board games to new platforms. "
It is not clear from the statement which games it will be - from board games such as Pandemic, Scythe, Terraforming Mars or even that Lord of the Rings LCG for the Nintendo Switch but you can dream.
Board games for Nintendo Switch are still in short supply
The fact that Asmodee Digital is increasingly working on digital board games and that the partnership with Nintendo will be intensified in the future is a positive development, especially for gamers. Die-hard board gamers will probably shake their heads at the board game adaptations and refer to the "board game table culture". However, due to its unique technical structure, the Nintendo Switch is perfect as a bring-along game - or even a bring-along game collection.
The release of Carcassonne for Nintendo Switch is good for the range of games. A larger range of digital board games should lead to the development of new target groups, but above all attract casual or sociable gamers in front of the television screens.
The also French publisher Ubisoft has already ventured into the digital board game market, but has relied on a relatively safe horse: Monopoly*.
Monopoly is popular around the world and the version for the Nintendo Switch is based closely on the board game template. Technical problems drew criticism from the players at the beginning. In the meantime, however, Monopoly can be played smoothly for Nintendo Switch and is popular with families and solo gamers all over the world. Using the example of Monopoly, players can see to what extent an adaptation can visually enhance a board game.
One thing is certain: We can look forward to the implementation of further board games for Nintendo Switch.
