Fun, yet very challenging
I’m keeping my old review up so everyone can see my previous opinion of the app and notice what has changed from my perspective. After religiously playing for a couple months (usually 30+ mins a day), I can confirm that the developer is correct and the opponents are very beatable. I now have over twice as many wins as the next highest scoring player. For everyone leaving a bad review, let me clarify that THIS GAME IS NOT EASY!! I have learned a lot of strategy and realized I have to be smart and focused during every single play, utilizing every skill I know of to stay one step ahead of the opponents. To bluntly put it, if you are not able to beat the opponents after a while, you are too dumb to play. And I am not smart by any means. This app is not for the faint of heart and every opponent truly challenges your skills. I love it now that I know how to win. I also love the new addition of A’s being 20 points. Adds an interesting twist. I would also like to see an option where every non-face card or swoop card is 5 points across the board since that is how my family plays.
My only complaint is that the game doesn’t save upon exiting the app. Also, it would be nice to have some color or design customizations to break the monotony. Otherwise great job with the gameplay overall.
Old review July 21:
I’ve been playing this card game with family for a while and am glad to see a competitive version of this against bots so I can keep practicing to get better and hopefully earn my inheritance. The ad-free experience, simple animations, and overall realistic experience earn this app 5 stars. I have read previous reviews about the computerized players overpowering the user, and while I agree the opponents are very difficult to beat; it is possible, while not common. It takes a lot of skill, strategy, and attentiveness to stay on top. However, the player to my left just seems to get the most convenient cards and consistently has significantly more wins than everyone else. “He” is the only player anyone else cannot beat. It seems a little suspicious and simultaneously frustrating. I am going to keep honing my skills and try to prove this theory wrong, but I am convinced that this player has a bit of an advantage by getting all the right cards. Ultimately, I cannot complain as the app is free and very user-friendly, with several settings that adapt to many scenarios, and gameplay is challenging and consistent. The cherry on top is the developer reading and replying to every review. That speaks volumes for an app and I know he is learning along the way, so I’ll end with this: You have done a great job so far, you keep improving things, and I know you will do what is necessary to make this the best card game on the App Store. I am excited for the success this developer will have to offer in the future!
Response from developer
I'm glad you are enjoying the app! I too, and friends, have experienced Opp Left winning more games, and have long pondered how this can be. Two possibilities can be eliminated: (1) Opp Left is dealt better cards -- no, the deck is shuffled by an internal Apple Swift randomizer function before each deal, and cards are dealt in sequence off the top of the deck; (2) Opp Left plays with a better strategy -- no, all three AI players use the same programming code. The only obvious remaining possibility is that the human player (you, me, etc.) is playing more favorable cards to the pile for Opp Left to use, than the AI players do to each other. This is particularly intriguing for me, because I programmed the AI players to utilize what I thought was the best strategy. However, I'm quite sure I do not always follow that program strategy myself, and also make careless bad plays. Some day I may set up an internal test version with just four AI players and see if the bias toward Opp Left disappears. Incidentally, one friend who has played many games has pulled comfortably ahead of all the AI players. For the future, I am looking to add an option to charge 20 points for aces held after a hand ends. And perhaps a multiplayer option, although I'm not sure I can accomplish it.
Great game…
You won’t win
Also, do you think there would ever be an option to play with friends instead of just computers. That would be amazing
Response from developer
Hmmm... after several hundred games my friend is comfortably ahead of the AI players. I have started work on adding multiplayer. However with no prior experience in this, I cannot give an estimate as to when it might be available.
Great game
Not fun
I have played 310 games and only won 21. The 3 players you play against always have too many wild cards. It could be a fun game if you dealt random cards to each player. The AI players all seem to play against you. So what’s the point a computer can beat a human?
Response from developer
The deck is shuffled before each deal with the Swift shuffle() function (Swift is the programming language used in IOS apps). This function is a widely-used random order generator. In the app, cards are always dealt off the top of the deck.
