Siegefall: Just Another Clash Clone?

From Clash of Clans and Game of War, to Boom Beach, DomiNations and Forge of Empires, the online or “social” strategy genre has gone well past the point of oversaturation. On an almost weekly basis we see new entries try and squeeze their way into Google Play and the App Store, but who can honestly blame them?

SuperCell, the Helsinki-based studio behind Clash of Clans, saw its profits skyrocket in 2014, netting the company over a billion pounds between its three strategy cash cows. Similarly, Game of War developer, Machine Zone, now has plenty of cash to spare – forking out $40m to secure supermodel Kate Upton as a brand icon with Mariah Carey reported to be their next poster girl.

In short, making a game that has its users come back hour after hour has paved a financial fast track for these once little-known companies, even if users are only paying the small occasional fee. The simplicity of the actual games themselves has contributed to their sudden proliferation over the years, many of them sporting basic, sometimes 2D, graphics.

With the social strategy traincar reaching metaphorical capacity, there’s less and less room for innovation as game devs begin to squeeze against one another. This becomes immediately clear when booting up Siegefall, a promising albeit conventional crack at the genre. When browswing the free-to-play title’s store page, it reflects those of its contemporaries almost down to a tee. Siegefall’s trump card, however, is the name of its publisher, Gameloft, granting it an immediate seal of quality.

Although Ubisoft’s mobile-centric sister firm has occasionally failed to hit the mark, there’s a consistency and polish to the games in its output. Siegefall is no different, sporting vibrant 3D visuals that surpass genre standards. Set in a fantasy world, Siegefall presents players with a familiar scenario: to build and protect their own settlement while also attack other enemy fortresses.

Like Clash and many of its imitators, it’s a game split into two parts. You’ll spend most of your time watching your kingdom expand in real-time from an isometric view, building and upgrading various structures. These will provide you with resources such as gold and timber while also acting as a line of defence between incoming foes and your castle.

Aside from watching over your dominion, players can target the strongholds of both NPCs and other players. These battles are entirely asynchronous with the attacking player directing their troops into battle while also having direct control over powerful heroes. Defending players aren’t even be able to watch the attack, but are instead given a battle report when they next log in, indicating whether their defences were up to scratch.

Compared to similar games I’ve played in the past, the only major nuance in Siegefall is its use of ability cards. They are generated using resources, providing powers that can either aid players or help destroy their opponents. Some early examples I found include a trebuchet, an acid cloud, a movement boost, and a corruption spell. Although they add some form of dynamic, their novelty soon wears off.

As mentioned before, the success of online strategy games hinges on whether they can reel you in day after day. Siegefall tries to encourage this through daily log-in bonuses and other time-sensitive features, yet these are the same sort of tactics almost every game of this type is employing.

For gamers such as myself, who only occasionally flirt with free-to-play mobile titles, Siegefall will perhaps last a few more days before being wiped from my device. Although I appreciate the effort Gameloft has put into differentiating Siegefall from its contemporaries, there are other, more popular alternatives, all vying for the attention I’m not willing to give them.