Neat fantasy-style cardgame
The name Steve Moraff is one which is held in high regard by hardcore game collectors, thanks to creations likes Moraff's Revenge, Moraff's Dungeons of the Unforgiven and Moraff's Entrap. This is actually a spin off from Moraff's World, a fantasy RPG, but which is more of a puzzle game that gives fans of the aforementioned game the chance to explore its many taverns from an entirely different perspective. The game abandons the dungeon crawling, monster slaying antics of Moraff's other titles, and instead present players with a board-game style experience, the likes if which might be enjoyed by in-game denizens of MOraff's World's taverns. Your opponents are a group of monsters who have invited you to join in a hand of Stones, a game where the exercise is to trade precious and semi-precious stones, with the intention of creating the most valuable hand. The essence is very similar to any real world card game, with the same kind of strategy and tactics required to win. However, the setting gives it a unique feel, one which will appeal especially to fans of Moraff's other works, but even if you have never played any of them before, there is still much to enjoy here. Opponents start out fairly easy, but the challenge soon ramps up, with more intelligent monsters replacing those who you beat. There is a great sense of atmosphere on display here and the game makes you feel as if you have just stepped into one of Moraff's other titles. While the graphics are simple enough, the gameplay is enjoyable and certainly provides an interesting spin on the card game genre.
