Evertile: Battle Arena Review – As Good as Clash Royale?

There was a time a couple of years ago when it felt like every new mobile game was just a tweaked version of Clash Royale. Thankfully that trend is over, but there are still developers building new experiences that use …

You collect units and battle it out with other players on small maps. Rather than riffing on the MOBA template, here things are closer to a mix between a board game and a sliding block puzzler. The fights take place on grids, and every turn you need to slide your four characters around.

If they hit a member of the other team, they’ll do some damage. Some characters can buff their own team members if they bump into them as well. Different tiles have different skills, and learning to use smartly is the key to success.

Tiles Against Humanity

Every turn only lasts a few seconds – spend too long deciding what to do and any character that hasn’t moved will take damage. A set of skulls along the edge of the arena represents your lives, and you’ll lose one every time one of your units dies. When they all run out it’s game over.

Anyone who’s played Clash Royale is going to be comfortable with the meta-game here. You collect cards to upgrade your tiles, get chests when you win and unlock new arenas as you work your way up the ranks. The cartoonish art-style is pretty similar too.

But the gameplay is good enough to stand out on its own. It’s strategic without being confusing, fast-paced without being overwhelming and entertaining without ever demanding too much of you. It’s also got the sort of compulsion loop that’ll suck you in for hours when you only meant to have a quick pay.

Evertile: Battle Arena is a great addition to any smartphone. Once you’ve picked up the basics there’s loads of room for experimentation. And not only is the community thriving – there’s always a game waiting for you – it seems really welcoming too.

Is it as good as Clash Royale? It’s different enough that that’s a question you’re not going to be asking after your first few games.