Strategery

Dominate the world. One blob at a time.

World domination isn't a very fashionable ambition these days, but that doesn't mean you can't pretend. Strategery is a battle between your pegs and the green, orange, blue, and red blobs that dare to stand in your way.

It's also a little bit of App Store history. Strategery first launched in 2008, back when the App Store was barely a few months old. Macworld named it the Best Strategy Game of 2009. Slate called it their latest iPhone gaming habit. Daring Fireball said the gameplay had a great feel. And a Macworld reviewer named Lex Friedman wrote that there was no game he played on his iPhone more.

That reviewer now makes Strategery. Life is funny.

HOW IT'S PLAYED

The world is made of blobs. Every blob holds pegs — your pegs, ideally. Pick a blob you own, point at a neighboring blob you don't, and roll. More pegs, better odds. Win the roll and the blob changes color. Lose it and, well, you still have your other blobs.

Keep going until the whole map is your color and everyone else is looking for the rematch button.

Your turn, your dice, your questionable decisions

Bigger stacks of pegs win more rolls. Usually.

Every blob you hold earns you more pegs

Last color standing dominates the world. Politely.

THREE WAYS TO CONQUER

Solo: Play against the computer. It has no friends, no feelings, and no plans this evening. It will happily lose to you all night. (Or not. You choose how clever it gets to be.)

Online: Play against your friends. Take turns from wherever you are. A push notification lets you know when it's your move, or when someone has done something regrettable to your blobs.

Pass and play: One phone, one couch, several rivals. Hand it over, let them try, and try not to gloat.

CLASSIC OR CHAOS

Classic is the game you remember: dice, blobs, and your own poor judgment. Chaos adds starred blobs. Capture one and the wheel spins. Your conquest has consequences.

Either way, you pick how much world there is to dominate.

A WAR WITH NO CASUALTIES

Blobs don't bleed. Pegs don't feel pain. Nothing explodes, nobody gets hurt, and the only thing that ever gets conquered is a colorful shape on a map. Somebody's pride may be wounded when you take their last blob, but that's between the two of you.

For iPhone and iPad. Contains no violence, several dice, a healthy number of blobs, and a reasonable amount of whimsy.

Strategery was originally designed by Sumul Shah, Courtland Idstrom, and Peter Ju. This version comes from Lex Friedman, who is one person and would be delighted by a rating or review.

It's not strategy. It's Strategery.