On my iPad: Hey That's My Fish!

One of my favorite things about the iPad is the possibility of making the portable boardgame experience.  Now I don't think I'll ever want to play an tablet boardgame over a physical tabletop boardgame, but for gaming on the quick (or while traveling), you can't beat the convenience of the iPad.

"Hey, that's my Fish!" is one of those quick-and-simple games that's physical implementation takes almost as much time to set up as it does to play, so its iPad-ization is a welcome addition to my digital games library.

"HTMF" is a simple, abstract game where players control penguins attempting to amass more fish than their opponents.  The game is set up in hex-spaces, each containing a number of fish.  Players move from hex to hex collecting fish which and eliminating spaces for penguins to travel.  Should a penguin be left with no options for movement, it is removed from the game.  Once all penguins have been eliminated, the player with the most fish wins.

Super simple rules, but enough light strategy to make it a little more than the kids game it appears to be.

"HTMF" on iPad looks great and Fantasty Flight Games has developed a title that is bright and cartoonish, appealing to both kids and the casual gamer.  Pass-and-play multiplayer for up to 4 players really goes a far way in eliminating the need for the physical board game, since a game of "HTMF" can be played as a appetizer or transition game during a game night while another game is being set up.  Plus, its easy to knock out a single-player game while having a quick cup of coffee.

My only objection is the steep $5 price tag.  I find it insane that I live in a world where one can legitimately gripe that $5 is too expensive for a video game, but that's what a free-market economy gets you and I'm a Capitalist, so here it goes: though an enjoyable title, "HTMF" is really overpriced for what it is.  When much more involved games with better online implementations like the classic "Ticket to Ride" and the phenomenal, recently released "Ascension: Chronicles of the Godslayer" are offered at the $5-$6 price-point, "Hey, that's my Fish" just doesn't feel like that great of a deal.

If this was $2, "HTMF" would be a must-buy (and what is $3, right? Crazy. I know, but this is the cost-value analysis of apps); at it's current $5 it's still  worthwhile, but it's harder to recommend in the face of some of those other meatier titles that are available.  Still, $5 is a pittance for a quality transition game to keep the good times rolling while you set up your next tabletop game during the night.

review code provided by Fantasy Flight Games