Hero Academy for iPad : Here’s a game that takes asynchronous, turn-based, multiplayer games seriously. A cross between chess and a collectible card game, Hero Academy plays like a real-time strategy game, only players send their moves one at a time like Words With Friends. Games are straightforward. There’s a grid to place different units, and each unit has special moves, powers, range, and abilities. The point of the game is to either stay alive while wiping out an opponent’s entire force or take out their crystal tow­ers, which are placed around the playing field. Units are limited in number and drawn from a random pool, like a deck of cards.

They are placed onto the field to battle and can move or attack on each turn—players only have a certain number of action points per turn. it’s a bit tricky and takes some time to figure out, especially since there is no tutorial or single-player mode to test things out. Add­ing a few garners—with friends from Game Center, Facebook, or random opponents—creates an addictive blend of success and failure. My first game was a spectacular loss, and since then I have not been able to stop playing it.

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