Ears Oppoly

Ears Oppoly (spelled O.P.P.O.L.Y without the periods)

Board Game

Reviewed By: Aaron Spelker

The streets of Atlantic City, New Jersey come alive in the Ears franchise of games. This accessible version of Monopoly has all the real estate properties, community chest cards, chance opportunities, railroads, and utilities to purchase and trade. The point of Monopoly is to create a real estate dynasty that forces your opponents into bankruptcy. Strategy and luck are key components to becoming the top real estate tycoon. EARS Oppoly is a near perfect replication of the classic board game.

The game allows you to test the waters with a timed game for free. To play the long form of the game with 4 players, you will be required to buy the unlimited access. There are additional add-ons for purchase which allow you to customize your opponents and to play with some of the rules variations we made up as children.

An electronic version of Monopoly is all about the execution and the depth of the computer AI. Ears Oppoly did a good job on the execution but a sub-par job on the computer AI.

The EXECUTION

First, be sure to go to the User Guide under the Help menu to learn all of the gesture commands. Here is a brief list for your referral:

One finger swipe left or right: Switches the selected property when on the game board and navigates the options in the various game menus

Two finger tap: Opens up info about the property you have selected

Two Finger Swipe Left: Provides current information about your character

Three finger Swipe Left: Provides information about all players

Two Finger Swipe Down: Enters the Board Menu. First layer tells about the game players. Double tap your character and you can review your properties. Double tap a property and you can mortgage it or buy/sell houses and hotels.

Three Finger Swipe Down: Advances your turn

Three Finger Swipe Up: Returns you to the main menu

The one glitch I noticed is connected to the Three Finger Swipe Left. This gesture is supposed to inform you about all the players, including their locations on the board. However, it kept telling me that all the players were on the same property I was currently on. Therefore, I had to pay attention to each player’s turn to determine where they were on the board.

Otherwise, the auditory presentation works well in this game. Ears Oppoly offers different sound effects for the rail roads, utilities, chance and community chest cards, and for each property grouping. Each turn starts with a dice rolling sound. All the menus are clearly labelled and easily accessible. As I said a solid execution.

The Computer AI

However, a player would like to have some challenging competition. I played several long-form games with three computer generated competitors. In the Help menu, Ears Oppoly offers a strategy guide. It explains the early rush to acquire properties, the need to collect all the properties in a grouping, while preventing your opponents from doing the same. How building houses and hotels can force your opponents into bankruptcy as they attempt to pay your rent fees. Unfortunately, the computer AI players do not follow this strategy – AT All! In each game I played one opponent never bothered to acquire a single property. Very rarely, did the opponent block me from getting a entire color grouping (Even after I set the settings for them to do this more frequently.) I never felt challenged as I played Ears Oppoly. I had full confidence that I would win each game. In the end, Ears Oppoly was a nostalgic walk down the memories of playing board games as a youth. However, it never challenged me as an adult player.

Grade B minus

US / UK Price. Free with IN-APP Purchases.

United States Link:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ears-oppoly/id1175945148

UK Link:

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/ears-oppoly/id1175945148

For more information and to chat to other iOS gamers you can join the Apple iPhone iOS Voiceover Compatible Games Facebook Group. Link here.

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