Reigns is one of the most clever games I’ve played in years. It takes the familiar 'Tinder swipe' mechanic and applies it to medieval kingship, which sounds absurd but works brilliantly. Every card presents a choice—swipe left to say no, right to say yes. Each decision impacts four pillars of your kingdom: the Church, the People, the Army, and the Treasury. The goal is to keep these in balance; if any meter gets too high or too low, your reign ends in a creative (and usually grisly) death.
The writing is sharp, witty, and often surprising. What starts as a simple balancing act quickly reveals a deeper, multi-generational narrative involving witches, the devil, and scientific enlightenment. There’s a wonderful sense of discovery as you encounter rare cards and try to survive longer than your predecessors. It’s an addictive 'just one more reign' loop that perfectly suits mobile play. Reigns is a masterclass in minimalist storytelling and strategic decision-making.
Reigns surprised me. I usually prefer my strategy games with layers of menus and micro-management, but the card-swiping mechanic here is surprisingly effective at making you feel the weight of leadership. It’s cynical, dark, and often unfair—much like actual history. While the 'Tinder for Kings' gimmick wears a bit thin after a few hours, the secret objectives and hidden narrative keep it interesting. It's a smart use of the mobile format.
Performance: Perfectly optimized for mobile touch interaction.
Buy if: You like dark humor and decision-based games with quick sessions.
Skip if: You hate losing due to random events beyond your control.
Available on: iPhone, iPad, iPod
Version 1.14Wed Aug 28 2019
Corrects a bug with the homunculus
Sit on the throne as a benevolent (or malevolent) medieval monarch of the modern age and swipe your royal fingers either left or right to impose your will upon the kingdom. Survive the seemingly never-ending gauntlet of requests from your advisors, peasants, allies, and enemies while maintaining balance between the influential factions of your kingdom. But beware; each decision you make might have implications and unfortunate consequences down the road that could put your reign and family’s dynasty at risk!
Each year of your reign brings another important – seemingly random – request from your unpredictable kingdom as you strive for balance between the church, the people, the army, and the treasury. Prudent decisions and careful planning make for a long reign but unforeseen motivations, surprise events, and poor luck can take down even the most entrenched monarch. Extend your reign as long as possible, forge alliances, make enemies, and find new ways to die as your dynasty marches along through the ages. Some events will span on centuries, with an intrigue involving burning witches, scientific enlightenment, wicked politics and, maybe, the Devil himself.
*iPhone 5 / iPod Touch 6 / iPad Mini / iPad Air or later recommended.
Requires iOS 9.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.Sit on the throne as a benevolent (or malevolent) medieval monarch of the modern age and swipe your royal fingers either left or right to impose your will upon the kingdom. Survive the seemingly never-ending gauntlet of requests from your advisors, peasants, allies, and enemies while maintaining balance between the influential factions of your kingdom. But beware; each decision you make might have implications and unfortunate consequences down the road that could put your reign and family’s dynasty at risk!
Each year of your reign brings another important – seemingly random – request from your unpredictable kingdom as you strive for balance between the church, the people, the army, and the treasury. Prudent decisions and careful planning make for a long reign but unforeseen motivations, surprise events, and poor luck can take down even the most entrenched monarch. Extend your reign as long as possible, forge alliances, make enemies, and find new ways to die as your dynasty marches along through the ages. Some events will span on centuries, with an intrigue involving burning witches, scientific enlightenment, wicked politics and, maybe, the Devil himself.
*iPhone 5 / iPod Touch 6 / iPad Mini / iPad Air or later recommended.












In Reigns, you sit on the throne as a medieval monarch. Swipe your royal fingers left or right to impose your will upon the kingdom. Survive the seemingly never-ending gauntlet of requests from advisors, peasants, and allies. Maintain balance between the church, the people, the army, and the treasury to extend your reign and forge your dynasty through the ages.
Unique 'swipe' based decision mechanic
Witty and dark branching narrative
Dozens of unique ways to die and end your reign
Unlockable cards and special events
Charming minimalist art style
Keep an eye on the icons at the top. If any of the four icons (Church, People, Army, Money) fill up completely or empty completely, your king will be overthrown or die.
Two years ago, a studio named Nerial made a strategy game called Reigns, published by Devolver Digital and released on iOS, Android, macOS,...
iMore - Thu Nov 29 2018
Our sister site TouchArcade this week went hands-on with the just-announced iOS game "Reigns: Game of Thrones." For those unaware,...
MacRumors - Sat Sep 29 2018
Game of Thrones' final season on HBO is still a ways off. The next Reigns game lets you find out what happens if Tyrion, Cersei,...
Polygon - Sat Sep 29 2018
Nerial undoubtedly has another hit on its hands with Reigns: Her Majesty. The iOS game, which is published by Devolver Digital,...
MacStories - Fri Dec 29 2017
Devolver Digital has officially released the mobile game Reigns: Three Kingdoms this week as a Netflix Games exclusive.
Bleeding Cool News - Thu Dec 29 2022
"Reigns: Game of Thrones" lets you rule Westeros with nine different characters and nearly 30 endings.
Business Insider - Sat Jun 29 2019
A new version of acclaimed mobile game Reigns will release this October based on the smash hit fantasy series Game of T…
GamesIndustry.biz - Sat Sep 29 2018
This might be controversial, but I believe the best ruler to keep Westeros safe and protected is actually Cersei Lannister.
Mashable - Sat Sep 29 2018
The game publisher Devolver has announced a partnership with HBO, and they are coming up with Reigns: Game of Thrones. The game will take the core Reigns...
AnimationXpress - Sat Aug 29 2020
One of Reigns' objectives is to "Trick the Devil," and as you might expect, it's no small undertaking. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to befuddle Lucifer.
VG247 - Sat Oct 29 2016
Each swipe represents a year of your reign. Decisions often have long-term effects that can span across multiple kings in your dynasty.
The goal is to survive as long as possible and complete specific objectives to break the curse of the dynasty.