CLARIFICATION: Sentinels Sidekick 2.0 is an update, not a separate app. If you already own it, this will be a free update via the AppStore when it is available! more info here
The big news last month was that Sentinels of the Multiverse is coming to tablets early next year. But that doesn’t mean that we’re going to let Sentinels Sidekick die on the vine, in fact, far from it! Part and parcel of our deeper relationship with Greater Than Games is the fact that Sentinels Sidekick is now an officially licensed “Sentinels of the Multiverse” Product. So what exactly does that mean? Read on, or watch this short video to find out!
See you in Indianapolis
First off, let’s talk availability. The brand new Sentinels Sidekick 2.0 will be available on August 15th, the first day of Gencon. Jeremy will be on the floor Friday afternoon and all day Saturday with the Greater than Games team to show you how it works, answer any questions and take your feedback.
It’s just so pretty
click for a larger version
One of the things that truly makes Sentinels of the Multiverse unique is its wonderful art. We’re pleased to announce that the most exciting new feature for Sentinels Sidekick is the inclusion of the official game artwork. All your favorite heroes, villains and environments are represented, and they all look terrific. And just like you’ve come to expect from Sentinels Sidekick, all variants and promos are supported as well! We’ve even added artwork for special target cards like the Ennead and the Operative.
Not just a pretty face
As pretty as it is, we wouldn’t call it 2.0 if the only update was a new coat of paint. This release of Sidekick also includes a ton of useful functionality updates.
Flip villains from front to back, automatically adjusting their hitpoints where applicable.
One of the important mechanics behind villains is their ability to flip over during the game, changing their mechanics and presenting different challenges. This behavior is now not only fully supported (including beautiful artwork for both sides) but the app even adjusts hitpoints automatically when needed.
Heroes and other character cards can now become incapacitated
Just like the tabletop game, when a hero gets knocked out, their character card will flip over to the “incapacitated” side making it very clear who is still fighting the good fight.
click for a larger version
I’m making a note here...
We think this is a big one. Lots of people have asked for a good way to keep track of things like ongoing effects. We considered going through every single deck and adding a button for every single possible combination of effects, and that may still happen at some point. But for now, notes is the way to go. Just tap on any hero, villain or environment (including targets or custom hero targets) to make a note. You can see the Legacy example to the right but this is also a great way to keep track of things like the total cold damage dealt by Absolute Zero in a turn for “Thermal Shockwave” or the total damage dealt in a turn by Omnitron’s “Interpolation beam”.
Quickies
In addition to the major features listed above, we’ve also added a bunch of smaller features like:
Custom cards now support the “H” mechanic for their hitpoints.
A reorganized settings and tools screen that makes it easier to randomize a new game, toggle promos or expansions, and find game information.
A sweet new icon that really pops!
High resolution artwork is available as an add on for those who want to see the most beautiful versions of the Sentinels artwork (requires iOS 6 and a retina screen).
Time Cataclysm
Looking to the future, we all know that Vengeance is on the horizon and we’re planning to have support included in Sidekick either the day the new expansion ships, or VERY shortly thereafter. Another big thing we’d like to do (but which will require a lot more work) is to add artwork for every target card in the game. If that’s something you’d like to see, please let us know.
And just to head off the inevitable questions we always get: yes, we are still considering porting Sentinels Sidekick to Android but no, we still don’t know exactly when that might happen. Now that version 2.0 is about to ship, we’re planning on putting all our attention into the full game that we are building for iOS and Android simultaneously and that is a big job!
Thanks, and if you see us at Gencon (or PAX Prime at the end of the month), please say hi!