Game of Thrones: Ascent

A medieval castle and several buildings are overlayed by a game interface. A character portrait is next to the name 'Lord Simon Stonetree', who is level 145. Quest information reads, 'Volume 5, chapter 1: A wolf in sheep's clothing, I'll be there, Deadly cargo, Cycle of rebirth'. A menu reads, 'Tales event, tales of ice and fire, the dragon queen. Buildings, friends, shop, character, power, messages, alliance, daily news, options'.
Based on the TV show, GoT: Ascent is a resource management game. You start the game in a heterosexual marriage (or recently bereaved) and one way or another you move onto managing your kingdom. The goal is to accrue resources (in the form of people, materials or currency) and use them to build up your empire until you are the strongest force in Westeros. Or… okay, I’m not sure you could get that far, but you can dream big.

You can certainly influence a few of the people that live in your kingdom, or in the surrounding areas. There are classic constraints like ‘waiting for quests to finish’ and obviously there are in-app purchases, but there’s enjoyment to be had here. Plus some queer NPCs, which it’s always exciting to see.

You should play this if…

You like Game of Thrones or resource management games? There are some nice ties to the series such as the ability to swear allegiance to one of the well-known houses (I chose the Starks) and appearances from familiar characters, but you can get enjoyment out of this without being a fan. Is this the time I confess that I don’t watch it, and you all turn against me? Probably. But I had fun with the game anyway, and it’s one of those things you can check on in your lunch break and make progress in short bursts. It’s worth noting that I did quit after only a short while because the game is clearly made for a larger screen than my Galaxy S7, which might be something to consider.