Istanbul

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Istanbul is a single player and multiplayer casual strategy game. It was developed by Acram Digital and was released on February 24, 2022. It received very positive reviews from players.

The official digital version of TOP 100 board game of all time – Istanbul!

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93%

Audience ScoreBased on 169 reviews

graphics7 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

Great digital adaptation of the physical board game with a clean UI and enjoyable gameplay.
The AI is challenging and well-designed, providing a good experience for solo players.
High replayability with various strategies and board layouts, making each game feel fresh.

The tutorial is not very helpful, making it difficult for new players to grasp the game mechanics.
There are long-standing bugs, including audio issues and achievement tracking problems.
The online multiplayer experience is lacking, with few active rooms and difficulty finding opponents.

graphics
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
17%
25%
Overall, the graphics of the game receive a mixed reception. While many users praise the beautiful aesthetics and nice 2D graphics, some criticize the simplicity and lack of detail in certain areas, particularly in the digital version. Additionally, there are technical issues reported with sound effects on RTX graphics cards, which detracts from the overall visual experience.
- “A very good game with nice aesthetics and a good number of strategic variables.”
- “Istanbul offers a unique gameplay and it has good graphics for a board game.”
- “The graphics are very nice with nice 2D graphics.”
- “This digital version is a little bare bones - simple graphics and UI, nor either of the expansions.”
- “The music and sound effects do not work on RTX graphics cards; there is static and lag.”
- “My only problems with it are the visuals; pineapples in Istanbul?”
music
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
46%
27%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its fitting and pleasant nature. However, there are notable issues, including occasional distortion and malfunctioning sound effects, particularly on certain platforms and after extended play sessions. Overall, while the soundtrack enhances the experience, technical problems can detract from its enjoyment.
- “Love the music and little sound effects.”
- “The music is very fitting for the game.”
- “A faithful recreation of the Istanbul board game with a pleasant soundtrack.”
- “Only one con I noticed: music samples sometimes get distorted for 2 seconds, but I turned off the music because it's annoying anyway.”
- “The music and sound effects do not work on RTX graphics cards; there is static and lag.”
- “The music will stop working correctly after a while.”
gameplay
11 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
27%
18%
The gameplay is described as fun and quick, particularly against AI opponents, with a solid and polished experience that encourages strategic planning. Players appreciate the unique mechanics, such as the need to return to previous locations to retrieve assistants, which adds depth to the turn-based gameplay on a 4x4 grid. While some minor UI improvements and artwork updates are suggested, the overall gameplay is smooth and engaging, making it a well-balanced euro game.
- “Very good euro game, and the digital version is quite decent; a few minor UI improvements could help, but overall, it's a solid gameplay experience!”
- “There's something really pleasant about mooching about, filling one's wheelbarrow, planning things, and working out how to get your assistants back while just enjoying the mechanics.”
- “I like the mechanic of having to return to where you've been rather than wasting a turn to pick up your assistants, and how that forces you to plan your future moves.”
- “Gameplay is turn-based on a 4x4 grid.”
- “Took several games to get comfortable with the rules and game mechanics, but it's simple enough to understand.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
80%
20%
The game boasts high replayability due to its quick and simple mechanics, diverse board layouts, and the ability to play with friends or varying AI levels. Players appreciate the elegant design and the element of chance, which keeps each session fresh and engaging. Overall, it offers a satisfying experience that encourages repeated play.
- “The game has very high replay value because you can randomize the tiles, play with friends or varying levels of AI, and there is an element of chance.”
- “There are different board layouts, a beginner, an advanced, and random which makes for great replayability.”
- “The game is super elegant, interesting, replayable, and satisfying.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
67%
The game's optimization has notable issues, particularly with persistent audio stuttering bugs that remain unresolved since 2021. While the AI performs adequately, it is not perfectly optimized, though the game runs smoothly on Linux without any problems.
- “The game runs smoothly on Linux without any issues.”
- “The optimization is impressive, allowing for seamless gameplay even on lower-end hardware.”
- “I appreciate how well the game is optimized; it maintains a steady frame rate and quick load times.”
- “Hmmm... there is a bug with audio stuttering that the developers have been unable to fix since 2021.”
- “The AI makes decent decisions, but it is not perfectly optimized and could block more efficiently.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to slow UI animations that hinder the experience. Achieving goals often necessitates farming in groups of five online, which can add to the frustration. Overall, while the game is playable, the grinding process is seen as a significant drawback.
- “In order to achieve them, it would require farming with a group of five players in an online game, as they don't count if everyone is local.”
- “It's playable, but the UI animations make the game feel slow and tedious.”