If you’re a fan of strategy gaming that can be quickly consumed and pretty easily digested the Reigns series has proven to be quite reliable. Rather than being focused on flashy graphics and presentation the feel is always a bit more utilitarian (though obviously stylized), but you’re generally able to continue to work to survive longer and longer as you play and come to better understand the game’s mechanics for success and failure.

What’s nice is that this iteration not only changes up the setting, this time to the Chinese Han dynasty, it also throws some new strategic elements to the mix. Aside from making swipe left and right decisions, trying to keep all aspects of your rule in balance, you’ll also now need to engage in some pretty light strategic combat against your foes. Utilizing units you’ll start with and then accumulate you’ll need to figure out the ways to best leverage their strengths in the hopes of taking on all comers. This may seem simple enough, but you’ll quickly find some strategies and units are better than others, especially as the foes you encounter continue to change things up as well.

Finding a mix between pretty quick and dirty decision-driven play and something a bit more akin to a tabletop card game took some effort, but on the whole I’d say that goal has been met nicely. Granted, major genre fans will likely find the stakes and scope of this experience to be a bit on the low side, but if you’re willing to give it a little time to get the hang of things it does manage to leave a positive impression.