What does Doctor Gregory House (from House M.D) have in common with Shakespeare? They both wonder if it’s “TB or not TB”. Alright my joke was bad, but my review for this comedy-infused astrology game for iOS? Nothing but stellar.
Honestly – it’s a great and fun game and I should have known that by looking at the cover… The signs were there.
Astrologaster is a game with a huge amount of polish and has that premium iOS feel with a dash of a certain “je ne se quoi” that infects your entire mind from the moment you tap on the “New Game” button. From the moment I laid eyes on it’s AppStore page I knew I was in for a treat.
The Premise for Astrologaster
Astrology and Medicine made for quite a deadly combination back in 1592. You play as Simon Forman, a doctor of Astrology and “Physick”. He’s a “docteur” who solves all illnesses, be it of the mind, body or of financial nature.
Like a yester-year Gregory House with less scientific methods and a belief that patients deserve to hear what they want to hear, Simon must play a most delicate balance game of god in a tragicomedy of unmatched absurdity.
He plays judge, jury and executes his role with a delicate finesse – for if he tells the truth, the patient might get angry. But if he lies, said patient might return later with utmost umbrage and anger.
His goal? Why, to become a licensed medical practitioner of course. And in order to achieve that, he must obtain no less than five letters of recommendation from his patients.
The Gameplay and Dialogue
Gameplay is pretty simple, just as the stars foretold. It plays around with a book motif and minimal touch based interactions. Turn the pages with your fingers, tap to choose what the signs say, select dialogue options and continue.
It’s barebones and basic but incredibly charming. The narration, voice acting, dialogues and story flow just about as great as you would expect from looking at it. It’s a Shakespearean comedy after all and it has it’s oh so glorious moments. I’ll give you an example – a certain lady inquires weather her lover is being intimate with another.
After consulting the stars the answer is there – thy lady’s mind is only playing tricks of jealousy on her. And finally, the lady reveals her lovers name, of whom she was most worried: Simon, our star, to both his surprise and mine.
The journal entry at the end mention how she was most pleased to hear the truth. A note at the end includes the text “Coitus post consultacio”. Whatever that means.
The Graphics
Astrologaster looks greats. Animations are minimum, but well put together. Character moods and reactions to the dialogue exchange are represented clearly, sometimes via body movement (when Avis Allen stomps her feet wondering if Simon is engaging in acts of “Strumpy Humpy”), via the use of symbols such as the question mark for when they are confused or plus signs for when they agree with the doctors recommendation, amongst others.
It’s minimalistic yet quite polished and beautifully animated. The backgrounds and pop-up characters blend well with the book motif mentioned earlier and the entire package fits perfectly with the style of humor the game conveys.
The oh-so-delightful choir and music
And then there’s the music. An actual orchestral arrangement, composed by “Andrea Boccadoro”, tells the story and offers insights into what ales each patient that comes to visit, and also helps clarify the outcome or resolution of said visit.
The game is abundant musical delight, from the sound effects used in transitions, to the attention put into each character’s verse, to how the page flips sound when you’re repeatedly dragging them back and forth just to see if they even paid attention to that sound. Oh and the sound effect for when you receive a letter of recommendation? Magnifique!
The Verdict?
Are you looking for an astrology game for iOS (iPhone or iPad)? This is certainly the game for you.
Are you looking for a game with delicate humour and great finesse in execution? This is certainly the game for you.
Do you like broadway shows with a renaissance motif? I believe that this is certainly the game for you.
Did you ever watch Blackadder on TV and thought to yourself “I want that but with House M.D. actually playing a doctor instead of Prince Regent”? Let’s check the stars to see what they say? 🌟 ⭐️ 💫
They say that this game is exactly what you’ve been missing. And this is why I give it 5 out of 5 stars!
How to Download Astrologaster?
You can download Astrologaster, the comedy astrology game for iOS, from the App Store for both your iPhone and iPad for a mere $4.99. It also has a Mac version available in the Mac App Store for $9.99.
The game is also available on the Nintendo Switch, Steam and even Itch.io!
Where To Next?
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