The fight for the throne begins with today’s release of Armello

League of Geeks' Kickstarter-funded fantasy digital board game Armello is now available for PlayStation 4 on PC. Previously nominated as one of this month's possible free PlayStation Plus games, Armello ended up being outvoted by Grow Home; but, for at least the time being you can get it at a discount on the PlayStation Store.

For those unfamiliar, Armello is a tabletop gamer's digital dream. Inspired by such, Armello offers an intriguing combination of deep, tactical card play, rich tabletop strategy, and RPG elements, all woven into a swashbuckling adventure that sends players to a vibrant magical world tinged with darkness where they must challenge the insane lion king for the throne before the kingdom falls into ruin. Here's the charming twist, the kingdom is made up of animal clans engaging in a "Game of Thrones-esque struggle for power."

The four animal clans — Bear, Rabbit, Rat and Wolf — are all represented by various heroes, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Using these heroes you'll brave the dangerous journey to the king's palace and compete against the other three to ascend the throne. Armello does support cooperative efforts, but like all strategy board games, these alliances are unreliable and can fall apart at a second's notice.

Armello's release builds upon the Early Access version by increasing the number of playable characters from four to eight, adding a winter-themed tile set, overhauling the graphics, and revamping multiplayer matchmaking. There are now over 200 dynamic quests to earn items, cards, or stat bonuses, and more than 120 beautifully animated cards to collect.

"When we first had the crazy idea to blend the deep strategy and experience of tabletop gaming with the stunning visuals and rich, immersive experience that digital affords, we could never have imagined how far that idea would take us," said Trent Kusters, founder and director of League of Geeks. "After years of dedicated hard work and with the help of an outstanding in-game community, Armello has reached a level of polish and sophistication that makes us very proud to formally release it as the very first game from League of Geeks." 

Armellow can be purchased on PS4 for $19.99, but PlayStation Plus members can save 30% (making it $13.99) for the first two weeks. There's no sale on Steam currently, but the winter sale is right around the corner.