App Review: Let’s Catch The Lion! is cute, strategic fun

The new Let’s Catch The Lion! board game app looks cute as all get out, and to be fair, it is designed as a kids’ game. But this Shogi (Japanese Chess) variant is a worthwhile download from the App Store even for board gamers who don’t have a child in the house. It’s a solid two-player strategy game and should interest anyone who likes abstracts.

Doubutsu Shogi (which is Japanese for Animal Chess) was designed by the professional Shogi player Maiko Fujita, who wanted to get more girls interested in playing the original game. She found a great balance between strategy and fun in a small package, and the translation to iDevices lost absolutely nothing. How could it, given the tabletop game’s incredible simplicity? Read on to get the full story.

Gallery: Let’s Catch The Lion! iPad App