Parents' Guide to Creatures of Aether

This beast-themed card game offers more extensive initial instruction than many apps, but it's so detailed that some players may still be confused about how to start playing the game. The additional advantages some cards offer in Creatures of Aether, for instance, can be challenging to figure out. Recognizing the different creatures can take time, and on a small screen, it can be hard to distinguish and quickly identify them. The game also has some bugs -- card placements that should allow players to flip two opponent cards sometimes only work for one, for instance, and freezes can occur.

There's no FAQ or other resource to help you brush up on the rules, so you could potentially get stuck and quit out of frustration. The app's general layout can add to that confusion -- a practice mode that can be accessed from the section with Battle Deck options, for instance, offers settings that don't seem to be available in regular, real-time games, such as board sizes and game modes. Aside from those issues, the app has a stylish old-school pixel look, which includes some more dynamic elements, such as roots twisting around multiple cards. Players may also enjoy gathering the various character-based cards to use in matches. If they can make it past Creatures of Aether's learning curve to a point where they feel confident about what cards they're choosing in games, strategizing about card placement could potentially be fun -- particularly since elements like an opponent using a Rival card can mean you need to reformulate your plan on the fly, which helps keep things interesting.