Daniel (@dungeondive) runs a three-way comparative review of his favourite app-assisted adventure games: Lands of Galzyr, Freelancers, and Mansions of Madness 2E. He notes up front that Galzyr and Freelancers technically use downloadable web apps rather than true apps, and spends one paragraph pre-empting the anti-app crowd: we’ve heard it.
Six categories, ranked.
App implementation: MoM 2E first (modular scenario variance), Freelancers second (a convincing digital DM with strong voice acting), Galzyr third (a big Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book dressed as an app). Expansiveness: Galzyr first (open-world Skyrim vibes), Freelancers second (point-crawl across a growing map), MoM third (intentionally tight). Tone/vibe: MoM first (lovecraftian — really Lumley-esque — pulp), Freelancers second (gonzo Gamma World science-fantasy), Galzyr third (cosy, compressed highs and lows). Conflict resolution: MoM first (tense, weapon-specific narration from the app), Freelancers second, Galzyr third (micro-doses of stakes). Character progression: Freelancers first (RPG-style level-ups, elemental weapon mods, an entire campaign arc in one evening), MoM second (Arkham-files loot piles and status-effect flips), Galzyr third.
Personal ranking: MoM 2E first (top-ten all-time for Daniel, magical at the table), Galzyr second (easy to teach, easy to save, expansion incoming), Freelancers third (longer runtime, wants a physical expansion).
All three stay in his collection.
Is Mansions of Madness 2E still the benchmark for app-assisted adventure games, or have Freelancers and Galzyr changed what “benchmark” should mean?