Building a Digital Legacy: A Review of Reiner Knizia’s My City App

In the world of tabletop gaming, a legacy game is a rare and special thing—a campaign-driven experience where the board and rules change permanently with each session. When a title as beloved as Reiner Knizia’s My City makes the leap to mobile, fans have one crucial question: can the digital version capture the magic of its physical counterpart? Developed by Spiralburst Studio, the answer is a resounding yes. Since its release on September 3, 2025, on iOS and Android, this app has proven that it can not only replicate the core experience but also enhance it with new features, making it a perfect port for a perfect game. It’s a must-have for board game enthusiasts and a fantastic entry point for anyone curious about the genre’s enduring appeal.

A Legacy in Your Pocket: Gameplay and Features

The app successfully brings the full, 24-episode legacy campaign to your mobile device. For those unfamiliar with the game, you and up to three other players are tasked with building a city on your own personal boards by placing polyomino-shaped building tiles. Each of the 24 games introduces a new rule or challenge, permanently changing your board with stickers and new scoring goals. The beauty of this system is that it creates a compelling narrative of growth and decay, as your city evolves from a simple settlement into a bustling, industrialized metropolis. The digital version handles all of this seamlessly, with the app taking care of the scoring, rules, and board progression, which allows you to focus purely on the strategic decisions of tile placement.

Beyond the core campaign, the app introduces several new features that make it an even more robust package. There’s a replayable Eternal Game mode, which allows you to play the core game rules over and over, and a brilliant, app-exclusive Randomized Game mode. This new mode shuffles the board layout, the rules, and the deck, ensuring that every session is a fresh and unpredictable puzzle. This is a huge bonus, as it extends the game’s lifespan well beyond the 24-episode campaign. The app also includes cross-platform online multiplayer, allowing you to challenge friends from around the world, as well as smart AI opponents that provide a decent challenge for solo play.

A Polished Port for a Perfect Game

The user interface is clean, intuitive, and designed with a mobile-first approach. Placing tiles is as simple as a drag-and-drop, and the app’s visual feedback for valid moves and scoring is clear and easy to understand. The game’s art style is faithful to the board game, with a bright, charming aesthetic that is a joy to look at. The sound design is simple yet effective, with satisfying clicks and a gentle background score that keeps you in a relaxed state of mind. The developers have also included a few thoughtful accessibility features, such as increased color contrast and alternative textures for buildings, which ensures that the game is playable for a wider audience.

In conclusion, Reiner Knizia’s My City is a near-perfect mobile port of a truly fantastic board game. It successfully translates the core legacy experience to a digital format while adding valuable new features that make it even more compelling. The convenience of a mobile app, combined with the game’s engaging campaign, deep strategic puzzles, and high replayability, makes this an essential purchase for any board game fan. It proves that the best physical games can find new life on our mobile devices, providing a fun, thought-provoking, and deeply satisfying experience in the palm of your hand.