Publisher Akibabus is offering a new twist on the app-driven board game with its BoxiTale series of games.

BoxiTale combines a number of activities together to create an interactive experience for young players.  The action is driven by a smartphone or tablet running the app, which depicts an animated series of adventures for the players to explore.  But the action mostly takes place on the game board, and includes activities more familiar to art class than traditional board games.

The 3D game board is assembled before play and synched to the app, then the players use their crafting skills to build structures and solve puzzles in the game, which are then imported into the app as the story goes on.  The app guides the players through the game, so no rulebook is required, and all of the crafting supplies—like string, scissors, and stickers—required are included in the box.

There are currently three titles in the BoxiTale series:  Elite Explorers, Knights of Nature, and Mini BoxiTale.  The two larger sets each include two complete adventures for players to explore, and are MSRP $39.90 each.  The smaller Mini BoxiTale challenges players to build solutions to puzzles using rod-and-connector toys.  It is MSRP $20.00.

The entire BoxiTale line will be distributed into the trade for Akibabus by PSI.

Click the Gallery below for some images of the BoxiTale line.

BoxiTale joins a growing community of games that combine mobile apps with more traditional board game elements (see "VR Meets Board Game in ‘Chronicles of Crime,’" and "'Mansions of Madness,' 'Dized,' 'Codenames,' 'Terraforming Mars,' 'Fighting Fantasy Legends,' More").