It’s no secret that the iPad is good for board games – and not just the traditional Monopoly and Scrabble types either. Euro/German/Designer Gaming is making its presence felt all over the iPad, but now it is also influencing developers to go beyond the board and create new board game properties that only exist within the realms of iOS. Trouble Brothers’ Cargo Runners is the developer’s latest attempt at bridging the gap between board and iOS gaming (see our review of their previous effort along these lines, Wizard Hex, here).

Described as having a “light German feel,” Cargo Runners puts players in command of a cargo vessel and charges them with making the best trades between countries while avoiding theft, poor navigation, political manipulations and other challenges. Gameplay takes place on a nicely-rendered virtual game board that harkens back to classic games like Risk, so there’s a cozy, familiar element to the game as well.

There’s no getting around the fact that traditional board games are predominantly social exercises, so Trouble Brothers made the decision to fully embrace this aspect and make Cargo Runners multiplayer only. Gameplay will be driven by human-not AI-powered opponents, so the challenge to players is greater from the start.

Cargo Runners is scheduled to release next week. Look for our full review of it then.

The iPad is a perfect two-player gaming device. Specifically, the iPad is awesome for playing board games. While the following board games aren’t all iPad-only, these are my favorites for use on the iPad. This week’s Favorite Four are my favorite four board game apps.

Risk
Risk, the classic strategy game, is probably my most played board game on iOS. My girlfriend and I play it constantly on my iPad. The war game has a decent AI system, but the AI has only beat my girlfriend and I in a three person game once. What’s nice about Risk on iOS is that there are two options for claiming the original territory. I’m not sure which is the correct way but it’s an awesome option to play around with. Risk is a must-have app for any board game fans.

Ticket to Ride – iPad only
Ticket to Ride is the iPad adaptation of the popular train board game by Days of Wonder. It’s is one of those German-style games that’s somewhere between a strategy board game like chess and a party game like Pictionary. The game consists of claiming routes between cities according to cards each player receives. I’m still learning the game, but it’s one of the most fun iPad games I’ve ever played.

Carcassonne
Carcassonne is another German-style board game recreated for iOS. Unlike Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne is a universal app. Carcassonne involves placing tiles on a board to create a medieval landscape with cities and roads. Carcassonne is one of the few games on the App Store that’s so popular and so well-done that its rating for the current version is the full five stars and 4.5 for all versions.

Game Table – iPad only
Game Table was one of the first apps I grabbed for my iPad when I got it a little over a year ago. I immediately realized how cool it would be to play board games with people to give them an example of the iPad. Game Table has various board games including an awesome chess app, checkers, backgammon, reversi, a card app with chips, and Go (the Chinese board game). No AI here; just beautifully crafted game boards to play with other real humans.

Just in time for this holiday season Discovery Bay Games’ has introduced its newest iPad accessory, Duo ($40). By using physical game pieces in conjunction with the virtual interface of the iPad, Duo takes us one more step towards the Tron world of the tomorrow. To be anything more than a paper weight though Duo must be paired up with one of Discovery Bay Games’ specially made apps which currently only includes Yoomi, but more are promised to be coming soon.

Yoomi is a game where players take turns secretly answering questions like “would you prefer to fly to the moon or dive to the bottom of the ocean?” Once answered the other players attempt to guess which response the first chose. It’s a game very reminiscent of Apples to Apples but with a new and fresh feel that the whole family can enjoy. Explaining in writing how the pair works together would be an nightmare, so I’ve included a much more colorful video below to help keep everyone’s attention…you’re welcome. If you’re interested though Yoomi is currently free on the App Store while Duo is being sold exclusively through Toys “R” Us.