Compass Point: West is Next Games’s debut, mixes strategy, card-collecting, and cowboys

Next Games’ debut has cards in the cards.

Finnish mobile games company Next Games announces its debut release, strategy game Compass Point: West, for iOS phones and tablets. The studio’s founding team comes from mobile powerhouses such Supercell, Rovio, and Disney Interactive, and they’re now out to kick off mobile’s next big IP. Its free-to-play, Wild West-themed game aims to get the mass casual audience in on card-collecting. Cards are hot in mobile gaming: Activision’s card battler Hearthstone has over 25 million registered users, has won multiple awards, and is currently a top-10 grossing card game in 31 countries, according to App Annie. Next Games’ attempt to make cards more accessible could go big in a mobile market that could reach more than $30 billion this year, predicts market research firm Newzoo.