[NewsPoster]

Newcomer Coup is a competitive multiplayer card game for the iPad and iPhone. Unlike Hearthstone or Magic the Gathering, it's not based off of a CCG model, but more akin to quick-playing card games, like Citadels. In fact, Coup exists as a physical card game in the real world, and the mobile version is actually the product of a successful Kickstarter. We took a look at Coup to see just how it stacks up against other card games for iOS.

The mechanics of the game are fairly simple, and the objective is straightforward: be the last player with any remaining cards. There are a few different character cards, which each have a different role to play. The Assassin card can pay three coins to kill another player's card, while the Duke can collect three coins at the start of each turn. The Ambassador allows you to draw two new cards and choose to keep them, and the Contessa can block assassinations. The Captain? He's capable of stealing money from another player.

Every one of these cards are incredibly useful, if played right. If you don't have any of these cards, don't worry -- the game has a built in bluffing mechanic. Just don't get caught, because you'll lose one of your cards. In addition to being able to bluff or use a characters' abilities, once a player amasses seven coins, they can stage a coup, which allows them to remove one of another players' cards from the game. If a player has 10 or more coins, they must stage a coup.

The art and overall feel of Coup is very polished. The characters are very stylized and look great, and the UI feels like some sort of Space-Age intergalactic congress. The game is easy to learn, and can be played fairly quickly. We also enjoyed that you have the ability to be paired up for a random match, in addition to challenging other players on your friends list to a game. We found playing matches with friends to be the most fun, and highly recommend this for casual game nights, date nights, or those times when you and a friend have a bit of time to kill. Coup is available for the iPad and the iPhone, and is free. Who Coup is for: The board and card game enthusiast who enjoys playing quick, strategic games with friends. Who Coup isn't for: If you're not a big fan of card games, probably won't be the one to convert you. -- Amber Neely (@SurferAmber)