Thaaaat’s, right! We are absolutely thrilled to at last be able to share our big, juicy secret with you all, which is this: for the past eighteen months, the Otter team, with much drive and determination, have been working exhaustively upon, and have succeeded in, porting our very large scale MMO, Villagers & Heroes, onto Android devices.

V&H is going mobile! It hasn’t been easy (understatement), and we would first and most of all like to thank all of you, our players, for your steadfast faith and support in our game, and also for your patience – especially these past few months. We know it very likely seemed to you all as though nothing new had been happening lately, or that perhaps various issues were being overlooked. They weren’t. Please know that. Some time ago, we set a target of April as being the month in which we would release the soft launch of V&H onto Android, so things have been hectic, to say the least, these past six weeks. But guess what? Happily, we have reached our goal!

In just a few weeks from now, in April, we will be doing the ‘Beta’ launch. By ‘Beta,’ we mean that a very small portion of the public, specifically the United Kingdom, and only 1% there, will have the opportunity to live ‘playtest’ Villagers & Heroes through their Android devices via the Google Play Store. So head’s up, EU 1: get ready for a whole lot of activity on your server very soon, because that’s where these mobile players will be going, and nowhere else!

The soft launch is just the beginning. We hope you all will celebrate with us, this shiny new door that is about to be opened for Villagers & Heroes. To put it into perspective: no other MMO the size and scope of V&H currently exists on any mobile platform. The future is bright, folks! So again, let us celebrate, and please especially toast yourselves for making this game what it is today. There would be no shiny door about to be opening for V&H, were it not for you all, our truly extraordinary player community. We thank you, so much.

Since you surely have many questions about V&H and mobile, here is a brief FAQ, courtesy of Ivar, to answer some of the more obvious ones.

First of all, simply to make things clear – we are not leaving PC behind. The PC version will be around for as long as V&H will exist, and (as detailed below) both versions will receive all updates we make.

Can I play V&H on the tablet or phone I have?
Currently, the game supports most high-end Android devices. This includes both tablets and phones, though this release is optimized for tablets and certain parts of the game may feel too small on phones. It is a free download however, so absolutely feel free to try the game on your phone! For those of you with iPhones or Windows Phones, we may release versions for these platforms in the future.

Does this mean you will focus less on the PC version?
Not at all! On the contrary, updates are fully shared – meaning that if we release new content, bug fixes, more zones or anything like that, it automatically happens on both PC and mobile. Certain things like controls and UI is platform-specific, but in general all additions and improvements we make from here on will affect all versions of the game.

I currently play Villagers & Heroes on PC. Can I play on mobile with my current account?
Absolutely! One of the biggest feature of the mobile release is the ability to play seamlessly between mobile and PC. If you have a V&H account, you can log into it no matter what you’re playing on, and keep all your characters and progress.

Can people on PC and mobile play together?
For sure. As mentioned above, anyone can play seamlessly between mobile and PC which also means that everyone can play together with everyone, as long as they are on the same server.

Do I have to play on a specific server?
Not at all – the mobile version can connect to any server just like the PC version.

Does the mobile version have all the features of the PC version?
Not at the current moment. Certain features are scheduled to be released in a later update, such as mail, advanced village features, house customization, friends lists and more. That being said, since you can play both mobile and PC with your account, these things are still fully accessible if you log onto a PC.

Are there any features that are unique to the mobile version?
Indeed there are! Most of them are related to the mobile UI, such as an auto-sorted inventory, a more useable map and bounty list, contextual gnogmenting (more on this later!) and more. The core game does remain pretty much identical.

Can I be online on mobile and PC at the same time?
No. You have to log out before you can log into a different device – in the same way that you cannot play on two computers simultaneously.

Is the game still free on mobile?
Pricing is identical to on PC, meaning that the game itself is 100% free. The item shop exists on mobile as well and contains the same items for the same prices.

Ah, Spring, that glorious time of renewal when the world bursts forth with colorful new life! But while blooming flowers are admired, and the scent of freshly mowed lawns are inhaled, and the newly hatched birdies are deemed oh so cute, what about poor old Death?

Death is routinely ignored in the springtime, and it just isn’t fair. Fortunately, our dear Puzzler, ever the champion of equal rights, has ensured that this year, Death, too, will get its proper nod.

Puzzler has devised a wonderfully creative contest for you all on the forums: THE DEATH CONTEST! She asks that you write an obituary for any recently deceased bounty, supply a picture of a slain player killed in an unusual place with a brief description, and lastly to submit an action screen shot of impending death. So let loose your imaginations, folks!

Big prizes! Hurry, and submit your entries before the deadline of April 20, midnight, EST. For more details, please visit our forums here.

You said it:

V&H infomercials:
“Are you tired of getting stuck in runs?? All alone? Don’t wait — order your life saving “hero call” now… never again will you have to shout “help! I’m being attacked and I can’t fight back!” –Themis (US2)

Talking out of both sides of your… nose:
“mr1 we can’t really tell from your nose who you’re talking to, sorry.” –Ekimie (EU-EN)

You tell me:
“What’s that American phrase about doggie treats and underwear??” –Chequa (US2)

When combat goes wrong:
“Could you pull me in a wagon? I’ll wear bells.” –Sergeant (US1)

On hardship:
“It’s not easy being green.” –greenpuppy (US2)

On real life:
“Real life sounds scary to be honest. I heard there was no respawn point.” –Grace Divine (US2)

On vegetables:
“POTATOES RULES” –CyberCore (US2)

On friendship:
“I bite because I care.” –Chandii (US2)

Congratulations, and a sincere thank you to the following five individuals for their outstanding contributions to Villagers & Heroes, and for always going above and beyond in their efforts for the game and community.

The Royal Guardians of the Realm for the month of March are:

• Braedraza (US 1)
• Galahad (US 2)
• DaiseeCleisee (BR)
• FaMar (EU 1)
• Brave13 (EU 2)