Punch Entertainment has brought a new twist to the concept of turn-based games with Reign of Swords, the first entry in its Mobile Battles series. Where other games allow for multiple players on a single platform - either mobile phones or PCs - Reign of Swords enables synced multi-player gameplay across both platforms.

The first commercially available game to offer cross-platform play in real-time, the medieval-themed Reign of Swords challenges each player to reclaim the imperial kingdom of Carrone through a series of battles.

Central to the game is its mobile-to-PC sync feature. Powered by a proprietary battle server, it lets players find in-game rivals, issue challenges and check battle reports and standings. Like in a typical multi-player online game, Reign of Swords players can chat in forums to plan their strategies.

The PC version can be downloaded from www.mobilebattles.com for a $9.95 one-time fee. The mobile version is available from AT&T and Verizon Wireless, with support for Virgin Mobile coming later this month.