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A free online turn-based trading card game set in the World of Warcraft universe

A free online turn-based trading card game set in the World of Warcraft universe

Vote: (100 votes)

Program license: Free

Developer: Blizzard Entertainment

Version: 24.6.2

Works under: Windows

Also available for Mac Android

Vote:

Program license

(100 votes)

Free

Developer

Version

Blizzard Entertainment

24.6.2

Works under:

Also available for

Windows

Mac Android

Pros

  • Digital collectible card game
  • Free to play
  • Well-balanced card game
  • Expansions keeps things fresh

Cons

  • No trading
  • Same 2014 tutorial

Hearthstone is a free-to-play online multiplayer collectible card game.

Hearthstone is a collectible card game. You begin with a small collection of cards and add to it through rewards and by purchasing card packs. Games are played against other players using a deck—a focused subset of your card collection. A player with a bigger collection may be at an advantage. So, the goal is not just to create the best deck you can but expand your collection to make the best deck possible.

Hearthstone is a one-versus-one turn-based game. Each player selects a hero, which introduces its own mechanics to the game. Each player draws a hand from a preassembled deck. Randomness determines who goes first. You take turns drawing a card from your decks. You earn a resource each turn, which limits which and how many cards you can play onto the battlefield. Cards include spells, minions and weapons, which you can equip on your minions. There is great strategy involved. The core goal is to break through your opponent’s defenses and deplete their health, but winning strategies often involve controlling the board so that you have many effective options while your opponent has few.

Prospective players often ask if it is really viable to play this game without paying for cards, and the answer is yes. Daily quests allow you to earn premium currency. There are also rewards, including free cards and card packs, that you can earn for certain milestones or just for participating. Of course, the non-playing player may be excluded from the meta and have a lot less versatility in deck options.

Expansions keep things fresh by introducing entirely new card sets with new mechanics, heroes, spells and so forth. An expansion will often shift the meta. This helps to ensure the game does not go stale, but it can put of a lot of pressure on the F2P player. Of course, F2P players can get really lucky too.

Critics often frame Hearthstone as a simple CCG, but such naysayers are often experienced players who have become accustomed to game mechanics that are shared across many CCGs. From the perspective of the neophyte, the game is by no means simplistic. Blizzard offers a tutorial that was adequate when the game released in 2014. But the game has gotten a lot more complex since then. The learning curve is steep for newbies, and the barebones tutorial does them no favors.

Hearthstone lacks trading. This may seem like a petty complaint when even the latest digital iteration of Magic lacks trading. But for those who fell in love with CCGs back when they were played in person, trading was an engaging and important aspect of deck and collection building. The only reason trading does not exist in Hearthstone and games like it is that it would weaken the publishers grip on your wallet.

Pros

  • Digital collectible card game
  • Free to play
  • Well-balanced card game
  • Expansions keeps things fresh

Cons

  • No trading
  • Same 2014 tutorial