"Pull up a chair by the Hearth!"
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| https://playhearthstone.com/en-us/media/ |
Gather around the fire and let the party begin!
Hearthstone is a free online CCG (Collecting Card Game) made by Blizzard Entertainment. The game is available to play on mobile or PC and supports Android and IOS platforms.
Hearthstone is a card game based on Blizzard's "World of Warcraft" and is considered the king of digital CCGs because it caused the genre to boom. Popular companies like Bethesda and Valve also followed suit to try to reap the success that Hearthstone had gained, but currently, the game is still really popular among a wide range of ages.
Hearthstone incorporates the lore of "World of Warcraft" in the game and uses it as a basis to create unique sets of playable cards. There are also 9 classes to choose from with each having their own different playstyle and theme. The game includes in-game purchases so that it gives the players the choice to spend real money and get packs for additional cards and aesthetics or become a Free-to-Play player and grind for gold to get packs.
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| My Ranked match using a Warrior Class |
Hearthstone is a game of luck and intellect. It really makes you think of what your next move should be and requires you think ahead of your opponent. It may look kind of intimidating and hard to play at first but once you get to play for a bit, you will learn that the mechanics are fairly easy to understand but also provides enough depth for the older players to still enjoy.
If you are already accustomed to the game and you really feel like you learned the basics, you should try climbing the Ladder. The ladder is another term for a Ranked Match where you battle other players to push your rank higher. Ladder is the competitive side of Hearthstone and is where the current Meta, or strategy, is mostly seen and used in play. Hearthstone also offers other game modes like Solo Games where you can hone your skills against the Innkeeper, the Arena where you construct a deck by choosing form 3 sets of cards, the Adventures where you follow a story and defeat bosses, and finally the Tavern Brawl. Tavern Brawls, or so called TB, is a game mode that happens every Thursday and ends on Mondays. TBs typically follow a specific genre and is changed every week.
Competitions also happen in hearthstone. Every year, they conduct competitions with contestants around the world to compete and become champions. Mini gatherings can also happen near your neighborhood. These small gatherings are called "Fireside Gatherings". Fireside Gatherings can include exclusive rewards like aesthetics for your class or for your deck depending on the person that created the gathering.
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| https://playhearthstone.com/en-us/blog/21906557 |
Hearthstone also has expansions that have different themes. Currently, Hearthstone has 8 expansions and 4 adventures and the 9th expansion will be released this August 7. Hearthstone also has the "Wild" system where old cards and expansions will be sent to the Wild game mode and are unplayable in Ranked or Standard games. Blizzard really did a good job in maintaining and creating Hearthstone and the community really appreciates the effort put into the game.
To conclude, Hearthstone is a very interesting and fun game. It is filled with unexpected events, random plays, and even mishaps and misfortune. It is also easy to understand and easy to learn. Once you get to understand the game, you will become addicted to it and spend more than thousands of hours playing it.
References Used:
- http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/03/13/hearthstone-heroes-of-warcraft-review
- https://www.pcgamer.com/hearthstone-review/
- https://playhearthstone.com/en-us
