Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft

 PC
User Score
5.7

Mixed or average reviews- based on 2373 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,045 out of 2373
  2. Mixed: 527 out of 2373
  3. Negative: 801 out of 2373

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  1. Avadon
    Mar 14, 2014
    8
    As a recreational MtG player for the last 14 years, I find Hearthstone a welcome distraction. It's cute, colorful, not very complex (which means you can play it well enough while sleep deprived or intoxicated) and very, very fast (an average ranked game between experienced players probably won't last more than 4 minutes). It features tiny 30-card decks, which is fine if the game is builtAs a recreational MtG player for the last 14 years, I find Hearthstone a welcome distraction. It's cute, colorful, not very complex (which means you can play it well enough while sleep deprived or intoxicated) and very, very fast (an average ranked game between experienced players probably won't last more than 4 minutes). It features tiny 30-card decks, which is fine if the game is built around them, and it also means you can suddenly have a deck concept and proceed to build it and test it within seconds. It also feels amazing to be able to disenchant cards that you don't need and turn them into ones that you do need.

    Is it pay-to-win? Well, assuming 2 players of equal skill and experience, the guy who has spent 200$ will of course be able to make more powerful and varied decks and will win a higher percentage of games than the guy who has spent 0$. However, as opposed to MtG, you don't really have to do that in Hearthstone. Starting out as a new player can be a bit bumpy, but paying 50$ once will give you enough cards and dust to be able to make several good decks. Alternatively, if you don't want to pay anything, you can play Paladin or Mage, who have strong basic decks, and farm some money to do Arenas. I was able to get to about rank 10 in constructed with a basic Paladin late-curve deck, which is pretty amazing.

    Is it "balanced"? Well, card games are never really "surgically" balanced, because the luck factor tends to considerably influence the win rates. However, in Hearthstone the luck factor is significantly lower than in MtG, mostly because you can mulligan without consequences. In constructed the game seems to be in a good place to my experience. There are decks from all classes that can (and have) done well if played properly. Druids are probably a little too versatile and don't have any striking weaknesses, but that's all. As for arena, things obviously vary wildly according to your draft and your ability to make the best plays with it, and it's also really hard to play around cards as you would in constructed. Mages definitely seem too strong due to basic/common rarity hard removals and board wipes, which are often impossible to play around, so make sure you play them yourself when you get the chance.

    All in all, for a launch product, Hearthstone is really good, and as all card games it will get much better as more cards and features are added to it. It's definitely worth installing, and keeping it installed for a very long time.    … Expand
  2. Ixnatifual
    May 17, 2014
    8
    Like most collectible card games, Hearthstone is based on the Pay 2 Win model. The advantage of paying money is that you get access to new cards quicker than can be done by simply playing. It's highly unlikely you'll ever get all cards available simply by playing, especially so with expansions introducing new cards. The payment aspect is particularly devious, as when you buy a pack ofLike most collectible card games, Hearthstone is based on the Pay 2 Win model. The advantage of paying money is that you get access to new cards quicker than can be done by simply playing. It's highly unlikely you'll ever get all cards available simply by playing, especially so with expansions introducing new cards. The payment aspect is particularly devious, as when you buy a pack of cards, the contents are random. So mostly you will get useless cards or cards you already have. It's like a slot machine and it pulls all bells and whistles out as you open your newly acquired packs.

    The game itself is deceptively simple. The tutorial quickly teaches new players the rules and pits them against other beginners as they enter the online gamespace. Play the game for an extended period of time and you will find the game is both highly enjoyable and has more depth to it than you might have thought at first glance.

    While luck plays a major part, there's a lot of skill involved as well. The game adresses many issues found in other collectible card games such as Magic: The Gathering (clearly a big inspiration for Hearthstone) and manages to be easy to learn and hard to master.

    If you're put off by the Pay 2 Win model, Hearthstone offers an arena mode that has players create their decks by random drafts, giving no advantage to players who've bought card packs. Arena can be a very fun and rewarding experience, but unless you are highly skilled or willing to pay money for access, can only be delved in occasionally as it has a rather steep entry fee, especially if you choose to pay with real money instead of in-game gold.

    Overall, a very enjoyable game, but with a very greedy and obfuscated business model designed to make your gamble your money away in small chunks. Recommended for responsible consumers. Stay far away if you have any kind of gambling problem.    … Expand
  3. Zegu
    Jun 17, 2014
    8
    I've never been one for card games, the learning curve always seemed very high, however hearthstone holds your hand enough to get some enjoyment out of the game, and before you know it you are figuring out good combos by yourself and having fun. The visual feedback is remarkably well done, but not over done and it is kindof calming.
  4. dodgingbullet
    Sep 15, 2014
    8
    Hearthstone has the possibility to become the "next big thing" for pc gamers and TCG lovers.
    Yet, it needs polishing, it needs more cards and more players.
    Once since all requirements are met, no doubt we will see Heartstone has next big e-sport.
    Thumbs up for Blizzard for delivering once again.
  5. iKen
    Apr 13, 2020
    8
    Played on PC & Mobile.
    Gameplay: GOOD.
    Story: GREAT.
    Graphic: GREAT.
    Music/Sound: GREAT.
    Dialogue/Voice Acting: GREAT.
  6. Tastycakes
    Jul 17, 2014
    8
    A tremendous base game with the price of 0 dollars, it's of course worth playing. This game is addictive, fun and competitive. There are two main problems with it, but the game is free so it's not like they should keep you away from trying it.

    The game is very empty. There are very few cards and even less that actually matter. Playing well means playing one of two decks at most for a    A tremendous base game with the price of 0 dollars, it's of course worth playing. This game is addictive, fun and competitive. There are two main problems with it, but the game is free so it's not like they should keep you away from trying it.

    The game is very empty. There are very few cards and even less that actually matter. Playing well means playing one of two decks at most for a class, and if you are a fan of Priests or Warriors, just not playing the class at all.

    Updates. This game does not update. Getting bored? Guess the game is over, because don't expect new cards more than once every year, and even then it's a very small amount. Also, if the game has bugs, gameplay issues or anything, do no expect an update. It is a free game after all.    … Expand
  7. Aukerai
    Apr 28, 2014
    8
    So... This is Blizzard's implementation of a DTCG, or Digital Trading Card Game. Let me first off, state that "Free to Play" is a highly inappropriate name for *ANY* (YES, ANY) trading card game. Why? Because at the end of the day, you can buy booster packs to get more cards, and in turn, improve your deck.

    This is a FACT that permeates EVERY trading card game, be it Magic, YGO, Shadow    So... This is Blizzard's implementation of a DTCG, or Digital Trading Card Game. Let me first off, state that "Free to Play" is a highly inappropriate name for *ANY* (YES, ANY) trading card game. Why? Because at the end of the day, you can buy booster packs to get more cards, and in turn, improve your deck.

    This is a FACT that permeates EVERY trading card game, be it Magic, YGO, Shadow Era, HEX etc etc etc.

    Now, I've been playing trading card games for a few years, and went to a few regional competitions for some of the above TCGs, so I do have some experience with TCG business models. So how does Hearthstones stack up?

    At $2 at pack, it slams right in the middle. It's not as cheap as Shadow Era (at $1 a pack), it's the same price as HEX ($2), cheaper than YGO ($4-5) and MUCH cheaper than Magic ($6 a pack). As a matter of fact, this lands it in the lower end of pack pricing, and this is a plus. HOWEVER, this game does NOT have any form of trading system (any physical TCG, and most DTCGs), nor does it allow you to sell your cards for currency (ie. Shadow Era) to buy new ones. In it's place is crafting.

    Crafting is vastly inferior to all of these options, and does make it harder to acquire cards for free than other options. Keep in mind though, that if you intend to play a TCG, you MUST be willing to pay at least some amount of money in order to be able to be competitive. This has ALWAYS been a part of TCGs, and it can not / will not change with the TCG business model.

    --------------------------------------

    Now onto the game itself.

    Hearthstone is a very pretty, smooth and polished experience as far as turn structure and flow goes. There are no spell chains, which means there's no turn priority. Either it's your turn, or it's not. This means that initially, this game may come off as overly simplified, and to some extent, you would be right. However, in comparison to traditional TCGs, where you have to play around the knowledge of counters and cards in your turn, you are presented with another, more interesting conundrum. You have to figure out what's in your opponents hand based on their play-style, and figure out how to effectively trade against their board presence, while dealing damage to the player themselves. This is somewhat alleviated by the class system, but you definitely need to think about your moves before you make them.

    As always, luck is a constant factor in ALL TCGs, but Hearthstone is a little more offensive, with RNG spells such as Arcane Bolts, and other luck based cards. This does detract from the skill ceiling, but at the same time, it can be a good bit of fun, and does open up the game a bit for the casual players.

    In conclusion, the business model comes as NO surprise (it's a TCG... TCGs have always and will always cost some form of money), the graphics are fast, fluid and polished, the turn structures is interesting and games take a fairly short amount of time. The game itself is simultaneously complex and simple, which is both a good and a bad thing.

    I knocked 2 points from the score for the total lack of a trading system, with none on the road-map, and a (currently) poorly implemented crafting system.

    Off the record, I'm knocking an additional 0.5 off the score for the RNG elements, but that's a personal preference.

    This is a great game to play, while your in between other games, or only have 10-15 minutes available. Drop $20-30 on the game, and you'll mainly skip the poor crafting system, and have a very competitive deck.    … Expand
  8. Dubstep
    Mar 25, 2014
    8
    First things first: it is NOT pay to win. A bunch of legendaries or epics won't win you a single game, because in order to use them right you need some know-how and skill. HOWEVER if you do play with a solid mixture of basic and easy to obtain expert cards, you can beat even legendary decks.

    The game itsself lacks some of the tactical depth of MTG (which obviously was role model for    First things first: it is NOT pay to win. A bunch of legendaries or epics won't win you a single game, because in order to use them right you need some know-how and skill. HOWEVER if you do play with a solid mixture of basic and easy to obtain expert cards, you can beat even legendary decks.

    The game itsself lacks some of the tactical depth of MTG (which obviously was role model for this game)
    but also purges the gameplay of unnecessary aspects that take speed out of matched (beeing landflodded etc). Balancing is well done. Sound is nice. Graphics are Ok.
    In short: I like it.

    Let's see if Blizzard comes with some options to give their players long term motivation apart from getting all important cards or becoming a legendary ranked player.    … Expand
  9. Matthewalcen
    May 10, 2014
    8
    The references from World of Warcraft are very nice, but the game actually gets a little stale, with few content patches. 11 out of 10, will not play again.
  10. isg1983
    Mar 27, 2014
    8
    A good mix of casual and serious aspects. Everybody should give it a go whether if you're a fan of card games or not, this game should be a good starter for everyone who wants to enter the sweet geeky card game universe.
  11. Baxstabber
    May 5, 2014
    8
    Hearthstone, an easy game to get into, a difficult game to master.
    Being terrifically fun and rewarding to play Hearthstone is a F2P card game that allows the cards to be collected via monetary transactions or just devoting time to the game.
    I myself have never spent a penny on the card and have very strong decks, I did this by taking advantage of the daily quest system that gives bonus    Hearthstone, an easy game to get into, a difficult game to master.
    Being terrifically fun and rewarding to play Hearthstone is a F2P card game that allows the cards to be collected via monetary transactions or just devoting time to the game.
    I myself have never spent a penny on the card and have very strong decks, I did this by taking advantage of the daily quest system that gives bonus gold for completing the quest of the day. It has taken me a bit of time and at first I did think it was a bit pay to win, as my friend bought 40 card packs and had infinitely better decks than I did for a time. However this scope is limited, and although you can fast-track to get full decks, the game is definitely not pay to win, and has been proved numerous times by a youtuber by the name of Trump who has got to legendary status (top rank) with each class without spending a penny using the very convenient "Disenchant" system to craft the powerful cards he needed.
    The game is well balanced, although there are classes that are slightly weaker than others, with a well crafted deck, all the classes have a chance to shine.
    The Arena, is also a fun feature which allows you to draft a random deck, although costing a hefty 150 gold (2-3 daily quests worth) or £1.50, can be a great way to build your deck as the rewards are plentiful. I actually recommend using your 150 gold to go into arena, as if you break even with a 3-3 score you will nearly always get a card pack and a third of the gold back.
    The way the cards are split are into commons, rares, epics and legendaries. As much as people will try to tell you that legendaries are infinitely overpowered, this is however not the case with the exception of 1-2/30. The higher you go up the rarity of card, the more obscure the card becomes making them usually highly situational, making the basic cards more useful than a lot of the legendaries.
    In terms of technicality the game is still buggy even after their "launch" however I highly recommend the game to any card loving gamers.

    Overall the game is an 8/10, I feel that the card game itself has considerable depth with opportunities for absurdity, however the business model has put a lot of people off, but like I say I put in maybe 5 games a day (an hour max usually) and my decks are becoming strong fast and I haven't spent a penny, and youtubers like Trump have continually put the model to the test and beat it.    … Expand
  12. Orhunkk
    Oct 4, 2014
    8
    Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is the greatest digital card game for everyone.It is very easy to learn and difficult to master. The musical score and sounds are very good as well.
  13. fusion_13
    Oct 12, 2015
    8
    It's easy to describe Hearthstone the same way Blizzard does, fun and simple. It's very easy to learn while the mechanics are also deep and you seem to learn new things all the time. It's fun and easy to play with friends, the classes are unique and the artwork is great too. My negatives are that while it's fun, it can get repetitive, so i recommend Hearthstone in short bursts. TheIt's easy to describe Hearthstone the same way Blizzard does, fun and simple. It's very easy to learn while the mechanics are also deep and you seem to learn new things all the time. It's fun and easy to play with friends, the classes are unique and the artwork is great too. My negatives are that while it's fun, it can get repetitive, so i recommend Hearthstone in short bursts. The expansion prices are ridiculous and it costs a few bucks to get new packs unless you earn them by coins (takes a while) or through daily quests (which those cards aren't even good). So in a way, it IS pay to win. But it is still a fun game to play if you need to kill some time.… Expand
  14. tsybr
    Jun 3, 2014
    8
    It is fun. Simple old fun. Don't get too attached to it, though. If you play ranked and are on a winning streak but then get a bad card combo, you are gonna cry.
    I won't complain about the pay-to-win model, as Blizzard's gotta make moneys, right? How else will they support the game or provide new content and expansions? Moreover, getting new cards doesn't need that much grinding. You just    It is fun. Simple old fun. Don't get too attached to it, though. If you play ranked and are on a winning streak but then get a bad card combo, you are gonna cry.
    I won't complain about the pay-to-win model, as Blizzard's gotta make moneys, right? How else will they support the game or provide new content and expansions? Moreover, getting new cards doesn't need that much grinding. You just have to finish daily quests for which you get in-game currency which you can use to buy cards. This way you learn plus you earn XP. Crafting mode is also there.
    Only thing is, Anduin (priest) is too darn annoying!    … Expand
  15. zombiechan
    May 28, 2014
    8
    Great game, haven't play a CCG since Magic the Gathering. I almost enjoy this game more than Magic the Gathering, I love designing new decks and new strategy. I do wish the amount of decks you can have would increase.
  16. TheKinBladez
    Apr 3, 2014
    8
    It's fun, it's addictive, and it's free. Well... it starts out that way. The problem with a game like Hearthstone is that just like Magic:The Gathering, there's only one way to really build a good deck, and that's to shell out the cash. Sure, in MTG you can always kill your friends and steal their decks, but that's illegal and generally a good way to get excluded from tournaments. So youIt's fun, it's addictive, and it's free. Well... it starts out that way. The problem with a game like Hearthstone is that just like Magic:The Gathering, there's only one way to really build a good deck, and that's to shell out the cash. Sure, in MTG you can always kill your friends and steal their decks, but that's illegal and generally a good way to get excluded from tournaments. So you want to play (well)? You're going to have to pay.

    Hearthstone is a spiritual successor to the WoW TCG, and as such it follows that same basic principle. If you want to play competitively you're going to end up spending money on it, and I know from Beta there were a lot of people spending literally hundreds of dollars building their decks. That sounds insane to me, as I'm sure it does to you, and rightfully so. It's essentially F2P, but with that P2W aspect looming over it all the time, there's no denying that the really good players are going to be the ones who have bought into it.

    However, that's not necessarily a bad thing or a problem. I don't think we're going to see Hearthstone as some grand esport a la Starcraft, but even if we did keep in mind that you have to buy Starcraft too, so having to pay for Hearthstone isn't a negative, it's a natural part of the industry and that's okay. What is so great about this game is that the casual players who are absolutely terrible at it like I am don't have to pay for a game they're always going to suck at. You can play it, and enjoy yourself, perfectly well without paying a single penny for anything. I have, and I've had a lot of fun with it. Now I can't wait until it comes out on Android devices so I can get fired from my job for playing on the clock, because I know I won't be able to resist.

    8/10- It does exactly what it sets out to do, adapting a beloved TCG to the digital era. It's fun, it's addicting, and the cost of entry is free, which is almost always a plus. Worth the download and definitely worth the time.    … Expand
  17. funkyalex99
    Mar 18, 2014
    8
    A fantastic game that had amazing potential in open beta but did not meet my expectations when released. This is because, in my opinion, there was no hype when released and seemed to be bugger than when it was in open beta. I didn't even know it was out until a few hours ago, however it is still extremely addictive game that when you spend at lest 30 minuets playing it, you are instantlyA fantastic game that had amazing potential in open beta but did not meet my expectations when released. This is because, in my opinion, there was no hype when released and seemed to be bugger than when it was in open beta. I didn't even know it was out until a few hours ago, however it is still extremely addictive game that when you spend at lest 30 minuets playing it, you are instantly attached to it. Blizzard have made some mistakes in the past but this by far is not one of them. 8/10

    :D    … Expand
  18. Ads20000
    Apr 6, 2014
    8
    Extremely well made but also extremely difficult and frustrating. Not very addictive for me because it is so strategic but I don't think any other digital CCG has ever got this competitive. Polished in every way although still some bugs about. Looking forward to the Android build :)
  19. wimmy1
    Apr 16, 2014
    8
    A fun game that I have taken a break from, but plan to come back once they add more cards. I find that it is a game that I can play in short bursts. Maybe play it nonstop for a solid 2 weeks. Then maybe take a break for a month or 2. But then be drawn back in by the fast gameplay and funny dialog. The games character is brilliant and turns a basic card game into something that can draw youA fun game that I have taken a break from, but plan to come back once they add more cards. I find that it is a game that I can play in short bursts. Maybe play it nonstop for a solid 2 weeks. Then maybe take a break for a month or 2. But then be drawn back in by the fast gameplay and funny dialog. The games character is brilliant and turns a basic card game into something that can draw you in and make you addicted.… Expand
  20. TheMadNag
    Apr 24, 2014
    8
    There are simply two ways to view this game, one of those is as a casual laidback game to just waste time and have something to do. The other is the competitive invest time and money into and go for gold. As a casual game it hits the nail on the head, this truly is a fun game to waste time and just have fun messing around. Its free to play with little pay to win aspect in the fact that youThere are simply two ways to view this game, one of those is as a casual laidback game to just waste time and have something to do. The other is the competitive invest time and money into and go for gold. As a casual game it hits the nail on the head, this truly is a fun game to waste time and just have fun messing around. Its free to play with little pay to win aspect in the fact that you can buy decks like most card games require. Even when spending money there is no guarantee you will get good cards or even the cards you are looking for, they solve this problem by letting you essentially sell you card back for dust and enough dust will allow you to create any card of your choosing. If you view this game from a competitive angle you will find that it is a game based loosely around luck yet there is some amount to skill involved. It is true that there are certain hero’s / decks that are just flavor of the month and have the ability to wreck havoc but you can overcome it with patience.

    Gameplay: Pretty simple yet very user friendly, the UI is extremely easy and clean to get the hang of, and the game itself is very straight forward. A couple hours and you will have the basic’s down invest more time and you can become a top level player realitively fast as it is a new game and people are still learning.

    Replay Value: Tons, depending on if you enjoy card games with a few twists. Considering the game is free to play there really is no harm done. You will end up playing a lot of cookie cutter builds and same hands but sometimes you can spice things up and throw opponents off guard.

    Overall id say this game is a win, and I say that lightly because knowing blizzard and there market for greed its hard to want to give them any satisfaction. Yet they come through this time and make a fun and enjoyable game from a casual and competitive scene.    … Expand
  21. NotaCarpenter
    Apr 25, 2014
    8
    People seem to dislike the game for it being pay2win. How the process of grinding cards is painfully slow forcing you to buy virtual cards in order to build a deck of any worth. I don't understand the difficulty people have with the concept of paying for something virtual. A film is just as virtual, so is music (unless you use a projector or gramophone). So much is virtual. The fact thatPeople seem to dislike the game for it being pay2win. How the process of grinding cards is painfully slow forcing you to buy virtual cards in order to build a deck of any worth. I don't understand the difficulty people have with the concept of paying for something virtual. A film is just as virtual, so is music (unless you use a projector or gramophone). So much is virtual. The fact that Blizzard don't have to pay the paper trading cards are usually printed on doesn't mean they have to pay the artist and people who create the cards any less. Not to mention how building a collection is a huge part of trading card games. Being given all the cards straight away would be like a RPG without item and level progression.The thing is though, I haven't spent a penny on the game having sunk ~20 something hours into it. I have as many decks as I'm permitted to have, which I all enjoy using, all with their unique features.

    Two methods exist for getting free cards. One is buying a pack, costing 100 gold. Another is to enter 'The Arena' for 150. The Arena gives you a selection of 90 random cards and you get to chose 30, this makes Arena very fun in itself, allowing you to play with cards you otherwise don't have. You fight with this deck until you get 12 wins or 3 losses. Going 0-3 still grants you a pack, so the worst that'll happen is you pay 33% more for a pack. However if you get 6 or more wins The Arena starts paying for itself, giving you a free pack.

    Gold is earned by playing matches, you get daily quests for bonus gold and although generous, they are pretty standard - win x games with x class. Classes are bit like colours in MTG. However a class will have it's unique 'hero power'. This is a move you can do once per turn using up mana, but not costing a card. Mage for example - deal damage to something. Priest - heal something. Although all having minor effects, correct use of them is incredibly important as each card is so valuable in Hearthstone.

    The game is balanced. Looks probably as amazing as a virtual trading card ever could. The feel of playing on a board is very much there, which is humbling. It's fighting system is very fast paced, emphasised by the fact you only have 30 cards decks. This does come with however come with a gripe. The games being so quick, while stimulating and interesting, they're simple and does have more RNG than I would like. I would suspect this would hold back the competitive seen, however it seems to be doing quite well, despite it being still only in beta. Another thing holding the game back, in my opinion is the lack of trading in a trading card game. You can't trade cards. I don't know if this is going to be implemented, but this for me is pretty deal breaking in the long run. There being only limited cards yet released does make this bareable for the time being, but once the game gets bigger it's going to be so difficult to make the deck you want. Blizzard have compensated for this however in a fairly innovative way. You can disenchant cards for a currency which allows you to build new ones. This is great if there's a card you really want, however this it's inefficient. The only time I've really found myself disenchanting a cards for notable amounts 'dust' is when I'm lucky enough to get a legendary or shiny. The disenchant system is fair, but I'd prefer trading.

    This game is good. I really like it. Possibly a bit too RNG for me to be 10/10 stuff, but all trading card games are pretty damn RNG after deck building anyway, If you want to play a trading card game and don't have anyone to play MTG with I do recommend Hearthstone. Because if you think Blizzard are being stingy with cards, wait until you see Wizards modal for MTGO.    … Expand
  22. LpSilent
    May 3, 2014
    8
    Hearthstone is casual at best and will drive you into its hands, it's a slightly addictive game that'll make you play for hours & hours on hand and you'll most likely never get bored of it, blizzard's turn in a card game has attracted more then enough attention for it to be called ''A classic''.. the game deserves more then enough attention for it to be an outstanding game, but.. for me toHearthstone is casual at best and will drive you into its hands, it's a slightly addictive game that'll make you play for hours & hours on hand and you'll most likely never get bored of it, blizzard's turn in a card game has attracted more then enough attention for it to be called ''A classic''.. the game deserves more then enough attention for it to be an outstanding game, but.. for me to write a review like this you'll probably think ''Oh, you're one of those lovers that'll protect blizzard'', well I'm here to tell you that you're completely wrong, I'm here to speak the truth and that's that, I'll rate games based on the ''Score'' they deserve and I'll stand by it.

    Now I'm on to the problems with this game.. ''ARENA'', its completely unbalanced and will mash you in with the highest leveled people you'll find in the game, mainly Priests who will constantly heal themselves and not even give you a sporting chance (Even knowing none of that happens), its an annoying issue which disappoints me and others I'm sure, which lowers the current score from an '8' to a '7', it could have done better, but there're issues that Blizzard won't bother to fix..    … Expand
  23. JustAnotherGamr
    Apr 30, 2014
    8
    At first glance, Hearthstone is very simple. It's a stripped down CCG, with minimal true interaction (I play this, you play that in response). Coming from a background of Magic: the Gathering, I gave it a once over, played a few games, and walked away from the simplicity I saw.

    I came back a short time later, and played more and immersed myself in the game, where I discovered some of    At first glance, Hearthstone is very simple. It's a stripped down CCG, with minimal true interaction (I play this, you play that in response). Coming from a background of Magic: the Gathering, I gave it a once over, played a few games, and walked away from the simplicity I saw.

    I came back a short time later, and played more and immersed myself in the game, where I discovered some of the deeper complexity. It's not as deep or complex as Magic, and quite frankly, that's a huge boost for the game. Magic has been suffering from complexity creep for a while now (the head designer has acknowledged this) and can be very intimidating for new players. Hearthstone doesn't have to worry about that.

    Games are also relatively quick. On average, a game lasts no more than 15 minutes at the longest, and finding games also happens at a relatively quick pace. I can get 5-6 games in inside of an hour very easily, a great upside for me with my schedule.

    There is a random factor, maybe a bit more than other card games, but nothing too extreme from my experiences. You draw bad hands in Magic, you draw bad hands in Hearthstone. Your opponent topdecks the perfect card in Magic, your opponent topdecks the perfect card in Hearthstone. You see where I'm going here.

    Some are complaining it's "Pay2Win." My response is this - it's a CCG. Find me a TCG or CCG where you don't lay money out to win. It's relatively cheap compared to - you guessed it - Magic. You spend $600 on Magic, and you get a deck that's in the standard rotation for another year and may even lose relevance in three months when the next set drops and a hard counter falls from the sky. Modern can cost north of $750-$800, and Legacy/Vintage costs are unspeakable. I've spent roughly $100 on Hearthstone total. I have 7 complete decks that are competitive, plus 4 more that are almost finished. Cards are able to be disenchanted, so once you play a decent amount and earn enough gold for packs or buy enough, you can start to just destroy excess cards.

    The biggest downside for me is Arena. It's a weird Sealed-Draft-hybrid format, but it's very luck dependent. This is the biggest RNG failing the game has. A true sealed or draft style environment (or both? Please, Blizzard?) would be a huge boost to the game, as it would diversify what kind of players are attracted to the game.

    More in-game and developer tournament and competitive play support would also really make me happy. The constructed ranked ladder is a nice feature, and being able to grind up that is a good challenge against myself and other players, but having in-game tournaments with prize support and a modest entry fee of either real money or gold would be a great addition to an already fun client.

    The announcement of Adventure Modes, Naxxramas being the first, shows at least some extended support and further expansion of the brand by Blizzard and new cards will be rolling in at a nice time to refresh the constructed and limited scenes.

    Overall, the game isn't for everyone. If you want a free game that's going to hand everyone everything at the outset, this isn't your game. Nor is any TCG/CCG for that matter, honestly, as they all require investments of time and money. If you hate randomness or bad breaks, the same. But if you like a challenge and you like TCGs/CCGs, Hearthstone can be a fun way to spend some time and enjoy yourself, especially if you dislike the growing complexity of other card games as they continue on in their life spans.    … Expand
  24. zamach
    May 27, 2014
    8
    Very good, but after You play some games You realize there are no more cards that You might want to get as there are few in general. Fortunately an expansion is coming and a bunch new cards should be introduced, so my only problem with this game will be no more. On the up side this game has very fun card mechanics that would be impossible to achieve in a table top card game with physicalVery good, but after You play some games You realize there are no more cards that You might want to get as there are few in general. Fortunately an expansion is coming and a bunch new cards should be introduced, so my only problem with this game will be no more. On the up side this game has very fun card mechanics that would be impossible to achieve in a table top card game with physical cards. It is aware that it's a virtual game and makes a good use of that fact. There is no pay-to-win (IMO) as a basic deck can easily defeat a "full epic-gold" deck just because it is always a random draw!… Expand
  25. aver233
    Aug 18, 2014
    8
    I don't understand all the negative reviews. This game is awesome and addicting. U can get a little bored of it but that's maybe just me. When i first started to play the game i thought it was kinda lame. But i was wrong. After like ten games i loved it and played it constantly.
  26. Braggi
    Aug 31, 2014
    8
    Decent casual CCG with a simple mechanic and a steep learning curve. It can keep you entertained for a long time and offers constant short play sessions, perfect for mobile. Besides some computer trainers and dungeons, the main game is PvP with some matchmaking issues.

    First hurdle for new players are the 9 classes to play and to fight. You must unlock their basic cards first, and get a    Decent casual CCG with a simple mechanic and a steep learning curve. It can keep you entertained for a long time and offers constant short play sessions, perfect for mobile. Besides some computer trainers and dungeons, the main game is PvP with some matchmaking issues.

    First hurdle for new players are the 9 classes to play and to fight. You must unlock their basic cards first, and get a grip on their special action and their specific class cards.

    Quests urge you to try out an owerflow of options - play all classes, against the computer, normal and ranked games, arena and now dungeons. New cards flood in, and you'll find yourself constantly adapting your decks without really knowing what you do, especially when not spending money early to afford vanilla decks.

    After this you're on your own. There are enough guides for basic decks and economic starter decks. There are even a few good generic deck building guides out there. With a good grip on the game (ouch) you can cash your tutorial rewards for some card packs and get a competitive deck going with a few magic cards.

    Even a casual player can harvest decent quest rewards with limited, regular effort, with 3 quests in parallel. Rewards accumulate to about 250-300 gold in 4 days, which is 3 packs of new cards or 2 arena fees. Even play maniacs can only raise this amount slowly, and get rewards with bragging rights instead.

    Perception of fairness is something else completely. Losing unranked games vs decks 10 times more expensive than your own feels broken, and makes you question the game's matchmaking.
    In that respect ranked games are actually better, as the pros are sorted to the high ranks here.

    But - even playing a perfect deck, I will lose 50% of my games against a mirror of my deck. In the short run random bad draws may leave me without chance more often than that (as does being a less than perfect player...).
    Can my deck consistently beat the NPC? On normal and hard? Does it have tempo issues, good card resupply? Do I have a consistent win idea, or do I try to do too much at once, and nothing right? With many decks it also makes a big difference which class I fight, as they all have special actions and removals available. Which cards to keep at start against whom? What to prepare for? Few guides care to explain this, and unexperienced players rarely have a clue about it.

    If you're still here at this time, you're hooked and try to hack the metagame.
    Arena is nice as you randomly select your deck from all cards, but you better have a grasp on deck building or it is a waste of resources. Dungeons (Naxramas) add more (distant) cards, something a beginner can do without.

    For some time the game had some annoying connectivity issues, atm it runs smoothely. Can play my account from both Pad and PC, which is fine.    … Expand
  27. Mastodon
    Dec 20, 2014
    8
    I'm about 50 games in and honestly I am fairly satisfied. The game doesn't have all that many restrictions for those who don't want to pay.... for the most part it just takes time. My major complaint is how little of a return you get when you trade in cards you don't like. Overall it is somewhat difficult to gain currency after the first couple hours of gameplay - that being said, it isI'm about 50 games in and honestly I am fairly satisfied. The game doesn't have all that many restrictions for those who don't want to pay.... for the most part it just takes time. My major complaint is how little of a return you get when you trade in cards you don't like. Overall it is somewhat difficult to gain currency after the first couple hours of gameplay - that being said, it is not nearly as grindy as one might think due to the 5 to 15 minute average length of each game. Overall I think this game has great potential, and as is it provides hours of entertainment.… Expand
  28. PsychoG
    Dec 29, 2014
    8
    Hearthstone is a game that is ridiculously easy to become addicted to, it's simple to pick up and learn as the game mechanics are extremely straight forward, outrageously fun and the addictiveness of the matches leaves players wanting to play match after match, tweaking their deck as they go in order to achieve the best results.

    The ability to pay real money for card packs has given    Hearthstone is a game that is ridiculously easy to become addicted to, it's simple to pick up and learn as the game mechanics are extremely straight forward, outrageously fun and the addictiveness of the matches leaves players wanting to play match after match, tweaking their deck as they go in order to achieve the best results.

    The ability to pay real money for card packs has given Hearthstone a reputation among some players as being a 'pay to win' game and that players have no chance of performing well unless they shell out for packs. This is, to an extent, true although the cards you are given to begin with and the extras you will pick up from packs bought with in-game gold from daily quests are generally enough to build a reasonable deck.

    If you want to be one of the top ranked players, then yes, you will likely need to shell out for packs. But if you're content with just having a good time competing with your friends and enjoying the game, there's no need as you should do fine with what you pick up along the way.

    Overall, Hearthstone is a simple but very fun game that can be enjoyed by both those looking to climb up to the top of the ranks and those who just want to kill some time or compete with their friends.

    + Extremely simple to learn with a well done tutorial
    + Addictive and fun game play
    + Great game to play with friends
    + Free to play and card packs can be bought with in-game gold for those who are patient enough to earn it

    - Reaching the highest ranks in constructed is very difficult without buying packs
    - Some balance issues with some classes feeling much more powerful than others    … Expand
  29. TimTeamTebow
    Sep 27, 2014
    8
    A lot of people are giving it terrible ratings for being pay to win, which is kind of silly.
    The game mode "arena" gives you random cards to choose from. The only gold/money involved is used to get into the arena. 100% impossible to "pay to win" in arena.
    In regular constructed play, paying really doesn't offer you an advantage, although it does open up a lot more possibilities. There    A lot of people are giving it terrible ratings for being pay to win, which is kind of silly.
    The game mode "arena" gives you random cards to choose from. The only gold/money involved is used to get into the arena. 100% impossible to "pay to win" in arena.
    In regular constructed play, paying really doesn't offer you an advantage, although it does open up a lot more possibilities. There are plenty of cheap decks you can make, but they all feel about the same. Paying will definitely boost your enjoyment of the game by giving you more options, but you always have the option to grind a bit more to save money. Doing great in arena is an easy way to get cards for free while enjoying the game.
    Check out Trump's F2P decks on youtube if you think its P2W. He gets to legendary rank with Free to play decks.

    Its a great little game to play if you are short on time or multitasking.    … Expand
  30. kakumeijun
    Jan 4, 2015
    8
    For a card game, Hearthstone relies a bit too heavily on the RNG side of things. On one hand, this means that luck will eventually get the better of you and you WILL lose a fair amount of games. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Players will need to learn to adapt and create plays where the harmful effects of RNG can be reduced to minimum. It makes you think. A good deck doesFor a card game, Hearthstone relies a bit too heavily on the RNG side of things. On one hand, this means that luck will eventually get the better of you and you WILL lose a fair amount of games. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Players will need to learn to adapt and create plays where the harmful effects of RNG can be reduced to minimum. It makes you think. A good deck does not need to win 100% of the games you played to reach Legend, you simply have to make one that has more than 50% win rate if you want to rank up. And sometimes, RNG makes things a lot more entertaining (see Hearth Trolden's videos on Youtube for a taste of it).

    The issue that concerned most players is the aspect of pay-to-win and there's no denying that Hearthstone is indeed one such game. But coming from a physical trading card game background, this doesn't concern me too much as I am used to spending money to buy cards (too bad you can't sell them in this case). The daily quest and arena help a bit in this regard but the grind is still real. Only the passionate and patient can survive the grind so expect to pay if you have just started playing the game. In short, DO NOT treat this game as a free to play game.

    Initially, I do have some concern regarding the balance of the game. Certain classes seem to dominate the ladder every season. But with every expansion, the meta shifts significantly. Every class is given the opportunity to shine. Even without expansion, when a certain class becomes dominant, anti-meta decks emerges which makes every season a different experience (which is why sites like Liquidhearth have a power ranks every month). And if a class remains dominant for many seasons (see Hunter and Rogue), Blizzard does interfere to nerf some of the key cards. And worry not, when a card is nerfed, you get to refund the cost to craft them so that you can use it to make something else. In addition, after the recent GvG expansion, most classes have deck variations that play very differently (control, aggro, tempo, or mid-range). This makes the game more brainy as you can't identify what type of decks your opponent is playing just by knowing his/her class anymore. If you are like me, who only plays a single class (Druid) because you can only afford to do so or because you really love that class, you can be sure to have a good time in certain seasons and some crappy moments other times. But the best moment for me in Hearthstone is when you manage to make a class work in a season when it is deemed to be the worst class to ladder with. And for me, this is what a card game is all about (satisfaction in experimenting with counter strategies).

    Tl;dr: In essence, the foundation in which Hearthstone is built upon makes it a card game with tremendous potential (for funny moments as well). You ARE going to pay real cash if you decided to commit to the game and casual players not looking forward to spend cash will have a hard time winning. But for those who are fine with paying money to buy cards and are looking for a really enjoyable card game to commit to (for long term), I fully recommend Hearthstone because (for me) it is simply the most enjoyable and comfortable card game I have played since forever. My suggestion is to try the game first, don't worry about winning but instead check it out to see if you like the mechanics. If you do, then perhaps you can fork out some cash to get yourself started. If not, you can always try other card games that suit your style.

    Disclaimer: I have a background of playing physical card games (mostly Yu-Gi-Oh!) for more than 10 years. I have been playing Hearthstone on PC since open beta (early 2014) up until today.    … Expand
  31. Enigmaze
    Jun 8, 2015
    8
    Greetings traveller,
    We can definitely say that hearthstone is NOT pay to win but it does help to have a larger collection of cards.
    I'm giving Hearthstone an eight for the following reasons: 1. Cross Platform gameplay, we can play hearthstone on our phones, the most commonly owned piece of tech. I do recommend to play it on a Desktop/laptop/ipad when making decks, I find it    Greetings traveller,
    We can definitely say that hearthstone is NOT pay to win but it does help to have a larger collection of cards.

    I'm giving Hearthstone an eight for the following reasons:

    1. Cross Platform gameplay, we can play hearthstone on our phones, the most commonly owned piece of tech. I do recommend to play it on a Desktop/laptop/ipad when making decks, I find it frustrating when making a deck on the phone.

    2. Gameplay, I've been playing since October 2014, and it does help to have the ability to anticipate and analyse the opponents next move based on their recently played cards. The game is a game of Skill, sure but sometimes the game hands a "free win" to your opponent, this is probably why everyone is hating. You can just google hearthstone basic deck strategies!

    3. The cards, there are a lot of cards in hearthstone, I love the Legendaries like Loatheb and Emperor Thaussiran. Loathe is a must have in any deck especially in any anti Mage decks.

    Card backs are a great way to show off your progress or even Intimidate your opponent I just wish there was a way to obtain every card back.

    4. Micro transactions, I have personally spent $75 on the game and it is not pay to win but more like a booster to give you a nudge in the right direction, I do love the fact that you can earn gold to unlock the Expansions, This means that it is possible to obtain two copies of every card and one of every golden without using a single penny! But you can't get all the hardbacks without paying.

    5. Community, There is a massive community and daily streamers on twitch all sharing their experiences about hearthstone. There are also tournaments where you can win big bucks just for playing hearthstone.

    Summary, Hearthstone is great because it has no pay to win you can still get beaten by a basic deck (I did)
    when you are using all your legendaries. Hearthstone has a great fancies where you can share strategies.    … Expand
  32. Exavier
    Jul 16, 2015
    8
    I can understand the reason for low scores on this game, though I think they're a little biased towards the whole luck factor. It's a card game. Of course there's a luck factor. And yes, you have to earn your cards; sometimes you get lucky in packs, sometimes you don't. At least there's the disenchanting option. There are plenty of guides online to crafting a decent deck with starter andI can understand the reason for low scores on this game, though I think they're a little biased towards the whole luck factor. It's a card game. Of course there's a luck factor. And yes, you have to earn your cards; sometimes you get lucky in packs, sometimes you don't. At least there's the disenchanting option. There are plenty of guides online to crafting a decent deck with starter and common cards.

    Overall, the game is well designed. There are a handful of flaws and inconveniences here and there, but for what it is, I'll happily crank out at least my dailies once a day. The Tavern Brawl mode is an excellent addition and basically guarantees a free card pack every few days, since the Brawl rules are often based on a preset deck for the chosen hero rather than selecting your own cards (and when they are, they're easy to cheese). There are, however, some serious balance issues that have me shaking my head. But having run some of these rather unfair card combos and lost, and conversely facing them and beating them on other occasions, it's hit or miss.

    As far as balance goes, though, my biggest demerit has to be the utterly ridiculous Grim Patron, a 5-cost 3/3 minion that spawns another of itself if it survives damage. I don't knock the idea of the card--a minor tweak would make it infinitely less ridiculous. But someone at Blizzard approved this to go out the door, and they have yet to tweak it as of this writing. An utterly ridiculous card that can change the game more than most legendaries. I shake my head at anyone who uses it.

    I think a lot of the negative reviews simply come from poor deck making decisions. Overall, the game's fun, whether or not you have amazing cards. Sure, it's gonna pair you up against some people with better cards and more experience than you sometimes (hell, more often than not). Roll with the punches and you'll realize this is a nice little gem Blizzard's got here.    … Expand
  33. Kargun
    Sep 22, 2015
    8
    Blizzard lo ha vuelto a hacer. Un juego fácil de jugar y difícil de dominar. Vicio puro. A mí gusto le falta un competitivo más público, con rankings y listas de éxitos por los que alardear.
  34. ChosenKukky03
    Mar 13, 2016
    8
    Easy to get the hang of, hard to master. There are many ways to win or lose. Cards are very balanced, even the Warlock - A class that hurts itself to get stronger(logic!) is surprisingly balanced. Also if you combine certain cards on the table at once, they may be more effective than normal. Even the order you deploy them in may make a difference. That's the sort of thing you don't see inEasy to get the hang of, hard to master. There are many ways to win or lose. Cards are very balanced, even the Warlock - A class that hurts itself to get stronger(logic!) is surprisingly balanced. Also if you combine certain cards on the table at once, they may be more effective than normal. Even the order you deploy them in may make a difference. That's the sort of thing you don't see in other casual-style PvP games like Bloons TD Battles.… Expand
  35. jbetuster
    Jan 17, 2016
    8
    the game is too good but if you don´t play 6 diary hours you will never have good cards and you will lose for ever.
    at least the matchmaking is 7/10
  36. A0I
    Apr 12, 2016
    8
    For a casual game, this one makes it alright, having chance to F2P to shine on this, making the fact of paying just a shortcut to get a wider collection with more possibilities. This doesn't mean that a focused F2P can make a goal to make certain deck, dominate it and conquer the ladder, something I already did.

    Many negative reviews here come from people who lack the skill to play and    For a casual game, this one makes it alright, having chance to F2P to shine on this, making the fact of paying just a shortcut to get a wider collection with more possibilities. This doesn't mean that a focused F2P can make a goal to make certain deck, dominate it and conquer the ladder, something I already did.

    Many negative reviews here come from people who lack the skill to play and the courage to admit they are not good enough to adapt to the shifting metagames, punishing hard the game for something that Blizzard didn't do wrong, and remember that TCGs aren't for everyone, they got a specific niche in a way other games such as Dark Souls saga or the last Super Mario Bros installments have.

    Variety of classes with their own specific ways to win and control the board, tons of neutral minions to complete your custom deck, it becomes a cycle of build, play, fail, rebuild, play and fail again until you get a decent deck and the vision of how to play it, which is enough to get wins in this game. Very recommendable, more now that you can play on your phone as well.    … Expand
  37. KekL0rd
    Apr 18, 2016
    8
    This game has its own glitter to it, and it can be pretty fun. Blizzard tries very hard to create the >TRADING< (jk) virtual card game experience, being able to craft your own decks on your computer or on your mobile phone. I spent a good amount of time on this game to conclude that this game works, and it works great, even if this is really a game of roll-the-dice. The graphics and layoutThis game has its own glitter to it, and it can be pretty fun. Blizzard tries very hard to create the >TRADING< (jk) virtual card game experience, being able to craft your own decks on your computer or on your mobile phone. I spent a good amount of time on this game to conclude that this game works, and it works great, even if this is really a game of roll-the-dice. The graphics and layout look so slick its pleasing to the eye. Each individual 1v1 game has an interactable battlefield of some WoW location, which allows you to speak to your opponent through emotes. Each card has the WoW art with different effects that are appropriate to the character. You get gold from daily quests and winning games to earn packs, which can give you some legendary WoW characters that look great. You can get even more packs through arena battles or tavern brawls, which are games with specific rules added every few days. What this game has that other card games don't offer is the ability to disenchant your own cards and craft ones you want. To speed up the card count, of course you would need to add in a bit of money.

    This game looks, runs and feels great. However, gameplay itself in a 1v1 match does not feel too great. I found myself begging to draw a certain card or hope he does not draw a certain effect. This game is very RNG-based, and only some skill and knowledge is involved. It comes to the point where every little thing counts if RNG is acting similarly to both players. But overall, this is an enjoyable game and collecting shiny gold cards and crafting legend-worthy decks is serious fun.    … Expand
  38. likevin96
    Dec 28, 2016
    8
    True Score: 8.6

    Pros: - Smooth and clear UI - Father of online CCG - Warcraft characters and lore - Adventures have fun mechanics and characters full of life Cons: - Pay to win (or play forever) - Terrible learning curve to be competitive - Everyone netdecks - Blizzard is often too slow to respond or patch things - Infrequent updates - Character skins for $10????? - Too    True Score: 8.6

    Pros:
    - Smooth and clear UI
    - Father of online CCG
    - Warcraft characters and lore
    - Adventures have fun mechanics and characters full of life

    Cons:
    - Pay to win (or play forever)
    - Terrible learning curve to be competitive
    - Everyone netdecks
    - Blizzard is often too slow to respond or patch things
    - Infrequent updates
    - Character skins for $10?????
    - Too much RNG
    - Often little counterplay

    While the pros/cons seem ridiculously skewed towards the negative, to be fair there is a reason why I have played this game for so long. It does what it does extremely well and even though there are a ton of aspects of this game that bother me, I still come back time and time again as IMO it remains the king of online CCG.    … Expand
  39. noxrain
    Dec 27, 2020
    8
    Love this game, play it every now and then. I have to say, that I don't play regular ranked as much, as I rather play the Battlegrounds mode and the occasional duels/arena. Highly rate that, but I do acknowledge that this game definitely has some pay 2 win issues if playing the regular ranked game mode. But for a free game, you can have a lot of fun without spending a dime.
  40. Sancherek
    Jun 7, 2017
    8
    This game is a fuc**ng mystery for me, as i love watching streams of it. The game gives time to think and talk with viewers and that's awesome but nothing else. The gameplay is boring and hasn't anything special. Soudns are really good and i have to say it but i'm not the kind of person that likes games for soundtrack :/
  41. Axilley
    Jul 22, 2021
    8
    good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good HS
  42. brianzgy
    Oct 24, 2017
    8
    Unless you are willing to grind for months or open up your wallet/purse this games is not for you. Matchmaking system is simply broken, I am not a kid, I know simple math and can read but repeatedly was matched against players with cards that crushed me. Either matchmaking system is designed to allow players who have spent real money to win (repeatedly). Or the matchmaking system is brokenUnless you are willing to grind for months or open up your wallet/purse this games is not for you. Matchmaking system is simply broken, I am not a kid, I know simple math and can read but repeatedly was matched against players with cards that crushed me. Either matchmaking system is designed to allow players who have spent real money to win (repeatedly). Or the matchmaking system is broken allowing veteran players (with amazing cards) to play/crush new players. Either way game is a pointless waste of money and/or time.… Expand
  43. suede88
    Nov 7, 2018
    8
    + great gameplay
    + warcraft lore
    + superb art and sounds + not p2w, it´s possible to earn 2000 - 4000 dust per month without spending real money, good deck cost about 3000 - 5000 dust..it´s not so bad... + if you love card games, you will love HS, for sure...I´m veteran Magic The Gathering player... - single player is so hard...even for skilled players - sometimes is game bit    + great gameplay
    + warcraft lore
    + superb art and sounds
    + not p2w, it´s possible to earn 2000 - 4000 dust per month without spending real money, good deck cost about 3000 - 5000 dust..it´s not so bad...
    + if you love card games, you will love HS, for sure...I´m veteran Magic The Gathering player...

    - single player is so hard...even for skilled players
    - sometimes is game bit frustrating because of very hard ladder climbing, especially on highest ranks
    - it´s important to check the meta sometimes, new strategies and it´s good to see some pro players how they think about game situations and what decks they builds...so, the game is easy to play, but hard to master. If you´re not so much into card games, then this maybe the reason why not play this game and try f.e. Clash Royale which is much easier to master    … Expand
  44. Danil_Shtangeev
    Nov 18, 2018
    8
    I've played this game many years ago. But it's still looking interesting for me
  45. Amorph0us
    Jan 7, 2022
    8
    In my opinion, they used well the capabilities a pc offers to a card game. Mechanics like rng, fast pace, instant deck effects made it unique as one of the first serious card games for pc. As a negative, in order to gain profit they made it "pay to accelerate". Also after many releases it is normal to release bad or unpopular expansions.
  46. JuviWarts
    Jul 4, 2020
    8
    This is the best card game you can play. Unfortunately it falls into the same trap that all collectable card games fall into. Too many cards get created and the game shifts dynamics ans deprecates your collection. $300 into the rabbit hole and I had to quit.
  47. CompleteIdiot
    Dec 7, 2021
    8
    I have spent probably more than a 1000 hours in this game and also introduced the addiction to my girlfriend. Its a simple game, and I could best compare it to like a bag of chips. You crave it, but after having it doesn't feel fulfilling at all. But a bag of chips from time to time is always nice. And gotta give credit to Blizzard for giving this much content for free. I have never spentI have spent probably more than a 1000 hours in this game and also introduced the addiction to my girlfriend. Its a simple game, and I could best compare it to like a bag of chips. You crave it, but after having it doesn't feel fulfilling at all. But a bag of chips from time to time is always nice. And gotta give credit to Blizzard for giving this much content for free. I have never spent a single cent on this game and I have never felt restricted by the fact that I don't buy packs for myself. Fun card game that's a bit shallow.… Expand
  48. F3T1W
    Aug 27, 2021
    8
    A chic collectible card game, in a familiar universe, of the minuses, too much frivolous
  49. joglow
    May 16, 2022
    8
    It did not fail me to entertain. What else can we expect from this game? You did not marry it, did you?
  50. kdx
    Sep 14, 2022
    8
    If you have extra money and your goal is to kill time, then this timekiller CCG is for you. Random is present in absolutely all moments, and donation does not affect the gameplay only in some branches of the adventure. In other cases, the donation decides. There is nothing to demand from it, because it is built according to the free-to-play scheme. Blizzard uses absolutely the right gameIf you have extra money and your goal is to kill time, then this timekiller CCG is for you. Random is present in absolutely all moments, and donation does not affect the gameplay only in some branches of the adventure. In other cases, the donation decides. There is nothing to demand from it, because it is built according to the free-to-play scheme. Blizzard uses absolutely the right game promotion strategy to make more money.… Expand
  51. GuiBio
    Dec 29, 2022
    8
    Great casual game. hard to build a competitive deck, but you still can have fun with starter decks
  52. MikeMaximus
    Apr 24, 2014
    7
    Hearthstone is a fun card game to play every few days, complete any daily quests you have built up and earn a few new cards. If you want something hardcore to spend thousands of hours on i'd look elsewhere, unless of course you wanna spend a ton of money buying card packs.

    I'd call it Magic: The Gathering lite, it has enough depth to keep it interesting and strategic but also simple    Hearthstone is a fun card game to play every few days, complete any daily quests you have built up and earn a few new cards. If you want something hardcore to spend thousands of hours on i'd look elsewhere, unless of course you wanna spend a ton of money buying card packs.

    I'd call it Magic: The Gathering lite, it has enough depth to keep it interesting and strategic but also simple enough to keep the rounds quick and easy to play. It's actually quite a feat and they should be proud of it. The lack of a standard chat interface during matches is also genius, you can communicate via simple emotes and that's all. This keeps matches quick and clean with a lack of what would likely be useless or offensive chatter that is standard in most competitive online games.

    Understandably it has issues with balance as ALL these types of games do, but Blizzard has never really been good with balance. That alone for me doesn't make it viable to spend a dime on it or compete in ranked matches.    … Expand
  53. Not_Disclosed
    Mar 18, 2014
    7
    The game is very deceptive. First of all, do not expect to be competitive in ranked play for a long time, unless you want to spend real money. If you do spend money, you will not be truly competitive anyway, but you will manage to get some wins just because you have better cards.

    For a long time, I thought that cards are everything, but actually there is quite a lot of strategy    The game is very deceptive. First of all, do not expect to be competitive in ranked play for a long time, unless you want to spend real money. If you do spend money, you will not be truly competitive anyway, but you will manage to get some wins just because you have better cards.

    For a long time, I thought that cards are everything, but actually there is quite a lot of strategy involved. As a new player, you will need to do daily quests. I do not recommend playing any more than for dailies, as when you play against much better decks, you will feel that it is unfair and pay - for - win. As such, I recommend not buying the decks straight away, but spend the gold in arena. Yes, you will be losing a lot at the beginning - but also you will learn to play and to choose cards. Make a spreadsheet of your arena wins so you can see your progress in time. Initially you will think that 'it is all luck' and that 'opponents were lucky at draw and play' but after some time (a couple of months for me) you will realise that actually how you play and way you choose cards affect your performance in Arena immensely, and that having few very good cards in a badly chosen deck does not make wonders. To play constructed competitively, as long as you do not want to pay, expect 3-6 months of doing dailies and spending your gold on Arena runs.

    Constructed has many issues currently, but the game is getting better, and even though maybe at the moment is not as good as competition, given Blizzard determination (and pushing it as an e-sport) it is very likely to be the best in maybe a year time.

    However, building your skill to be competitive in the game (and Arena) will take time. You can buy your way to be competitive early, but with all the cards you can imagine, you will still not achieve top ranks without skill.    … Expand
  54. Kosma
    Jul 14, 2014
    7
    Great little card game, needs way more frequent updates and new cards from Blizzard though because as is you will get burned out fast seeing the same cards and decks over and over.
  55. aza113
    May 27, 2014
    7
    Lets get the Pay2Win out of the way first. is it? well yes? is that a problem? not really, this game is different to other f2p. this is a card game, and well like traditional card games, it is pay to win, the more cards you draw the better, that's just how they work, nothing wrong with that, although id preferred a trading system (hard to abuse -proof it though), plus if you want, youLets get the Pay2Win out of the way first. is it? well yes? is that a problem? not really, this game is different to other f2p. this is a card game, and well like traditional card games, it is pay to win, the more cards you draw the better, that's just how they work, nothing wrong with that, although id preferred a trading system (hard to abuse -proof it though), plus if you want, you don't need to spend a single cent on it, you ll eventually earn enough points to buy all the cards. eventually.......

    The reason I didn't give this game a higher score is because the lack of depth, only (really, ranked and casual is one mode) 2 modes and not much is gained from ranking up, I do believe they are adding stuff in so, that's ok. But because it is only 30cards per deck, luck of the draw plays way too much in the games for it to be taken seriously, yes you can build a deck strategically but you cant really get away from luck, luck just has too much of a percentage in the games. So many times I have drawn 5 spell cards in a row with no minions to play even though I only have 8 spell cards in total. im not sure how luck's influence can be reduced, but it needs to be looked at, maybe a 50card deck can help smooth it out? not sure    … Expand
  56. Steve101
    Jun 9, 2014
    7
    Hearthstone is a decent CCG, and the game can be a good pickup if you are willing to put large amounts of time into it. For all the people claiming the game is pay to win, it is and it isn't You can do decently in both constructed and ranked with decks using only basic cards. And some of the strongest cards, like the chill wind yeti, a free and accessible from the beginning of the game.Hearthstone is a decent CCG, and the game can be a good pickup if you are willing to put large amounts of time into it. For all the people claiming the game is pay to win, it is and it isn't You can do decently in both constructed and ranked with decks using only basic cards. And some of the strongest cards, like the chill wind yeti, a free and accessible from the beginning of the game. Though the Epic and Legendary cards you can get from spending lots of money are quite strong, i'd argue its more grind to win than pay to win
    However, if you intend to play this game more than causally, you may and up frustrated. The biggest issue hearthstone has is that 90% of the game is based on RNG. You can have all the best cards in you deck and still lose flat out because of a bad draw. Due to this, most of the stronger cards are merely based on card draw. Most of the time, the game will come down to who can draw the better card first, making the game frustrating, especially in situations where it appears you would have won.
    TLDR; Hearthstone isn't Pay to win, its flip a coin and hope you win. While a couple of games or arena runs here and there can be entertaining, but becoming dedicated to it will likely leave you frustrated    … Expand
  57. blubberguts
    Mar 19, 2014
    7
    At lot of fun ..at first. Especially against the computer players.

    Then you reach PVP and it's pay to win. I remember I had cards that cost 2 mana and did 1 damage .. others had cards that cost 1 mana and did 3 damage. No matter what you do, unless you pay, you aren't going to win. It's a shame. Graphically, I really like the game, it has loads of style. The cards look good, the    At lot of fun ..at first. Especially against the computer players.

    Then you reach PVP and it's pay to win. I remember I had cards that cost 2 mana and did 1 damage .. others had cards that cost 1 mana and did 3 damage. No matter what you do, unless you pay, you aren't going to win.

    It's a shame. Graphically, I really like the game, it has loads of style. The cards look good, the colours are clear and bright, the animations are great. The voices and sounds are good too. As you'd expect, coming from the creators of WOW, it's a work of quality. I really enjoyed playing ..until I got to PVP.

    I have a suggestion for Blizzard. TWO sets of leagues. One league for "skill" players only. There are no cards or advantages you can buy, the winner is determined by sheer skill (And luck in the draw, of course, but that averages out the more games you play.) This will draw in a huge number of people and generate buzz.

    The other league for players who bought cards.

    Both sets of gamers could be happy!

    If you do this, I will go back to playing again. Until then, no more for me.

    7/10 for this. Would have been 9 or 10, except for the pay-to-win. Apart from that, it's an excellent game. I recommend people try it anyway; until you get to pvp, it's the best card battle game I ever played.    … Expand
  58. Violett
    Nov 8, 2014
    7
    "Time is money, friend!" Or even better: "You play, you pay".
    It saddens me the way game developing is going today. From major titles like WoW or StarCraft to casual games you can play on your iPad. Where are our Arcanum, Morrowind or vanilla WoW? Nevermind me, probably I'm just too old for this things.
  59. Gloin
    Jul 16, 2014
    7
    Good Game. But it as the limit of a pay to win with to optimized deck. Really strategic and fun just need a little adjustment on some deck that change the game flow and kill hero in one turn with 3 card. Arena mode that prevent the player to have a far too optimized deck is really fun. The game is really focused on draw control not being a bad thing but can really be a pain when on a totalGood Game. But it as the limit of a pay to win with to optimized deck. Really strategic and fun just need a little adjustment on some deck that change the game flow and kill hero in one turn with 3 card. Arena mode that prevent the player to have a far too optimized deck is really fun. The game is really focused on draw control not being a bad thing but can really be a pain when on a total unlucky game.… Expand
  60. Blackdragon666
    Mar 19, 2014
    7
    Wonderful concept held down by the pay to win nature of the game.

    The only enjoyable the thing about this game is the Arena, which is pretty well balanced, and loads of fun.
  61. EclipseEx
    Mar 12, 2014
    7
    I usually play Hearthstone while waiting for other things to load or just when I want to play something short. The game is fairly casual there's no real pressure to win other than you can accumulate gold. I find it relaxing to just play without stressing out. One of the negative things is the fact that you can pay to dominate. Buying the $50 card pack will make your decks ridiculouslyI usually play Hearthstone while waiting for other things to load or just when I want to play something short. The game is fairly casual there's no real pressure to win other than you can accumulate gold. I find it relaxing to just play without stressing out. One of the negative things is the fact that you can pay to dominate. Buying the $50 card pack will make your decks ridiculously good. Also, like any card game luck has to do with how well you do which can get annoying or make you laugh hysterically when you get just the right cards to wreck your opponent. All in all worth checking out as it costs you nothing.… Expand
  62. Adrijan123
    Jun 10, 2014
    7
    I'm going to keep this review short and straight to the point:
    -Graphics/Animation 8.5-Pretty good for a card game. The animations are smooth,nothing special or out of the ordinary, but ok,maybe even going to great.
    -Story / -I can't say anything about the story because I believe that in this particular card game, the story isn't even a main focus, so no score here. -Gameplay 7.5 -I    I'm going to keep this review short and straight to the point:
    -Graphics/Animation 8.5-Pretty good for a card game. The animations are smooth,nothing special or out of the ordinary, but ok,maybe even going to great.
    -Story / -I can't say anything about the story because I believe that in this particular card game, the story isn't even a main focus, so no score here.
    -Gameplay 7.5 -I don't have anything against the gameplay, in fact it seems to be pretty decent, however, the pay to win aspect has to be taken into consideration because a lot of people don't like it when games seem to be milking money from them, so the score has to go down. Apart from that, the gameplay seems to be decent, far from perfect, but decent.
    -Characters / -Again, this card game doesn't focus on any particular characters, so no score here.
    Music and Sound fx 6 -While the sound fx are ok,the music really isn't. It doesn't suit the genre, it's not utilized very well and I really have to take out a few points here.
    In the end, (8.5+7.5+6)/3 is somewhere around 7.1, and that's the score this game gets from me.    … Expand
  63. Isten
    Mar 18, 2014
    7
    I played they WOW TCG for the game, not the unlocks...and that makes me a minority as best I can tell.

    In either case, Hearthstone is a faithful if dumbed down version of the TCG.

    A Fun way to burn time (and money). It will never be competitive like MtG and that is okay. It fills a good niche.
  64. Mrandom
    Mar 13, 2014
    7
    Hearhstone is pretty fun and has the potential to be one of the most popular multi-player games like Dota2 or LOL. Of course it is a CCG, but its professional art design and well-balanced gameplay really shows it is a Blizzard game, like the classic WOW, Starcraft and Warcraft 3.
    However, like what they said in the ads, the game is "deceptively" simple. Yeah, it looks simple, but it is    Hearhstone is pretty fun and has the potential to be one of the most popular multi-player games like Dota2 or LOL. Of course it is a CCG, but its professional art design and well-balanced gameplay really shows it is a Blizzard game, like the classic WOW, Starcraft and Warcraft 3.
    However, like what they said in the ads, the game is "deceptively" simple. Yeah, it looks simple, but it is not. It is extremely hard for new players who just enter the game. I started playing the game around closed Beta, even back then I lost 9 of my first 10 games. Now it is even worse. More and more players have large card collections, the newbies are gonna suffer for a long time. Of course it is possible to play extremely well with limited card collection like what Trump did, but you'll need to spend a huge amount of time in the Arena before being able to do so. For a new player, it is impossible to play well without spending money on overpriced cards. This is what they call "pay to win".
    The game is also pretty time consuming. Yeah each game is short indeed, but you'll need to spend hundreds of hours to master it.
    All of these above sounds pretty much like Dota, right? Unlike LOL or WOW, both Hearthstone and Dota has steep learning curves. However, unlike Dota, Hearthstone is too luck-based. Sometimes your just can't draw the right cards in the first few rounds, and can only watch your opponent plays all his/her combo. Sometimes you just keeps getting duplicated cards from opening decks. Too much time is wasted on bad luck. Players can rarely feel they deserve the bad draw/lose game. Even worse, some of these unlucky situations happened because of the bugs in game mechanic. e.g. Nat Pagle used to only have 25% chance to draw a card.
    All in all, do not think this is a simple and not-time-consuming game. It can be casual and pretty fun, but be prepared to spend time and money if you want to play well or try those legendary cards.    … Expand
  65. Iluvatar21
    May 20, 2014
    7
    HOW I RATE: 10-9 score: perfect or near-perfect don't exist; 8 score: one of the best games ever. Top score; 7-6 score: great but not one of the best; 5-below score: serious flaws.
    ===========
    An awesome card game. Warcraft universe. Gets boring eventually.
  66. frest
    Apr 2, 2014
    7
    Without a doubt this is one of the better implementations of the CCG in computer game form. It has the to-be-expected Blizzard interface polish, and looks to be designed for eventual deployment on mobile platforms as well. My criticisms are that it is socially sterile and a little claustrophobic at times. Playing with anonymous people is easy, fast, and painless. It is one of theWithout a doubt this is one of the better implementations of the CCG in computer game form. It has the to-be-expected Blizzard interface polish, and looks to be designed for eventual deployment on mobile platforms as well. My criticisms are that it is socially sterile and a little claustrophobic at times. Playing with anonymous people is easy, fast, and painless. It is one of the friendliest games I've ever played for deckbuilding, test-dueling random people without anxiety or judgment. Playing with friends (and sidestepping the matchmaking and arena) felt almost discouraged. Community feels non-existent ingame, probably due to aforementioned "mobile platform development," and communication is similarly clumsy (IM messages appear as popups and if used, the chat window actively obscures the playing area).… Expand
  67. pancakegaming
    Jul 28, 2014
    7
    on the surface hearthstone looks like another card game like yu-gi-oh but it is very different . unlike blizzards other games hearthstone is free to play , the user is given the option to pay money to buy and open packs to get more cards but you get the currency by completing challenges and every time you level up one of the playable characters you get some card too . hearthstone is in noon the surface hearthstone looks like another card game like yu-gi-oh but it is very different . unlike blizzards other games hearthstone is free to play , the user is given the option to pay money to buy and open packs to get more cards but you get the currency by completing challenges and every time you level up one of the playable characters you get some card too . hearthstone is in no way pay to win , though people who do pay might have a slight advantage if you use a good enough strategy you can beat just about anybody.… Expand
  68. Ailenoire
    Apr 24, 2014
    7
    Hearthstone's graphics and voice acting are great, the pace is quick, and the effects are satisfying. It has its fair share of flaws, though, most of which are inherent to card games. Good cards take time/money to acquire, and even with great cards and a high skill level, your wins and losses are determined almost entirely by luck alone. However, it's a lot of fun and has many differentHearthstone's graphics and voice acting are great, the pace is quick, and the effects are satisfying. It has its fair share of flaws, though, most of which are inherent to card games. Good cards take time/money to acquire, and even with great cards and a high skill level, your wins and losses are determined almost entirely by luck alone. However, it's a lot of fun and has many different ways to play, with several different classes and different kinds of decks that can be built. Hearthstone is a great game for Warcraft enthusiasts, and even for people just interested in a fun card game.… Expand
  69. Lancious
    May 17, 2014
    7
    It is a good game, but there are flaws. For example, the beginning is to easy! Of course it shows you the basics but it just wasnt fun. But the online is challenging and fun!
  70. IceeInChrg
    May 21, 2014
    7
    It's fun for a week or two but it's mostly just tedious like it's WoW predecessor. Strategy is limited and it's reasonably predictable what cards your opponents use due to class restrictions. A dumbed down version of the MTG computer/console games.
  71. MrBrioche
    Jul 7, 2014
    7
    Cant say that I hate it, cant say that I crave to play either. But hey it's free so give it a try and see it for your self, personally I enjoyed it for 2-3 hours.
  72. sapuramura
    May 29, 2014
    7
    Must play type of game. Very addictive and fun.
    But it has a problem, sometimes lucky players win and not smart and skilled ones, that downgrades the need of a sharp mind and actual skill.
  73. AlphaNapster
    Jun 4, 2014
    7
    At first the game is great, gets you hooked with very addicting gameplay.

    As you climb the ladder of ranked games with the very meager amount of coins allocated per day. It becomes more and more frustrating playing against the top tier decks with multiple legendary creatures. They are a company that is driven on money yes but it kind of makes the game unplayable unless you invest    At first the game is great, gets you hooked with very addicting gameplay.

    As you climb the ladder of ranked games with the very meager amount of coins allocated per day.
    It becomes more and more frustrating playing against the top tier decks with multiple legendary creatures.

    They are a company that is driven on money yes but it kind of makes the game unplayable unless you invest either massive amounts of time per day to get the 100 gold cap per day plus daily quest.

    Or massive amounts of money and test your luck on booster packs.

    Overall great gameplay but not for the casual gamer    … Expand
  74. QContinuum
    Jun 9, 2014
    7
    A pretty fun little card game. The various classes can make for wildly varying experiences and there are many different decks that can be successful, at least on the entry level where I play. The limited chat (really just emotes) means you don't have to watch people talk nonsense in the chat, and most players seem to act somewhat civil.

    I would have liked to see some form of single    A pretty fun little card game. The various classes can make for wildly varying experiences and there are many different decks that can be successful, at least on the entry level where I play. The limited chat (really just emotes) means you don't have to watch people talk nonsense in the chat, and most players seem to act somewhat civil.

    I would have liked to see some form of single player adventure mode, like in the Magic game that Microprose made around the late 90s, but Hearthstone is pretty good the way it is.    … Expand
  75. HBTB
    Jun 9, 2014
    7
    While a bit repetitive and annoyed me with some bugs during game play, the game certainly has a Warcraft tone to it, from making me rage since I lost a match or just making me laugh out loud, It was worth the play. It could have been better by adding more of a story, but overall, I'm glad I installed it onto my PC.
  76. deeman010
    Jul 29, 2014
    7
    Lol at all these 0 reviews....

    I'll address some of these points first. One, HS is a pay to win game (because you need cards to play well; but they do give you some free cards) because its a card game. All card games are pay to play MTG, Yu-gi-oh, etc... etc... You buy cards for all of them. I can't actually think of a better way to say it though, since its not p2w and its not really    Lol at all these 0 reviews....

    I'll address some of these points first. One, HS is a pay to win game (because you need cards to play well; but they do give you some free cards) because its a card game. All card games are pay to play MTG, Yu-gi-oh, etc... etc... You buy cards for all of them. I can't actually think of a better way to say it though, since its not p2w and its not really pay to play either.....

    Two, I agree with those who dislike the power that legendaries and epic cards have. If any HS person here can name me a card that can efficiently trade with the dragons then I'll concede this point. However, at the time of writing, there are no vanilla cards that are as powerful as the above. While people who do have the above are at an advantage, HS is in no way a p2w game as evidenced by one of, if not, the strongest decks in game being free.

    Three, RNG sucks but HS is a game of percentages. Its not about how many individual games you win but how high your win ratio is. So, yeah, RNGesus sucks.

    I gave HS a 6 because the music and design (not game design) is pretty good. I believe that there's plenty of room for growth and that the devs really need to capitalize on this.

    Arena is fun as hell to play. and those saying that ~50 gold a day is hard to get are treating the game way to seriously. Its something you play in between LoL or DotA matches.. Hell I've got 4k saved up right now and I only play 2x a week.    … Expand
  77. GowenGeter
    Sep 2, 2014
    7
    Hearthstone is my first card collecting game, and I have to say it's been a pleasant experience. Grinding quests to get gold can be tedious at times but overall it's a solid game.
  78. Kankerswek
    Nov 18, 2015
    7
    Worsed game out there sooo bad! purely luck drawn **** game, really only way to win more is to just spend all your money to these asses. srsly this is the worsed game in years from the most selfish **** company in the fackin world.
    Kanker is better than this game 4 real
  79. Ogie
    Aug 7, 2016
    7
    Hearthstone is quite good online card game. It has really good graphics, but the game system is quite simple I would say. What I hate most about HS is RNG, there are really a lot of cards which are based on random and that is not what is good for gameplay. I have not too much problem with buying stuff and I am not gonna cry like other that "HS is P2W", anyway the thing is that blizzard isHearthstone is quite good online card game. It has really good graphics, but the game system is quite simple I would say. What I hate most about HS is RNG, there are really a lot of cards which are based on random and that is not what is good for gameplay. I have not too much problem with buying stuff and I am not gonna cry like other that "HS is P2W", anyway the thing is that blizzard is recently making really many new expansions / adventures and the split up of competitive playing into 2 sections is just bad. Of course both are currently ranked, but the main focus will be now of course on the mode with just recent expansions / adventures so the older mode is going to be just background and people are forced to buy new stuff. I think HS has many pros and cos and as a result it is game that stands somewhere a bit beyond average.

    Graphic - 9
    Gameplay - 6
    Lasting Appeal - 7
    Execution - 6

    Overall - 7    … Expand
  80. ThecriticGoD
    Mar 7, 2016
    7
    The game is ok, it's kinda fun at once, specially if you haven't played any card game before, visually it's quite rich and it's great that you can find game in just 5 seconds. However, if you've played other card games before, this adds nothing new and if you didn't start playing at the very beginning it kinda becomes a "pay to win" as you need good cards to be able to rank up and decksThe game is ok, it's kinda fun at once, specially if you haven't played any card game before, visually it's quite rich and it's great that you can find game in just 5 seconds. However, if you've played other card games before, this adds nothing new and if you didn't start playing at the very beginning it kinda becomes a "pay to win" as you need good cards to be able to rank up and decks are too expensive for the cards they give (5 random cards where most of the time 4 of them are basic)… Expand
  81. aditya1101
    Oct 5, 2017
    7
    Super great game that is balanced really well. It's easily my favorite card game experience in recent years. The only problem (and it's a pretty major one) is the fact that it's basically pay to win.
  82. LonaWolf
    May 10, 2018
    7
    Nice game, very polished, but it is hard for a new player in ranked mode against all the decks from players with special cards. Sometimes you can just sit there an watch a combination of cards rip you apart. That is very frustrating. Otherwise the game is a lot of fun!
  83. Noah-
    Mar 17, 2019
    7
    The best card game, especially fans of the universe World of Warcraft. But she has many flaws. Firstly, only luck affects the outcome of the match, and I do not understand how things are going in eSports in this game. And the second donat, without it, in principle, it is impossible to play here. After the release of new additions, you must donate to get new cards, because without them youThe best card game, especially fans of the universe World of Warcraft. But she has many flaws. Firstly, only luck affects the outcome of the match, and I do not understand how things are going in eSports in this game. And the second donat, without it, in principle, it is impossible to play here. After the release of new additions, you must donate to get new cards, because without them you can not play with new decks and win. And it’s not a fact that you get all the cards that you need, even for a donate, because even this is only affected by luck.… Expand
  84. laertan
    Feb 3, 2020
    7
    It's not best TCG, mechanics are to simple, farm gives you small rewards, and even after all this time we have no automatic tournaments. Personally I can't understand, why Blizzard didn't give players new portraits for achieving 100/500/1500/2000 wins & more rewards, they easily could keep players motivated to continue playing. Sure, they did partially make up for this few monthes ago, butIt's not best TCG, mechanics are to simple, farm gives you small rewards, and even after all this time we have no automatic tournaments. Personally I can't understand, why Blizzard didn't give players new portraits for achieving 100/500/1500/2000 wins & more rewards, they easily could keep players motivated to continue playing. Sure, they did partially make up for this few monthes ago, but then again - why so late with such obvious means? Still, game was good for long time, and they screw up arena only recently.… Expand
  85. Chubac
    Oct 26, 2020
    7
    Just like any other Blizzard game, Hearthstone's gameplay and the balance can go from horrible to the best in a few patches. Very heavily relies on constant updates, without it the game would've died years ago.
  86. Lifwerne
    Apr 28, 2021
    7
    Superfun and cozy game that relies too much on p2w and RNG.

    It's the only card game i've ever played and i've played it for years casually. Just how it's made is amazing - that playfulness and graphics, combined with how sharp it's gameplay is. With that said, it is a very expensive game to play and sadly it's not made with consumer in mind, but made to make money and thus most people    Superfun and cozy game that relies too much on p2w and RNG.

    It's the only card game i've ever played and i've played it for years casually. Just how it's made is amazing - that playfulness and graphics, combined with how sharp it's gameplay is. With that said, it is a very expensive game to play and sadly it's not made with consumer in mind, but made to make money and thus most people cannot have fun and play different decks if they want to be competiive without paying several hundred dollars a year. But if you can afford it, it's a fun game.

    +

    *Design
    *Art
    *Cozy-factor
    *Free to play (Haha, yeah right... im just joking)

    -

    * Expensive as hell
    * P2W to a certain extent. You have a to have a good deck to be competive and most of the good decks require you to buy cardpacks for real money, but when you have a good deck and faced with other good deck your skill and meta knowledge will determine if you rise in the ranks.
    * Not made with consumer in mind
    * Too many expensions released per year (for them to make more money).
    * RNG heavy    … Expand
  87. Juli01223
    Jan 25, 2021
    7
    the normal hearthstone game mode was addictive when I started playing, but I never went much further. And the game is p2w. But the new battlegrounds mode is very good and addictive, although it also has an advantage by paying more.
  88. WashedPotatoes
    Jul 21, 2022
    7
    can be played casually or hardcore, but what holds this game back is its totally pay to win. however, when your matched up against someone with even cards its a pretty fun turn based card game
  89. StarmanDX
    Apr 21, 2014
    6
    For starters, this game is an extremely simplified version of Magic: The Gathering. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since it brings in a bigger userbase, but I think I would enjoy the game more if it was just a little deeper. As such, that's not really what I'm docking many points for.

    What I am mostly docking points for is how pay-to-win the game is - easily the most so that I have    For starters, this game is an extremely simplified version of Magic: The Gathering. That's not necessarily a bad thing, since it brings in a bigger userbase, but I think I would enjoy the game more if it was just a little deeper. As such, that's not really what I'm docking many points for.

    What I am mostly docking points for is how pay-to-win the game is - easily the most so that I have ever played. Grinding for cards takes a long time, and you can't really compete without legendaries in Hearthstone. This wouldn't be that bad if the matchmaking system prevented such unequal matchups, but as a beginner you'll often be paired up with people who've spent money to acquire much better cards. Expect to spend some decent cash if you want to have a decent chance.    … Expand
  90. vorph
    Apr 22, 2014
    6
    As fun it is, some decks are definitely overpowered compared to others. There are certain other drawbacks, like the game is not rewarding enough for your efforts, card gains are limited if you don't pay for anything. We know that Blizzard has a taste to charge people for extras but that system just blew up with D3 Auction House. I wonder why they still create a "pay to win" style gameAs fun it is, some decks are definitely overpowered compared to others. There are certain other drawbacks, like the game is not rewarding enough for your efforts, card gains are limited if you don't pay for anything. We know that Blizzard has a taste to charge people for extras but that system just blew up with D3 Auction House. I wonder why they still create a "pay to win" style game while their experiences should have urged them otherwise.… Expand
  91. JRice
    Apr 4, 2015
    6
    At a first glance, a superior CCG, as it succeeds in combining very simple game mechanics with a lot of charme, attractive and really different classes, permanent updates and a solid amount of depth, as no other game does.

    After the first euphoria, however, it gets clear that the game suffers from a lot of downsides as well: Players are pushed to spend money, and therefore, average    At a first glance, a superior CCG, as it succeeds in combining very simple game mechanics with a lot of charme, attractive and really different classes, permanent updates and a solid amount of depth, as no other game does.

    After the first euphoria, however, it gets clear that the game suffers from a lot of downsides as well:

    Players are pushed to spend money, and therefore, average opponents have very strong cards, against which it is hard to compete, even on the lower levels and unranked play.
    Be prepared for LOTS of frustration and unfairness, if you choose to play this game for free, or anything below, at the very least, 100 Dollar.

    Additionaly, randomness plays a bigger role in this game that it should. Too often are games decided by certain, game-breaking cards, lucky or unlucky draws or uncontrollable effects (f.e cards that deals x to y damage to all enemies, cards that attack a random character...).

    Then, the small card-pool leaves very little room for individualism, which has lead to a pool of "standard-decks", that you will find over and over, and that players with ambitions will need to use to reach higher ranks.

    And finally, the balance is suboptimal.
    First of all, does the second player get a significant advantage: not only does he get to choose between four starting cards instead of three, he also gets a card, that costs 0, grants one mana and counts as a spell!
    And then, no matter how good you play and how well your deck is prepared:
    If you are unlucky enough to face certain, usually legendary cards and are not in the position to deal with them immediately or finish the game within the next round, you will most likely lose.
    Examples would be Archmage Antonidas, which creates a fireball (costs 4, deals 6 damage) in the players hand for each spell he casts, inclusing those generated fireballs, or Echoing Ooze, which costs 2 and creates a duplicate of itself, including all buffs, at the end of the turn.

    Those downsides dont make Hearthstone a bad game on their own, as the game has to offer a lot as well. But only for those, that are in the comfortable position to build a deck thats strong enough to compete with every class and level...

    Finalizing, this could have been the best CCG of all time. In its very core, there really is an outstanding game. And if you get to the point where you can build yourself a high-end deck you really like, and only then, immense fun, extreme challenging gameplay and endless amounts of replayablity await.
    Thats also the point, where farming stops feeling like a neverending journey of stress and suffering, and begins to feel rewarding. You will get to love to get awarded, and to increase your collection, just by playing.

    Until you reach that point of comfort, however, you will learn to hate this game from the deepness of your heart. Playing will feel like work, progresses will hardly be noteable, you will get stuck in ranked play fast and other players will trample over you with their high-budget decks.

    Ive gone through both phases and talk by experience.

    So, do i recommend Hearthstone?
    If you dont plan to buy yourself into the game, this game doesnt have much good to offer, will annoy you much more than it will reward and i seriously recommend to skip Hearthstone and every other F2P or P2P competetor and play a CCG with no or little P2W aspects.
    If you like CCGs and are in the position and willing to spend a good amount of money into this game, this game is definitely worth it, will offer a good cost-benefit ratio and will reward you with a well amount of pleasure...    … Expand
  92. Crescendo
    Mar 19, 2014
    6
    I've played the game since early beta - if you're searching for quick and fun matches without having to go into the think tank a lot this is for you. It's a pretty dumbed down TCG with WAY too much focus on pure luck for my tastes - but I still play it once in a while. To be honest, the Arena is the only thing in this game worth your while, and even that features an immense amount of luckI've played the game since early beta - if you're searching for quick and fun matches without having to go into the think tank a lot this is for you. It's a pretty dumbed down TCG with WAY too much focus on pure luck for my tastes - but I still play it once in a while. To be honest, the Arena is the only thing in this game worth your while, and even that features an immense amount of luck to get a good draft pool. Still, I can see the people who enjoy blizzard games as of late enjoy this one too.… Expand
  93. FinDefaulted
    Jul 2, 2016
    6
    I used to play this when it was relatively new and there weren't any expansions yet. Lot's of fun and it can still be, but it has turned into a pay to win game... which you could say that all card games are, but this one is ridiculous. I tried ranked and kept losing to combos that required a lot more rare cards than a few free booster packs could give.

    For comparison, when this was new,    I used to play this when it was relatively new and there weren't any expansions yet. Lot's of fun and it can still be, but it has turned into a pay to win game... which you could say that all card games are, but this one is ridiculous. I tried ranked and kept losing to combos that required a lot more rare cards than a few free booster packs could give.

    For comparison, when this was new, I reached ranked level 14-16 very easily without really modifying my deck. Now I kept losing matches and barely reached 22.    … Expand
  94. Firemind
    Mar 14, 2014
    6
    Hearthstone is a pretty much 'okay' game but really nothing more. The lack of many gameplay mechanics makes it a linear experience. After the first day when everything feels fresh and is fun I caught myself losing motivation playing it. That's not because it it a bad game there is just not enough variety like in other TCGs.
  95. Wheresmyseme
    Apr 29, 2014
    6
    Fine but really it is too shallow to be called a tcg.
    Almost entirely RNG, can use skill but all of your work can be randomly negated by a single card most times.
    I still play it though...
    I hate UTH soooooo much!!!
  96. Dartflght
    Apr 21, 2014
    6
    When i first played this game on gamescom 2013 i could not imagine anything bad considering this game. It was something new, I liked the style and graphics and there was finally a game by blizzard for casual gamers. Even though I think its quiet comprehensible to say that this game is, at least in some degree, pay to win I really liked the Beta-Version of the game. But the new ranked-matchWhen i first played this game on gamescom 2013 i could not imagine anything bad considering this game. It was something new, I liked the style and graphics and there was finally a game by blizzard for casual gamers. Even though I think its quiet comprehensible to say that this game is, at least in some degree, pay to win I really liked the Beta-Version of the game. But the new ranked-match system changed my opinion.
    The new system works against every casual player! The new system resets your rank on a monthly base... If you are a casual gamer like me, you play lets say 5 games a week. If you win 50% you end up on rank 16/25. Nothing to be proud of in my opinion. And then ... reset ... start AGAIN from rank 25. But luckily there is the arena mode as option... I could say. But it is expensive as hell. In order to purchase one arena run you need 150 gold. You get 10 gold for 3 wins. Lets do a little math 20 games a month 50% win ratio = 4,5 month playing to purchase 1 arena run ... are you kidding?
    To be fair there this another way to get gold. via daily quests. Those will gain you about 50 gold. But again, if the objective of this quest is: win 5 games with warrior or priest, and you never played those classes because you stick to only one.. there is no reason for me to even try to reach that.
    All in all, I think it can be quiet a fun game but just as long as you are willing to pay real money for arena runs.    … Expand
  97. AJCk19
    Aug 5, 2023
    6
    Honestly, if Hearthstone just keeps stall warrior at bay and continues to balance the game, so you can make whatever deck you want. Then it is like a 8.5 out of 10.

    Having a physical companion game would be nice, and instant open all packs would be nice as well.

    They do great promotions for the game, which I appreciate that.
  98. Fixxed
    Apr 4, 2014
    6
    Hearthstone is basically, a pretty and casual ccg. It is a game that thrives on luck and unexprienced tcg players. It lives of its warcraft lore and art and the fact that alot of blizzard's clients will log onto it everyonce in a while (since it is apparently free).

    Negative points? The game is not a tcg since there is no trading. The game is extremely unbalanced, with creatures not    Hearthstone is basically, a pretty and casual ccg. It is a game that thrives on luck and unexprienced tcg players. It lives of its warcraft lore and art and the fact that alot of blizzard's clients will log onto it everyonce in a while (since it is apparently free).

    Negative points? The game is not a tcg since there is no trading. The game is extremely unbalanced, with creatures not following an exact mana to stats pattern hence rendering some stronger than others (for the same cost). The game is 75% luck thus making it casual and not competitive (at all). It is not free to play since free cards have a really small array of effects limiting players to just a couple of strategies per deck. Mechanics linear and straightforward (really not much thinking, got the mana? use it)

    And last but not least, it suffers heavily of the four negative tcg points, 1 bad first hand system, 2 overwhelming, 3 spell control/spell spam and 4. extreme luck based.

    Conclusion. If you never played a tcg or is new or unexperienced to tcgs/ccgs... play the game, since its simple, pretty and you will have a chance of winning an experienced hardcore tcger (long live lucky based tcgs)
    If with time or if you already are a hardcore tcger, well accustomed to magic and other competitive tcgs, then... play this game casually, for if you try it competitively you will only get yourself frustrated or disappointed with the total lack of strategic elements you are used to.    … Expand
  99. mei_karma
    Mar 18, 2014
    6
    Rule is very simple and easy to learn. Even if you're a beginner of TCG, you can play this game excitingly with out "learning curve"

    Despite of many fascinating things. but there is a sort of limit to enjoy the game deeply. It depends on "luck" so much than any other card games. and its simpleness made the game less strategic. If you are a person who love TCG like "MTG" or "YUGIOH"    Rule is very simple and easy to learn. Even if you're a beginner of TCG, you can play this game excitingly with out "learning curve"

    Despite of many fascinating things. but there is a sort of limit to enjoy the game deeply. It depends on "luck" so much than any other card games. and its simpleness made the game less strategic.

    If you are a person who love TCG like "MTG" or "YUGIOH" , HearthStone might not able to satisfy you.    … Expand
  100. ZoddTheImmortal
    Apr 27, 2014
    6
    The game itself is fun, but the grind is annoyingly slow, making it hard to keep me interested. You get 10 gold every THREE wins. It costs 100 gold to buy a pack of FIVE new cards. So every 30 wins, you get 5 new cards. I feel like I am playing with the same cards and against the same cards constantly, it just gets a bit boring and lacks the fun of building and customizing new decks, as IThe game itself is fun, but the grind is annoyingly slow, making it hard to keep me interested. You get 10 gold every THREE wins. It costs 100 gold to buy a pack of FIVE new cards. So every 30 wins, you get 5 new cards. I feel like I am playing with the same cards and against the same cards constantly, it just gets a bit boring and lacks the fun of building and customizing new decks, as I feel I have no options to choose from. Of course you can pay to win and just buy a ton of virtual booster packs for a pretty penny, but where's the fun in that? If you got 10 gold for every win, it'd probably keep me hooked, but as of now, I don't plan on playing it anymore.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best PC Game of 2014
7
#7 Most Discussed PC Game of 2014
41
#41 Most Shared PC Game of 2014

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 42 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 42 out of 42
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 42
  3. Negative: 0 out of 42
  1. Hardcore Gamer
    Jul 6, 2014
    90
    When Blizzard announced they were making a digital CCG, we all expected it to look and sound beautiful, and there was little doubt that it would be well-balanced, but I don’t think anyone anticipated this level of sophistication and subtle brilliance.
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  2. CD-Action
    Jun 28, 2014
    85
    Simple rules, high production values, low system requirements and huge tactical freedom make Hearthstone one of the best card games available. And if you take into account the free-to-play model – it’s the best one. [05/2014, p.62]
  3. GameOver.gr
    Jun 7, 2014
    85
    A fine example of a great free-to-play game. Hearthstone is not only an addictive and well designed card game, but absolutely fair with gamers that do not wish to spend money on it.
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