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. Humboldt1337
    Jan 17, 2019
    8
    I really enjoy Hearthstone, but I think that is because I have been playing since day 1. I have never invested any money, and have yet to complete the original "classic" card set - However I am close. I can definitely see how people are frustrated by this game if you are brand new or cannot spend money on it. The new cards are infinitely better than the old cards - So unless you are onI really enjoy Hearthstone, but I think that is because I have been playing since day 1. I have never invested any money, and have yet to complete the original "classic" card set - However I am close. I can definitely see how people are frustrated by this game if you are brand new or cannot spend money on it. The new cards are infinitely better than the old cards - So unless you are on the money treadmill you will lose A LOT. These days I can usually get to lvl 19 just by using the premade "basic" decks from the various classes. If you are a parent, I would definitely prevent your kids from spending money on this unless you want to go broke.… Expand
  2. Magnethead
    May 26, 2016
    5
    The thing to understand about Hearthstone is that it's a very, very casual game. The existence of a pro circuit should not be taken as an indication of a skill-demanding gameplay but as as an expression of its wide-ranging popularity and its suitability for streaming. It's most accurately compared to a game like Texas Hold'em Poker in the sense that it requires skill to play accurately,The thing to understand about Hearthstone is that it's a very, very casual game. The existence of a pro circuit should not be taken as an indication of a skill-demanding gameplay but as as an expression of its wide-ranging popularity and its suitability for streaming. It's most accurately compared to a game like Texas Hold'em Poker in the sense that it requires skill to play accurately, but in a lot of scenarios skill won't matter tremendously due to huge variance. This doesn't make Hearthstone a bad game, just a very casual game.

    My main objections are:
    1. The direction the game is taking - towards less diverse, simpler gameplay and deck-building. Steadily heading deeper into mediocrity.

    2. How extremely greedy the game is and that's where a new player needs to pay attention. If you want all the cards in Hearthstone, an average estimate of around 600$ is by no means exaggerated. If you want the cards for the current Standard format, you can maybe cut it down to around 450$. That's extreme and your expenses won't end there, you should expect something like 50$ a year at least from that point on. Now, you don't need all cards but if you want to have a few decent decks, you're probably still looking at 150-200$.

    Hearthstone is suited for people who'd like a very casual card-game to have a bit of fun with and for whom money isn't really an object. If you liked Magic the Gathering or strategical games in general, you'd be better off looking at games like Faeria or Hex or something like that (or Magic the Gathering Online if a clunky interface doesn't bother you).

    In the end, Hearthstone remains a mediocre game because of its insistent pandering to the absolutely lowest denominator and its terrible greed, but the game isn't bad as such. The interface is smooth, some ideas are fun and there have been interesting decks in the meta at times (just too rarely). In the end, however, the game aims for and accurately hits mediocrity.    … Expand
  3. smk123
    Mar 31, 2014
    8
    I never thought I would enjoy a card game as much as I have enjoyed Hearthstone, it is immaculately well presented and does a fantastic job of easing card-game newbies like myself into how the systems work etc. Each class feels unique and has its own quirks you will soon learn, and the free to play model is not at all unfair surprisingly, one of the top ranked players managed to get to theI never thought I would enjoy a card game as much as I have enjoyed Hearthstone, it is immaculately well presented and does a fantastic job of easing card-game newbies like myself into how the systems work etc. Each class feels unique and has its own quirks you will soon learn, and the free to play model is not at all unfair surprisingly, one of the top ranked players managed to get to the highest league with completely free, basic cards, just goes to show it is often down to skill!

    However after my 60 hours ish of playing I find myself less interested in the game, I think this is because the meta-game (arena aside) is all too predictable and the game uickly becomes stale at higher levels, if you don't have enough gold to enter the arena (or don't want to pay real money) then at the moment I think it is too-samey, but by all means try it, it's fantastic fun for quite a long time and I'm sure when more content drops I'll be dragged right back in    … Expand
  4. XelNecra
    Apr 23, 2014
    8
    I assume when you read reviews, you read multiple reviews anyway. They tell you enough about the game and the gameplay. That's why i will only adress one specific part of hearthstone:

    Pay to win. This is a Trading card game. If you spend money on it, you get boosters with cards. Meaning: If you buy more boosters with real money, you have more and rarer cards than others. This is a    I assume when you read reviews, you read multiple reviews anyway. They tell you enough about the game and the gameplay. That's why i will only adress one specific part of hearthstone:

    Pay to win.

    This is a Trading card game. If you spend money on it, you get boosters with cards. Meaning: If you buy more boosters with real money, you have more and rarer cards than others. This is a basic concept of trading card games, it has been for over 15 years now. If you do not like this concept: Do not play Trading card games, and do not play Hearthstone because it is a trading card game. Playing a trading card game and complaining that paying money for cards gives you an advantage is like eating chocolate and then complaining that you get fat.

    But: Good guy Blizzard has you covered even when you got no money at hand. The "Arena Mode" ("draft" for those who played other TCGs) allows you to create a deck by picking from randomly selected cards which don't have to be owned, and then play against others who also have a deck created the same way. This means: No matter how much money you put into this game, in Arena you are all equal. So, if you do not like the monetisation model of Trading card games, then you can play Arena games and have a fair chance of winning each and every single game. If you are really good with playing arena, the earnings from it cover the entry cost for an arena round, meaning you can play Arena all day long and don't have to pay a cent of real money.

    If anything this is an improvement over the monetisation models of all trading card games in existence, only made possible since this is a PC game.

    More points you might be interested in:

    Gameplay: Blizzard created an enjoyable trading-card-game. The rules are pretty transparent, especially when you already played other trading card games. You can only make decisions during your turn. You might argue that this takes away from the game's depth, but i think it was the right decision for an online game. All in all, the gameplay is fun.

    Advanced Tactics: There is much room for combo play (combinations of cards to enhance their effectiveness). Even a few tribals (cards with a type that synergize well with each other just by belonging to this type) are added already.

    Cards: The amount of cards is decent, but the card pool could be a little larger. New cards are supposed to appear on a regular base. Major complaint: Some cards are a little strong standalone, but this is a recurring theme with all trading card games in existence as well, i just hoped they'd get it right. Card limitations make sure that these cards appear less often, so we got that going for us.

    All in All:
    I deduce one point for not being able to act during an opponents turn. Adding this feature would be a challenge, yes, but it would be worth it for the added depth.
    I deduce one point for the power of some standalone cards - these cards are truly game-changing, but neither do they require you to combo them in any way, nor do some of them offer counterplay because their effect (without combo) already goes of before the next turn starts. That's Anti-fun, and could have been solved better.

    8/10 would recommend.    … Expand
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. GuruJoeyy
    May 26, 2014
    9
    An excellent way to spice up the Warcraft world, it has a pay to win system (in a very VERY lose sense of the word) Everything in the game can be obtained for free, it is also not extremely difficult to compete again kids who steal their parents credit card because you can very much obtain a very good deck without having to pay for it within a single week of play. You can only buy cardAn excellent way to spice up the Warcraft world, it has a pay to win system (in a very VERY lose sense of the word) Everything in the game can be obtained for free, it is also not extremely difficult to compete again kids who steal their parents credit card because you can very much obtain a very good deck without having to pay for it within a single week of play. You can only buy card packs (possibly cosmetic items) so far and I assume that is the way it'll stay, the ranking system can't be cheated with money and you can't buy advantages. A lot of people are judging this game cause they get into it and get destroyed because their decks are underdeveloped and know nothing of the game and assume 'must be the pay to win system'. No the game is very much fair to either side, even if you drop 10 grand on cards in the game some cards can't be gained from packs.

    If you aren't easily frustrated and are willing to become a noob again (your best blizzard knowledge won't help you here) then download it for free from the site no fee or anything at the very least you can use it to keep in contact with WoW,Starcraft,or Diablo friends without having to buy a game/subscription.    … Expand
  8. Mags1412
    Jun 12, 2014
    9
    A phenomenal free to play card game. I would advise most to disregard the complaints of it being "pay to win" as I've only ever spent 10$ and have achieved Legend Rank (the highest Constructed Rank) once and sub 3 in the other seasons. It is by far the cheapest and most satisfying card game I've played. If you become even slightly good at the game you can actually profit unlimited gold inA phenomenal free to play card game. I would advise most to disregard the complaints of it being "pay to win" as I've only ever spent 10$ and have achieved Legend Rank (the highest Constructed Rank) once and sub 3 in the other seasons. It is by far the cheapest and most satisfying card game I've played. If you become even slightly good at the game you can actually profit unlimited gold in Arena while supplying yourself unlimited game play. At the absolute very least this game is worth the download for anyone remotely interested in card games.… Expand
  9. Kislen
    Aug 12, 2015
    5
    The gameplay is fun, the visuals, sounds and matches are enjoyable, tavern brawl brings much needed variation and enjoyment, however, the costly aspect of the game's extremely unforgiving free vs pay model can't be overlooked.

    You must pay, or you will suffer at the hands of players who did. I caved and spent over $200 on top of playing for over 500 hours, and I'm still behind the    The gameplay is fun, the visuals, sounds and matches are enjoyable, tavern brawl brings much needed variation and enjoyment, however, the costly aspect of the game's extremely unforgiving free vs pay model can't be overlooked.

    You must pay, or you will suffer at the hands of players who did. I caved and spent over $200 on top of playing for over 500 hours, and I'm still behind the curve. Be warned!

    The devs' philosophy on game balance is one of the most atrocious models I've ever seen in the history of gaming: "we won't balance anything, we'll just sell you more new cards." The lead dev, Ben Brode, stated they don't want to fix broken under or overpowered cards, but instead, just introduce new ones, obviously, to keep feeding the cash machine.

    This is a solid, great game, mired horribly by it's pay model.    … Expand
  10. ns0l
    Aug 11, 2014
    10
    Insanely amusing. I wasn't sure about it but after I tried I became obsessed by it. What a talent! to build such a Great solid game. And it's gonna be much better by DLCs and updates. And a free for all. I wanna kiss everyone in Blizzard company.
  11. reijison
    May 22, 2014
    10
    I've spent countless hours on this game already. Great freemium game, easy to pick up and play, no purchase required. You can watch pro players start with free accounts and rise to the top with no purchases on Twitch. Good stuff.
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. chazden
    Jun 21, 2014
    10
    I never thought I'd get into a card game but this ones growing on me every time I play. I cant speak on the competitive side of this game because I'm a complete noob to this genre of game but its certainly fun and strangely addicting!
  15. 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
  16. 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.
  17. iKen
    Apr 13, 2020
    8
    Played on PC & Mobile.
    Gameplay: GOOD.
    Story: GREAT.
    Graphic: GREAT.
    Music/Sound: GREAT.
    Dialogue/Voice Acting: GREAT.
  18. Antek
    Jun 23, 2015
    4
    Was an addictive balanced game while played with base decks/cards. Further becomes total pay to win. Overpowered cards which can be played for nothing are here and there. If you don't invest in this game - you won't be able to stay competitive at higher ranks.
  19. 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
  20. 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
  21. 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.
  22. JohnWitten
    Sep 29, 2014
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Overall Premise: Digital Card Games x Warcraft to the greatest effect.

    Graphics and Sound: The graphics look like Warcraft to be sure and the the sound effects to accompany cards are definitely…interesting at times throughout.

    Playability and Entertainment: Definitely very accessible and entertaining to collect cards as you progress in skill.

    Replay Value: High.

    Overall Score: 9.25/10.0    … Expand
  23. 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
  24. flamedstones
    Mar 12, 2017
    10
    This is the most wonderful card game ive ever played. Not only because of the dynamic of every match but because of how it grows with every expansion and the desire of the developers to do it greater every day
    even if sometimes the ranked play get you bored you have arena drafts which is the best mode of the game and you can play it even without having a single card
    shut up Ben Brode    This is the most wonderful card game ive ever played. Not only because of the dynamic of every match but because of how it grows with every expansion and the desire of the developers to do it greater every day
    even if sometimes the ranked play get you bored you have arena drafts which is the best mode of the game and you can play it even without having a single card
    shut up Ben Brode and take my money.    … Expand
  25. 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
  26. 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.
  27. SeriousMike
    Jun 19, 2014
    10
    Very good game. Everything "game-y" is great and it has high production values.
    But for some reason I am getting "matched" with people with several legendaries, combo decks that kill me in a minute. I bought about 14 packs for real money. I got several legenadaries, epics and rares.
    I have build a deck that "ran" from rank 20 to rank 17 without losing. Again I am getting matched with    Very good game. Everything "game-y" is great and it has high production values.
    But for some reason I am getting "matched" with people with several legendaries, combo decks that kill me in a minute. I bought about 14 packs for real money. I got several legenadaries, epics and rares.
    I have build a deck that "ran" from rank 20 to rank 17 without losing. Again I am getting matched with people who obviously paid way more for cards, with cards that cost INSANE amounts of dust they had to buy them.
    Also, WHAT THE **** is Arena ? Paying real money ? *sigh*    … Expand
  28. 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
  29. shaund91
    Nov 14, 2014
    10
    At first glance I did not think much of this game, as a long time MTG player I thought it was a cheap knockoff without the depth and complexity. I admit I was wrong. If you like card games this is a must try. I was worried that taking out the concept of having to draw your mana would simplify the game but that isn't the case, it actually makes it more complex by taking out the randomnessAt first glance I did not think much of this game, as a long time MTG player I thought it was a cheap knockoff without the depth and complexity. I admit I was wrong. If you like card games this is a must try. I was worried that taking out the concept of having to draw your mana would simplify the game but that isn't the case, it actually makes it more complex by taking out the randomness of someone not having enough or too much mana. Even with a small card pool to choose from there are a myriad of decks to choose from and build and they have already added 30 new cards to the game with another 120 coming in December with the first expansion. The biggest draw for me was the fact that it is free and you can not trade cards, eliminating any chance of a market for the best cards like Magic has. Either pay for packs or earn them and same goes for arena games. As with most free games there is no reason not to try it and if you are a card game player this one will hold your attention for a while.… Expand
  30. blade01
    Sep 25, 2015
    3
    Hearthstone(from now on HS) is a TCG.You can pay for many things like booster, adventures or simply for cosmetics.First of all i have an account where i buy 6 packs every month and one that is pure F2P.Because of that i can say HS is NOT pay to win.HS is pay to accelerate.If you start a pure F2P account you build ONE class first for laddergames and that works just fine.You can even watchHearthstone(from now on HS) is a TCG.You can pay for many things like booster, adventures or simply for cosmetics.First of all i have an account where i buy 6 packs every month and one that is pure F2P.Because of that i can say HS is NOT pay to win.HS is pay to accelerate.If you start a pure F2P account you build ONE class first for laddergames and that works just fine.You can even watch Trump on Youtube right now, hes playing a F2P priest and climbs the ladder like a machine.While he is a pro he plays without money.The problem is that most players are just terrible and need a perfect, premade decklist to play.Of course you have troubles when you are not capable of adapting with your cardpool but that is YOUR OWN FAULT.The F2P modell is really fair i think.You can buy 3-6 packs per week depending on what quests you get or you can play arena.

    Lets look into the rest of the game:

    Sound:Everything here is ok.Some cards have nice sounds, most not.The music is ok.

    Visuals:What do you expect here, its a TCG!The game look ok.

    Gameplay:I wont discuss the basic rules, the game is easy to learn and the mechanics(!!) are easy to master too.I think that appeals to a lot of people because games like YGO or Magic are MUCH MUCH MUCH more complicated and you need to know a lot of rules.Maybe the game is too simpel.A big problem is the current state of the game.The people that design the cards must be complete retarded.Whatch some videos on YT for footage from the alpha or beta how broken some cards were back than.Now they fixed most of this **** but if you want to play competetivly you need an "unfair" deck.I talk about secret pala, face-hunter, grim patron warrior and so on.Youll encounter mostly agressive decks while you are most of the time screwed if you play a controldeck.This is a design-flaw in my opinion.You should never get punished that hard if you play a slower deck.You miss turn 1?Too bad, most of the time its already GG in a meta where you need the perfect play most of the time.

    That aside Blizzard managed to push the RNG bull**** to next level.Cards like shredder for example.This is e-sports?When you lead BY A LOT and you shredder drops a doomsayer for example?Or the shredder drops an Darnassus aspirant and you lose mana because of that?In my opinion this is bad design.Blizzard is talking about fun.Im sorry, i had never fun when i won or lost a game because of that bull****.

    Conclusion:Because of the bad design and not enough expansions(it took me just some weeks to get all the playable cards from the latest expansion on both my accounts) i cant say HS is a good game.Its an okay game with a very very fair F2P modell that is easy to learn.You can have a lot of fun but not just sometimes youll find yourself in a really salty spot because you lost to RNG bull**** or unfair decks/cards.Like i said gamedesign is not a strong point in the HS team.    … 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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