Hearthstone is an online digital collectible card game that was developed by Blizzard Entertainment and was first released in 2014. The game is based on Warcraft's lore and players can find the same elements, characters, and relics as in the infamous series. In Hearthstone, every card is a part of a set and three major card sets are added every year under the form of expansions.

Gameplay

As mentioned above, Hearthstone is a collectible card game and decks are composed of 30 cards. The game is turn-based and features one-on-one matches (two opponents). Every player has a selected hero (with unique abilities) and their ultimate goal is to destroy their adversary’s hero. To do so, players use minions, spells, weapons, and hero cards from their decks. Completing quests earns players in-game rewards, such as new cards. However, cards are also available for purchase through in-game purchases or through in-game gold.

It is important to note that Hearthstone is available only online and doesn’t have physical support.

Cards: Every player can complete the Basic card set by only playing the game: the other core set is called Classic. Around 100 and 200 new cards come with every expansion. The complete list is available on the official website.
Classes: You can choose your hero from one of the ten classes: Demon Hunter, Druid, Hunter, Mage, Paladin, Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, Warrior, and Death Knight. The class is the more important factor in your deck: it will also define the best Hearthstone decks.
Modes: There are several game modes in the game. The one-on-one includes the Standard and Wild modes that are divided into Casual and Ranked modes. There are also different Multiplayer modes that include Arena, Tavern Brawls, Battlegrounds, Duels, and Classic. Players can also opt for a Solo mode.
Soundtrack: Hearthstone’s soundtrack is a clever mix of Celtic music and blues, thus allowing the players to dive into the right ambiance, without getting overwhelmed by the tavern theme.

How to play Hearthstone?

As many card games, Hearthstone may sound intimidating. However, you can always follow the official tutorials.

What do the critics say?

Hearthstone was generally well recieved and has a score of 88 points on Metacritic.

”Hearthstone is addictive, highly strategic, and chock-full of fun collectible card battling; the fact that it's totally free (if you want it to be) makes it one of the best values in gaming today. This is your new obsession; embrace it.”(GamesRadar+)

Age rating

Hearthstone has been rated with a PEGI 7 label. The game doesn’t have visual representation of violence but some of the cards design may be too scary for children under 7 years of age.