Games developer Blizzard has dominated the desktop scene for two decades now thanks a swathe of legendary titles like Diablo, Starcraft and Warcraft. After biding their time they could now finally have the perfect game to win over mobile gaming, too.
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is a tabletop card game set within the famous Warcraft universe. Released on PC and Mac earlier this March it’s already picked up hundreds of thousands of dedicated players thanks to an addictive mix of card collecting and accessible gameplay. Whilst some have dubbed it ‘pay-to-win’, what most gamers will probably care about is that it is entirely free, with in-game purchases entirely optional (and, in our experience, you can happily play the game for dozens of hours and enjoy great success without once having to spend a penny).
Now on iPad, Hearthstone will remain largely unchanged. The simple turn-based concept transitions perfectly to a touchscreen interface, and you can even sync your decks between platforms so you can take your desktop profile with you on the go. Most importantly, the app will be free, too, and whilst it is currently only available in Australia, Canada and New Zealand it will soon be rolling out to other major locations.
If you’ve previously laughed off world of tabletop, collectible, battling card games based on their reputation as a pastime of dedicated basement-dwellers, now’s the perfect time to see just how wrong you’ve been.