Hearthstone is a collectable card game played
entirely online, produced by Blizzard and similar to the World of Warcraft CCG,
but with various features only possible in an online environment. Hearthstone
is free to play on the computer (Mac or PC) or on the iPad, and while you can
pay for things in game, it’s easily possible to be competitive and enjoy the
game without ever spending a penny – I know, I’ve done it!
It’s not as deep or intricate as other CCG’s (like Magic:
the Gathering), and it doesn’t offer the same visceral pleasure of buying and
opening packs at your Friendly Local Game Store, but Hearthstone is a perfect
mix of a compelling game, elegant design, beautiful graphics, and a top-notch
interface that’s redefining online games. I feel about this game like I did
when I saw The Matrix for the first time: “Whoa.” This is something new,
something that’s raised the bar.
If you’ve got an internet connection and a few hours to
burn, go download Hearthstone and give the tutorial a try. It’s
like traveling to Italy or eating some great Thai food… I can explain why it’s great (and I will after the
jump) but to truly understand it, you have to do it for yourself.
(Bonus: I’m posting a short Q&A with Phillip Jenne,
competitive HS player and co-designer of NOVUS, at the end of this review.
Enjoy!)
