Epic Card Game is a digital adaptation of the physical variant with the same name. Firstly, players will love that the base set of the game is free. You get access to all 120 base cards completely free. The game contains IAP purchases for other utility features like deck slots, additional sets (single purchase only), cosmetics and access to tournament play. This is a huge deviation from regular CCGs (collectible card games) that require players to purchase packs and earn their collection. If you looking for the best CCGs, feel free to check our recommendations.
EPIC contains a PvE campaign which allows new players to get familiar with the game and discover potential synergies for deck building. You also have practice mode (against the AI) and multiplayer modes (Draft and Constructed). Multiplayer also features an asynchronous option where players have up to 48-hours to respond to a turn. There is an IAP for unlocking Tournament mode. All in all, there is a lot of variety in the game.
Gameplay – simple to learn but complex to master
The game-play in EPIC is simple to learn but complex to master (which is how any strategy game should play). Players achieve victory by reducing their opponent’s life-total to 0. Here is the twist, players only have 1 coin (resource like mana) to utilize each turn. This prevents mana screw, a problem familiar to anybody who plays games like Hearthstone, where you get stuck being unable to play a card every turn.
A player’s turn consists of of a deployment phase where you spend your 1 gold and prepare attackers. The next phase is your opponent’s event phase where your opponent can play cards to block or alter the board. Then comes the opponent’s deployment phase which is followed by your event phase and deployment phase respectively. This back and forth streamlines the game from snowball effects where the first player gains all the momentum simply because they play first.
Combat mechanism
Combat is similar to Magic where any creature can block an attacker and multiple blockers can share the burden. The mechanics are deep with various keywords similar to Hearthstone and additional ones such as Loyalty. Loyalty is where you reveal cards of the matching requirement to your opponent and gain a bonus for doing so. This can create opportunities for counter-play as your opponent now knows about your deck’s synergies and revealed cards to boot.
Final thoughts
My main critique of the game is the visual presentation. While the card art itself is passable, the board and card borders seem very “bland”. This is the main point of critique from many players giving feedback via steam reviews. ECG will need to polish its presentation to compete with Gwent and Runeterra arriving later this year.
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