Astral Heroes

Collectible card games are quite popular lately, especially when it comes to the free-to-play market. There are plenty of options to choose from, depending on whether you enjoy classic fantasy universes, sci-fi, or a combination between these two. On top of that, although the core concept is the same, the gameplay can vary a lot from game to game.

Astral Heroes is a free-to-play collectible card game in which your goal is quite simple from the first few minutes of gameplay: win powerful cards and build the best deck out there. You are free to choose the composition of your deck and even have multiple decks to pick from, although there are some rules you have to follow in regards to how many cards of the same type you can use.

There’s not much of a story to follow in the campaign mode, which means that it can get rather boring in this regard. Thus, your only goal seems to be the defeat of certain enemies. Each mission is basically a fight with a nasty enemy hero, and you must come out victorious in order to receive gold and maybe some new cards. Granted, the combat itself is pretty fun, although there aren’t many tactical options at your disposal.

Each player has six slots placed in a line that can be filled with cards. In case the opponent does not place a card directly in front of your own, the said card attacks the hero instead, whose death is the main objective anyway. However, more powerful cards usually come with a special ability as well, such as healing, instant obliteration of a chosen card, or extra damage with every turn.

Speaking of which, the cards can be a tad overpowered sometimes, not to mention improperly balanced. Some deal too much damage, while others can change the course of the game in a single move. It’s not very obvious most of the time, but it can ruin your mood when it happens, especially if you are on a streak, or if you are about to win a match and something goes horribly wrong.

All things considered, Astral Heroes is a pretty decent CCG, although it lacks the depth of more serious alternatives in the genre. Hence, if you are a beginner and you want something light to start off with, this could certainly be a good choice.