Age of Rivals
- June 21, 2017
- Dark Inertia Studios
- 32h median play time
Get on Steam
Get on Apple Store"Age of Rivals" is a fast-paced civilization-building strategy game in which players build their city's culture, military, defense, and economy through strategic use of cards. With over 400 unique cards and no deck-building, the game encourages endless variety and replayability, providing an engaging and thought-provoking experience for 1-2 players in just 10 minutes. Critics have praised its depth, strategic gameplay, and accessibility, making it a standout in the genre.
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Mac OS
PC
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Reviews
- Engaging gameplay with a mix of strategy and luck, allowing for various tactics and win conditions.
- Quick matches (10-15 minutes) make it a great option for casual play, and the game is easy to learn but hard to master.
- No microtransactions or pay-to-win mechanics; all cards are unlocked through gameplay, providing a fair experience.
- High reliance on randomness can lead to frustrating experiences, as card draws can significantly impact gameplay.
- The user interface has some bugs and lacks variety in card artwork, which can detract from the overall experience.
- The single-player mode can feel grindy, with limited content and a steep difficulty curve against the AI.
- gameplay57 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 49 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay is generally praised for its unique mechanics, strategic depth, and engaging card drafting system, reminiscent of popular games like "7 Wonders" and "Magic: The Gathering Arena." However, some players note a lack of difficulty options and a reliance on randomness, which can detract from the experience, especially in single-player modes. Overall, it offers a fun and complex experience that invites replayability, though it may frustrate those seeking a more skill-based challenge.
“The best way to describe the gameplay is that it has a similar feeling to drafting in MTG Arena, but with a friend, and with Civ vibes.”
“This is an excellent drafting game with strong mechanics, enough randomness, and a very hard campaign.”
“The game is intuitive, invites deep gameplay, makes thematic sense, and offers multiple paths to victory.”
“To bad I like the game mechanics, and that type of failure just ruins the game.”
“However, the poor AI mechanic is what mostly ruined it for me.”
“The user interface is low-grade and the mechanics are overly and overtly dependent on math, which is not what I was expecting.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players finding the art style generic and lacking in variety, which detracts from the overall experience. While some appreciate the clear and readable icons, others feel that the artwork fails to make the cards feel unique or engaging. Despite these criticisms, the game's solid mechanics and gameplay are highlighted as reasons to overlook the graphics.
“Sure, the art style isn't the clearest in the supporting art/backgrounds, but the mechanics and how they play work extremely well.”
“It's nice, solid graphics, solid sound.”
“The cartoony art style manages an attractive compromise between minimalist and colorful.”
“I think the graphics is what turns most people off, but this is an extremely well thought out game that is worth playing if you are a card game fan!”
“The graphics are by far the weakest point, both in style and in variety.”
“Solid game that unfortunately might not get much attention because of the mediocre graphics and generic sounding name.”
- story14 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game lacks a substantial narrative, which may limit long-term engagement for some players, though the unlocking of cards and daily quests provide some incentive to continue playing. While there are only six campaign missions, players can create their own stories through gameplay, making each match feel unique. Overall, the absence of a deep story may be a drawback for those seeking a more immersive experience.
“Each game feels quite unique due to the cards that come into play, making reappearances later on. I think it is fun to imagine a story to go along with each game and strategic play, as towers crumble to angry mobs, trade routes form and gain monopoly on desired resources, and empires resort to thieving and over-taxation out of desperation.”
“It is a simple game of cards with lore and missions to play on.”
“There is no story as far as I can tell, which means long-term interest might be a problem for some people (including me). The unlocking of cards mitigates this a bit, albeit not too much.”
“The story fights appear to be tailored for veteran players.”
“Graphics could be improved; there are only 6 campaign missions.”
- replayability11 mentions
- 73 % positive mentions
- 9 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is praised for its high replayability, with many reviewers highlighting its engaging mechanics, strategic depth, and opportunities for inventive gameplay. While some players found it lacking in depth compared to similar titles, the consensus is that the game offers a compelling experience that encourages repeated play.
“Great mechanics and huge replayability.”
“In-depth strategy, great theme, and lots of replayability.”
“Really wanted to like it, but found it very shallow with limited replayability compared to similar titles.”
“The end result is an engrossing card drafting duel game that has massive replayability and plenty of opportunities for inventive strategies.”
- grinding7 mentions
- 14 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 86 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a mixed experience with grinding in the game. While some players appreciate that the backend shutdown has eliminated the need for grinding to unlock content, others criticize the repetitive nature and low rewards for earning card packs, leading to a significant grind. However, daily quests are noted to be manageable and not overly tedious, with the Steam version reportedly offering a less grind-heavy experience compared to the original.
“Don't let the artwork or few reviews discourage you from playing this game; it is a really good deckbuilder. Since the backend has been shut down, there is no grinding anymore, and everything is unlocked.”
“And the biggest problem, outside of the large amount of grinding to unlock the content, is the sheer repetition of it all with huge swings due to randomness.”
“Trying to get packs is very grindy as you get few gold (mostly 20 - you pick a chest out of something like 30 chests with only a small few being 30, and one 50, with the rest 20 - higher difficulty only increases this marginally) for a card pack that costs 100 and only contains 3 cards.”
“So expect a great amount of grinding.”
- monetization3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game has received mixed feedback; while players appreciate the absence of microtransactions and find the game enjoyable at a discounted price, in-game advertisements have been a significant point of contention for some users.
“The game is fun and has no microtransactions.”
“I appreciate that there are no paywalls, allowing everyone to enjoy the game equally.”
“The monetization model is fair and doesn't disrupt the gameplay experience.”
“But my most pressing reason for disliking this game is the in-game advertisements.”
“I was happy to get the game at half price, and considering the lack of microtransactions, I would likely still pay the full $10 for it.”
- music3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game is described as catchy and relaxing, effectively enhancing the experience without being annoying or distracting, even for players who typically overlook game soundtracks.
“The music is catchy and relaxing.”
“As someone who usually doesn't care about or pay much attention to game music, I appreciate that it isn't annoying or distracting.”
“As someone who usually doesn't care about or pay much attention to game music, the most important aspect is that it isn't annoying or distracting.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its wholesome and emotionally uplifting experience, making it suitable and enjoyable for children.
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the amusing and often devastating interactions between cards, providing both players with entertaining and unexpected moments.
“Some of the card interactions are hilarious and devastating to both you and your rival.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been criticized for having a buggy user interface, which detracts from the overall experience.
“The UI is very buggy.”
“The game crashes frequently, making it unplayable at times.”
“I experienced constant lag and instability during gameplay.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is noted for its promising and enjoyable atmosphere, though it is marred by frustrating RNG mechanics that detract from the overall experience.
