Artifact
- November 28, 2018
- Valve
- 13h median play time
Artifact is a challenging, deep, and surprisingly approachable card game.
Get on Steam"Artifact Foundry" is a free-to-play, digitial card game with a focus on strategic gameplay and the Dota 2 universe. It features over 100 new cards, including 20 new heroes, and a unified mana pool across all 3 lanes. The game has streamlined its systems based on community feedback, reducing the impact of randomness and improving accessibility. New players can also enjoy an extended tutorial, beginner campaign, and hero-specific demo scenarios.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Cloud
Linux
NVIDIA GeForce NOW
Reviews
- gameplay3,436 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Artifact is widely regarded as innovative and complex, featuring unique mechanics such as the three-lane system and hero-based strategies that encourage deep tactical thinking. While many players appreciate the depth and strategic opportunities, concerns about the game's heavy reliance on RNG, slow pacing, and monetization model have led to mixed feelings about its overall enjoyment and accessibility. Despite these issues, the core gameplay is often praised for its potential and engaging nature, making it a standout in the digital card game genre.
“The gameplay is deep, you have to use real strategy, and the rng can be mitigated with proper thought and planning.”
“The gameplay is fun, strategic and new but the payment system that evolves around the community market (to grab dem sweet selling fees) is completely unfriendly to casual gameplay.”
“The gameplay is unique, different, engaging, and difficult.”
“Sadly it's not the case with Artifact, very complex mechanics, 3-in-1 board meaning 3 times decision-making pressure, stressful 20 minutes average match that you can't even enjoy, and the god-awful RNG.”
“This game is a pay-to-win joke with poor mechanics, very low satisfying gameplay, and an entourage of a cash grab.”
“The gameplay itself is quite bad in my opinion, almost every stage of battle is determined randomly, from hero and creep positioning to items in the shop.”
- monetization1,577 mentions
- 13 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The monetization model of Artifact has drawn significant criticism, with many players labeling it as a "cash grab" due to its reliance on microtransactions for card acquisition and gameplay progression. While some argue that the ability to buy specific cards is more consumer-friendly compared to other card games, the overall sentiment reflects frustration over the upfront cost combined with ongoing expenses, leading to perceptions of a pay-to-win environment. Despite some acknowledging the game's potential and enjoyable mechanics, the monetization strategy is widely viewed as a major barrier to its success.
“The monetization was fair, and the open market for cards is leagues better than Hearthstone asking you to dust 4 legendary cards to get one legendary of your choice, when a legendary on average costs $35~ dollars to get, and to dust all cards from packs into whatever legendary you'd like, you're looking at $70~80 dollars.”
“I also really like the monetization part, because it's much easier to get what you want than Hearthstone.”
“The monetization model is more than fair in Artifact, but people like to complain.”
“It's a complete shame it got ruined by the monetization scheme.”
“This game is a pay to win joke with poor mechanics, very low satisfying gameplay and entourage of a cash grab.”
“The current monetization system sucks.”
- graphics430 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the stunning visuals, intricate artwork, and smooth animations that enhance the overall experience. Players appreciate the high production values, noting that the aesthetic design and sound complement the gameplay effectively, making it one of the best-looking card games available. However, some critiques mention that while the graphics are impressive, they can occasionally distract from gameplay or feel overwhelming.
“The graphics, sound effects, and music are astonishingly good.”
“The visuals are beautiful and the soundtrack is amazing.”
“The graphics and style of the game are phenomenal, and all cards seem to work well together.”
“The only good thing about the game I can say are the visuals, music & sound effects, but those aren't elements that can save a game's poor gameplay.”
“Boring cards with uninspired spells and average graphic effects.”
“The graphics (despite being on 1080 and max settings) are mediocre at best.”
- grinding357 mentions
- 7 % positive mentions
- 2 % neutral mentions
- 91 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight a significant divide in player sentiment regarding grinding in the game. Many players appreciate the lack of a traditional grinding system, favoring the ability to purchase specific cards directly, which they find more time-efficient and less tedious compared to other card games like Hearthstone. However, some players express frustration over the absence of a grinding mechanism, feeling that it limits progression and rewards for gameplay, and they argue that the game could benefit from a more balanced approach that includes some form of grinding or progression system.
“I absolutely detest daily challenges and the like; it's refreshing to have a game where the gameplay is the only thing that matters and not grinding out free currency.”
“The economy seems fair; nearly everything is available on the marketplace for pennies, so no grinding for a particular card.”
“Being able to buy the exact cards you need from the market and not grinding away for weeks for small amounts of dust is a huge win in my opinion.”
“I'd much rather spend 50 bucks to get the deck I want than 200 bucks/50+ hours grinding like Hearthstone.”
“The gameplay is nice but grinding your way to expansion packs is next to impossible.”
“I value my time, and grinding for 50+ hours to make a single meta deck is not appealing to me.”
- story248 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story aspect of Artifact is largely criticized for its lack of depth and engagement, with many players noting the absence of a traditional narrative or campaign mode. While the game is set in the Dota 2 universe and features lore-rich card descriptions, it fails to provide meaningful single-player content or progression systems, leading to a sense of emptiness and frustration among players who seek a more immersive experience. Overall, the game's storytelling elements are seen as underutilized, leaving players wanting more in terms of narrative exploration and gameplay incentives.
“All of the story elements we see in classic and foundry are so interesting and deserve to be explored.”
“Every single card has its own little blurb of story, reminding me a lot of the flavor text on old Magic and DM cards that helped me immerse myself in their universe.”
“The best thing about this game is the story of the war between legions from Dota 2, absolutely amazing lore.”
“No story, no moral.”
“The story of Artifact's first few months will become a negative example in the textbooks about how to screw up with a perfect product in your hands.”
“This game needs a story, a single game and a lot of updates/DLC, and then maybe it will be a great game.”
- music187 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its quality and production value, with many reviewers praising the soundtrack as a standout feature that enhances the overall experience. However, some players noted a lack of variety, leading to repetitiveness over time. Overall, the soundtrack is described as vibrant, catchy, and fitting for the game's atmosphere, contributing significantly to its appeal.
“The graphics, sound effects, and music are astonishingly good.”
“The music is top tier.”
“The animation and soundtrack are both a joy to experience.”
“So many Steam games with soundtracks, and this game doesn't have one.”
“Also, the music sucks and is repetitive, and that's so bad for a video game.”
“The only good thing about the game I can say are the visuals, music, and sound effects, but those aren't elements that can save a game's poor gameplay.”
- optimization60 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received largely negative feedback, with many users reporting poor performance, crashes, and stuttering animations, particularly on lower-end systems. While some players experience smooth gameplay at high frame rates, the overall consensus is that the game is poorly optimized for a card game, leading to frustration and a lack of enjoyment. Additionally, the game's monetization model exacerbates the issues, making competitive play feel unbalanced and discouraging for those who do not invest heavily in optimized decks.
“Performance: 10/10 - runs like a charm.”
“You can play casually for fun, with themed decks that are just fun to experiment with, or competitively with highly optimized decks that require an insane amount of disciplined play.”
“Now the UI, visuals, music, performance, network - really great, really comfy, it's nice to look at, it runs well, so far haven't encountered any issues.”
“Game is unfinished with missing features and poorly optimized; don't even think about buying this game because it will go free-to-play, and if not, it will be doomed because there is no chance it will recover with the TCG business model.”
“This game is very poorly optimized, and playing on minimum specs is suffering.”
“The ugly: the game appears to be poorly optimized, barely running on the strongest 2018 MacBook Pro, and randomly crashing.”
- humor54 mentions
- 96 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as absurd and chaotic, often blending pop culture references with surreal scenarios, such as interactions with characters like Baby Yoda and Danny DeVito. Players find the randomness and unexpected elements of gameplay amusing, despite frustrations with mechanics and card acquisition. Overall, the humor is a significant draw, providing a lighthearted contrast to the game's more serious strategic elements.
“There is hand-painted art combined with effects and very funny monsters on the board, fully animated and funny, that function like some kind of audience while you play.”
“Very funny when you win and your friend becomes angry, calling this game very random and you saying, 'Nah, it's a very balanced game, you lost because you are a noob.'”
“The game mechanics are very funny and allow a broad range of tactics - assuming you have the cards required (which can only be obtained by booster packs).”
“It's not funny.”
“It's not funny.”
- replayability50 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is a mixed bag; while the free draft mode offers virtually infinite replay value and a chance to use all cards, many players feel that the lack of a progression system and limited playable cards lead to repetitive gameplay. Some reviewers highlight the game's strategic depth and fun factor, but overall, the absence of rewards and varied content diminishes its long-term appeal.
“Great card game with a lot of replayability.”
“You get draft mode for free forever, which has basically infinite replay value and you get to play with all the cards, even the pricey ones.”
“Deep, interesting strategic card game with significant replayability.”
“Even if you own every card in the game, only a minority of the cards are playable, and since decks don't actually run that many cards, you wind up playing against the same set of decks over and over again, and seeing the same cards again and again.”
“On top of the fact that there's no reward for playing the game (unless you pay for 'expert' mode), there's also absolutely no progression system, ladder, quests, or other content to promote replayability.”
“It's very different and maybe over time there will be a more streamlined approach to the game, but as of right now it doesn't feel all that fun, and the fact that I can't work to unlock packs at all feels really unrewarding from a replayability standpoint.”
- emotional33 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a mix of nostalgia and disappointment, with players expressing heartache over its perceived decline in quality and identity. While some moments are described as wholesome and engaging, the overall sentiment reflects a longing for the game's earlier charm and a frustration with recent changes that have made it feel less satisfying and more emotionally taxing.
“This almost made me cry because I love Dota 2 lore and I really liked this game at first.”
“Sitting in front of your computer, watching your opponent take 3 turns on 3 boards while all of your heroes are dead just to have them retake initiative and condemn your only way into the game is heartbreaking.”
“My games so far have probably lasted about an hour on average, so it can be a lot more emotionally engaging than shorter session card games.”
- stability33 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 82 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many users reporting frequent bugs and glitches, particularly during deck building and match initiation, leading to crashes and freezes. While some players noted that the game runs smoothly at higher resolutions and praised its polished appearance, the overall consensus indicates significant stability issues that detract from the gameplay experience.
“It is polished, it runs great, has good art (Drow Ranger by Livia Prima) and great gameplay.”
“No glitches or bugs experienced; runs smoothly on Linux.”
“Not too buggy.”
“I was interested in the free drafts; however, every time I make a draft pick, the game freezes on me with a 'please wait' that never goes away.”
“When building a deck, I drag and drop my first card in, then when I do the same with a second card, the whole game freezes and becomes unresponsive.”
“Randomly freezes during most matches or simply won't connect when starting the game.”
- atmosphere18 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its gorgeous visuals and immersive design, creating a deep and engaging experience that stands out in its genre. Players appreciate the interesting lore and complex mechanics, which enhance the overall ambiance and contribute to a captivating gaming environment.
“The game looks gorgeous, feels great, has a good atmosphere and mechanics which differ enough from the Hearthstones and Magics of the world to earn it a spot on the map.”
“Beautiful, atmospheric and complex game.”
“The writing for the lore is pretty interesting, the audiovisuals of the game set a very deep atmosphere of the Dota world.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the original storyline suffers from a lack of depth and character development compared to its movie adaptations. However, the unique character design of a giant ice dragon that reads and writes books is highlighted as a standout feature, adding a layer of intrigue to the character.
“To top it off, the hero is a giant ice dragon that reads and writes books, which in my opinion is such a cool character design.”
“The original storyline lacked the depth and character development found in the movie adaptations.”
