Battlegrounds of Eldhelm
- October 22, 2014
- Essence Ltd.
- 1h median play time
Get on SteamBattlegrounds of Eldhelm is an indie, online, free-to-play CCG (collectible card game) / RPG (role playing game). It is heavily influenced by RPGs and borrows some mechanics and ideas.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- Battlegrounds of Eldhelm offers a unique blend of collectible card game and RPG elements, making it engaging for fans of both genres.
- The game is free-to-play and not pay-to-win, allowing players to enjoy the experience without spending money.
- It features a simple learning curve, beautiful card art, and a variety of gameplay modes, including a single-player campaign and multiplayer options.
- The tutorial is poorly designed and fails to adequately teach new players the game's mechanics, leading to confusion.
- The game suffers from a lack of player population, making multiplayer matches difficult to find and often unbalanced.
- Gameplay can become repetitive and dull over time, with limited card variety and strategic depth, leading to a less engaging experience.
- gameplay30 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews highlight a mix of opinions, with some players finding it uninteresting and lacking depth, while others appreciate its intriguing mechanics and addictive nature. Critiques often focus on the game's turn mechanics, balance issues, and a perceived reliance on luck, leading to a repetitive experience. However, newcomers to the genre may find the gameplay accessible and entertaining, despite its simplicity and potential for a pay-to-win model.
“The gameplay is intriguing and addictive, the fantasy background is well-established, and it's full of surprises with new cards and a combo system.”
“As a first-time TCG player, I'd say this game is pretty entertaining, with decent gameplay and fascinating animations.”
“Having a randomized deck has been a great way to learn the gameplay without the stress of building a deck.”
“Unintuitive mechanics.”
“Boring gameplay, terrible starter decks, pointless campaign mode, and anyone who says that an online card game isn't pay to win is lying.”
“Generally, the gameplay is just AI fights over and over again with no story in between.”
- story11 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 45 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's story aspect is largely criticized, with many players noting that the single-player campaign lacks depth and is primarily composed of repetitive AI battles without a compelling narrative. While there are daily quests and side activities, the overall experience feels monotonous and devoid of a meaningful storyline, making it less appealing for those seeking a rich RPG experience.
“There is a singleplayer campaign that you can play through, and after that, there are daily quests and some side quests too.”
“Even if you can't or don't want to, there's a nice campaign and quest mode where you can just play and collect cards.”
“A lot of depth in strategy, a ton of things to do like some good game modes to play and quests, etc., and a hell of a good game.”
“However, the story mode/campaign sucks and is kind of a bore.”
“There is no real story and the campaign is simply you fighting random AI over and over again.”
“Generally, the gameplay is just AI fights over and over again with no story in between.”
- music5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its fantastic soundtrack that enhances the immersive fantasy experience, with players noting its ability to inspire personal songs and complement the gameplay. Overall, the combination of unique cards and appealing music contributes to a highly enjoyable gaming experience.
“The soundtrack was fantastic, cards were unique, and overall it was probably the best card game I have ever played.”
“I wrote a little song about this in my head and I sing it every time I play.”
“Fantastic soundtrack that brings you into such a fantasy world.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are highly praised for their beauty and detailed artwork, particularly in the card designs, which effectively capture a fantasy aesthetic. Players find the visuals appealing and fitting for the game's theme, enhancing the overall experience.
“Beautiful graphics; it's very easy to play for a bit and then put away. A simple game to get started with, and it's not really pay-to-win.”
“The graphics and artwork on the cards are very detailed and really fit the fantasy-esque feel of the game.”
“I love the graphics, especially the card design.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and time-consuming, often requiring real money purchases to progress effectively. The slow interface and unnecessary confirmations further exacerbate the grinding experience, making it difficult to engage in fair matches due to inflated character levels and a limited player base.
“So this is the way the game evolves into higher levels over time, and if you want to win any fights soon enough, you will have to buy gold with real money. Grinding can take forever.”
“However, this game has some big problems: the interface is too slow, you have to confirm phase ends more than necessary, and instead of keeping a running total of both players' numbers, it tediously adds them up once every two turns with a remarkably slow animation. Additionally, character levels add to your core numbers, making it practically impossible to find a fair fight with fewer than 5000 players online (there are only 50-100).”
“The tediousness of looking it over and reading the 'extra detail' which I think should be there automatically anyway, and then the help stopped after like three rounds.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization strategy primarily revolves around collectible items and microtransactions, allowing players to purchase additional content or enhancements within the game. This approach has received mixed feedback, with some players appreciating the optional nature of purchases while others criticize it for potentially impacting gameplay balance.
“The game offers a fair balance between free content and microtransactions, allowing players to enjoy the experience without feeling pressured to spend money.”
“I appreciate that the monetization system is transparent and doesn't interfere with gameplay; I can choose to buy collectibles without feeling forced.”
“The collectible items available through microtransactions are purely cosmetic, which means I can enjoy the game fully without spending extra.”
“The game is riddled with microtransactions that make it nearly impossible to enjoy without spending extra money.”
“Collectibles are locked behind paywalls, which feels frustrating and unfair to players who don't want to spend more.”
“The monetization strategy is aggressive, pushing players to constantly spend to keep up with the game.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game lacks significant replay value, but it still offers an enjoyable experience that can effectively occupy a day or two.
“It doesn't have the replay value you would hope for, but it's overall a fairly good way to waste a day or two.”
“Once you've completed the game, there's little incentive to go back and play it again.”
“The lack of meaningful choices and consequences makes replaying feel pointless.”
