Cards and Castles
- December 18, 2015
- Red Team Games
- 100h median play time
Get on SteamCards and Castles is a strategic card game where collectible cards come to life on the battlefield. Build your deck, position your characters tactically, and compete against other players for rewards. Log in daily for free cards and rank up to earn special rewards with the Sudden Death mechanic. Note: The game is no longer receiving updates, and we recommend downloading the sequel, Cards and Castles 2.
Reviews
- The game combines strategic depth with card mechanics, offering a unique blend of chess-like positioning and collectible card gameplay.
- The visuals are bright and appealing, enhancing the overall gaming experience, and the developers are responsive to community feedback.
- Players can enjoy a generous free-to-play model, with opportunities to earn cards through gameplay rather than being forced to spend money.
- Many players feel the game has become pay-to-win, with higher rarity cards being essential for competitive play, leading to frustration among those who do not spend money.
- Frequent changes to card limits and mechanics have alienated long-term players, making previously acquired cards less useful and creating a sense of instability.
- Bugs and sync issues persist, detracting from the overall enjoyment and making it difficult for some players to recommend the game.
- gameplay15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The gameplay is praised for its engaging combination of collectible card mechanics and strategic elements reminiscent of chess, offering a fast-paced experience with a unique grid battlefield. While the game allows for strategic depth and has room for future development, some players note issues with the user interface and a prevalence of rush decks, which can affect the overall experience. Importantly, all gameplay elements are accessible without a paywall, focusing monetization on cosmetic items instead.
“The game itself is a great combination of collectible cards and strategy with very interesting mechanics and a meta that keeps gameplay interesting.”
“The several mechanics of the game provide for strategic thought as well as positioning, which throws aspects of chess-like thinking into the game.”
“Gameplay: most people will say that it's a combination of chess and card games, and that's pretty accurate.”
“The game has had more significant card/balance changes since its mobile launch days than, for example, Hearthstone, including some changes to ranged units and many pirate cards, which occurred even after the developers stated they were done with significant gameplay changes following the 2.0 update on mobile.”
“It is also rather fast-paced due to the sudden death mechanic, which you may either love or hate.”
“A lot of the mechanics seem copied from other games.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's graphics have evolved positively over time, showcasing a bright, cartoonish art style that complements its fast-paced gameplay. While the visuals are generally praised for their pleasant and colorful design, some users note inconsistencies in the artwork. Overall, the graphics are well-received, with improvements noted in the steam release compared to the mobile version.
“The evolution of the game has been a positive one in terms of graphics and gameplay.”
“The game uses a bright cartoony art style (take note: cartoony, not anime) and it's rather pleasant to look at, in my opinion, fitting well with the fast-paced nature of the game.”
“The graphics with the Steam release are even better than on mobile.”
“The graphics back in the day, of course, looked pretty floppy, but it eventually evolved to fit the faster pace of the game in which it is currently in.”
“The game goes for a particular cartoonish art style, which you'll like or dislike instantly - just see the screenshots.”
“However, there's no reason to diss the graphics as terrible; contemporaneous CCG-type games such as Hearthstone or Card Hunter have totally different art styles which are equally attractive.”
- story3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's story revolves around a strategic battle where players aim to destroy the enemy castle while protecting their own. Players engage in daily quests and matches to earn currency, which is essential for progressing in the game. However, the narrative depth appears limited, focusing primarily on the mechanics of resource management and combat.
“The story is incredibly shallow, with only one quest available each day, making it feel repetitive and uninspired.”
“The lack of variety in the narrative is disappointing; earning only 700 currency from a single daily quest leaves little motivation to engage.”
“With the objective being so simplistic—destroying the enemy castle while protecting your own—the story fails to provide any depth or intrigue.”
- music2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally considered repetitive, leading players to prefer turning it off in favor of their own playlists after about an hour of gameplay.
“The music becomes repetitive and dull after just an hour of gameplay.”
“I ended up turning off the in-game music to listen to my own after a while.”
“The soundtrack lacks variety, making it hard to enjoy for extended periods.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious, with the "dust" (or shards) system being particularly criticized for its inefficiency, leading to a grinding experience that some believe surpasses even that of Hearthstone.
“The 'dust' system is completely broken (they call it shards), but I can't believe I'm saying this—it's more grindy than Hearthstone!”
“Grinding in this game feels endless and tedious, making it hard to enjoy the actual gameplay.”
“The amount of time required to progress through grinding is overwhelming and detracts from the overall experience.”
