Faeria
- March 8, 2017
- Abrakam Entertainment SA
- 11h median play time
Faeria is a thoroughly enjoyable strategic card battler that’s consistently fun to play. This multifaceted game feels like one you can play for the next few years and not get weary of it.
Faeria is a fantasy turn-based strategy game featuring 2-player battles, as well as massively multiplayer and single-player options. With a living board that allows you to shape the battlefield, the game offers amazing visuals, strategic gameplay, and a phenomenal soundtrack. Enjoy 100+ hours of solo content, co-op missions, and puzzles, all accessible through a simple and affordable DLC-based business model with no expensive micro-transactions.
Reviews
- Faeria combines card game mechanics with a living board, adding depth and strategy to gameplay.
- The game features beautiful artwork and a soothing soundtrack, creating an immersive atmosphere.
- Players can unlock all cards through gameplay, making it accessible and fair for free-to-play players.
- The matchmaking system can be frustrating, often pairing new players against more experienced opponents.
- Some cards and strategies can feel overpowered, leading to a lack of balance in competitive play.
- The player base is relatively small, which can result in longer wait times for matches.
- gameplay418 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Faeria is widely praised for its unique blend of card and board game mechanics, offering a strategic depth reminiscent of chess and Magic: The Gathering. Players appreciate the dynamic battlefield and resource management, which encourage tactical decision-making and adaptability. However, some users express frustration with repetitive puzzles, clunky UI, and balance issues, suggesting that while the core gameplay is engaging, it can be marred by quality-of-life problems and a lack of player base.
“Faeria seamlessly blends the fast-paced excitement of Hearthstone with the tactical depth of chess, resulting in a gameplay experience that's truly one-of-a-kind.”
“With its diverse card pool and balanced mechanics, Faeria delivers addictive gameplay that rewards both quick thinking and long-term planning.”
“Faeria's replay value is unlimited, with its strategic depth and dynamic gameplay, every match feels fresh and exciting, keeping me coming back for more.”
“Frustrating enough that I'm done after about 10 hours of gameplay.”
“The only downside to all of this is that a lot of the matches utilize strange forced mechanics that nullify your deck strategies, forcing you into a specific net-deck style of play where you create a one-off to defeat a boss.”
“It is almost certainly the prettiest card game to date, which makes it in a way doubly disappointing that the gameplay is just not up to scratch.”
- graphics144 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 43 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
Faeria's graphics are widely praised for their stunning hand-painted art style, vibrant landscapes, and intricate card designs, creating an immersive fantasy experience. Players appreciate the beautiful animations and user interface, often comparing its aesthetic favorably to other card games like Hearthstone. However, some critiques mention that while the visuals are impressive, they may not be the game's primary focus, and there are occasional calls for more variety in the art style.
“The hand-painted art style immerses you in a vibrant fantasy world, while the intricate card designs and dynamic landscapes add depth to every match.”
“With its dynamic gameplay and vibrant visuals, Faeria offers an experience that's as intellectually stimulating as it is visually stunning.”
“The graphics, art design, and animations are beautiful and majestic.”
“Played a bit of MTG Arena in between and just couldn't stand the poor UI and graphics over there.”
“- graphics style is a little too bland/safe.”
“Faeria claims to be something more and sadly, apart from the graphics, it doesn't deliver.”
- story96 mentions
- 17 % positive mentions
- 80 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game features a variety of single-player modes, including a tutorial and challenging missions that provide a deep backstory and engaging gameplay, though some players find the AI and mission difficulty inconsistent. While the solo campaign offers a rich array of content and unique rule changes, there are criticisms regarding the lack of a deeper overarching narrative and the sometimes frustrating mechanics in missions. Overall, the story aspect is well-developed in terms of lore and world-building, but players desire more depth and clarity in the narrative structure.
“Faeria has put its own spin on characters, races, world-building, and storytelling, and the polish is really there.”
“Aside from this, there is a vast array of cards, campaigns, quests, etc. Almost too much to work through, but it is interesting and good quality stuff and provides a deep backstory when not playing multiplayer.”
“What's good is that you get a fair amount of free cards simply by playing story mode, which is also the tutorial, so you are rewarded fairly for the first hour or so of the gameplay.”
“The solo missions are quite unfair and will force you to adapt by making a special deck to counter the massive handicap you're dealt.”
“I just finished a mission where I was going to win eventually, but I no longer drew a card at the start of each turn (do you just run out of cards?? never explained), and if I attempted to draw a card manually, I took damage and didn't get a card anyway.”
“These single-player missions feel cheap!”
- music72 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and atmospheric quality, enhancing the overall experience alongside the stunning artwork and engaging gameplay. Players appreciate the relaxing and enchanting soundtracks that complement the game's aesthetic, contributing to a polished and immersive environment. While some suggest a desire for more variety, the general consensus is that the music is well-executed and adds significant value to the game.
“The art is beautiful, the music is delightful, and the developers are amazing towards the community.”
“Adventures, boss battles, gauntlet modes, puzzles, engaging mechanics, balanced gameplay, beautiful music.”
“Great vibe, wonderful art, and relaxing music.”
“Otherwise it just feels like it's the same song with a new dance for more cash/time/investment.”
“-more variety on music”
“The board and surroundings all play into the feel of the game, and the sounds and music are very calm and satisfying at the same time.”
- grinding46 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players have mixed feelings about grinding in the game. While some find the process of earning packs and resources tedious and slow, many appreciate that grinding is less demanding compared to other card games like Hearthstone, with options to earn packs through daily quests and gameplay. Additionally, the ability to purchase the entire card collection for a flat fee offers a way to bypass grinding for those who prefer to focus on gameplay rather than resource farming.
“You get like 40 packs really fast, so opening the packs gets tedious and boring really fast.”
“Yes, gameplay feels a lot like MTG, but the ever-changing card pool (and usually for the worse) makes the game feel slow, grindy, and uneventful.”
“Bit grindy though as it takes a long time to get these resources and the good cards are very expensive to craft.”
- monetization40 mentions
- 8 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 35 % negative mentions
The monetization model of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its lack of microtransactions and a rewarding gameplay experience, while others criticize it for becoming a cash grab with expensive expansions and in-game purchases. Players appreciate that the game is not pay-to-win and allows for card acquisition through gameplay, but express concerns over the high costs associated with expansions and the perceived artificial slowing of free-to-play progression. Overall, while the game has solid mechanics and content, its monetization strategy has left some players feeling disappointed.
“Very good monetization, no pay to win, rather robust solo mode.”
“I have played Hearthstone which has become a pay-to-win game while Faeria actually rewards you for playing the game without having to rely on microtransactions.”
“Also, getting the best cards is based on how long you play - the more you play, the more cards you get; the in-game purchases are only for skins/avatars (at least that I have seen so far).”
“It started out promising a great monetization model where you can just buy all cards with a one-time investment and quickly became a cash grab with lots of expansions you have to purchase individually.”
“But... I have a hard time saying 'I recommend this game', when it's a $25 game with microtransactions, and minimal expansions every 2 months that you have to pay an additional $13 each.”
“You can buy all the cards (in-game purchase only, as far as I know) for $50, and it feels, to me, like the free-to-play progression has been artificially slowed down to 'persuade' you into buying the $50.”
- replayability22 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is generally praised for its strategic depth and dynamic gameplay, with many players enjoying the ability to create diverse decks and engage in PvP matches. While some users note that replayability may diminish once all cards are unlocked and single-player modes are completed, regular updates and a vibrant community help maintain interest. Overall, the game offers a solid replay value, particularly for those who appreciate experimenting with different playstyles.
“Faeria's replay value is unlimited, with its strategic depth and dynamic gameplay; every match feels fresh and exciting, keeping me coming back for more.”
“The expansive replayability of this game is wonderful - there is always something new to try out (at least for a long time).”
“An amazing strategy game CCG with endless replayability.”
“Replayability is limited at the moment due to available cards during early access.”
“Throughout all of my playing, I've discovered a number of things regarding gameplay mechanics, game allure, replayability, and overall design.”
“All in all, Faeria is a solid card game that allows for a lot of playstyles and replayability.”
- atmosphere18 mentions
- 78 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its immersive and calming qualities, enhanced by beautiful artwork and stunning card designs. Players appreciate the unique and interesting ambiance created by character profiles, sound effects, and the overall environment, making the experience enjoyable and engaging.
“The atmosphere of the game is very good.”
“The card art is absolutely stunning; I love the atmosphere of the game.”
“There's a feel to the character profiles, the sound of the minions, and the atmosphere of the tavern that makes me enjoy opening the game.”
“Very calm atmosphere.”
“Very calm atmosphere.”
- humor16 mentions
- 88 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with players finding amusement in its quirky themes, like the yak and frog motifs, and the absurdity of the pay-to-win mechanics. While some aspects, such as the draft mode, are noted as funny, the overall balance issues detract from the enjoyment, leading to a sense of irony in the game's reception. Additionally, the prevalence of fake positive reviews on Steam adds a layer of humor to the community's critique.
“The yak and frog themes are funny as well.”
“(I find it quite funny they call the tickets for the draft mode: arena tickets in the about this game portion here)”
“Some cards need to be balanced a little more, but in the end it's a funny game.”
“Not funny compared to other games.”
“The humor falls flat and feels forced.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game Faeria has been reported to have significant stability issues, with users experiencing frequent crashes, freezes, and even blue screens during gameplay. Overall, the consensus indicates that the game is not stable and is plagued by bugs.
“But it simply isn't stable and is very buggy.”
“I experienced several crashes, freezes, and even two blue screens while playing Faeria.”
“The game just opens to a random screen and then freezes.”
- optimization4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is well-optimized, running smoothly and featuring tutorial levels that effectively introduce its mechanics, making them easy to learn, though mastering them may still pose a challenge.
“The tutorial levels make the game's mechanics very easy to learn, but not necessarily easy to master (if my performance thus far is anything to go by!)”
“The game runs smoothly.”
Critic Reviews
Faeria Review - To the Oversky and Beyond
Despite its imperfect presentation, Faeria is an interesting and appealing digital card game. Its focus on strategic placement and positional control makes it stand out than many of its competitors. The presence of solid and well-made solo content also makes it appealing to a big chunk of the public.
75%Faeria Review
The tactical spin to the CCG model in Faeria ends up working fairly well, if being somewhat simplistic. It achieves some degree of excitement in seeking new cards and new decks without ever fully hitting its complete stride, but the general premise is fun enough to try out even for hardcore fans of the genre. With a respectable single-player mode, and the entire ladder setup, players of both types will have a lot of content to play through. With a fun and a novel twist, this is a decent choice for those looking for something in this genre, but its appeal won't extend much past this.
60%Faeria
+ Amazingly fun single-player content + Interesting and diverse card effects + Game mechanics allow for big brain plays - Long queue times - Steep learning curve - Requires PS Plus subscription for online gameplay on the PS4 (Reviewed on PS4, also available on Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch)
80%