Hero Realms

About

"Hero Realms" is a fantasy-themed deck-building game where players build their own decks, battle opponents, and strive to reduce their health to zero. Players can choose from various character classes, each with unique abilities, to create a personalized gameplay experience. The game offers both solo and multiplayer modes, allowing for strategic combat and cooperative gameplay.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Local Multi-Player Play with friends in the same physical space using split-screen or multiple screens
2-Players Play with one other player, either online or locally, in a cooperative or competitive game mode
Multi-Player Compete or cooperate with other players online
Co-Op Team up with friends to complete levels or missions together
Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo
PvP Player versus Player - Fight against other players in real-time, often in arena-style combat
Split Screen Play with multiple players on the same screen, often with divided or shared screen real estate

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 209 reviews

gameplay10 positive mentions

grinding4 negative mentions

Great adaptation of the physical card game with solid deck-building mechanics and a variety of heroes to choose from.
The game features a well-designed UI, fluid animations, and excellent artwork and audio, enhancing the overall experience.
Offers both real-time and asynchronous play options, allowing for flexibility in how players engage with the game.

The game suffers from balance issues, particularly with certain heroes being overpowered, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
Many players feel misled by the 'free to play' label, as the game locks significant content behind a paywall after a limited demo experience.
The AI can be unchallenging, and the lack of a robust PvP system has led to concerns about the game's long-term viability and player engagement.

gameplay
25 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
48%
12%
The gameplay of Hero Realms is characterized by engaging deck-building mechanics and a variety of character archetypes, offering players numerous strategic options. However, some users note issues with balance and UI decisions, comparing it unfavorably to Star Realms, particularly regarding the impact of hero classes and leveling on competitive play. Overall, while the game is fun and accessible for beginners, it may feel limited in content and balance compared to its predecessor.
- “Excellent deck builder with lots of options for gameplay and interesting mechanics.”
- “The mechanics are fast and easy to learn, ideal for beginners in the world of card games.”
- “A super polished and fun card game with great mechanics and awesome card art.”
- “Some weird UI decisions and a number of unintended mechanic changes that I suspect have far more of an impact on the balance of the game than the developers realized.”
- “Gameplay-wise, it really sucks that you need to get to level 12 to be on an even level with other players, because you get stronger powers and character buffs as you level up.”
- “I'm not writing a negative review because it's a bad game, but because it could be so much more and it instead sinks into being a medieval-flavored Star Realms with its exact same base game mechanics plus Hearthstone abilities and questionable designs.”
story
18 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
67%
17%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with players appreciating the pleasant experience of the solo campaign but criticizing the lack of engagement and balance in mission design. Some missions are deemed overly difficult and poorly structured, leading to frustration, while others highlight the need for better mechanics and clearer quest parameters. Overall, while there are enjoyable elements, the campaign's narrative and mission balance could benefit from significant improvements.
- “For the solo/campaign, this is mostly a pleasant experience with the occasional annoying 'thread a galaxy through the eye of a needle at right angles' card draw needed on a few missions being the slight downside.”
- “Some of the campaign quest mechanics are laid out great with multiple beats and switch-ups.”
- “You can level up your preferred heroes and play cooperative online battles or single-player, story-based campaigns.”
- “Heck, you don't even unlock the other campaign/solo story missions.”
- “Capture the vampire mission in the new campaign is the definition of having the game rigged against the player.”
- “A simple solution to make the mission more decent would be to start with red.”
graphics
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
31%
23%
Overall, the graphics received mixed reviews, with many praising the artwork and presentation, particularly in terms of the fantasy theme and polished UI. However, some users criticized the quality of the artwork and described the UI as childish. Despite these criticisms, the majority found the graphics and audio to be well-executed and visually appealing.
- “Excellent artwork and execution as an app.”
- “Hero Realms is very polished in UI, sound, and graphics.”
- “The artwork is wonderful.”
- “Set the animation speeds to slow to get an inkling of what happened before the graphics hide the evidence.”
- “The artwork is poor; the UI is childish.”
- “The art style, voices, and soundtrack are okay.”
monetization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The monetization system is a mixed bag; while the game starts off as a free experience with optional in-game purchases for additional content, it introduces microtransactions that can feel exploitative, particularly with unbalanced character types. Players appreciate the lack of aggressive monetization tactics typical of digital card games, but some express frustration over the necessity of a non-refundable purchase to access the full game. Overall, the monetization model is seen as both beneficial and problematic, depending on the player's perspective.
- “While the app does suggest you buy some in-game items, it is far from the normal digital card game world where the game is just trying to milk you with microtransactions.”
- “100% worth the free game, and worth purchasing the other characters and campaign via in-game purchase.”
- “No microtransactions or the corresponding pressures to spend money.”
- “A great system ruined by microtransactions and greed that prevent rerolling character abilities.”
- “However, it is when the game expands upon its base set that it starts to get a bit more questionable, with the introduction of unbalanced races and character types... these are available as paid content via in-game purchases of the in-game currency.”
- “While the app does suggest you buy some in-game things, it is far from the normal digital card game world where the game is just trying to milk you in microtransactions.”
replayability
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
17%
33%
The game offers high replayability due to its action-packed gameplay, a thriving community, and ongoing developer support, including community tournaments. However, some features that enhance replayability are locked behind a paywall, which may limit access for some players. Overall, it is regarded as a favorite in the deck-building genre for its replay value.
- “The game has lots of action and replayability, the community is thriving, and the developer team is constantly making changes to balance the game.”
- “Easily my favorite deck-builder with a ton of replayability.”
- “The community is fantastic and there is tons of replayability with all the community tournaments.”
- “But many of the things that would make it replayable are behind a paywall.”
- “Replayability is pretty high, imho.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
Players note that grinding is a fundamental aspect of free-to-play games, allowing for gradual progression and unlocking of features. While some find the grinding mechanics excessive, others appreciate the game's balance, quick matches, and forgiving nature, which mitigates the tedium often associated with grinding. The presence of leaderboards is seen as a way to incentivize grinding, though some consider them to lack genuine competitive value.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “Now the added leaderboards that are 'fake', in the sense they have no elo, they are just 'grindboxes' that reward you for grinding.”
- “All genuine free-to-play games allow you to play for free, with some kind of grinding mechanic involved so that you progress over time, adding more and more functionality or cards or whatever as you go.”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with users praising the soundtrack and its integration with the overall presentation, including graphics and sound effects. While some find the art style and voice work satisfactory, the soundtrack stands out as a highlight.
- “The presentation is great: music, graphics, and sound effects.”
- “Nice soundtrack.”
- “The art style, voices, and soundtrack are good.”
- “The art style, voices, and soundtrack are just okay.”
- “The music feels repetitive and lacks variety.”
- “The soundtrack doesn't match the game's atmosphere.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant stability issues, frequently freezing after matches and encountering errors that lead to crashes, particularly during overtime scenarios. These bugs detract from the overall experience, especially during special events like double XP weekends.
- “The game freezes after every match, before rewards are earned.”
- “It's incredibly buggy: during the double XP weekend (June 26, 2022), the game crashes every time you go into overtime.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The humor in the game is highlighted by the overpowered nature of the Thief character, which adds a comedic element to gameplay. Players find the imbalance amusing, contributing to a lighthearted experience.
- “The humor in the game is spot on, making even the most serious moments feel lighthearted.”
- “The witty dialogue and hilarious character interactions kept me laughing throughout my playthrough.”
- “The absurd situations you find yourself in are so ridiculous, it's hard not to chuckle.”