Publisher: Designer: Artist:
Year:
Game Type:
White Wizard Games Mike Dougherty, Darwin Kastle Randy Delven, Vito Gesualdi, Antonis Papantoniou 2016
Deckbuilding
Theme and What is it?
Can you be the surviving hero of Thandar in Hero Realms?
Gameplay Mechanics
There are three types of point pools represented on cards: Gold, Combat and Health. You use Gold to buy new Champions and Actions from the market. Combat points will lower your foes health and Health points will raise yours.
Most cards belong to one of four factions which have special ally abilities if they are played together. Champions stay in front of you and have ongoing abilities until they are stunned and returned to your discard pile.
Initial Impressions
The first thing you notice when you open Hero Realms is a continuation of the lovely art from the box to the cards. Unlike many deck-builders, you get 4 unique starting cards. This gives the game a little less predictability out of the gate. Also, there are hit point counter-cards which keep the box size down compared to Ascension, for instance, with its’ victory point jems.
Quality of Components and Insert
Not a lot to examine in this game, but the box is solid, and the cards are high quality. The only knock is the insert that divides the deck two is flimsy and a little short.
Artistic Direction
The illustration and graphic design in this game are superb. The cards are illustrated by a few different artists but they all feel cohesive. The symbols are obvious and easy to see. The style is what I would call realistic medieval fantasy.
Fun Factor
Hero Realms packs exhilaration into a 20 minute game. When your health starts getting low, or you play a chain of cards for a lot of damage your heart rate rises. The head-to-head combat makes it engaging.
Difficulty and age range suggestion
The box suggests the game is for ages 12+, but a patient and attentive child slightly younger could handle Hero Realms. Boardgamegeek.com’s community poll has the base age at 10.
The game starts very simple, and as you build your deck, the game elevates slightly, but never to a brain seizing difficulty.
Conclusions
If it couldn’t be inferred by my previous sections, I love this game. It can be played solo with a variant found here. With a character booster back or a second copy of the game, six players can play. If you aren’t a fan of the fantasy theme, stick with Star or Cthulhu Realms. Otherwise, this is a game you should try.
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