Faeria

After 70 hours it's time for a review. I've played a few Trading Card Games (TCGs) prior to this one. Magic (the rl version, for years), Shadowverse and Hearthstone for example. Faeria is similar to them, but also has some unique and fresh concepts.
+ map: You and your opponent play your "lands" on a map and you want to keep his lands as far from you as you can to prevent enemy creatures spawning to near to your god and directly attacking you.
+ much singleplayer content: Missions, puzzles, oversky, dragon modus, boss modus
+ co-op with a friend is possible in some game modes and it's a lot of fun. In Oversky you can also co-op with AI instead of a real player, if you can't find one.
~ difficulty: the early stages are quite hard and challenging, sometimes even a bit frustrating. The game isn't always fair and some cards and effects are very (imo "too") overpowered. But as your library and experience grows, you'll be able to deal better with the many different challenges. It takes some practice and patience though.
~ less complex. You can always cast all lands and there's no defined order for what to cast or play. That gives you a lot of freedom, but it may be unusual for players who are used to battle phases. It also lacks some strategy elements. Ground units can always engage flying units or water units, as long as they are on an adjacent field. These points may be good or bad, depending how you look at it. So I put it under "neutral".
~ there's a bit of story, but the presentation is lacking. Shadowverse did a better job. But then again, you don't usually play TCGs for the story, so I'll cut it some slack there.
- it used to be free-to-play. That's how I got it. Somewhere along the line they decided to charge players for it, which I find questionable.
Due to the last point I'm not sure if I'd recommend buying it. Why spend money for a game that used to be free? Especially when there's some good free alternatives out there. If you don't mind that and/or can get the game on discount, go for it.

Faeria is one of the few games that stuck with me over the years.
What kept me invested all this time was the staggering depth this game offers in terms of tactical decision making.
The board adds a whole new level of complexity alongside the very unique usage of Faeria's power wheel.
Unlike other TCGs on the market Faeria reduces factors like draw RNG to a minimum as you will always be presented with different options for interacting with your opponent via the board.
Purchasing the DLCs is not at all mandatory, even if you are looking to play at a competitive level.
I compiled a list of viable Non-DLC decks that I myself use without any problem at high god rank.
You can check it out here ->
Faeria will be released on console soon, so if you are looking to play on something like the Nintendo Switch, perhaps you want to wait a bit with purchasing.

better than hearthstone tbh

Most unique platform for a 'card' game I have ever experienced .. so much fun!

It's like playing Hearthstone on a battle map which adds more depth to the gameplay.
Crafting is much more generous - you get to create 6 commons per day at the start. The rarity increases with your player level, and I've gotten to the stage where I get to create 6 rares per day.

I'm a deck builder addict...and I love games like MTG, StS, Monster Train, Hearthstone (not anymore), and so forth. Idk how I didn't hear of this game sooner...I was just scrolling through the "card" section of steam to find it.
I also have really weird anxiety issues with 1v1 pvp games...can't explain it but it's there. So all of the single player content this game provides is amazing. Hopefully I can convince one friend to play the game, reach level 10 and play co-op.

Fun combination of CCG and hex based strategy, two of my favourite types of game. The community seems remarkably pleasant forthis type of hame.