We were big fans of the Card Wars: Adventure Time game when it came out in 2014: it was a really fun card-battling game for kids based on the popular Cartoon Networks show.
Now there’s a sequel, and it’s just as excellent. Card Wars Kingdom: Adventure Time Card Game has been released for Android, iPhone and iPad.
The basics of the game remain the same: children build a virtual ‘deck’ of cards featuring characters and attacks or magic spells, then set out to battle the Adventure Time cast, from Jake and Finn to Bubblegum Princess and Marceline. They can also choose to play as anyone they’ve unlocked.
If you’ve ever played a card-battler game like Hearthstone, this is very similar but more child-friendly. Which doesn’t mean dumbed down: there is lots of strategy for kids to get their heads around in Card Wars Kingdom.
They’ll have to choose the best deck that suits the way they’d like to play – powerful attacking, awesome magic or healing power? – and then pick the right moment to unleash their cards on the opponent.
It may sound complicated, but the game does a very good job of explaining how everything works as you go along: the tutorial slips seamlessly into the main game, with regular prompts explaining new features and options. Within 15 minutes your kids will know what to do, but mastering the game’s intricacies will take much longer.
That includes levelling up and unlocking new cards and skills, as well as blending creatures to make them more powerful. Besides working through the game’s solo battles, there are also multiplayer features: you can imagine children gathering to battle one another, although there are also features to share and borrow creatures from friends too.
Here’s our video hands-on:
Although Card Wars Kingdom is free to download, it uses in-app purchases to make its money, which you’ll want to be aware of as a parent. Its gems virtual currency is sold for between £0.79 for 100 gems to £39.99 for 8,000. From our first session with the game, it doesn’t seem too aggressive on nudging players to spend money.
Card Wars Kingdom: Adventure Time Card Game is a free download for iPhone and iPad, and a free download for Android.