In the world of collectible card games, there are a number of heavy hitters. From traditional card games like Pokemon and Magic: The Gathering which have online platforms to Hearthstone which capitalizes on the World of Warcraft fan base, the competition is pretty stiff. Faeria however, is able to compete due to its combination board and card mechanics that set it apart from the rest.
Faeria made its first contact with the gaming community in 2014 through its Kickstarter campaign. The campaign was successful, raising 94,000 dollars. Abrakam started development of Faeria in 2015. In March of 2016 Faeria was released in early access via Steam. The game was fully released in March 2017.
A free-to-play CCG, Faeria adds in a twist to the normal card game. Adding in board game elements, the game is played on a board made up of hexagonal lands. Lands need to be placed in order for creatures to attack the opponent.
There are 5 land types. The basic land is plains. Two of these can be summoned per turn. Pond, desert, mountain and forest lands can only be placed once per turn. Certain creatures need a number of specific elemental lands in order to be summoned. Those lands need to be owned by the player, not the opponent. Until the number of lands are placed and free of creatures, those creatures cannot be summoned.
Creatures have various abilities that affect gameplay. Various creatures have abilities that trigger when summoned called Gifts. Others can fly over the water without needing lands. Some characters can jump lands, while others are ranged and can attack from across the board. Certain characters have Deathtouch, which allows them to instantly kill any creature they harm. While other card games have abilities, most just revolve around battling instead of creature movement which is not present in typical CCGs. These abilities, as well as others, combined with needing to think about land placement, create the need for various strategies.
Land placement is not the only thing you can do each turn, however. While placing lands in the beginning is the way to go, later turns do not require lands to be placed as often. This gives way to other options, such as gaining one Faeria or drawing a card. Having built in draw each turn on top of your normal draw almost negates the need to play creatures that have draw abilities. This changes how decks are built in Faeria versus other CCGs.
The combining of board and card game mechanics makes for an interesting game. A higher level of strategy is needed as determining where and what type of land to place as well as what creatures to summon makes the game more complicated than a straightforward card game. The interaction between characters can also vary more, keeping the game fresh.
It is for these reasons that Faeria can hold its own against the bigger card games. Abrakam has created a niche within the two different game genres, attracting various types of players. Fast paced, strategic and entertaining, Faeria is a game all CCG players should try.
