The EGX 2015 hype is now over, the developers have gone back to their basements and thousands of gaming fans are sifting through their free swag. One of the games I actually managed to sit down and try for a while was Deckbound – Heroes.
Deckbound Heroes is a turn based game pitting your hero against your opponents, taking opportunities to occupy outposts on the map and leverage their abilities.
Deckbound itself is a collection of digital collectible card games all sharing the same set of cards. Each card is backed and generated by a bitcoin transaction and, because of this, each card has a permanent, identifiable record on the blockchain.
Deckbound is a card game based on others like Magic – The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, Hearthstone etc. The developers wanted to make a CCG with trading in mind; anyone who has ever played a CCG will know this is one of the most fun aspects of the game. Although there is an element of pay-to-win, all the Deckbound games can be played at no cost using ‘Nomad’ cards.
‘Nomad’ cards are basically the spare cards of other players that they have placed into the Nomad pool for others to use. Players can use these cards to gain experience and unlocks of augments and tweaks that can then be used to modify cards and game elements. The players who actually own the cards in the pool do not gain experience but their cards do each time others play them, thus making them more valuable.
All cards that have been levelled are permanently written and updated to the blockchain. The cards themselves can be traded and exchanged via Deckbound or independently via sites such as Ebay etc.
As I explained above, you do not need to purchase cards to play, but if you really want to then I suggest checking out the early access bundles/discounts. Heroes will be the first Deckbound game to launch, using both Hero and Rune cards and you can find both of these in the early access bundles.
One of the most novel ideas that Deckbound has is that the cards can be taken across many different games under the ‘Deckbound’ heading, and levelled as you play them in any game. You can earn both Augments and Tweaks as you play – Augments allow the modification of certain cards and the Tweaks allow you to personalise your games. I believe the game will be available on PC iOS and Android, currently waiting on confirmation.
You can play Deckbound Heroes against human and AI opponents, and in the Alpha you’ll be able to try out specific “test” decks. The first card genesis, “Firstborn”, will launch with the Alpha of Deckbound Heroes. You can get early access to cards and Pro features at a massive discount.