Shadowverse is an online, collectible card game similar to that of Hearthstone. They both contain multiple classes and characters each with unique style of gameplay and cards. Both games have the 10 point mana system and the game will feel extremely familiar to Hearthstone players.

But this isn’t a simple Hearthstone knockoff, Shadowverse is unique in its own way. The different classes, while lacking in the special abilities given to the heroes of Hearthstone, all contain unique abilities limited to their cards. For example, the elf class revolves around summoning cards that create fairies and using them to activate their card abilities. The dragon knight class uses his cards to increase his mana pool to access the cards’ ability as it only works when his total available mana is above a certain value. The necromancer class on the other hand gets stronger as more cards build up in the graveyard and can end the game in one turn with the right conditions.

While there are other differences, the biggest difference is the ability to evolve your cards. After a certain number of turns, each player is allowed to evolve their cards, albeit only a certain number of times in the duel. These evolutions can greatly affect the outcome of the duel as it increases the stats of the card and sometimes give powerful abilities. Unlike in Hearthstone where the second player gets a mana card, the second player gets an extra evolution point to even the playing field.

A more certain date for the Shadowverse soft launch is not yet confirmed, but the soft launch will retain all its player data and progress into the official release. If you are in need of a change of pace from Hearthstone, go try it out.