Alpha v2 Playtest: Success - Nothing spooky here!
Players clashed, strategies evolved, and one deck rose above the rest.
The latest Hero Tactics playtest brought together an incredible group of players at Win Condition Games for an afternoon of strategy, experimentation, and fun. This event marked another milestone in refining the mechanics, balance, and overall player experience of Hero Tactics.
“Seeing the way players adapt mid-match tells us so much about where the game is heading, and gives us a lot of room for improvement.” said Donavin, co-creator and owner of DGDS.
The event featured four rounds of best-of-one matches under the current Prototype Rules v0.9, testing the updated async round rules – and a huge nerf to v.6’s Poison Stacking mechanic.
Players explored creative deck builds across multiple Kingdoms, testing balance in real-time and sharing feedback throughout the day.
Some of the key highlights included:
12 participants, several of which were first time players
- 2 new players managed to get to the 2-0 bracket
- Several players did manage to draw on different rounds
- Sweet prize give-aways!
This was one of our first few playtests, and we plan to do them much more regularly. Make sure you’re following along in the Discord to follow along, and keep up with new events!
The winner is...
Congratulations to our Playtest Champion: Ian, who piloted a Pyro deck to a 3:0 finish!
“As a new player, coming in and going 3:0 teaches us a few things, but the most important is that the game is able to be picked up rapidly. This tournament consisted of several people who have played multiple times!” Donavin says about the tournament outcome.
Feedback says...
Feedback from players was mostly positive, with many praising the interesting gameplay, and the excitement to see the next rule revision.
Common suggestions included fine-tuning a few abilities and adjusting healing, and poison, for more consistent play.
Looking ahead, the Hero Tactics team will:
Promptly start working on some readability concerns around certain cards
- Reducing the amount of keywords the game has to make sure it is welcoming to all types of plays
Host the next playtest in Q4, introducing revamped rules
“Each session helps us tighten the loop between fun, fairness, and fantasy,”
Most Importantly - Thank You for showing support!
A huge thank you to everyone who came out, shared ideas, and brought energy to the table.
Special thanks to Win Condition Games for hosting and to our volunteers and play testers for helping shape the future of Hero Tactics.
The hardest part of trying to turn a dream into reality, is support from amazing people in a community. We need a diverse perspective, conflicting opinions, and strong voices to make a truly one of a kind experience, and you giving us your time, and joining us in this journey is perfect – And we highly appreciate it.
