What is Hero Realms?
If you want a deckbuilder that doesn't take three hours to set up, Hero Realms is your move. It's a fast-paced, aggressive combat game where you build a fantasy army to wipe out your opponent's health pool in minutes.
Gameplay
Forget dungeon crawling; this is a combat deckbuilder where you're trying to zero out your opponent's health. The loop is tight and aggressive. You start with a basic deck, use gold to buy better units from a shared market, and then smash those units into your friend. It's a constant tug-of-war between economy and power. If you over-invest in gold production, you've got a massive engine but no way to deal damage. Go too heavy on attack early, and you'll stall out completely. You've got to pivot your build based on what the opponent is snatching from the market, so you can't just follow a static guide.
Run variety is more about the matchup than a roguelike journey. You'll find some nice customization in the digital version's meta-progression, with RPG-style leveling and classes like Cleric or Wizard so you aren't starting from zero. However, it's not revolutionary. It's basically Star Realms with a fantasy skin. If you've played that, you know exactly how this works. It's also pretty swingy. One bad draw can leave you holding nothing but gold while your opponent drops a massive champion on your head. It's lean and punchy, but the RNG can occasionally screw you.
While the game is free to start, be warned that you'll hit walls where you have to buy your way forward. The digital experience also has some rough edges. You'll run into bugs in the Pitfight mode and annoying asset download loops. It's not trying to be a deep narrative experience like Inscryption; it's just a fast card game that's great for quick sessions if you can stomach the technical hiccups.
Key Features
- Shared market drafting
- RPG-style character classes
- Real-time and async multiplayer
- Gold vs attack balancing
What Players Say
Players are split on the digital transition. Many call it an 'Absolute Must-Play' and love having the physical game in their pocket, but the technical side is messy. Some complain about 'trash' matchmaking and a poorly programmed shuffler, while others are frustrated by bugs in the campaign and Pitfight. There's a loud consensus that the AI has plummeted in quality, with some saying 'all the fun has gone out' because the bots make dumb moves. You'll also see complaints about the frequency of small updates and the pressure to buy additional content.
Video Review
Screenshots
Verdict
“Loved this game before the latest update of the AI. Now, AI does not know how to play at all, doing dumb moves, all the fun has gone out. No more challenge...”
“stuck on 'downloading assets'. bundle your assets with the game so you dont waste my time.”
“Absolute Must-Play! If you are looking for a game that is easy to pick up but impossible to put down, this is it! The multiplayer is a game-changer: play Real-Time or use the 48h Async mode to battle friends across the world at your own pace. Whether you’re a Wizard or a Fighter, every match feels f”
“Love the game. Even own cardboard version. For some reason game won't update itself. And it's so annoying downloading 100mb update Un this game every few days, when nothing even changes in the game.”
“looks good until you learn how much you have to BUY😡”
“fun. Great if you have played star realms”
“I've loved the physical version for years now. It's fantastic to have it in my pocket.”
“I'm really enjoying it and looking forward to playing the paper game. I wonder if there is cheating Player vs. Player. And the ten dollars for the base set is a lot more than the four dollars for Star Realms.”
“Don't play this. Buy the real card game. - real-time gameplay is with Bots, not humans. -match making is trash because you get placed with the only 3 guys with the same name fighting you, no lifers. - lost 100% of my real-time games to bots and repeated draws, the shuffler is poorly programmed. The ”
“Been busy so hadn't played in a bit... but pitfight is bugged... all save slots empty but the 6th thru 3rd work but 1st and 2nd empty slots just get stuck and stay there after selecting. Pay no attention to Campaign unwinnable haha thats only if you really not good at these games.”
I'd give it an 8/10 for the core loop, but only if you love competitive, punchy card games. Skip it if you hate RNG or want a polished, bug-free digital experience, as the technical issues and AI flaws are real.
Play for Free →* Price at time of publication (checked 30.06.2026). Prices may vary by region and are subject to change. This is an editorial review, not a commercial offer.