I ll always remember Duelyst for its spectacularly dumb monster fights. Following a recent takeover from Bandai Namco, the collectible card game is continuing on, eggs-a-poppin and minions-a-marching. Next month there ll be an expansion of 100 cards, including six new generals with which to lead your beasts into battle, one new leader for each faction. One of them is called “Ragnora the Relentless” which is a perfect name for any small pet. (more…)

The makers of card game monster-battler Duelyst [official site] recently got into bed with publishers Bandai Namco. But now the problems of this transfer of power are rearing their heads and, oh no, they UGLY. The most noticeable issue is that some players from Russia and other non-US countries have found themselves locked out of the game. A game they ve spent a huge amount of time and money on. And it appears this is part of a larger shutting down operation. (more…)

My favourite take on monster chess and free-to-play collectible card game Duelyst [official site] is partnering with publisher Bandai Namco, say developers Counterplay Games. The deal won t change the design team, say Counterplay, they re still in charge of inventing horrible beasts and animating them with neato pixel art, but the publisher will now be in charge of managing the servers, advertising and customer service. This could be a good sign, or it could be a bad sign, or it could be a sign that reads: I am not particularly significant . … [visit site to read more]

Whoops, I missed this when it happened last week. Duelyst [official site], the collectible card game full of dumb possibilities, has been updated to allow for even more dumb possibilities. Wonderful! Usually, you can only build your decks of minions and monsters from a single faction (and some “neutral” cards if you like). But a new “Rift” mode is letting player draft cards from all factions into bulbous, weird decks, then fight it out with each other. … [visit site to read more]

It s card game madness this week. Not only has Faeria announced plans for a co-op campaign but the third expansion for fellow minion battler Duelyst [official site] also came out yesterday. It s called Ancient Bonds and, like the BBC s Bruce Parry, it is all about dem tribes. … [visit site to read more]

I like Duelyst [official site], which is a surprise. The world of collectible card games is a giant skip full of broken stepladders and dirty blankets, but every so often you find a perfectly serviceable coffee table. Duelyst is my coffee table. I ve been playing for 60+ hours, bullying my way up the ranks with questionable tactics and ugly monsters. But yesterday, at the stroke of midnight, I fought the dumbest, most spectacular multiplayer match I have ever played, not just in Duelyst, but probably any game. My trouble is: how do I explain this to someone who doesn t fight in this sleazy free-to-play arena of monsters and microscopic maths? How do I communicate to you just how intractibly stupid this game was? Let s try using words. … [visit site to read more]

If Hearthstone is the Pokemon of today s free-to-play card battling, Duelyst [official site] sometimes feels like the Digimon lesser-known but still beloved and popular enough to get by. Also: objectively better in every way. Some big changes are coming in the next patch though, including the addition of AI-controlled bosses who will change every week and bleed rewards when you defeat them. That s good. Meanwhile, the daily challenges small one-turn problems that are Duelyst s equivalent to chess puzzles – are being put on hold. That s sad.

Let’s have a more detailed look at the changes, and what else is good or sad. … [visit site to read more]

Have You Played? is an endless stream of game retrospectives. One a day, every day of the year, perhaps for all time.>

I bounced off Hearthstone, and I couldn t care less about Magic: The Gathering. If there was a Netrunner adaptation for the PC, I d play that endlessly, but apart from that I tend to shy away from collectible card games. All that deck-stacking, all those tiny sums. It just feels dirty. So why do I love Duelyst so much? … [visit site to read more]

Oh, hey, is that Rise of the Bloodborn, the second expansion to free-to-play card-battler Duelyst [official site]? We didn t see you come in. Oh, what s that – you snuck in through patch 1.78, which went live a couple of days ago? Please, make yourself at home. I’ll just tidy up a bit while you get settled. … [visit site to read more]

Duelyst is Hearthstone s child. You can see the shared DNA everywhere, from the menu layout and free to play business model to specific minion abilities and hero powers. Almost everything Hearthstone does, however, Duelyst does better. I ve spent years grinding away at the Hearthstone mill, but now I ll never go back.

… [visit site to read more]