Shardbound

Shardbound is a turn-based strategy game with card game features. The title was released on PC and it was developed by Spiritwalk Games, a studio founded by developers who previously worked in Electronic Arts on a MOBA game titled Dawngate.

Plot

The game takes place in a fantasy world that was almost completely destroyed by a magic disaster. Currently it consists of a series of islands floating above the core of the planet. High above the islands there are shards of the ancient realm. From time to time they drop from the sky, allowing humans to gain access to ancient riches and artifacts. The players assume the role of scouts who are trying to take advantage of these opportunities to gain riches and fame.

Mechanics

Gameplay in Shardbound for PC focuses mostly on turn-based battles that take place on small maps filled with hexes. The players participate in the battles with manually composed decks of cards. Among the cards there are those that enable the players to activate spells or to summon units. After playing unit cards, the warriors appear on the battlefield and the players can control them like in classic strategy games. The key aspects of combat lie in the abilities of units, the shape of the terrain and the obstacles on the map.

There are six factions in the game – each one with unique characters and skills. The developers created a few hundred of units. Since it is a card game, collecting cards is an important aspect of the title.

Game modes

Shardbound for PC is online oriented and it is strongly integrated with Twitch. What’s interesting, the integration isn’t limited to the possibility to stream PvP battles – it can also impact the strategic aspect of the game. Watching transmissions can trigger the floating island of another player to drop into the world of the watcher. This is accompanied by unique challenges available only for the watchers. The players can sign in for matches with famous streamers, send them decks for reviewing, participate in their tournaments and help them in the turf battles between guilds.

Last updated on September 7, 2017