In a press release sent to Gaming Cypher, developer Bit Mass announced that it will be showcasing The Ancient Hero Returns update at PAX South.
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Jan. 20, 2015 — Hot off the heels of the “Doorway to Madness” update—and after a very successful 2014—Cards and Castles developer Bit Mass will be featuring its latest content update, “The Ancient Hero Returns,” at PAX South later this week. Attendees will be able to chat with creator Matt Siegel and play the game on the show floor!
Cards and Castles, which launched on iOS and Android devices in April 2014, is the first title developed by indie studio Bit Mass. A novel approach to collectible card games (CCGs), Cards and Castles adds grid-based strategy gameplay and a number of formidable factions (Vikings, Crusaders, Warlocks, Pirates, or Ninjas) to keep things interesting. The game now boasts more than 400,000 downloads worldwide.
2014: A Banner Year for Cards and Castles
Shortly after the April launch, new cards and music were added to the game. In July, Bit Mass added a ranked system to make Cards and Castles more competitive. Then in August, the “Ninja” faction was introduced—immediately followed by the first set of quests. Special Halloween skins were released in October.
November marked the beginning of a huge overhaul to the game’s Challenge mode. In “Draft Mode,” players were able to compete against each other in live or asynchronous matches using decks created on the fly. In December, card collectors everywhere were happy to see that Foil cards had reached their final form and could be collected by players.
Cards and Castles has been featured in Apple’s App Store four times. The “Doorway to Madness” update was named one of the “Best App Updates” in 20 different countries, including the U.S. and China. The game has received rave reviews from players all over the world, with an average 4.5 rating in the App Store.
“We’ve seen 1,000 percent growth in downloads since the ‘Doorway to Madness’ update hit last week,” said Matt Siegel, founder of Bit Mass. “We expect to do even better with ‘The Ancient Hero Returns.’ This expansion adds a ton of single-player content, a drafting-style competition format—and neat features such as automatic deck building and a much-requested ‘Abandon Quest’ button. Slow January? We don’t think so!”
Key Features (Core Game)
- Unique strategy gameplay blended with collectible cards for endless variety and deep tactical play.
- Battle against players worldwide to improve your rank.
- Multiple factions with their own cards, strengths and weaknesses: Vikings, Crusaders, Warlocks, Pirates, and Ninjas.
- Frequent content updates: New cards and game mechanics are released on a regular basis.
- Bit Points: In-game currency can be used to purchase cards, decks, and Draft Contest entry.
- Supports both asynchronous play “on the go” and traditional live multiplayer.
- Create unique decks and battle opponents in the Draft Contest.
- Foil cards enhance the collectible experience.
- Crafting system: Destroy unused cards and forge that card you’ve been lusting after!
Key Features (“The Ancient Hero Returns” Update)
- Draft Contest revamp: Pick cards one at a time for intense competition based on the popular tournament format.
- New “Brynjolf the Ancient Hero” single player mini-campaign.
- Keep tabs on your friends: See when they’re online—and find out how you rank in comparison with a friendly leaderboard option!
- Scenarios are now grouped for easy access.
- Support link available for seamless communication with the devs.
- Need a “do over”? An “Abandon Quest” option is now available.
- Throw caution to the wind with a deck auto-builder.
- When a user collects a new card, it’s now marked as “new.”
- Deck “win” stats now tracked for rankings.
- “New and improved” automatic deck naming.
- Max wins now tracked in Draft mode.
- Win streaks (live mode only).
Cards and Castles is free to play and can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play.
Related: Cards and Castles Unlocks Doorway to Madness Update
Source: Press Release
I'm a published author and proud US Army veteran who happens to be a gamer, so I decided to combine the two and love every minute of it! Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments and I'll be sure to get back to you.
Great start to the year Lord Vontre