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Shadow Era gets a new expansion, a new website, and a new app
These days, the only iOS card game I'm playing with any regularity is SolForge -- I wish there was a little more to it, but the mechanics are very well-constructed. Shadow Era, one of the first collectible card games on the App Store, is still kicking around, however, and has gotten bigger than ever. The game's developers, now called Wulven Game Studios, have sent along word that they've just added a new expansion to the title, and they've released a brand-new app for that expansion, called Shadow Era: Dark Prophecies. Dark Prophecies adds about 150 new cards to the game, along with a new mechanic called Steadfast, and a new format, called Meltdown. The game also has a brand-new website to show off all of the latest content and news, so you can head there if you want to learn more. As always, Shadow Era remains free to play, with the opportunity to buy extra "crystals" if you want to pick up more cards sooner. With Blizzard's Hearthstone announcement and the onset of Rage of Bahamut-inspired card battlers, collectible card games are about to get even more popular on the App Store. But Shadow Era was one of the first out there, and it remains one of the best.
Shadow Era physical cards now being shipped to retail stores
Shadow Era is an iOS app that came out a long time ago -- it successfully combines a collectible card game (fairly similar to the World of Warcraft card game, if you've ever played that one) with a freemium business model, a plan that has worked out very well for developer Kyle Pool. So well, in fact, that he announced a little while ago that Shadow Era would be getting physical cards to go along with the iOS title, and indeed, the company has announced that Call of the Crystals, the first physical version of the original iOS title, is now headed to a game retail store near you. You can see unboxing videos floating around already -- this is a full, high quality collectible card game that originally began only on Apple's iOS platform. That's great. Apple usually brags about how much software it has seen released on its iOS, but when you look at things like all of those Angry Birds collectibles and then a game like this, that has gone from an indie developer's idea to a full franchise, it's really fascinating to see just how popular and powerful this App Store has become.
Shadow Era getting physical cards to go with iOS game
I am a big fan of Shadow Era, a really solid World of Warcraft-style virtual collectible card game for iOS. It's been out for a little while, and with a few excellent updates and expansion packs released, there's a lot of game here to be had, starting at the low price of free. Now there's news that the game is about to get a lot less virtual: Shadow Era is releasing real, physical cards to play with. It's a great deal, especially if you're a fan of the game. Wulven Game Studios has teamed up with cardmaker Cartamundi to make high-quality real cards to play with, and they're selling them in a Kickstarter-esque "crowdfunding" format, with multiple rewards levels to play at. Perhaps best of all, every penny you spend on the real cards will get matched with virtual currency in the game, so you're essentially getting both real and virtual cards for your money. The cards themselves will debut at the Origins Game Fair in Columbus, OH in the beginning of June, and the physical cards are expected to start shipping later this month. It's great to see a big iOS property like this get so popular that it's extending off into the real world in such a huge way.
TUAW's Daily App: Shadow Era
For the right player, Shadow Era is a really impressive game. I say "for the right player," because it's not exactly newbie friendly -- this is a full-fledged collectible card game, implemented right there on the iPhone and the iPad. For some players, that's probably music to your ears -- if you're a big fan of Magic: The Gathering, you'll feel right at home here as you summon allies, cast spells and build resources to take down opponents and build up your decks. But if you've never touched a competitive card game, you'll probably be lost right out of the gate. While Shadow Era does offer a few tips in a short tutorial, it's really meant for players who pretty much know what they're doing already. That said, it's awfully impressive. It combines great-looking cards in a very touch-friendly interface. Especially on the iPad, I could lose quite a few hours in this, battling away and reading out all of the cards, their special features, and checking out the great, well-designed art. The controls are easy-to-learn and surprisingly intuitive, and once you figure out the game's rhythm, it's fast and simple to navigate. The game comes with a deck to play with, of course, and you can buy more via in-app purchase -- they're not super cheap, but compared to other collectible card games, the prices are more than competitive. Plus, the game offers nice touches like Retina Display support and Game Center integration as well. For a free app, Shadow Era is a must-download for fans of CCGs, and even players who want to get started with the genre can head over to the website to both play online and read through the rules.
