Good afternoon, savvy savers! This post is coming from Daddy Bear, otherwise known as my husband! I have decided to spotlight a weekly series from the male perspective on saving, which will be called, “Tips From The Man Cave.” This week I asked Daddy Bear to spotlight a game that could be obtained, played, and maintained by kids; this posting is focused on children from the age of ten and up.

So, without further ado, here is a Tip From The Man Cave:

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is a online collectible card game much in the same vein as Magic: the gathering and Pokemon. I would like to offer a quick review of it and some great deals that you could cash in on for your spouse, your kids, or if you enjoy good online games like I do….youself!

First and foremost, let me let you know I am already a big time supporter of all things Blizzard. I already play World of Warcraft (Blizzard’s headliner franchise) and Diablo III. Blizzard as a company is constantly giving fans of all their games something to look forward to and a great game experience with whatever the title. I played Magic: the Gathering in college and for several years thereafter, and within the last year I have started playing a local comic book store, in my area. I enjoyed playing in the event nights they had every Friday. It was great. I could play, hang out, and even manage to win a few tournaments. Then bang, the shop closed. I began to give up on the idea of having something Magic-like to enjoy. Suddenly, in the last few weeks I discovered Hearthstone. Hearthstone is a game I first heard about in the podcasts genre, and was I pleasantly surprised to discover that it was free to play, and decided to download it and give it a try. Low and behold, I found a good a replacement for Magic as could be found; I can have the fun and excitement of planning a deck and playing others, without having to wait for Friday to come along!What’s better, is that I am to customize the amount of time I play around my busy working schedule, I can play whenever have a few extra minutes to sit and unwind.

The game itself is straightforward. This is an online, kid-friendly, non-monetary card deck game. Players earn their started deck by playing against the computer. Players are represented as heros in the game. Starting at 30 life, or level 30, the game proceeds in a turn by turn format as each player uses their 30 card deck of creature cards and spell cards to reduce their opponent’s hero to reduce their opponent’s hero to zero life. After six rounds of playing against computer run opponents that explain the game mechanics and how different cards interact, the game sets players up to play against other in head to head matches or in the Arena. Head to head matches can be practice or ranked, and often feature bright, colorful screens! Practice matches are straightforward head to head with nothing online but a single game, and can help build useful math skills as well. This mode is best for putting together deck you want to play with for the other mode, ranked. Ranked play allows for the collection of ranked levels. The amount of wins needed to advance a rank gets larger as you advance and loses will move you backwards. It can be pretty competitive but winning in ranked play really feels great, especially if you play with a deck you created on your own.

Another great aspect of the game is Arena play. Arena play offer a lot of the same thrills as ranked play but offers a new aspect that makes it more of a challenge but also easier to succeed, all players must draft the cards they play with. This mechanic allows any player with knowledge about the worth of the cards offered to put together a competitive deck without the worry of having to have the best of the best cards to be competitive for the top spots. Players receive rewards for completing tasks in play mode, but those rewards are even bigger in Arena play.

What’s best about this game is free to play, there are no additional token, add-ons, or the like to add to the game, ever! The game rewards the player with gold and Arcane dust that can be used to buy expert pack (gold) or to create specific cards you really want (Arcane Dust). Cards in your collection can be turned into Arcane dust but will be gone from your collection until you receive another as either an in game reward or from an expert pack. The game funds itself. Kids earn their achievements in the game, and in turn their playing equipment as well.

This is a great game for the whole family. It is challenging enough for adults to enjoy without being so complicated that younger family members would be overwhelmed. I recommend you download this game and give it a try. As well, I wanted to mention that this review is unpaid, unsolicited, and is merely my own opinion of both the Hearthstone online game, as well as Blizzard Entertainment itself!

Thanks for hanging out in the cave!