App Review: Adventure Time: Card Wars for iOS and Android

My youngest son is our Adventure Time fan. Based on our multiple product reviews and the birthday party he had in January, our blog regulars probably know that already.

GeekMom received an invitation to check out the new Adventure Time: Card Wars app for iOS and Android, and I was happy to check it out and let my sons play. The review here discusses our download of the iOS version for my iPad 2. We did not test it on our Android tablet.

The game is based on the Season 4 Adventure Time episode, “Card Wars“, in which Jake the Dog unearths a card deck and challenges Finn the Human to a game. The winner of the game is to be deemed “Cool Guy,” while the loser is the “Dweeb” and has to drink a grog-style drink of assorted ingredients as penance. The card game in the episode pays homage to popular TTGs such as Magic: The Gathering and Pokémon. In the episode, you see a wide variety of capabilities and non-capabilities that can be used to battle your opponent.

The app is based on this game accurately enough, even though I saw some reviewer on iTunes complain that not all capabilities from the television episode were available in the app. Players will start with a tutorial that covers the basics of game play. Then, you’re all set to venture on your own.

First, you’ll lay down your “land” cards, which provide the setting. These cards frame what warriors and spells you’re able to set up on the tabletop. After your opponent sets up his/her land cards, warriors, and spells, you will then “battle.”

The battle part of the game takes a little bit of tablet savvy. As seen in the image below, there’s a spinning pointer on-screen. Tap the tablet to time the pointer with where you want it to land. Where it ends up corresponds with the level of attack or defense you will have. You win/lose the game according to the types of cards you have in combination with your ability to tap the tablet properly. It’s an interesting mix.

My sons are really enjoying this game and continue to play it often after nearly three weeks. However, there are in-app purchases available that they claim would help them enjoy it more. We ordinarily don’t do in-app purchases, but gems are available for purchase at approximately $0.99 each.

Like other games, the in-app purchases will help you achieve tasks more quickly. However, the game can be played perfectly well without the investment.

Adventure Time: Card Wars retails for $3.99 and is now available at both the iTunes App Store for iOS and Google Play for Android devices. In-app purchases start at $0.99. The game is rated for ages 9+ for infrequent/mild cartoon or fantasy violence.

GeekMom received this item for review purposes.