The number of different online and digital games is increasing year by year. It takes less time for them to gain popularity these days. Even card games have turned digital with new ideas and experimentation. Hearthstone and Legends of Runeterra are the most popular digital card games.
Key Takeaways
- Hearthstone is a collectable card game set in the Warcraft universe, while Legends of Runeterra is a collectable card game set in the League of Legends universe.
- Hearthstone has simpler gameplay focusing on RNG (Random Number Generation), while Legends of Runeterra has more complex gameplay focusing on strategy and decision-making.
- Hearthstone has a larger player base and more content, while Legends of Runeterra has a more generous reward system and a more diverse meta-game.
Hearthstone vs Legends of Runeterra
The difference between the Hearthstone and Legends of Runeterra is that in Hearthstone, there are 30 cards assembled before the match. In Legends of Runeterra, there are 40 cards assembled before the game. Other differences exist in origin, gameplay, story, development, difficulty level, and understanding.
Hearthstone is a free-to-play online digital collectable card game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. The game was released on March 11, 2014, for Microsoft Windows and macOS and later for Android and iOS.
The game uses the same elements, characters, and relics of the existing lore of the Warcraft series.
Legends of Runeterra – LoR is a free-to-play digital collectable card game developed and published by Riot Games. The game was released on April 29, 2020, for Microsoft Windows, Android, and iOS.
The characters and settings of the game are from a multiplayer online battle arena game, the League of Legends, by Riot Games.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Hearthstone | Legends of Runeterra |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | Hearthstone was released in the year 2014 by Blizzard Entertainment. | Legends of Runeterra was released in the year 2020 by Riot Games. |
| Deck | It has a deck of 30 cards in the beginning. | It has a deck of 40 cards in the beginning. |
| Understanding | It is comparatively easier to understand. | It is comparatively difficult to understand. |
| Development | Hearthstone has more additions and expansions to the game. | It is a new game which is steadily introducing new things. |
| Popularity | It has comparatively more popularity. | It has comparatively less popularity. |
What is Hearthstone?
Hearthstone is a free-to-play online digital collectable card game based on Blizzard’s Warcraft universe. The gameplay mainly involves deck building and card collecting. Each player must pick a hero from ten different classes and create a deck of thirty cards.
These cards will be used to battle the opposing players. To tilt the combat (fight) in their favour, each hero and card has its powers.
A coin is tossed before the match to decide which player goes first. A coin is tossed before the start of a game to determine which player goes first. The winner would then draw three cards from his or her deck, and the second player would draw four.
The cards drawn can be replaced if the player wishes to. Each player then receives a mana crystal which can be used to play cards. Succeeding turns to give players additional mana crystals, maximum till ten. Players start with 30 health, and the first player to get his opponent’s health down to 0 wins.
Hearthstone is the evergreen popular digital card game. Over the years, it has added more variations and expanded its gameplay. It is considered to be much easier to understand and play in comparison with Legends of Runeterra.
And since the game has been around for a long time, it has more popularity.
What is Legends of Runeterra?
Legend of Runeterra is a free-to-play online digital collectable card game based on the multiplayer online battle arena game, the League of Legends by Riot Games. The gameplay of Legends of Runeterra also mainly involves deck building and card collecting.
The game has similar gameplay mechanics.
It does have some slight variations in it. Each player gets to choose between eight regions with several champions that can be added to their forty-card deck. Only two regions can be combined, and only six champions can be included.
Every Champion card has powerful abilities that can be used to fight the opposite decks.
Here, every player begins with 20 health, and the victor is the first to whittle down their opponent’s health to 0. For some, the gameplay is slightly more difficult to understand. It was released in the year 2020, and it does not have any additions or variations.
It is also the reason why it has popularity when compared with Hearthstone. But as it is a new game, it is an opportunity for new players to learn and develop skills.
Main Differences Between Hearthstone and Legends of Runeterra
- Hearthstone was developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment and was released on March 11, 2014. Legends of Runeterra, on the other hand, was developed and published by Riot Games and was released on April 29, 2020.
- In Hearthstone, there are 30 cards assembled before the match. On the contrary, in Legends of Runeterra, there are 40 cards assembled before the match.
- Hearthstone is a much easier game, while Legends of Runeterra can be difficult to understand.
- There have been many additions and expansions to Hearthstone. On the other hand, Legends of Runeterra is steadily introducing new variations.
- Hearthstone has comparatively more popularity than the Legends of Runeterra.
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/7860426/
- https://www.koreascience.or.kr/article/CFKO202022449680603.page
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Hearthstone is so mainstream, Legends of Runeterra sounds more interesting since it has a more diverse meta-game.
I never knew about these games, the article provides a great introduction to Hearthstone and Legends of Runeterra
Agreed, it’s a good overview of the two games.
Yes, it covers their origins, gameplay, and popularity well.
I appreciate the detailed comparison and explanation of these games, it’s very informative.
The differences between Hearthstone and Legends of Runeterra are quite clear, I appreciate the detailed comparison given in the article
Yes, the article does a great job at highlighting the key differences between the two games
Legends of Runeterra’s unique gameplay mechanics and its association with League of Legends make it more appealing to me
I can see why, the connection to League of Legends adds to its appeal.
As a fan of the Warcraft universe, Hearthstone appeals to me more, so I’ll be giving it a try
Absolutely, the connection to Warcraft makes it more engaging.
I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, especially if you’re familiar with the Warcraft lore.
I’ve been playing Hearthstone for years, I think it’s much easier to understand and play than Legends of Runeterra
Sure, I find Hearthstone more beginner-friendly.
I agree, Hearthstone is more accessible for new players.
I am a fan of digital card games, I had no idea about these two games, but I think Hearthstone sounds more suitable for me
Yes, Hearthstone is a classic digital card game with a lot to offer.
Hearthstone vs Legends of Runeterra, the ultimate showdown!
I am not informed about these games, but Hearthstone sounds interesting as it has a larger player base and more content, so I might give it a try
Yes, Hearthstone is a great game with a lot of variety and content, you should definitely try it out.