You can’t talk about a CCG without talking about the cards. And there are a ton. Infantry, tanks, artillery, and aircraft. And those are just the military units. There are also event cards or support cards that can be used in tandem with the rest of your deck to reinforce your headquarters, bolster an attack, or counter enemy maneuvers.

And while players gain access to the base decks when starting the game, better cards can be incorporated into your library of potential cards with card packs. Other games lock the best cards behind painfully slow progression or paywalls that force players to spend real-world currency in order to unlock the strongest cards. KARDS, however, seems easier than most to play without having to invest money if you don’t want to.

It’s possible to get all of the cards in the game without paying. I’m hours and hours away from that achievement, but I like how KARDS makes it inviting for all players.

How to play?

Each player has a deck. From that deck, they draw their hand. Each player also possesses headquarters—with finite health—that must be defended. Using the customized mix of units and support cards, players will draw from their hands and put cards into play. Playing cards from the hand and activating units on the field both cost kredits. Kredits are the action points that each player can gather in order to execute their strategy on the battlefield. The battlefield is divided into the support line and the frontline. Each can hold five cards total and they serve different purposes. Units start at the support line, where the HQ is located. The frontline is the land between the opposing forces. Only one side can occupy it at a time. Infantry and tanks must be in the frontline to deal damage to the enemy’s support line and HQ. Play progresses until one player has defeated another player’s HQ.

It’s pretty straightforward, and it’s an engaging battle of defensive and offensive decisions as players try to undo the enemy’s progress and whittle down the strength of the opposing nation.