Heart of Crown
- Players
- 2-4
- Best withThe player count this game plays best at.
- 3 players
- Play timeHow long a full game runs once everyone knows the rules.
- 60 min
- AgeThe minimum age printed by the publisher.
- 12+
- ComplexityHow demanding the rules are, from 1 (very light) to 5 (very heavy).
- 2.5 / 5
- Year
- 2011
About the game
Heart of Crown is a deck-building card game in which players compete to place their chosen princess on the throne of a unified empire following the sudden death of its emperor. Starting with identical decks built around 'Rural' territory cards and 'Apprentice Handmaid' succession cards, players use their growing coin income to buy stronger cards from a shared market. Each of the six available princesses offers unique support abilities, but since there's only one copy of each, players must act quickly to field the one that fits their strategy. Success is measured in Succession Points; once a player controls 20 or more and survives their opponents' final chance to interfere, their princess claims the throne.
Hobbli's Notes
Heart of Crown offers a fresh spin on the Dominion-style deck-building formula by adding the princess-fielding layer, which gives each game a distinct asymmetric flavor depending on who claims which princess first. The anime-inspired art and fantasy theme give it a different feel from most Western deck-builders, which will appeal to some players and not others. It's a solid pick for deck-building fans looking for a new formula to master rather than a genre-defining reinvention.
What we like
- Fresh spin on the classic deck-building formula.
- Charming anime-style fantasy artwork.
- Asymmetric princess abilities add strategic variety.
- Accessible for players who already enjoy Dominion-style games.
Keep in mind
- Deck-building genre may feel derivative to some players.
- Anime art style and theme won't appeal to everyone.
- Best appreciated by players already familiar with deck-builders.
Who it's for
Good for fans of deck-building games aged 12 and up, playing in groups of two to four.
