Common Sense Media Review
By Erin Brereton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Numerous card nuances can make the format feel daunting.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Card Crawl Adventure
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's It About?
Kids try to clear cards and reach an exit one in CARD CRAWL ADVENTURE. They tap on adjacent cards to draw a horizontal, diagonal, or vertical path. The order has an effect. When used consecutively, some attack cards, for instance, inflict more damage on monsters -- whose cards also can deplete kids' strength. If it runs out, their health drains; the game ends if that's gone. Other elements can apply, like a Shock Status Effect, disabling a card's action until the next turn. Tapping and holding cards provides a description of what they'll do.
Is It Any Good?
The other card games this developer has released are fairly straightforward -- this one, though, is more complex, and kids may find learning to play it frustrating. Getting to a point where players understand the basic Card Crawl Adventure rules could be a lengthy process. The cards invoke different actions, such as dealing three sword strikes to the next monster card you connect it to, or refueling your strength. Some actions occur right away, and others are delayed. The order kids select cards in is important. Choosing two attack cards in a row, for instance, inflicts double the damage to all monsters in the same path.
Some confusion may stem from the tutorial kids see before playing, such as it excluding the fact that there are different types of cards, which are denoted by a symbol in the upper left hand corner. Attack and Skill cards offer benefits to help you defeat monsters, while Monster cards do damage. Even if you read a card's description, its effect may still not be completely clear. In addition to the basic gameplay, kids can also try to complete three optional tasks in each tavern -- defeating the tavern boss, looting its treasure, or completing an associated quest -- to win gold that can be used to improve their character and cards. While they don't have to do any of that if they don't want to, those elements add even more complexity to the game, which can already be confusing. If kids are willing to invest the time to figure out the rules and familiarize themselves with how the cards work, the game could potentially offer them a chance to flex their logic and basic math skills, since Monster cards zap one or more strength points. The considerable learning curve that's involved in Card Crawl Adventure, though, may be a deterrent for some kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about using strategy in Card Crawl Adventure. How can you determine which moves would be best?
What should kids do when they aren't sure how to complete part of the game?
Kids can undo and retrace part of the path they've drawn in the game. Use that ability as a starting point to discuss learning from mistakes you've made. How can trying something, and then redoing it if it didn't work out be helpful?
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android
- Pricing structure : Free
- Release date : January 19, 2023
- Genre : Card Games
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic )
- Publisher : Arnold Rauers
- Version : 1.0.155
- Minimum software requirements : Requires iOS 13.0 or later and Android 5.0.
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate