Hearthstone: Rastakhan's Rumble

The latest expansion for this popular card strategy game provides a new twist to the gameplay that will keep gamers enthralled for a long time Previously, solo adventures cost players some coin, but it's time to rejoice, because the single player mode in Hearthstone: Rastakhan's Rumble, called Rumble Run, is now free-to-play (like Hearthstone itself). Of course to really enjoy it, players will have to buy some cards, and if they're determined to collect all 135, that could mean hundreds of dollars spent on a free-to-play game. While that might not be welcome news for some parents, they will be happy to hear that Rastakhan's Rumble (and Hearthstone as a whole) has tremendous replay value. The solo adventure starts by letting you pick a hero class and one of three powerful Shrines. Shrines are the key to winning (either adding new hero skills or augmenting existing ones) and smart players will build their decks around them. Of course, Shrines can be destroyed (temporarily—they come back after three turns) and a successful strategy involves taking out your opponent's Shrine while maximizing yours. Each round you win, you get to choose a handful of new cards to take into the next, and that's good, because each randomly-chosen boss gets progressively stronger.

The solo adventure alone could take gamers a while to complete, depending on their skill level, but the reward for this is underwhelming. After getting through a harrowing eight-fight tournament, all they get is a special decorative card back. No high-level or special skill cards, no card packs, no in-game currency—nothing. That's admittedly a let-down, but some consolation is the fun they'll have testing their deck-building skills by integrating these new Zandalari cards into their arsenals and trying new decks against Hearthstone's more than 100 million players. It's also hard to deny the delight of the expansion's sound and visuals, which more than measure up to Blizzard's impeccable standards. All in all, Hearthstone: Rastakhan's Rumble is great, kid-friendly entertainment that's well worth the download, and its cards make a fun and stylish addition to your kids' Hearthstone collection.