Game introduction:

"Aces & Adventures" is a card battle game that combines the classic poker gameplay with diverse deck-building game modes.

The game differs from general deck-building card games (such as Hearthstone and Magic: The Gathering) in that it introduces poker gameplay into card battles. Players can use poker mechanisms to attack (such as single cards, pairs, flushes, etc.), and the opponent player must play poker cards of the same form as you and with a higher point value to defend, otherwise, they will lose health. If the defense is successful, the game will continue until one party loses health, just like traditional poker gameplay.

In addition to poker gameplay, the game also puts a lot of effort into deck-building. Players can draw different skill cards during the game, and each skill card can produce different effects in combination with the poker cards in the player's hand, greatly enhancing the game's strategicality and reducing the weight of the luck factor in regular poker games.

Not only do different skill cards enhance the game's strategic nature, but the character cards responsible for battles in the game can also be grown and built, similar to the gameplay of Hearthstone. The battle between players is conducted through different character cards, each of which has different health and characteristics. As the game progresses, players can also activate the unique abilities and skills of different character cards to enhance the strength of specific character cards. At the same time, different trait cards (Roguelike elements) will appear, contributing to the overall strength of the player's deck.

And in addition to these two features, the game also incorporates the mechanism of tabletop RPG-style scenario cards in the game progression. Players will draw a scenario card at the end of each turn to set the story background for the next round of the game. At the same time, the tabletop RPG-style gameplay gives players ample imagination space, making the entire game process more ups and downs, enhancing the game's replayability and process diversity. Players will have a different experience in each game. The different experiences of such games in the past were reflected in different game strategies. The addition of tabletop RPG-style plot cards also elevates this different experience to the game's process.

Game Analysis:

• Integration of poker and deck-building gameplay

When it comes to the game "Aces & Adventures", the most direct gameplay is poker + Hearthstone. Unlike the combination of mechanics in other innovative games, poker and deck-building (Hearthstone) are the fusion of different gameplays under the same game form (cards).

Poker, like chess and mahjong, is an offline board game with high popularity and playability. This gameplay itself has a certain strategic depth and fun and can stand the test of time.

The gameplay of poker can greatly reduce the entry threshold of the game because most players have experience with poker games, and even basic poker games (such as: Fight the Landlord, Golden Flower) have a large number of permanent players. This kind of game that incorporates classic gameplay can not only lower the game threshold but also attract some players who like this kind of gameplay to join.

Deck-building is a relatively new gameplay, basically brought up by Hearthstone and Magic: The Gathering, different from the classic offline gameplay of poker. This gameplay is born for the game, with more detailed settings and rules, and different card characters. It focuses on the construction of card character strength and can be paired with different skill cards to enhance the playability of the game.

In addition, the skill cards in the game can also produce a linkage effect with the poker cards in hand (can change the size of the suit points), not just skill cards, character traits, and trait cards are the same. This makes the game's poker gameplay more diversified and playable, and the game's gameplay is not just limited to the basic strategic thinking of poker, but it really achieves the fusion with the building.

The most important thing is that poker itself has a more mature strategic depth than deck-building, and the gameplay of deck-building has higher playability and diversity. The combination of the two ensures the playability of the game while subtly enhancing the strategy of the game, and it does not need to increase the complexity of the game rules and the entry threshold.

• Multi-faceted Strength Building

As mentioned before, the game also puts a lot of effort into deck-building, not only with specialized trait building for current character cards but also with strength building targeted at the players themselves, which refers to trait cards.

The combination of building in different aspects makes the game's strategic test for players more comprehensive, avoiding severe biases and enhancing the strategic gaming experience for the players.

• Tabletop RPG-style scenario cards bring a more diversified process experience (storytelling experience)

Speaking of the most distinctive feature of the game, it must be the introduction of tabletop RPG-style scenario cards. The game introduces the background setting for the next round by drawing a scenario card after each round. Different scenario settings will give players different gains and opportunities, just like the non-linear exploration in most Roguelike games.

But in "Aces & Adventures", the scenario for the next round is determined by drawing cards, unlike most Roguelike games where players can choose the direction to move forward. This further enhances the randomness of the game, and these tabletop RPG-style scenario cards also give players a larger imagination space to enrich the player's process experience.

For most card games, the replayability of the game is mainly reflected in the strategic game between different players in each round, and they don't care about the game's process. Because the process of most turn-based card games is just to take turns to play cards. The introduction of these tabletop RPG-style scenario cards sets a mini background for each round of the game, and playing a game is like experiencing an RPG adventure. There is a complete process experience, not just pure confrontational card playing.

It greatly enhances the diversity of the game's rounds and also deepens the player's impression of the round process, enhancing the immersion of the game itself.

Player Research:

• Card game players' emphasis on process experience (storytelling experience)

"Aces & Adventures" greatly optimizes the process experience, using the introduction of tabletop RPG-style scenario cards to set the story background for each round, thereby deepening the player's impression of the rounds in the game.

This enhancement of the process experience will greatly increase the immersion of card game players in the game, giving the originally monotonous round experience a more specific setting, which is also the main reason why "Aces & Adventures" can stand out from many card games.

It also shows the importance of the round game experience for card game players, not only reflected in the diverse round strategies but also in the differentiated process experience.

Design Analysis:

• Integration of Classic Gameplay and Different Game Mechanics

Classic gameplay, especially offline board games (Mahjong, Poker, Chess) and early electronic games (Tetris), are game genres with a large number of players and fans, with a very wide audience and a vast age span.

Whether offline or online (e.g., Happy Fight the Landlord, Mahjong Soul), these games have many regular players. However, because these games have a long history and the gameplay is relatively single, many players inevitably feel bored, especially with these competitive board games.

There are two main reasons: 1, they have understood these games for too long, and the rules and strategies have already been mastered. 2, they don't like to get in touch with games that are completely different from this type.

Games that integrate classic gameplay, while maintaining the core gameplay without too much change, introduce other gameplay and mechanics, making the game experience fresher and more diversified. Like the previously popular "Tetris 99" on the Switch platform, it introduced the Battle Royale mode while ensuring the gameplay of Tetris, allowing Tetris players to also experience the fun of Battle Royale, greatly optimizing the game experience and rhythm.

Summary & Outlooks:

• Integration of Classic Gameplay and Emerging Game Mechanics

Classic gameplay similar to board and card games (Mahjong, Chess, Poker) has a large audience base, so there's no need to worry about issues like the entry threshold and acceptance level of the game. By introducing some innovative settings or mechanics from today's electronic games while maintaining the original classic gameplay, it can ensure the gaming experience of existing players while bringing them more novelty.

• Introduction of Storytelling Settings in Non-procedural Games

By introducing storytelling settings in non-procedural games, it can give more meaning to the game and cater to more process-oriented players. The introduction of tabletop RPG-style scenario cards is a good attempt for card games. This scenario-based card setting can be introduced into more card games, especially competitive card games that emphasize strategic gameplay.