 Card back of Heresy: Kingdom Come CCG | |
| Publishers | Last Unicorn Games |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 |
| Setup time | < 5 minutes |
| Playing time | < 45 minutes |
| Chance | Some |
| Skills | Reading Card playing Adding & Subtracting |
Heresy: Kingdom Come is an out-of-print collectible card game (CCG) developed and published by Last Unicorn Games (LUG) in 1995. [1] [2] [3] The game was based on religion-themed fantasy in a cyberpunk setting.
The base set, released in September 1995, [1] [2] consisted of 374 cards. [4] [5] An expansion called Project Demiurge with 90 cards was planned for a June 1996 release, but as a result of poor sales, no expansion sets were ever published. [6] [7] The company delayed the release dependent upon "sufficient orders from distributors." [8]
The theme of Heresy was the continuation of the War in Heaven between angels and demons in a futuristic cyberpunk setting. [1] [2] [9] The premise is that the barriers (known in the game as the Mirror, Shroud, or Veil) between the physical realm (the Wilds), the digital realm (the Matrix), and the spiritual realm (Heaven) have grown thin, and fallen angels on Earth are trying to use the Matrix (cyberspace) to open a portal to ascend back into Heaven. [1] [2] [9] Meanwhile, Earth is torn by conflict between not just the aforementioned angels and demons, but also human governments, corporations, criminal organizations, artificial intelligences, hackers, and cybernetically-enhanced humans. [1] [2] [9]
Players alternate turns. Cards are played into either of two zones, the Wilds (the physical realm) or the Matrix (the digital realm). To open a card means to turn it sideways.
A player wins once he or she has generated enough tau to open a portal with which to ascend to Heaven. [1]
Each card is associated with one of eight convictions, as indicated by the large icon at the top right of the card: Acquisition, Devotion, Evolution, Preservation, Rebellion, Stagnation, Technology, and Tradition. [1] [10] There are six types of cards: [1]
The card's name appears at top middle, above the art.
All cards have a large icon in the top right indicating the conviction of the card. Cards other than locations display, at the top left, call value, the requirements and cost to call (play) the card, which consists of two components:
Cards may have additional attributes in small boxes on the left side of the card:
At the bottom, in order, are:
While the vast majority of CCGs adhered to the standard ISO 216 B8 card size of 2.5" x 3.5", popularized by playing cards and the pioneering CCG Magic: The Gathering , Heresy was notable for instead using oversized cards with a much greater height. [1] The similarity of the height to that of tarot cards emphasized the magical and mystical themes of the card game. The greater card size also allowed for larger art. [1] On the other hand, the greater size was criticized for rendering the cards unable to fit in standard-sized card sleeves, as well as making shuffling difficult.
The larger card size showcased art by such well-known artists as Tim Bradstreet, Gerald Brom, Michael W. Kaluta, Tom Kidd, James O'Barr, Andrew Robinson, Barclay Shaw, John K. Snyder III, Karl Waller, and Bernie Wrightson. [11]
Steve Faragher reviewed Heresy for Arcane magazine, rating it an 8 out of 10 overall. [12] Faragher comments that "Heresy is a wonderful game that proves that startlingly original atmosphere is just as important as innovative mechanics in CCG." [12]