You could probably smell it from wherever you are… the collective twitching of one eye out of each and every Hearthstone fan out there. Before, you could only play the amazingly addictive card game on a PC/Mac or on a tablet. Now, after many man-hours of development, an update has been pushed to the iOS and Android apps to include a smartphone version.
The smartphone version re-jiggles the UI to make it more suited to the smaller screens that smartphones have compared to their tablet-sized siblings.
The most notable difference in-game is the placement of your hand and selection of cards. In the screenshot above, you’ll see that the hand has been moved to the lower-right of the screen. Tapping the hand brings the cards front and centre so you can read their details and select accordingly. It’s worth noting that because of this step, you can’t drag straight from the hand to your deck. That additional step will probably take a minute for Hearthstone veterans to get used to, but makes sense when considering the screen real estate available.
The smartphone version is also compatible with all of the expansions that have come out so far, including the recently released Blackrock Mountain. Additionally, those who try out the smartphone version will receive a free normal pack of cards after completion of a game. Win or lose, you’re in for a freebie!
Hearthstone was also the the recipient of the Best Multiplayer award at the BAFTA Games Awards this year. Amongst others in this video, we interviewed Hearthstone’s Game Director Eric Dodds
