Is RIOT Game's Legends of Runeterra Fun?

I have been in such a rut when it comes to gaming. I don’t have time to play grindy games that require the work of socializing and community like an MMO and I’m just too damn cool for mobile games that limit my game time by how many actions I can do in a day and have 12 billion in-game currencies. I’ve had to find good single player games to play or short games - Like Streets of Rage 4 which rules by the way!

But sometimes I need something to just play that isn’t a soul investing adventure. Something simple but not predatory. And that’s how I got into Legends of Runeterra. There should be no surprise I dabble a little in RIOT Game properties because of work but I refuse to play League of Legends. It made me… toxic. And the scar on my hand from punching through a monitor is proof of that. TFT is fun but I can’t wrap my head around the RNG chance of winning or changing my playstyle for it.  Then there is Legends of Runeterra - another card game. Yet… another one.

Not going to name drop any games but is it going to suck away my wallet with RNG boosters and an awful in-game currency economy? Is it going to be bland? Does it fill me with dread that it might get abandoned like most other games in a year? I don’t know. But what I do know is one thing. It. Is. Fun.

The game utilizes cards from the world Runeterra, the setting for League of Legends. The mechanics in the game are fun and pretty fleshed out considering its just launched.  Do I want to control enemy actions? Nuke? Make a bunch of weenies? It has most common mechanics that are available in MTG or Hearthstone so it is familiar and easy to convert to.

The combat gives you opportunities to react with “Fast” and “Burst” spells. It does not promote summoning spam since you can do something to your opponent after each of their summons. 

And possibly my favorite part. I have 3 top tier decks and I’ve only spent ~$2 on the game. I love the idea of no boosters. You can just get a card you want with real money, in-game currency, or redeemable tokens. It's a huge wallet saver for me and if I wanted to spend money to deck myself out it's mostly for in-game cosmetics that don’t change gameplay like Boards, Cardbacks, Pets, and Stickers.

My only problem with this ease of obtaining cards is almost everyone plays from FOTW Meta because it is easy to build the deck. It’s a bit annoying to do ranked and everyone mystic shots your Nexus into oblivion while I just wanna enjoy my Yasuo Stun deck! Let me hurt you and your guys!

Overall, I really enjoy the game and I’m looking forward to more additions to the game like Match History, Custom Deck Covers and a more built out rewards system for Ranked. Everyone I’ve introduced to it can’t help but to play it. The best part: It’s available on PC and Mobile (including tablets!). I even got my dad playing it!

If you’re interested in playing the game check out the link below. And no need for Vanguard, FYI.

Links to: https://playruneterra.com/