‘Hearthstone’ is full of stealthy math, and players might not even realize it. (From 2021)
mode. She’s also a former math teacher. “Math skills definitely help in different ways,” she notes. “Those who are good at arithmetic can count damage faster. Those who are strong in visual mathematics can also do well because they may have a better grasp for the strength of their board, the opponent’s board, and thinking ahead to how the board may look two-three turns down the road.” This isn’t math problems written out on a piece of paper, this is entirely visual.
“Something we are quite cognizant of is the amount of tracking required as a player,” Dawson says, “So when we introduce cards with upfront complexity, we make sure there’s simplicity in the back-half or surrounding elements.” He’s referring to a mechanic in the game that involves shuffling additional cards into either your own deck or your opponent’s deck, with certain cards doing specific things depending on how many additional cards have been shuffled into that deck.
Other times players will need to keep track on their own. Shuffling cards that deal damage when drawn into your opponent’s deck is another test of probability. If you’ve shuffled four cards in, and there are only eight cards remaining, it’s a 50 percent chance that one of your additional cards will be drawn on their next turn. The animations reinforce “shuffling,” and those visuals help to keep a mental count.
If all of this is sounding a bit overwhelming, fear not. Players are doing all of these cool calculations all the time, with whimsy and delight. Nothing ever feels like combat arithmetic, just an enjoyable game. “We play-test all the time and gather feedback from our team at large,” Dawson notes. “Usually if something comes across as too complicated, it’s more about if the card was presented correctly or if the card text was clear enough, rather than the player failing to understand the concept.” A guaranteed way to keep the game fun. When there is that one card that feels more complicated to master than the rest, it can be even more rewarding to rise to the challenge.