Athenion: Tactical CCG Adds a Grid-Based Twist to the Collectible Card Game Genre

We first became aware of Athenion: Tactical CCG last year, when it went live in select regions. Initial player impressions were positive, and we’ve been dying to play it.

And now we can, thanks to the game’s global launch. Developed by Zero-bit, Athenion is a collectible card game with board game elements. Its familiar card-based gameplay takes place on an innovative 4×4 playing grid, creating a whole new CCG experience.

It’s a gorgeous game, too. The anime-inspired visuals are slick and polished and the voice-acting is totally convincing. 

But it’s the gameplay we’re interested in. Athenion is more tactical than most CCGs, thanks not only to its novel grid-based board but to the huge amount of content in the game. There are more than 300 cards, and countless possible combinations. You can harness unique abilities and create devastating combos by playing the right cards together. 

Fights are turn-based, and each card has directional arrows indicating where it can direct its attacks. This forces you to think carefully about placement to maximise the damage you can inflict on adjacent cards. 

There are six different factions to choose from, three of which are offensive and three of which are defensive. The offensive ones include the fast and agile Cyclone Fury, the swarmy Shadow Realm, and the berserking Flame Legion. 

The defensive factions, meanwhile, include the healing Divine Grace, the defensive line-building Tital Nether, and the space-locking Planet Guardians. 

Each of these factions has its own properties and special abilities, and learning how they all work and interact with one another is absolutely essential if you want to stay on top. 

Between factions, abilities, combos, and so on Athenion is a staggeringly rich strategy game, with a wealth of tactical options to suit every playing style and situation. 

You can give Athenion a go by downloading it on Google Play and the App Store