Home Team Heroes Card Game Review

Jim Gamer
Jul 21
5 min read

Home Team Heroes

WBG Score: 8

Player Count: 2

You’ll like this if you like: Magic and Football

This is a free review copy of the game. See our review policy here

This is a very interesting concept. Designer Jussi Saarinen has come up with a concept for combining card playing elements seen in games like Magic, and turning it into a football-based two-player card game that supports lower-level football teams. How? Well, the idea is the game can be easily replicated to represent the playing staff of any team. That team can then sell their version of the game on the Home Team Games website and make a small profit themselves. There is no risk or cost to the team, just a small profit for each sale, which, with their own playing staff in, will surely be a winner. It's a great idea to help local teams, as well as develop a bespoke game for each fan of every club. As a concept, I absolutely adore it. But how does it play as a game? Let's get it to the table and see how it plays.

How To Set Up Home Team Heroes

You can create your own deck using cards from multiple decks. Or, simply shuffle one deck of playing cards and deal seven cards to each player. Place the remaining cards in the centre where each player can reach it. Place the two yellow and red cards and goal cards separate from this on the table. In the advanced mode, you can also draw five cards and place them face down in front of each player. These are your subs. You can use them when ever you wish, but you cannot look at them until you draw them. Now, pick a random player to start; it doesn't matter. And you are now ready to begin.

How To Play Home Team Heroes

Players will now take turns having two possessions each half, one at a time. When your possession is over, the other player has a turn. Players have two possessions, then it is half time. All cards are shuffled, and you go again. In the second half, you do the same again, two possessions each, one at a time. The game then ends, and the player with the most goals wins. For the advanced mode, at half time, instead of shuffling all cards back into the deck, each player can decide which players from the discard pile to shuffle back into their deck and which ones to leave in the discard pile.

On a player's possession, they will play one event card, if they wish, then one player card. The card they play must start with a one shirt number. The second card can now be a one or two. The third can be a one, two, or three. After you have played at least three cards, you can then attempt a shot at goal. Each card shows an attack and defence stat. You score a goal if your total attack value exceeds your opponent's total defence value. There are various card effects that can increase or decrease your total score. Add up your total at the point the attacking player decides to shoot, and either a goal is scored or not.

In the advanced mode, the attacking player, after a failed shot, can retain possession and have another try if they complete a successful press by having a higher defence value than the opponent's defence value. Their attack was not good enough to score, but their attacking player's defensive skills allowed them to win back the ball for another try. You can do this a maximum of three times each possession. There is a clean-up and refill between a failed attack and a successful press.

At various points, you may gain a free-kick or a penalty. Free kicks work by each player drawing the top two cards from the deck. They pick their highest attacking card for the attacker, and defensive card for the defender. Then the player with the highest card wins. If the attacker wins, they score a goal. If the defender wins, no goal is conceded. The same applies to a penalty, except the defending player only draws a single card this time.

Various cards can be played as event cards. One per turn, before a playing card is played. They allow you to alter the effect of the game in various ways, as explained on the card. You can book the other player, and then if they get booked again, that means they receive a red card. This reduces their hand size by one permanently, as well as reducing the total defence and attack score by one for the rest of the game.

You can force players to discard the player they just played, or the event card they just played, and you can add fancy boots to your players to improve their stats. All sorts of different cards and powers.

Is It Fun? Home Team Heroes Card Game Review

The game itself is very simple in its mechanics, which makes it accessible to players of all ages and skill levels. However, the depth of strategy involved in the choices you make as you play your cards feels absolutely delicious and engaging. Each decision carries weight, and as you navigate your options, the tension builds, creating an exhilarating experience. Much like football!

You may find yourself in possession of a great defensive card, one that could potentially turn the tide of the game in your favour. Yet, at the moment, you are on the attack, pushing forward with your offensive strategy. This raises a critical question: do you hold back that valuable defensive card for your next attack phase, anticipating that it will be more beneficial later on, or do you desperately need to deploy it now to bolster your current position hoping your press at least will give you another chance? The stakes feel high as you weigh your options.

Furthermore, you might consider whether a substitute card at this juncture could help improve your situation on the field. Is it worth the risk to take a card that could serve you better later in the game? Or should you exercise restraint and save your extra cards for future attacks, where they might have a greater impact as your opponents deck runs dry.

As you assess your opponent's current hand, you may notice that they possess a strong set of cards right now. This prompts you to think strategically about your own card choices. Can you afford to be a little more conservative, playing defensively and waiting for the right moment to strike? Or do you need to go all-in, pushing aggressively to affect the pace of the game and disrupt your opponent's strategy?

Perhaps you observe that, while their attack may seem poor at the moment, they have a formidable defence that will allow them to maintain pressure on you unless you stand firm and counter their advances. This adds another layer of complexity to your decision-making process. And the back-and-forth really do feel like a little game of footy.

What may appear to be a simple choice at first glance begins to take on significant meaning as you continue to play. The dynamics of the game shift, especially as goals start flying in, creating moments of celebration and excitement. You will find yourself cheering during various phases of play, as cards are laid down and goals are scored, mirroring the intensity and thrill of a real game. Each choice you make, each card you play, contributes to the unfolding narrative of the match, making the experience not just about winning or losing, but about the journey and the strategic dance between you and your opponent.

I don't see this being enjoyed by people who don't like football. And of course, if the cards are decked out in players from the team you support, it will be even more fun for you. But I think that is the point. This is a bespoke, unique little game that can really drill down into a niche area, and I am all in for it.