Royston Reviews: Steem Monsters

Hello reader! This is going to be a little series of articles I will write now and again as I find blockchain games/dApps across the internet. For my first article, we're taking a look at Steem Monsters, the popular dApp that has around half the daily users that steemit.com itself does according to stateofthedapps.com.

STEEM MONSTERS:

Steem Monsters is a trading card game similar in some ways to Hearthstone. However, instead of two players building decks to play matches with, matches only revolve around one summoner (a character that does not perform directly in combat, instead providing buffs to monsters), and up to six monsters. When both players have chosen their teams, the game takes place, monsters battling each other in order until only one team remains.

I don't tend to play trading card games, but back when I played Magic the Gathering, I preferred red mana decks, so I decided to go with the fire splinter to start. After getting myself acquainted with the mechanics, and starting to develop a few strategies of my own, I can proudly say I have worked my way up to Bronze III in ranked, an achievement I'm sure most players that have stuck with the game have accomplished.

One of the biggest criticisms of blockchain games of the past is that there's little to actually do. Some games have you collect creatures you can only sell or breed, and in others, you simply collect tiles of land and buildings. Steem Monsters sets itself apart from idle games such as these by creating something with a variety of strategies, even with just the starter pack. That being said, it's a shame that players don't have more of a direct influence on the battles, as for now it can feel like a coin toss as to whether or not you win a match, especially in the earlier tiers.

I've only been playing the game for a brief time, so perhaps I will come back to it in the future once I've had a chance to gather some cards and try out some different teams, but for now, here's my opinion in short:

Conclusion

MINIMUM INVESTMENT: $10 This can be paid via paypal, Steem, and some other cryptocurrencies, but you do need a starter pack to get things going. You can win more cards by participating in ranked matches, but this does take time.

What does this add to blockchain gaming?: Steem Monsters is one of the first "game" dApps I've seen on the Steem platform, and we've hit the ground running by avoiding another idle game. That being said, a little more interactivity would be nice, but I enjoy the game as is. I will continue playing, and I may come back and review this a second time once I've had a chance to grow in the game.

Rating: 4/5

Website: https://steemmonsters.com/

My Referral Link: https://steemmonsters.com?ref=croyston117