I don’t really love hearts the game, but, it is interesting to play none-the-less. Hearts supposedly belongs to the Whist family of card games. Yeah I don’t know what Whist is either, except Bridge is another member of the family. There’s like a ton of card games out there, and a ton of computer versions. This version is online, in the form of a Java applet. It took me a bit to catch on to how to play, because it’s just so off the wall, it isn’t hard, however.
With hearts you can have 2 or more players (I think up to 6), however most commonly played is the 4 player version. Especially computer ones, use 4 players even if the other three are the computer. This particular online version spouts three computer players.
In any case the play basically goes like this, you each get dealt thirteen cards. Then you have to pass 3 cards to your left, right, or above (across), each hand, and the forth hand no cards are passed. In the Windows version you can only pass once, however in this version I’ve found you can click the cards back down again, and then choose 3 more after you’ve been passed to. Okay so now play goes clockwise. Your goal is to try to score the LEAST amount of points. Heart cards are worth one point, the queen of spades is worth thirteen. The highest card is the Ace, then King, Queen, Jack, and finally the number cards. The person that has the two of clubs starts with that. You must place down cards of the same suit, unless you have no more cards of that suit in which case you can play any. You can’t play hearts until one has been “broken” that is, until it’s been played which of course only happens when you have no cards of the current suit. Hearts is over when one player reaches one hundred points. The person with the lowest “score” wins.
The interface is fairly easy you simply click stuff, however there’s a little issue I have. You must click on the left side of the card, or else it complains. In some cases it says you need to use the same suit as the “Kitty” (I believe the first card played in that round), in others it just makes the noise it does when you choose a card. I found this somewhat annoying and thought there was a bug, but it turns out that the way they “pick” cards is by the left hand side (to the left of the card rank). There’s no music, and there are a few sounds. Glass breaking sound when a heart is broken, a sound for the buttons, and an explosion like sound for the queen of spades (if you happen to “win” by the queen of spades being the highest card). Not the greatest sounds, but not the worse. The graphics aren’t anything to write home about. In fact the whole layout isn’t that great, the bright red clashes with the playfield, and the whole thing isn’t really cohesive.
I have to say as far as card games go, I’ve played better. As far as this version goes, it’s ok, not spectacular, not terrible. It’s easy enough to play, and you might find more to play with on the Twelve Toes website. If you like Hearts or card games in general, you may like this, then again you may decide to go elsewhere.
Final Analysis: Around average version of Hearts, however people who like the game might not mind playing here.
Name: Non-Member Hearts
Developer: Twelve Toes
Price: Free (java applet)
Where you can play it: Here on the Twelve Toes Website.
Tags: browser game, Card and Board, Casual, free, Freeware, fun, game, games, independent, Indie, java, Mighty Realms, review, reviews
I really appreciate the review. Since the review, the site Mighty Realms has gone into the abyss. We now have a new site at YellzBellz.com with a new version of the game, I took into account some of the recommendations of this review. Try out the new version and let me know what you think!
Thanks!