Vancouver’s Classy Yak has just released Tap Cats: Epic Card Battle.
Tap Cats: Epic Card Battle is sure to feel less convoluted, if not downright simple, to those who’ve sunken hours into Gwent, Yugioh, Pokemon Trading Card Game, or Magic: The Gathering. Though Creative Director Eva Toker told me over the phone that accessibility both in gameplay and art is really what Classy Yak was going for; “we wanted a general appeal. All was considered. The character designs follow a more comic book approach, and that really makes them more accessible to players. Our cats are in teams that fit together, which grants team bonuses. It’s another way that we’ve made deck building accessible.”
Card collecting games often follow medieval or lore-based characters, which can feel stale at times, so there is a refreshing nature to the over 200 cats available in Tap Cats: Epic Card Battle. Players can collect cats who’s appearance and personality varies from weapon-wielding alley cats to super-powered feline superheroes and villains. “I’ve been on the IP since the first game, so I’ve had a lot of creative freedom to design the cats the way I want to. Like there’s a medieval cat influenced by knights, there’s pop culture cats, super-cats, and there’s more coming with our monthly cats like our Halloween cats.” Toker offers as the specifics of her designs. There are over 200 cats to collect in the game as of right now. As Toker mentions, more cats are coming each month. As of right now, there are ten special cats in the game. But more cats will be available in the future, along with a story mode that will help introduce players to all of the teams and their cats.
This next part is my own admission and opinion. In my two hours with the game playing on a computer, I found the game to be exciting for an audience that is much younger than I. The skill involved seems quick to master. And the grind I was forced to play felt unsatisfying. But Tap Cats: Epic Card Battle is free-to-begin, so play it for yourself and see how you fell about it. I can see how Tap Cats: Epic Card Battle can be purrrrrrfect for many experienced players of card games, beginners, and casual players.
Editors note: This interview and review has been updated to correct some errors. There are already ten special cats in-game. And while there are more cats and a story mode coming, they are still a ways off. We regret the error.
