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Released way back in 2019, Battlegrounds is an auto-battler add-on to the original Hearthstone constructed mode. It has its own unique set of cards, although there’s some crossover with the base game. Based on Twitch viewers alone, Hearthstone Battlegrounds is likely the most popular version of Hearthstone there currently is.
Battlegrounds Is Best…
Hearthstone Battlegrounds is a well-balanced auto-battler that strides a thin line between competitive play and casual silliness. While there are no official pro tournaments, the entire Battlegrounds playlist is essentially a ranked mode where you move up and down MMR based on your match placement. There are some seriously good Battlegrounds players, and when I’m not playing myself, I’m watching them dominate with utterly bonkers strategies.
The game has sets of cards divided into Tribes, like Quilboars (pigs that love to eat gems), Mechs that magnetize to each other, and Murlocs that multiply like the frogs they are. While there are set builds that tend to win games, it’s the flexibility and slow progression of each round that keeps me coming back for more. You may start off with a solid board, but a single card discovered on turn six might change the entire playing field. Every decision feels impactful, and you’ll know immediately if you’ve made the wrong one when you get hit for max damage by a high-rolling Dragon player on turn eight.
But There Have Been Others
One of the reasons I’m always drawn back to Battlegrounds is because there’s always a new contender on the block. Take The Bazaar. Although a self-described “hero builder”, the game is essentially an auto battler, and while I enjoyed parts of the beta that ran late last year, the current game is infested with microtransactions that are so unappealing I immediately uninstalled it. I went back to Battlegrounds. Which has some scummy microtransactions too, like being able to reroll your hero selection at the start of the game for 25p a pop, but they don’t get in the way of the core experience.
Super Auto Pets was a big favourite back in 2021, with its more casual style appealing to my mobile phone in particular. However, even after DLC packs and patches, the meta of Super Auto Pets began to feel pretty samey. Although the games were different each time, it always felt like there were just one or two ways to win a round. I went back to Battlegrounds. Battlegrounds games always feel different.
Team Fight Tactics is another great auto battler, but I only find myself revisiting it after a major patch. I’m not massive on the world-building of League of Legends (sorry Arcane) and the user interface isn’t my favourite either. I went back to Battlegrounds. It’s a simplistic game with an easy-to-understand interface, even when they update it with a new patch that adds seasonal mechanics.
Backpack Battles ate so much of my time in 2024. I absolutely adored the Tetris-like management of your backpack, rotating items a thousand times to get the optimal layout. It even found a spot in my 2024 Game of the Year list. It’s a perfect casual game with no turn-timer between rounds, which means you can take as long as you like to reorganise everything. However, the game is in a state right now with so many items and combinations that it’s very difficult to get back into the game. Those who have played consistently since launch have a better understanding of how everything fits together. I went back to Battlegrounds. While new patches bring new additions to Battlegrounds, the core concepts of the game remain the same, which means it’s easy to jump back in and relearn everything even after months away.
I’m always on the lookout for new auto battler games. They appeal to my gaming tastes in this day and age of responsibilities and a lack of time. I’m hopeful that another will spring up over the next few years, but until then, there’s always Battlegrounds.
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