An Epic Tale Told Through Cards
The story that Akora wants to tell is readily discovered in their tie-in manga, which can be found here, but the baseline of their world building is succinctly told on their original kickstarter:
"Long ago in ancient times alchemists played a game to pass the time. This game was named Akora. Using the secrets of alchemy these scholars would summon miniature creatures to do battle. After an evil natured alchemist attempted to use this summoning game to their own evil ends the game was banished. The secrets of Akora remained hidden, locked away, that is until a mysterious company called EVA released a trading card game in the present day. Will you become a champion, will you master the ancient game of Akora?"
This lore adds even more impact to the game, making you really feel like you’re part of this fantastical world. You’re holding in your hands these powerful cards with a mystical past, now recreated by a corporation with questionable intentions. Every game brings you that much closer to mastering these alchemical powers, bringing a sense of excitement to every victory.
Setting the Stage for Greatness
Mechanically, Akora employs two decks that each require some degree of nuance. The first deck is made up of nine cards, 3 of your chosen Akora’s stage 1 form, 3 of their stage 2 form, and three of their final stage. Your Akora has a number of attributes and types, making them feel unique and determining what kind of cards can go into your second deck, the Alchemy deck.
The Alchemy deck is made up of the various resources used in the game and support cards. This includes the primary resource, relic shards, whose attributes match that of your chosen Akora. Other alchemy support cards take a variety of forms, including permanent effects, buffs, instant-speed interaction, and more! Combined these elements make every game of Akora feel unique and flavorful, making it an exciting game to both play and collect!
How Does Akora TCG Compare to Other TCGs?
I’ve gone into some detail about Akora and how it plays, but in the world of trading card games many have to ask how a new game compares to other options in the gaming sphere. While Akora feels like a unique experience, it definitely has some aspects that ring similarly to other well-known TCGs. Here, I’ll talk about some of the ways that Akora feels familiar, while highlighting a few of my favorite parts of the game.
Big Anime Numbers
Yu-Gi-Oh! is well known for its use of impressively large numbers and anime aesthetics, both aspects that have given the game lasting appeal. Unfortunately, however, Yu-Gi-Oh! is also known for its bloated card text and sometimes way-too-busy artistic aesthetic. Akora, by comparison, has a lot of the former and none of the latter. Its anime and manga-like aesthetic is perfect if you love the old-school appeal of a Dark Magician with some big damage numbers, but you don’t have to worry about walls of text straining your eyes with Akora.
Advantageous Typelines
One of the defining aspects of the Pokemon TCG and several would-be-competitors are types and the advantages they gain from them. There are few things more satisfying than dishing out double damage with a type advantage, and several Akora cards help bring that experience. Lots of their buffs are focused specifically on buffing or debuffing specific types and elements, giving that same feeling of playing out a superior typing.
Finally, fans of Commander, Magic: The Gathering’s most popular format, should strongly consider giving Akora a shot. The decks of Akora are built around a single creature, the titular Akora, just like a Commander deck is designed around their individual legendary creature. While the Akora evolve over time (yet another pull for Pokemon fans), the Alchemy deck that plays alongside the Akora is built almost exclusively to synergize with the elements, attributes, and abilities of the commanding Akora.
I enjoy that Akora has clearly taken some of the best aspects of TCG design and found new ways to implement them. It says something that every Akora card I pick up feels like its own thing, rather than an attempt to capture designs or tropes that we’ve seen again and again. Akora takes some of the best parts of popular TCGs and puts its own spin on it, resulting in a gaming experience that really is incomparable.
