Maelstrom Game Mode
For this design challenge I designed my pitch for a casual 1VS1VS1VS1 Free-For-All game mode inside of Hearthstone I call "Maelstrom." I wanted to forge a new way to play casual Hearthstone that efficiently utilizes the existing technology because I believe that there is a place and audience for higher social interaction casual content in Hearthstone that has yet to be reached. I set out to design a unique 4 player game mode that exists alongside the core Hearthstone game mode symbiotically throughout expansion cycles. Maelstrom mode is that place. I really enjoyed this challenge and I can't wait to do more!
Notice
Clip Studio Paint, Clip Champ, paper tests, and Hearthstone were utilized to help mock up designs. This challenge is focused on game mode design, gameplay design, and UI design following Hearthstone’s development practices. This is not a real Hearthstone game mode. This is my interpretation and pitch of what a future 1VS1VS1VS1 Free-For-All Hearthstone game mode could look like.
Prototype
Below is a Prototype of the Maelstrom game mode created using Hearthstone and Clip Champ.
Maelstrom Mode
Concept
Maelstrom Mode is a 4 Player Free-For-All Hearthstone game mode where Players can choose who to interact with on their Turns and the last Player standing wins.
In Maelstrom all Players start with 30 Health and 30 Card Decks similar to Standard and Wild formats.
Each Player has access to their Maelstrom next to their Deck which holds the Cards they played this game. During Player's Turns they can spend 1 Maelstrom Use to choose a Card in their Maelstrom to return to their Hand and Lock it in their Hand for 1 Turn which is known as Storm Sickness. Each Player can only Use their Maelstrom 3 times a game.
Maelstrom Mode
Opponent Swapping
In Maelstrom on the right and left side of the Active Player's Hero (Where the enemy Hero is normally in Hearthstone) are the other two player's Heroes which are smaller. Hovering over the other Player's Heroes with your cursor or holding down your finger on them on Mobile shows their Name, Turn Order, and what they did on their last turn. Clicking with your cursor or double tapping on one of the right or left Player's Heroes on Mobile swaps them to be the Active Hero showing you their Hand, Deck, Weapon, Heropower, and most importantly Battlefield. When a Player's Hero is Clicked on the previously Active Hero becomes smaller and takes the place of the Active Player's Hero that was Clicked.
When it is not a Player's Turn all Players can see the Player's whose turn it is as they appear and disappear from across the Battlefield from them when they swap between Heroes.
Turn Order
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
YOU
0
Gain 1 Temporary mana crystal, draw 1 card, or summon a 1/1 Die Golem with a random Bonus Effect.
The Die
Maelstrom Mode
Turn Order
Turn order is determined by a Die roll at the start of the game which is rolled inside of each Player's Maelstrom. The Player going first Mulligans 3 cards while all other Players Mulligan 4. Since there is no Coin Flip, a Die Spell is given to Each Player. After all Players have their Turns a new Round begins and shifts the Turn Order downward so that all Players can experience different parts of the Turn Order. Turn Order is displayed on the far left as a column and next to Player's Heroes with the Player going next having a glowing Hourglass Symbol next to it.
Maelstrom Mode
Game Mechanics
If a Player is Defeated in the Maelstrom Game Mode their Hero is sent into their Maelstrom and it isn't over for them. During their Turns, they can choose to spend one of their remaining Maelstrom uses to trigger a game wide effect from a set of 4 random options. Defeated Player's Hands, Decks, and Battlefields do not vanish and can be interacted with. On the recently Defeated Player's next Turn they are asked to guess which Player they think will Win the game. If the Player guesses correctly they gain additional Experience.
In Maelstrom Players get additional Experience for each Player they Defeat and Experience for what position they end the game in such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th. Even if Players aren't 1st, they still get a good amount of Experience due to the longer game length.
Maelstrom has an in-game Text Chat connecting the Players in the game in a small group chat to help with strategy and social interaction.
While it isn't a Player's Turn they can Spectate the Player's whose turn it is without revealing the cards in their hand.
Choose a card in your hand to give to all Players.
Cast 4 random Spells (targets chosen randomly).
All Players summon a random 4-Cost minion.
All Players gain 6 Armor and draw 2 cards.
Who will win?
Maelstrom Mode
Card Logistics
Cards in Hearthstone that mention "Character, Enemy, Hero, Opponent, and Player" could lead to some confusion regarding what it affects in in Maelstrom games. To clarify this aspect, all cards that don't specify state "Friendly" will be able to be used on any Active Player. Cards that mention multiple Players or "All" will work on all Players like "Twisting Nether."
Some older Cards will be updated to expand their use cases and interact with more Players such as "Holy Nova" which will now hit All Player's Battlefields like "Hellfire."
Maelstrom Mode
Monetization
Maelstrom Mode is a casual free-to-play game mode that utilizes Player's Collections. Maelstrom mode features a Standard, Wild, and Custom Format option which allows a Player to invite Players to a Maelstrom Lobby where they can set special rules and/or deck restrictions.
One of the strongest drivers of purchase is social interaction related to the product. Every time a new expansion comes out groups of Players gather to open their card packs and vs each other. Maelstrom mode gives these Players a more casual way to play with friend groups.
Maelstrom works symbiotically with core Hearthstone. It works to lower the barrier of entry, raise the value of the cards in Player's Collections, provide more reasons to return to the game and build more hype around future content updates.
