Me and my partner are massive card game fans and will give everything a try at least once, so I was super excited when Once Upon A Galaxy’s open beta dropped last month. While the game is still a ways away from being finished, it already shows mountains of promise and charm.
Once Upon A Galaxy is an autochess-style card game, similar to Hearthstone’s Battlegrounds mode. You assemble a board of units by cycling through shops between rounds of combat and you can buff your cards with spells and treasures along the way. All of the characters are based on fairytales or mythological creatures and heroes, so there’s no external lore to learn before getting stuck in.
The in-game tutorial is currently extremely bare-bones, but I honestly think this is a testament to how easy Once Upon A Galaxy is to pick up and play. My partner found it incredibly easy to start as they’re an avid Battlegrounds player, but I also got to grips with the game loop very quickly as someone who is less well-versed in autochess. If you need a little more help getting stuck in, there’s a comprehensive guide on the game’s website, too.
I really shouldn’t be surprised at how fun and well-made this game is considering the team at Million Dreams Games has worked on games like Magic The Gathering, Hearthstone, and Storybook Brawl in the past. The gameplay loop is incredibly satisfying and asynchronous, so you can take your time on your turn to really consider your plays. This is a massive positive for me as I find the ticking clock of other games extremely stressful and it often leads to missplays. You can truly take Once Upon A Galaxy at your own pace, like a leisurely stroll through a magical forest.
Once Upon A Galaxy shares a lot of similarities with games in its genre, but also adds plenty of new mechanics like the treasure hoard system and its card classes of hero, toy, villain, and more. Thanks to the use of well-established characters, it’s easy to read which cards fit into which categories simply from the art, making decision-making much easier. My main issue with the gameplay currently is that it doesn’t feel like you’re battling real people, especially when your opponent’s leader card is highlighted rather than their profile. However, I can see this changing in the full version of the game when everything else is finished.
Although a lot of Once Upon A Galaxy’s art is unfinished, the completed art is absolutely stunning. From majestic dragons to elegant fairies, the artists have captured so much whimsy in their work that gives the game a unique visual style but doesn’t distract from the gameplay. The idea of a universe filled with fairytales means you can create interactions between, for example, the fairy court from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Frankenstein, which adds an extra element of fun for younger players.
My partner and I are actually really glad that Million Dreams Games has released this demo with unfinished artwork because it shows that the team is truly putting the gameplay loop, balancing, and bug fixes first, rather than focusing on visuals for a game that’s either boring or broken. Plus, as an added bonus, we get to see the early sketches of the characters.
While the finished product is still a while off, if you’re into CCGs or autochess games, you need to download Once Upon A Galaxy. It’s definitely one of the new mobile games to watch, and there’s a wonderful Discord community dedicated to helping the game progress. I personally can’t wait to see where this game goes.
For more digital cardboard, check out our list of the best mobile card games out there. Alternatively, to get to know another side of the fae realm, head over to our fairy Pokémon guide.