He-Man and the Masters of the Universe

Battle for Eternia

Platform:

Mobile - App Store, Google Play

Engine:

Unity

Duration:

3 years

Team Size:

20+

Role:

Game Designer

He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Battle for Eternia is a digital collectible card game (CCG) developed and published by Gambit Games. Players build decks from a vast collection of cards, each representing characters, vehicles, and artifacts within the MOTU universe, and engage in turn-based battles using strategic resource management.

As the Game Designer, I was responsible for shaping the game's vision and mechanics, ensuring a cohesive and engaging player experience. My key responsibilities included:

Game Vision & Documentation: Drafted the initial Game Design Document and maintained ownership of the game's core mechanics, cards, and game modes.
Prototype Development: Created the initial proof of concept in Unity for the Mattel partnership pitch.
Card Design & Balance: Designed and scripted the first set of 300 cards, ensuring diverse mechanics and strategic depth.
Progression & Systems Design: Designed the rankings and progression system to enhance player engagement and long-term retention.
Art Direction & Asset Management: Led the art team in defining card art style and quality while gathering reference material for rewards and cosmetics.
Localization & Backend Data Management: Handled backend translations and structured reward data for multiple regions.
Engineering Collaboration: Worked closely with engineering teams on feature implementation, debugging, and optimizations.
Playtesting & Gameplay Tuning: Organized and led playtests, gathering feedback to iterate on balance and mechanics.

Gameplay & Mechanics

My biggest and favorite contribution to Battle for Eternia was designing the core gameplay and mechanics. As a ten-year Hearthstone veteran, I immediately saw an opportunity to use Hearthstone as a foundation while refining and innovating on its mechanics. To kickstart development, I recreated Hearthstone’s gameplay in Unity and systematically broke down its core features, identifying areas for improvement and streamlining.

Removing the Class System

The first major change I implemented was removing the traditional card class system found in games like Hearthstone, Magic: The Gathering, and Pokémon TCG.

In these games, class, color, or element systems define distinct playstyles and limit deck-building, making it easier for new players to craft decks. However, such systems also have drawbacks:

They stifle creativity by restricting cross-archetype experimentation.
They create balance challenges, where certain classes dominate the meta while others become unviable.

By removing the class system, I aimed to increase player freedom, diversity in deck-building, and long-term replayability, allowing for more dynamic and evolving metas.

Expanding Card Types & Mechanics

To support a classless system, I introduced new card types and reworked existing ones:

Equipment (formerly Weapons): Instead of attaching to a Hero (which was removed along with classes), Equipment now attaches to Troop cards (minions), enhancing their stats and granting status effects. These buffs are temporary, as Equipment is destroyed after a set number of uses, resetting the Troop's stats.
Artifacts (New Card Type): Representing legendary items from the Masters of the Universe universe (e.g., Sword of Power, Havoc Staff), Artifacts replace the player’s Hero Power with new, unique effects.
Vehicles (New Card Type): Similar to Troops but cannot attack directly. Instead, they provide ongoing support effects like buffing allies or damaging opponents when tapped (activated).

By introducing Equipment, Artifacts, and Vehicles, I expanded deck-building possibilities and ensured that players had multiple strategic options instead of being locked into predefined class mechanics.

Why These Changes Matter

My approach to Battle for Eternia was guided by a primary goal: to give players more freedom and variety while maintaining strategic depth. By removing the class system and introducing new card mechanics, I allowed for deeper deck-building, more creative interactions, and fewer meta restrictions. This design philosophy not only modernized the CCG experience but also ensured the game felt fresh, innovative, and true to the MOTU universe.

Card Gallery

Technical Collaboration

A substantial part of my role in Battle for Eternia involved working closely with our engineering teams to implement new features efficiently and effectively.

To kickstart each new feature, I would:

Organize planning meetings to align on design goals and technical feasibility.
Provide clear written documentation detailing the feature’s mechanics, expected behavior, and edge cases.
Showcase reference examples from other games (if applicable) to illustrate functionality.
Create flowcharts as visual aids to map out the feature’s logic, interactions, and user experience.

By maintaining open communication and structured documentation, I ensured that features were implemented smoothly, reducing ambiguity and streamlining the development process.

Playtesting & Balancing

Ensuring a fun, fair, and competitive experience in Battle for Eternia required extensive playtesting and balancing iterations. As the Lead Game Designer, I spearheaded this process, working closely with internal testers and collecting quantitative and qualitative feedback to refine gameplay mechanics, cards, and overall game balance.

Organizing & Conducting Playtests

Scheduled regular playtesting sessions, including internal team playtests and external focus groups.
Developed structured test plans, outlining key areas to evaluate (e.g., power level of new cards, game pacing, win rates of specific archetypes).
Gathered feedback from players and testers, identifying patterns in overpowered mechanics, underperforming strategies, and game flow issues.

Gameplay Balance & Iteration

Analyzed win rates, usage statistics, and match data to detect dominant or underpowered cards and mechanics.
Adjusted card costs, abilities, and synergies to maintain meta diversity and prevent imbalance.
Ensured game flow and pacing felt engaging, preventing mechanics that led to stale or frustrating experiences.
Conducted A/B testing to compare balance changes before full implementation.

Collaborating with Design & Engineering Teams

Worked with the engineering team to implement balance adjustments efficiently.
Coordinated with the art and UI teams to ensure any design changes were properly reflected in the game's visuals and UX.
Iterated based on live feedback and evolving meta trends, ensuring the game remained fresh and engaging post-launch.

Through rigorous testing and careful tuning, I helped shape a balanced and dynamic gameplay experience, allowing players to explore creative deck-building strategies while maintaining competitive integrity.

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