Cross The Ages

Overview

The Apologium sets the stage for a battlefield where you'll vie for the Primal Vibration, the ultimate source of power in the world. Two diametrically opposing worlds, one hinged on elemental magic and the other on technological advancements, will contend. The lore of 'Cross the Ages' is both profound and extensive, already encompassing two separate novels that offer immersion into its universe and backstory.

Gameplay

As per usual, let's begin with the game's visual appeal, specifically, the artwork on the cards. Much like many card games where the cards are of essential importance and their artwork is typically stunning, 'Cross the Ages' is no exception. Furthermore, the cards receive visual enhancements as they level up. At present, three out of five teased levels are discernible, each subsequent level introducing animated visuals. Moreover, each card acknowledges its respective artist within the game itself, and a full inspection of the card reveals the complete, borderless artwork used.

Cross the Ages is a trading card game, and you may think, 'we're familiar with trading card games,' but trust me when I say this game will revolutionize your perspective. 'Cross the Ages' distinguishes itself not merely through its art style or animated cards but predominantly through its playing field. The game is uniquely staged on a 4x4 grid, unlike any of its competitors, and it boasts a distinctive gameplay and mechanics awaiting your exploration and mastery.

Upon your initial encounter with the game in the tutorials (which you'll undoubtedly need), you'll observe a complex, intricate, seven-element type-match-up chart shaped like a Heptagram. Grappling with the elemental advantages and synergies can be quite overwhelming, necessitating some time to adjust.

Once you've completed the tutorials and dare to venture into deck-building, you may initially feel a tad lost and puzzled as you assemble a 30-card deck from your available cards within a point cap. This process encourages you to continuously swap and reselect cards in hopes of crafting a deck that suits your play style and chosen element. The task can be initially daunting, and could certainly benefit from more guidance.

Beyond the deck creator and Heptagram, the game itself poses a challenge and takes a few rounds to get used to. At first, the mechanics might seem simple—just play a higher power card to capture your opponent’s—but it quickly gets more complex with elemental effects, affinities, board effects, faction bonuses, trinity synergies, leader abilities, and more. These mechanics aren't the most straightforward, and you'll need to embrace this unique style of trading card game. However, once you gain a better understanding and score your first wins, you’ll start spotting more tactical opportunities to enhance your plays and fine-tune your deck for an edge over your opponent.

Review

Cross the Ages is surprisingly fun and doesn’t waste your time. Matches can wrap up in under 12 minutes since each player has a time limit to make their move, which makes it perfect for quick breaks. But don’t let the short match time fool you—every card you play can flip the board completely, so you’ve got to stay sharp the whole way through.

The game’s been in development for years, and it shows. The visuals are clean, the card art is honestly awesome, the story’s solid, and new content keeps rolling in. They even have a proper tutorial for new players, which you’ll definitely need because this game isn’t like other TCGs. Instead of magic spells and trap cards, Cross the Ages plays on a 4x4 board. You win by controlling territory, not just by overpowering your opponent. It’s all about smart placement, deck building, and knowing how to use the Heptagram system, where each card has an elemental type with strengths and weaknesses. It flips the typical TCG formula on its head, and it actually works really well. Big points for originality here. You can play on both PC and mobile. Personally, I prefer the mobile version as it feels smoother and more intuitive. The PC version looks great too, especially when it comes to seeing the full Heptagram clearly, but I did run into a few lags here and there.

Web3 stuff is built into the game but doesn’t feel forced. Their main token powers the card ecosystem, and you can trade cards easily, even if you’re not into crypto. There’s an on-ramp system, so even Web2 players can jump in and trade without needing a wallet. Plus, with regular expansion packs, cosmetics, and even some cool collabs (like one with Watch Dogs), there’s always something new to check out.

Now, obviously, it’s a TCG, so yeah, there’s a bit of a pay-to-win angle. Players who spend will have an edge, especially when new meta cards drop or when crafting stronger versions of cards. That said, the game puts a cap on total deck power, so big spenders don’t completely steamroll everyone. It’s not perfect, but it’s fair enough.

Long-term, the game’s replayability depends on how strong the community stays. TCGs are already kind of niche, and with CTA’s unique mechanics, it narrows the audience even more. But if you’re a card game fan and this clicks with you, you’ll probably go all in—building decks, theorycrafting, and sticking around. It’s the kind of game that might not go mainstream, but the people who get hooked will stay loyal.