Comparison

Hero Emblems vs Bardcard

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both games, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Hero Emblems

Embark on a fantasy adventure blending classic JRPG storytelling with engaging match-3 puzzle combat. Explore a vast world, battle diverse monsters with unique weaknesses, and make choices that shape your destiny. Experience a deep, story-driven quest with no in-app purchases or ads.

Highlights
  • Classical JRPG style adventures
  • Turn-based match-3 combat
  • Large adventure world map
  • Diverse monsters with weaknesses
  • Story-driven quests
  • Choice-based stage progression
Features
Read full description

Match Tiles, Beat' em Up, Adventure – Brand New Experience of Classical JRPG "Hero Emblems is proof that there’s still room in the market for a great match-3 adventure" - TouchArcade.com (4.5/5 Stars) "Hero Emblems is a challenging new match-three RPG that you won't be able to put down" - AppAdvice.com (4.5/5 Starts) "The game is cute, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy." - PocketTactics.com (4/5 Stars) "Hero Emblems is an old school game packaged for the new school, and it’s awesome" - GamesInAsia.com (8.5/10) Hero Emblems is a JRPG that mixes “Side-Scrolling beat' em up” and “Match-3” features. Set in the middle-ages fantasy world of sword-fighting and wizardry, it is an adventure of 4 brave warriors who wield different emblem powers and their attempts to stop the re-awakening of the God of Evil. ==Game Features== ►Classical JRPG style adventures Complete presentation the traditional JRPG world which let you enjoy the fun of the console JRPG experience. ► Unique turn-based battle to offer the beat' em up experience Launch combo attacks, defense, healing and skills by matching rule. ►Big adventure world map Bravely traverse into dungeons, wilderness, caves, and cross the ocean to visit the new continents in the fantasy world. In the journey, you will meet different personalities NPC, and visit a variety of village to purchase the new equipments and skills. ►A variety of monsters with different kinds of weakness attributes and attack debuffs Different Monsters have its own strong/weakness. Some of them would attack with debuffs, such as poisoning, sealing, freezing, petrifying. You have to determine the strategy to attack the weakness of monsters with specific skills and remove the debuffs by matching rules. ►Story-driven quests. Seamless transitions between the battle scene and cutscene let you deeply immerse in the story. CAUTION! NO WARNING ALERT WHEN BOSS ARISES! ►Choose the cross roads of stages!? Choose the fate!? What will the ending be like? ►No IAP! No Ads! ==Background Story== Three thousand years ago, the ancient God of Evil captured the Shayara Kingdom. In those desperate times, four heroes rose to defeat the God of Evil with all their might. The heroic tales of these 4 heroes have been passed down for generations. Now, the ancient God of Evil is re-awakening...New generation of heroes, are you ready?

About

Bardcard

Embark on a card-matching roguelite adventure through a mysterious subterranean world. Explore over 40 rooms, discover unique items, battle monsters, and uncover the secrets of this realm. Can you survive the dungeon and find your brother?

Highlights
  • Card-matching dungeon exploration
  • Over 40 rooms with secrets
  • 150+ unique hand-drawn cards
  • Old-school RPG elements
  • Challenging roguelite system
  • Persistent artifacts and companions
Features
Read full description

Bardcard is a card-matching roguelite featuring a mysterious subterranean world to explore. Match cards to advance through the dungeon. Discover helpful equipment, battle dangerous minions, and meet magical familiars that join you on your adventure. Learn the secrets of this realm and discover the truth about the chaos that engulfs it. Can you find your brother Lukas? Who is ZUG? How far down does this dungeon go? FEATURES ========= - 40+ rooms to explore: Determine the best card-matching sequence to survive each floor. Keep on the lookout for alternate exits leading down less-traveled paths, and rare artifacts that appear when specific cards are matched. Are you exploring a dark room? In that case you’d better bring a torch! - 150+ unique, hand-drawn cards to discover: Weapons, armor, and magical items to protect you in the dungeon. Various characters that guide you, teach skills, and present puzzles. Monsters and traps to thwart your progress at every turn. There’s a lot to discover, and each game is a bit different than the last. - Old-school RPG elements set within an immersive world: Turn-based action, experience levels, quests to complete, and more. We’ve taken elements from all our favorite games of yesteryear and rolled them into Bardcard. - Beautiful soundtrack created by us: We’ve orchestrated every flute, piano, and xylophone to create a unique realm to adventure in. - Challenging rogelite system with powerful persistent artifacts: Death is likely unavoidable in this dangerous world. Lucky for you, there are special items and companions that stick with you no matter what happens in the dungeon. ACCOLADES ========== App Store Game of the Day (11/8/22) ABOUT RASCAL MAGIC ================== We are two childhood friends building a mysterious world for you to explore. Originally from Michigan and now based up and down the West Coast, we create everything from the gameplay, imagery, audio, and story, to physical apparel and collectibles. Although we charge a small price for downloading our games, we don’t have in-game advertising or in-app purchases. It’s just not our thing. Instead, you get access to the entire game and future updates. Let’s do this! We’d love to hear from you: hello@rascalmagic.com

Screenshots

Hero Emblems4 screens
Bardcard4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Bardcard at monthly against Hero Emblems's every 3 months. Bardcard also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (88% vs 79%). Hero Emblems's advantage is ratings volume (406 vs 55) and price ($2.99 vs $3.99). On ads, in-app purchases, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Hero Emblems costs $2.99 and Bardcard $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bardcard holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hero Emblems has 406 ratings behind it against 55, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Hero Emblems's written reviews are positive against 88% of Bardcard's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hero Emblems ships an update every 3 months, Bardcard monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Hero Emblems versus Bardcard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHero EmblemsBardcard
Price$2.99 — better$3.99
Rating4.5 (406 ratings)4.7 (55 ratings) — better
Positive reviews79.4% of reviews87.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings406 — better55
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank#118 — better#198
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size148 MB188 MB
Age rating12+9+
DeveloperHeatPot Games Ltd.Kevin Mikles

Customer experience

Hero Emblems

All ratings406 ratings
Positive88.2%
Neutral4.4%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews606 reviews
Positive79.4%
Neutral9.4%
Negative11.2%

Bardcard

All ratings55 ratings
Positive92.7%
Neutral1.8%
Negative5.5%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%

Bugs and requests

Hero Emblems

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Crashes after completing final boss battle
  • Save file deletion issues
  • Background music playback problems
  • Language settings reverting unexpectedly

Requested features

5 requests
  • Difficulty settings or easy mode
  • Mid-level checkpoints to avoid repeating content
  • Ability to change equipment during battles
  • Improved iCloud/cross-device save syncing
  • Option to disable random encounters

Bardcard

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Hero Emblems

No in-app purchases

None

Bardcard

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hero Emblems free?
Hero Emblems costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bardcard free?
Bardcard costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hero Emblems or Bardcard?
Bardcard is rated higher. Hero Emblems averages 4.5 out of 5 from 406 ratings, while Bardcard averages 4.7 from 55 ratings.
Do Hero Emblems or Bardcard have ads?
Neither Hero Emblems nor Bardcard shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hero Emblems or Bardcard?
Hero Emblems ships an update every 3 months, and Bardcard monthly. Most recently, Hero Emblems was updated on October 14, 2026 and Bardcard on October 9, 2026.
Which is more popular, Hero Emblems or Bardcard?
Hero Emblems currently peaks at #118 in the App Store charts, and Bardcard at #198. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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