Cards of Heart

Cards of Heart

GoodMind Games · September 6, 2024 · Trading Card Game, Dialogue Heavy, Female Protagonist, Story Rich, Relaxing

Cards of Heart is free to play — no purchase needed. We track it so you know if that ever changes.

PC
Very Positive92% · 53
This game is free to play. Get it on Steam →

Screenshots

Cards of Heart price

Cards of Heart is free to play — there is no purchase price, on Steam or anywhere else we track. We keep watching it, so if it ever stops being free the price history on this page will show when that happened and what it changed to.

About Cards of Heart



This is the story of a girl who faced her Shadows… who, in the face of darkness, found her light.


Amalia is a librarian’s assistant living in the small fantasy town of Respite who’s haunted by Shadows- dark beings born from her negative inner thoughts. But when a wisp named Ljos appears and gives her the ability to create cards of light from her everyday life, Amalia must use this power to face her Shadows and learn how to move forward while acknowledging the pain of her past.

Developed in consultation with clinical psychologists and therapists, Amalia's abilities in the game are inspired by real-life therapeutic techniques. Amalia’s journey highlights both the uncomfortable reality of living with mental health challenges like depression and anxiety and the power of finding ways to manage them.

  • Explore the town of Respite. Complete errands for townsfolk ranging from baking macarons to story time in the library! As you face more Shadows, you’ll unlock more of the town, giving you more areas to explore.
  • Collect cards from Amalia's everyday experiences and build your deck. With each quest Amalia completes, she’ll create a card with stunning hand-drawn art and its own unique effects. What happens if you collect them all?
  • Face Amalia’s Shadows in card battles. Learn the patterns of each Shadow, then counter them using techniques and strategies drawn from therapeutic practices. Will you combine cards to create chains of thought and reflect Shadow’s cards back at them? Or will you use Techniques to add extra cards to your hand and remove devastating debuffs from Amalia? How you approach each one is up to you!
  • Upgrade your cards after every loss. Take a step back with Amalia and practice self care to make your cards even stronger!
  • Uncover Amalia’s memories. Experience a story of love and loss as Amalia processes her past with her light spirit companion, Ljos. Where did the Shadows come from, and what memories are they hiding?
  • Pet the dog. Yes, you do get a card for that.

Cards of Heart was developed as a Master’s thesis project at the University of Southern California. Directed by Marielle Brady, the game was made over the course of a year by a team of 30+ students passionate about normalizing stories about mental health challenges and ways to manage them.


Content note: Cards of Heart deals with themes of anxiety, depression, loss, and mental health challenges. Please consider whether these topics are right for you. If you need to seek help, there are a number of resources available online.

Cards of Heart — game info

Platforms
Windows, macOS
Player modes
Single-player
PC Game Pass
Not included
More games like this:Mac games

What Steam players say

Recent verbatim reviews from Steam — separate from playze.io community reviews below.

Not recommended Nov 6, 2025
This game is adorable, and it's free! But... if a friend genuinely asked me if it's worth playing, I'd probably say no. For a few reasons: [list][*] It's a bit too heavyhanded for me - your stats are "empowerment" and "connectedness". Your magical critter companion talks to you kinda clinically like a therapist would, not like a mysterious fantasy creature. It's not very immersive. [*] Most of the game consists of Amalia being too anxious/depressed to complete a task, the therapist companion saying "Why don't you just give it a try?", Amalia instantly agreeing with no pushback whatsoever, completing the task and being happy. What's the lesson here? Do they think depressed people don't know that completing the tasks they are putting off will make themselves feel better? The question is how to build the resilience and motivation to do it. The ease with which Amelia overcomes every hurdle results in a lack of depth and realism. [*] While the card game is a great metaphor for mental health coping mechanisms, it's not particularly fun. You just play whatever card lights up on each turn and slowly whittle the enemy down. You can easily win by just taking most of the cards out of your d…
2 found this helpful
Recommended Apr 4, 2026
Really touching, but soooo buggy :(
1 found this helpful
Recommended Aug 29, 2026
It's a short but good story, nothing deep in the gameplay department ,but for it's price(free) It's a great way to spend an afternoon.
Recommended Aug 16, 2026
A relatively simple card battler RPG. The story is quite nice and there's a surprising amount of depth in all the characters for a free game. The art in the game is also fantastic. I'd highly recommend giving it a try. It's free too so no excuses.
Recommended Aug 16, 2026
우울증에 빠진 주인공의 내면 성장 스토리... 무료면서도 가볍게 하기에 좋음
Recommended Jun 30, 2026
This was a fun game to play! The story is endearing, the combat is strategic and thoughtful, and overall it was very enjoyable. It's a nice angle on tackling mental health challenges as well. The music and sound design were also very well done. Definitely recommend for a fun short game!

Community reviews

—

0 reviews

Sign in to write a review.

No reviews yet. Be the first to review this game.

More like Cards of Heart

News

All news →
Minecraft Dungeons 2 Deluxe Edition: skip it, play on Game PassXbox

Minecraft Dungeons 2 Deluxe Edition: skip it, play on Game Pass

The Minecraft Dungeons 2 Deluxe Edition asks you to pre-order two unannounced DLC packs for a game Game Pass already gives you. What it contains, and why the upgrade can wait.

Sep 30, 2026
Is DayZ worth it? A straight answer before you buyPC

Is DayZ worth it? A straight answer before you buy

Is DayZ worth it? Twelve years on it is still the genre's least forgiving game. What you are buying, who it suits, and what our 97-day price record says about the timing.

Sep 30, 2026
Transport Fever 3 price: which edition to buy on launch dayPC

Transport Fever 3 price: which edition to buy on launch day

Transport Fever 3 is out today. The Transport Fever 3 price splits three ways, the loyalty discount has a fortnight-long fuse, and our record shows what the older game really costs.

Sep 29, 2026
No Man's Sky price: how low it gets and when to buyPC

No Man's Sky price: how low it gets and when to buy

The No Man's Sky price has come a long way down since 2016, and the game is on PC Game Pass too. Our tracked 12-month low, the regional key gap, and what to actually pay.

Sep 29, 2026
Sekiro cheap: what our price record shows, and what to avoidDeals

Sekiro cheap: what our price record shows, and what to avoid

Search Sekiro cheap and the results are keyshop listings, not a store discount. Our three-month price record explains the gap, and why so few live offers changes the advice.

Sep 28, 2026
System Shock 2 Remaster free on Epic from 1 OctoberFreebies

System Shock 2 Remaster free on Epic from 1 October

System Shock 2 Remaster free on Epic from 1 to 8 October, alongside BURIED STARS. Our price record shows why its floor has not moved in three months, and why waiting beats buying this week.

Sep 28, 2026
Dead Island 2 cheap: which edition, and what the price doesPC

Dead Island 2 cheap: which edition, and what the price does

Dead Island 2 cheap used to mean under a dollar. Our price record shows the floor has roughly doubled since September - here is which edition to buy, and the one that is a trap.

Sep 27, 2026
Steam Autumn Sale 2026: the games that cannot be discountedDeals

Steam Autumn Sale 2026: the games that cannot be discounted

The Steam Autumn Sale 2026 runs 1-8 October, but Valve's own rules bar every September release from it. Which games are locked out, and what our record says about the two biggest.

Sep 27, 2026

Top games right now

All rankings →
  1. 1Counter-Strike 2Free
  2. 2Dota 2Free
  3. 3PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDSFree
  4. 4Grand Theft Auto V Legacy—
  5. 5Terraria$2.20
  6. 6Rust$25.98
  7. 7Team Fortress 2Free
  8. 8Black Myth: Wukong$35.70
  9. 9HELLDIVERS™ 2$30.92
  10. 10ELDEN RING$52.89
  11. 11Apex Legends™Free
  12. 12Left 4 Dead 2$9.99
  13. 13Stardew Valley$14.74
  14. 14Wallpaper Engine$3.99
  15. 15Euro Truck Simulator 2$4.99
  16. 16Dead by Daylight$10.40
  17. 17Red Dead Redemption 2$12.49
  18. 18Baldur's Gate 3$41.99
  19. 19Phasmophobia$18.24
  20. 20War ThunderFree
  21. 21Call of Duty®—
  22. 22ARK: Survival Evolved$14.20
  23. 23Among Us$3.03
  24. 24The Forest$19.99