The easiest way to understand VARZ is to play it.
Our browser-based online prototype now gives new players a simple way to start learning the game through the tutorial, while experiencing the tactical hex battlefield directly.
Instead of trying to memorize every rule before your first match, you can learn the basic flow step by step and see how movement, attacks, blocks, Portals, and positioning work on the battlefield.
Start with the tutorial, then try VARZ for yourself.
Learn VARZ through the online tutorial
Start with the Tutorial
VARZ includes concepts that are much easier to understand once you see them happen on the battlefield.
The online tutorial is designed as the first step for players who are new to VARZ. By interacting with the game directly, you can begin understanding the rhythm of a turn and how the hex battlefield changes your decisions.
You do not need to study the complete Rule Book before starting. Open the online version, follow the tutorial, and learn through actual actions on the board.
VARZ Is More Than Cards in Your Hand
VARZ is built around a shared hex battlefield.
That means understanding the game requires more than reading card text. Players need to see how a Hero moves, where a Spil is summoned, which route opens toward a Portal, and how one position changes the next attack.
The online prototype is designed to make those spatial decisions easier to experience directly.
During a match, players can begin learning the core rhythm of VARZ through actions such as:
- Summoning Spils onto the battlefield
- Shifting units between hexes
- Declaring attacks
- Declaring blocks
- Responding during Slash timing
- Protecting or attacking Portals
- Switching between Life pressure and Portal pressure
Learn the Game by Playing
VARZ has a number of concepts that become much easier to understand once you see them happen on the battlefield.
For example, an attack is affected by more than Power. The position of the attacker, the state of the target, nearby blockers, open hexes, and available Slash responses can all change the outcome.
The same is true for Portals. A player may look safe in terms of Life, but a weakly defended land can create another route to victory.
Our goal with online play is to let new players learn these interactions through actual decisions instead of requiring them to memorize every rule before their first match.
The Prototype Is Still Under Development
This is not the final version of VARZ online play.
The current build is a prototype, and we are continuing to improve the interface, timing windows, visual feedback, action flow, and overall clarity of the match experience.
That means parts of the UI, automation, card behavior, or presentation may change as development continues.
In particular, feedback is useful when:
- You are unsure what action is available next
- An attack or block decision is difficult to understand
- Slash timing interrupts the flow in an unclear way
- Important cards or buttons are difficult to notice
- A Portal, Life, or battlefield status is difficult to read
- An interaction does not behave as expected
Online Play Helps Us Test More Than Card Balance
Playtesting is not only about deciding whether one card is too strong.
A digital match also helps us understand whether the game itself is easy to operate.
We can learn:
- Which decisions are difficult for first-time players
- Where players hesitate during a turn
- Which information needs stronger visual emphasis
- Whether attack, block, and response timing feels natural
- Whether the battlefield remains readable as more units enter play
- Which parts of the rules need clearer explanations
Try the Battlefield and Tell Us What You Think
VARZ is still being shaped through real matches.
The browser-based prototype gives us another way to put the battlefield in front of players earlier, collect feedback, and improve the experience before release.
You do not need to understand every interaction before starting. Open the prototype, make a move, play a match, and tell us where the experience can become clearer.
Play VARZ online