"AFK Journey" Shines as One of the Most Notable Stat-Based Card Games of the Year

In the realm of stat-based card games, "AFK Journey" has undoubtedly emerged as one of the standout products of the year. Compared to first-generation games like "AFK Arena," "Junior Three Kingdoms," and "The King of Idlers", "AFK Journey" represents a bold step into the 2.0 era of stat-based card games, exploring new possibilities in content delivery and long-term operations.

Firstly, in terms of content, the game introduces an open-world element infused with exploration and storyline-driven gameplay. Secondly, in terms of long-term operation, it adopts a seasonal system commonly seen in SLG (Simulation and Strategy Games), which adds periodic content updates and a fresh experience for players.

Looking at the market response following the launch of "AFK Journey," it is clear that Lilith’s iterative innovations have successfully addressed certain unmet player needs. The game has topped the charts in multiple regions globally and was crowned as Google Play’s Best Game of 2024 in regions such as the United States, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Moreover, "AFK Journey" is set to compete for Game of the Year at The Game Awards (TGA) 2024.

This raises an important question: How did Lilith achieve innovation in the stat-based card game space? What core development philosophies are driving these iterative experiences? And does Lilith have new strategic insights into the future of this genre?

At the recent Google Play Best of 2024 event, we had the opportunity to sit down with AFK Journey's producer, He Jiangyuan, for an in-depth discussion. Our conversation shed new light on Lilith's approach to innovation in the card game genre.

Bolder Changes to Team Composition and Meta

One of the most striking features of "AFK Journey" is how it addresses two long-standing pain points of 1.0-generation stat-based card games through the introduction of an open world and a seasonal system.

1. Progression Anxiety: Traditional card games often leave players feeling anxious about progression, as the power gap between players grows larger over time. Players who fall behind in progression are unlikely to return.
   
   

2. Stale Long-Term Experience: Core gameplay in card games typically revolves around stat progression, resulting in repetitive experiences. Over time, it becomes difficult to introduce fresh content that differentiates one game from another.
   
   

To address these pain points, "AFK Journey" made targeted adjustments. For example, the game introduces new thematic content with each season. During Season 2, players will have access to a brand-new ocean-themed map featuring ship-based exploration. Players can freely sail across the sea, encounter unexpected monster attacks, and engage in interactive mini-encounters. This approach ensures that each new season brings fresh challenges and content to maintain player engagement.

According to producer He Jiangyuan, "The performance of the seasonal system has not fully met the internal expectations of our team, but there are areas where it exceeded them." He explained that the team found that certain long-standing pain points could indeed be addressed, and players were receptive to these changes. Notably, few developers have taken the bold step of incorporating a large-scale seasonal system into a card game.

This suggests that Lilith’s approach is not without risks, but it also demonstrates a willingness to pursue ambitious innovations. While the seasonal system's open-world experience adds freshness, it alone cannot support a differentiated long-term experience. To address this, Lilith has set its sights on developing a more sustained and long-term gameplay experience that goes beyond traditional content updates.

Adapting Combat Systems for Longevity

The combat experience of "AFK Journey" has also seen significant changes. While it inherits the foundation of its predecessor, AFK Arena, the battle system now leans more toward auto-chess mechanics, with a stronger emphasis on hero skills and interactions. The shift in gameplay dynamics opens the door to new possibilities for long-term seasonal updates.

By introducing the concept of seasonal hero rotations — akin to hero pool updates in auto-chess games — Lilith aims to provide players with fresh challenges on a cyclical basis. The idea is that, with each season, the core hero roster changes, allowing for constant freshness and variety.

He Jiangyuan remarked, “The freshness of the game experience largely depends on the hero roster and meta environment. The challenge is striking a balance — you can't completely upend the existing meta, but you also can't let it remain unchanged.”

Given that "AFK Journey" is still fundamentally a stat-based card game with hero progression systems, the level of freedom in roster adjustments is naturally more limited than in auto-chess-style games. Players have invested significant time and resources into leveling up their heroes, so an abrupt overhaul of the roster would not be well received. As a result, balancing freedom with progression is one of the most pressing challenges for Lilith as they continue to refine their seasonal system.

"Embracing Change: How 'AFK Journey' Is Redefining the Stat-Based Card Game Genre"

According to He Jiangyuan, the producer of "AFK Journey", the development team is actively exploring new ideas. To avoid disrupting player experience — particularly the sense of investment players feel toward card development — the team has adopted a "divide and conquer" approach.

“We’ll introduce bigger changes to hero environments within certain specific game modes,” He explained, “but for gameplay that players are already accustomed to and have emotional investment in, we avoid disrupting their established expectations.”

Adapting to Market Trends: The Birth of a 'Stat-Based Card Game 2.0'

If "AFK Journey’s" current solution for long-term seasonal operations revolves around reworking hero rosters, then integrating even more long-term gameplay elements might be its way of exploring the future potential of seasonal content.

Of course, achieving this type of long-term experience requires certain prerequisites — one of which is staying in sync with market trends. During our discussion, He shared his team's observations. With the rise of short-video platforms, player behavior has shifted. While the frequency of player logins has increased, the time spent in each session has decreased.

This phenomenon highlights the fragmented nature of modern player behavior — a key trait of today’s gaming audience. Identifying this trend is crucial, as it allows developers to design solutions around it. For stat-based card games, however, this trend presents a unique opportunity.

1. Quick Satisfying Progression: Stat-based card games deliver a strong sense of satisfaction early on through short bursts of power progression, making it easier to hook players during the crucial early experience.
   
   

2. Clear Initial Goals: The clear early-stage objectives of stat-based card games help players quickly enter the loop of leveling up and enhancing cards.
   
   

3. Evolving Auto-Chess Elements: "AFK Journey" leans into the dynamic nature of auto-chess gameplay in its combat, making stat gains feel even more impactful.
   
   

In recent years, the industry as a whole has shifted to accommodate player demand for short, lightweight gameplay experiences. From hyper-casual games to "lite" versions of popular titles, the design philosophy of “light, fun, and fast” has become increasingly common. But while light gameplay experiences are now standard, true competitive differentiation will ultimately depend on the ability to innovate on gameplay systems and mechanics.

At its core, "AFK Journey" offers a clear distinction from 1.0-era stat-based card games. From its core structure, it provides both a grand open world with exploration and storyline-driven content, as well as an array of additional gameplay modes.

On the one hand, the open world is packed with narrative exploration, story-driven challenges, and regional zone-based progression. On the other hand, it integrates key elements of traditional stat-based card games while adding features like PvE dungeon climbing, boss challenges, asynchronous PvP, and more cerebral gameplay like rogue-like dungeons and fair-play PvP.

Light, Yet Rich — A New Take on Player Experience

While "AFK Journey" offers a wide variety of gameplay modes, each activity requires only a limited time commitment. This experience is shaped by two key design choices:

1. Lightweight Gameplay: Thanks to “burden-reducing” design, players can obtain most rewards with minimal effort, eliminating the need for daily grinding.
   
   

2. Token-Based Progression: The introduction of in-game tokens gives players a buffer in resource acquisition. Players no longer feel compelled to complete every task every day to maximize rewards.
   
   

The original intent of this design was to let players experience the joy of stat-based card progression without forcing them to engage with every aspect of the game. Producer He Jiangyuan elaborated, “We've incorporated a design philosophy that accommodates fragmented player experiences. For example, we added a lot of narrative content and map exploration, but players aren’t forced to experience it all immediately. If they only have a short window to play, they can choose more straightforward modes. When they have more time to immerse themselves, they can engage with the narrative content.”

This approach represents a stark contrast to 1.0-era stat-based card games, where players were often "forced" to engage with every new system added to the game. Instead, "AFK Journey" allows for greater player agency and flexibility. Players can opt to progress through the dungeon climb, follow the main storyline, explore the open world, or tackle mental challenges in rogue-like gameplay or fair-play PvP. Alternatively, players can still enjoy the traditional stat-based card experience by focusing solely on card progression.

A Game that Embraces All Types of Players

Ultimately, this philosophy of flexibility has shaped "AFK Journey" into a true representative of the '2.0 stat-based card game era.' It accommodates both veteran players who prioritize card progression as well as new-generation players who seek new and varied experiences.

Exploring New Frontiers in Long-Term Operations

Although "AFK Journey" has successfully carved out a new path in the stat-based card game space, there are still uncharted waters left to explore. One such frontier is the potential to merge stat-based card games with concepts from SLG (strategy games) — an approach that other developers are also beginning to consider.

In most 1.0-generation stat-based card games, the core social ecosystem revolves around power-based competition. Players compete to be the strongest, and the in-game social environment largely revolves around a "power is king" dynamic. However, this often leads to a situation where paying players enjoy the most benefits, while free-to-play players face significant hardships, a model that is increasingly misaligned with modern gaming industry standards.

By contrast, SLG (strategy games) introduces a more inclusive social system. In SLG games, high-powered players can focus on combat roles, while players who prefer strategy or coordination can take on roles like tacticians or team leaders.

He Jiangyuan acknowledges this approach, saying, “SLG systems naturally support more diverse roles for players. In card games, we don't have as many positions for players to fill, which is something we’re actively trying to change. We want to create a social system that allows all kinds of players to find their place in the community.”

This idea ties back to "AFK Journey's" guiding principle of inclusivity. On a gameplay level, the team has created multiple gameplay modes to cater to different player needs. On a social level, its guild system features branching gameplay paths where stronger players can take on harder routes, while less powerful players tackle easier paths. This ensures that every player can make a meaningful contribution.

Merging SLG Systems with Card Games — The Next Big Step?

The development team is actively experimenting with ways to integrate SLG’s social
 mechanics into new modes. He Jiangyuan explains, “We’re already exploring this concept. SLG + card games is a great model. Card games are accessible, easy to learn, and have strong monetization potential, while SLG naturally encourages social interaction and collaboration. If we can find a way to blend the two more naturally, the long-term potential is enormous.”

From the producer’s perspective, stat-based card games have significant strengths: clear progression goals, a strong sense of power growth, and healthy revenue potential. However, they also have a major weakness — a limited social ecosystem that struggles to support long-term engagement.

To address this, previous 1.0-era card games often relied on a server-merge strategy, where new servers were constantly created to bring in new players while maintaining the illusion of a thriving community. But this is more of a compromise than a solution. To truly resolve the issues of long-term operations, the key is to explore new forms of gameplay — a vision embodied in the idea of “stat-based card games + X.”

Following the success of the "stat-based card game + SLG" model, it's not hard to imagine future experiments in the vein of "stat-based card game + X", where other genres and gameplay elements are merged to create new player experiences.

Conclusion

With "AFK Journey", Lilith has redefined what it means to be a stat-based card game. It has created a more inclusive, flexible, and player-driven experience. Through its adoption of an open world, seasonal systems, dynamic combat, and multi-dimensional gameplay, "AFK Journey" stands as a symbol of the next era of card games.

Whether it's SLG-inspired social mechanics, new hero roster changes, or a philosophy that respects player choice and fragmented play, "AFK Journey" represents a paradigm shift. In this new 2.0 era, stat-based card games are no longer confined to incremental progression loops. They are rich, dynamic worlds - designed not just to capture the moment, but to grow and evolve with the player community.