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.