Solforge (Free) was one of my favorite CCGs on mobile for quite some time even though it had a pretty bad UI and other issues as well. Despite all that, this lane-based CCG was doing the all-digital card game even before Hearthstone popped up on the scene (though the two were pretty close to each other), and for a time doing it well. Alas, it was not to last because as Justin Gary, the game’s creator and lead designer, has just announced, Solforge is pulling the plug on the servers on January 31st. While I know many of you won’t care about one of the many mobile CCGs biting the dust, Solforge was really fun, with some really cool design ideas and some crazy – in a good way – cards.

However, as Gary admits in his announcement, the game’s small team bit more than it could chew when trying to build a digital game of this scope, and that created all kinds of troubles. The game was in beta for the longest time, spending that time rebuilding the whole UI and adjusting the monetization model, but when it was time to finally step out of the beta shadows and greet the world, it messed up really badly. Server issues along with some pretty bad bugs really damaged any hopes the game had of attracting new players and starting off on the right foot.

I can’t really blame the designers for deciding to pull the plug on Solforge after five years of trying; sometimes it’s better to take the lessons you’ve learned and move on to another project. I had plenty of fun with Solforge for many years, and I hope we see a new, improved version of the game in the future.