BriscolaHeroes

Classic briscola, the powers of Italian folklore.

Every card is born a woodcut — and earns its portrait by playing.

The card is born a bare woodcut It earns its first frame Then bronze Then silver Until the woodcut becomes a painting in a gold frame
Coming soon to the App Store Coming soon toGoogle Play
40Cards
20Heroes
12Piazzas
0Pay-to-win

The game you know. The heroes you don't.

Tradition, with a twist

Briscola Heroes is the traditional Italian card game — 40 cards, four suits, every rule your grandparents taught you — with one twist: Aces, Threes and face cards are heroes of regional folklore, each with a unique power fueled by Energy.

The number cards stay exactly as they've always been, so the game you learned at the kitchen table is still right there underneath. But now the Janara can silence your opponent's play, the Befana peeks at their hand, and Pulcinella swaps your worst card for one of theirs.

Pulcinella, the Jack of Coppe

Meet the cast

Twenty heroes of Italian folklore

Click a card to see the portrait it earns by playing.

← Drag to explore →

One resource rules them all

The Energy system

Start with 2

Every match begins with 2 Energy. Spend it to unleash a hero's power when you play the card.

🏆

Win tricks, gain Energy

Only the trick winner earns +1 Energy. Every trick is a fight for the fuel behind your next move.

🔥

Spend it or lose it

Energy caps at 8 — hoarding gets you nothing. Time your powers for the tricks that matter.

🃏

Never locked out

Out of Energy? Every card still plays as classic briscola. Powers are the bonus, never the barrier.

At most three powers can trigger in a single trick — chains are explosive, but never endless.

A journey through Italy

Every piazza bends the rules

Each hand is played in one of Italy's great piazzas, and each one changes the game in its own way. Start in Piazza San Marco and travel all the way to the Palio of Siena — twelve piazzas, all unlocked by playing.

Piazza San Marco
Veneto

Piazza San Marco

The first power played each hand costs 1 less Energy.

Piazza Navona
Lazio

Piazza Navona

Winning the last trick of the hand grants +1 Energy.

Piazza del Plebiscito
Campania

Piazza Plebiscito

Coppe powers cost 1 less Energy.

Piazza del Duomo
Lombardy

Piazza Duomo

Bastoni powers cost 1 more Energy.

Piazza Pretoria
Sicily

Piazza Pretoria

Energy-stealing powers steal 1 more.

Piazza dei Miracoli
Tuscany

Piazza dei Miracoli

Each player starts the hand with +1 Energy.

Piazza Maggiore
Emilia-Romagna

Piazza Maggiore

Card-drawing powers cost 1 less Energy.

Piazza San Carlo
Piedmont

Piazza San Carlo

Powers that reveal cards cost 1 less Energy.

Piazza De Ferrari
Liguria

Piazza De Ferrari

Win a trick containing a King: gain +1 Energy.

Piazza Walther
South Tyrol

Piazza Walther

Market time: on trick 11 both players gain +1 Energy.

Campo de' Fiori
Lazio

Campo de' Fiori

The market opens late: powers cost 1 more in the first 5 tricks.

Piazza del Campo
Tuscany

Piazza del Campo

The Palio: whoever wins trick 10 gains +3 points.

← Drag to explore →

"Everything is earned by playing.
Gameplay is never for sale."

No boosters, no power upgrades, no paid shortcuts — and never ads during a match. Purchases are cosmetic only: the cards you win with are the same cards everyone else has.

Questions, answered

FAQ

Do I need to know briscola to play?

It helps, but no. The base game is classic two-player briscola — 40 cards, 120 points, first to 61 wins — and the app teaches it as you play. If you already know briscola, you'll feel at home in the first hand.

Are the powers pay-to-win?

No. All 20 heroes are in every deck from the start, for every player. Powers cost Energy earned during the match, not money. Progression is earned only by playing; purchases are optional cosmetic finishes.

Am I playing against real people?

Yes. Matchmaking looks for a human opponent online first. If nobody is available within a few seconds, you play against a folklore character controlled by the game — always clearly labeled, never pretending to be human.

Which platforms will it launch on?

iOS and Android. You can play right away: an anonymous account is created automatically, and you can optionally link Apple or Google to keep your progress safe across devices. Practice matches work offline; online matches need a connection.

What data does the game collect?

Your profile — nickname, avatar, level, statistics, rating — is stored on your device and synced to our servers (Firebase, EU region) to validate online matches and keep rankings fair. The free version shows one ad at most every three matches, never during play — the Mecenate purchase removes them forever. No other tracking, no sale of data. Details in the Privacy Policy.