Final Fantasy Artniks
Second Final Fantasy social card game on GREE.
Final Fantasy Artniks was a Japanese card game from Square Enix and the GREE social network, marking the second Final Fantasy social game and the second collaboration with GREE. Players could battle through series of enemies and bosses for rewards and rankings, or fight other players. It launched on November 30, 2012, and within a little over a month, one million players had signed up. Square Enix noted in 2013 that social games like this one were generating "acceptable profits." A sequel, Final Fantasy Artniks Dive, arrived in June 2014, and both titles have since been shut down.
Players started by picking a main card, then used equipment cards to boost all characters in play and ability cards to increase attack strength and hit points. Defeating enemies and finishing quests filled a meter; when full, it triggered "Burst Mode," which released treasure chests. Boss fights used Final Fantasy’s active time battle system. Player-versus-player combat involved eleven cards instead of the five used in boss battles, with winners earning points toward a leaderboard and "Mog Medals" for a mini-game.
Characters, monsters, and items appeared from all main Final Fantasy games, plus Final Fantasy Tactics, Crystal Chronicles, Dissidia, Type-0, and others. Famous events from earlier titles sometimes showed up. Periodic updates introduced "Most Wanted" villains for players to share info about and defeat for rewards—the first was Kefka Palazzo from Final Fantasy VI, the second Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII.
The game was first announced in October 2012 under the working title "Final Fantasy X GREE." Theatrhythm Final Fantasy producer Ichiro Hazama worked with Kazunari Itakura on it. It was the second Final Fantasy social game and the second GREE collaboration. In a Famitsu interview, Yuichi Itakura explained that graphics were not remade to look like Dissidia or Theatrhythm but kept close to their original designs to tap into nostalgia and feel like a collectible card game. Early registrants got a free "summon ticket," and signing up for "The World Ends With You Live Remix" also unlocked two extremely rare Aerith and Bahamut cards. The game launched in Japan on November 30, one month after its reveal.
Famitsu put Artniks on the cover of its "Famitsu GREE" magazine on January 31, 2013, including a rare "Seifer Almasy" card.
Quick Facts
- Publisher
- Square Enix
- Director
- Kazunari Itakura
- Producer
- Ichiro Hazama
- Series
- Final Fantasy
- Platforms
- Mobile phone, GREE
- Released
- JP · November 30, 2012
- Genre
- Social role-playing
- Modes
- Multiplayer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Final Fantasy Artniks was first revealed under the temporary title 'Final Fantasy X GREE' in October 2012. The game was created by Theatrhythm Final Fantasy producer Ichiro Hazama in collaboration with Kazunari Itakura. In an interview with Famitsu, Yuichi Itakura explained that the graphics were not remade to resemble Dissidia or Theatrhythm but were kept similar to their original appearances to appeal to players' sense of nostalgia and make the game feel more like a collectible card game. Early registrants received a free 'summon ticket,' and signing up for 'The World Ends With You Live Remix' granted access to two extremely rare Aerith and Bahamut cards. The game was released in Japan on November 30, one month after its initial reveal.
Reader's Guide
Final Fantasy Artniks holds significance as Square Enix's second social game and second collaboration with GREE, demonstrating the company's early push into mobile social gaming. Its rapid acquisition of one million players within a month highlighted the popularity of card-based games using established intellectual property. The game's use of original art assets from past Final Fantasy titles, rather than remade graphics, set it apart from other spin-offs like Dissidia and Theatrhythm. The inclusion of characters, monsters, and items from mainline games as well as spin-offs such as Final Fantasy Tactics and Dissidia Final Fantasy broadened its appeal. Periodic updates featuring 'Most Wanted' villains like Kefka and Sephiroth kept the player base engaged. The sequel, Final Fantasy Artniks Dive, released in June 2014, and both titles have since been discontinued, marking the end of this particular experiment in social gaming within the Final Fantasy franchise.
Did You Know?
- Players who registered early received a free 'summon ticket,' and signing up for 'The World Ends With You Live Remix' gave access to rare Aerith and Bahamut cards.
- The first 'Most Wanted' update featured Kefka Palazzo from Final Fantasy VI, and the second featured Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII.
- Famitsu featured Artniks on the cover of 'Famitsu GREE' magazine on January 31, 2013, and carried a rare Seifer Almasy game card.
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