What are the 9 power effects of Heroes? How do they work in the game?
In this blog, we will:
- Define a power effect and explain what it does
- Enumerate the 9 power effects of Heroes, identifying their functions and biblical inspirations
- Demonstrate how you can get and activate them
What Are Power Effects?
Brief definition and explanation
A power effect, also called a power-up, is an in-game feature that helps level up your play by increasing your life, strength, and score.
Power effects vary depending on the type of game and the benefits they offer. To acquire them, you have to undergo challenges.
What challenges? Continue reading.
What are some examples?
In video games, you fight with an enemy to get more strength and power to overcome more of them. In word games, you solve a complicated puzzle to unlock more puzzles.
In Super Mario, for instance, the red mushroom enlarges Mario’s size while the green one gives him an extra life. Also, the star makes him powerful or invincible.
How important are they in a game?
Almost every game has power effects, may it be a maze, race, shooting game, platform game, combat, or whatnot.
Without them, playing wouldn’t be that fun and exciting. Besides, it would be difficult for you to get to the next level. They serve as “lifelines” that potentially save your life when you are almost losing the game.
The 9 Power Effects of Heroes: Their Functions and Biblical Inspirations
1) Abraham effect
What does it do?
As in a multiple-choice examination in school, Heroes gives you 4 options in each question.
What the Abraham effect does is remove two of them to make it easier for you to determine the answer.
The biblical story behind it
In Genesis 15:7-10, God established a covenant with Abram, later named Abraham, promising him the land of Canaan.
When Abram sought assurance, God instructed him to bring specific animals for a sacrifice. Abram then cut the animals in half, except for the birds.
This cutting in half is where the Abraham effect takes the idea of reducing the 4 choices to 2.
2) Daniel effect
How does it work?
Sometimes, stock knowledge isn’t enough to help you pass a question. So, it may be better to consult the Bible.
To help you with that, the Daniel effect reveals the Bible verse that hints you at the correct answer.
What inspires it?
Daniel possessed the ability to interpret dreams and visions.
When King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had a forgotten dream (Daniel 2), Daniel volunteered to interpret it.
With divine guidance, he revealed the dream’s meaning: a statue symbolizing future kingdoms with a stone representing Jesus destroying them.
A similar event occurred during King Belshazzar’s reign, where Daniel interpreted mysterious writings on the wall (Daniel 5), signaling the kingdom’s downfall.
Similarly, in the game, the Daniel effect functions by revealing the Bible verse related to the question.
3) Elijah effect
How does it help you?
Every game displays a score to help you track your overall progress.
What constitutes a score are “experience points” or simply XP. In Heroes, you earn these points whenever you make correct answers.
Doubling these XPs is what the Elijah effect does to boost your game.
Where is it taken from?
In 2 Kings 2, Elisha refused to leave Elijah’s side as they traveled from Gilgal to Bethel, then Jericho, and finally to the Jordan.
Despite knowing that Elijah would soon depart, Elisha kept it to himself. When the former offered to grant him a request before his departure, the latter asked for a double portion of his spirit.
And yes, you got it! Here is where the “double XP” function of the Elijah effect was taken from.
4) Friday effect
What is its function?
Most games require you to buy effects to upgrade your play. Heroes also works the same. But instead of using money, it uses manna.
Manna? What is it? You’ll know a bit later.
For now, think of it as your alternative coin to get more effects that you need.
Now, what the Friday effect does is double your manna every time you answer a question correctly.
Yes, it’s somehow similar to what the Elijah effect does, except that the manna, not your XP, doubles.
What is its inspiration from the Bible?
In Exodus 16, the Israelites, led by Moses, settled in the wilderness of Sin.
When they complained about hunger, God promised to provide daily manna from heaven.
They were instructed to gather just enough for each day to avoid spoiling. But on the sixth day, they could gather twice as much to prepare for the Sabbath rest when no manna would be provided.
Having mentioned the sixth day, which is Friday, you probably get why the Friday effect is called such. And the double portion of manna provided by God is the inspiration of the “double manna” effect.
5) Jonah effect
What is its role?
There are times when you really don’t know the answer to a question. Even with a Bible or phone beside you to do research, you just can’t figure it out.
So, what the Jonah effect does is skip that difficult question so you can proceed to the next.
Skipping the difficult question? Isn’t it cheating? We’ll explain it later.
What biblical event supports the idea of this power-up?
In Jonah 1, God commanded Jonah to preach in Nineveh due to its wickedness. But Jonah fled to Tarshish instead.
During his sea journey, a violent storm arose, endangering the ship. Jonah, asleep onboard, was awakened by the sailors’ panic.
He confessed to being Hebrew and suggested they throw him overboard. Reluctantly, they did, and the sea calmed. Amazed, the sailors worshipped God.
Jonah was then swallowed by a big fish, where he prayed for 3 days (chapter 2). Eventually, the fish spat him onto dry land. He then obeyed God’s command and went to Nineveh (chapter 3).
Jonah’s act of skipping God’s mission is the inspiration behind the Jonah effect’s function to skip questions.
6) Joshua effect
What is it for?
Do you always run out of time trying to finish the 12 questions in every session?
Well, the Joshua effect is your best friend! It pauses the timer for 5 seconds to give you extra time to think and decide which answer to pick.
Let’s take it from the Bible!
In Joshua 10, 5 Amorite kings united against Joshua and the Israelites.
Joshua, following God’s assurance, led the Israelite army from Gilgal. God intervened, causing confusion among the Amorites, leading to their defeat at Gibeon.
Survivors fled to Azekah but faced divine punishment with hailstones. Ultimately, God delivered the Amorites into Israel’s hands.
During the battle, Joshua commanded the sun and moon to stand still, prolonging the day.
This supernatural event inspires the Joshua effect’s function of freezing time.
7) Jesus effect
What does it offer?
Among all other power-ups, the Jesus effect is the best.
Instead of just giving hints, increasing your life, or manipulating time, it simply selects the answer for you.
Would you ask for more?
But again, you’re probably wondering if it’s a form of cheating. Well, we’ll discuss that later. Just keep reading.
What is its biblical background?
In John 14, Jesus reassured His disciples, urging them not to be troubled but to trust in God and in Him.
He promised to prepare a place in His Father’s house and assured them of His return to bring them there.
Thomas expressed confusion about knowing the way Jesus was going.
Jesus replied, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really know Me, you will know my Father as well” (verses 6-7, NIV).
Having mentioned “the Way,” the Jesus effect shows you the right way, which is the correct answer.
8) Lazarus effect
What does it give you?
Have you experienced being so confident with your answer only to find out it was wrong?
Disgusting, right?
But the Lazarus effect comes to your rescue by giving you a second chance after committing an error.
How’s that?
The biblical story
In John 11, Jesus delayed visiting Lazarus, who was sick, to reveal God’s glory.
He said to His disciples, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake, I am glad I was not there so that you may believe” (verses 14-15, NIV).
Yet, Jesus still went to the tomb and raised Lazarus from the dead.
In saying “so that you may believe,” Jesus was giving His disciples a chance for them to have faith in Him.
Here is where the Lazarus effect gets its idea of giving you a second chance when you don’t know the answer to a question.
9) Revelation effect
How does it function?
Is it taking you too long to finish the 12 questions per hero? How would you like your match time to be reduced as if you finished sooner than you actually did?
That’s exactly what the Revelation effect does. It cuts your match time in half but only if you answer all 12 questions correctly.
Idea from the Bible
The three-and-a-half symbolic time in the book of Revelation is one of the most important prophecies.
Verse 9 of chapter 11 (NIV) says, “For three and a half days, some from every people, tribe, language, and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.”
Verse 14 of chapter 12 (NIV) states, “The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.”
That “half” portion is what gives the Revelation effect the idea of reducing your match time to half.
How Can You Get, Activate, and Use These Power-ups?
1) Collect manna and increase your XP.
Power effects are locked the first time you play Heroes. To unlock them, you have to earn manna and increase your points first by getting as many correct answers as you can.
Start the game with Adam and Eve, the first heroes.
Each quiz session asks you 12 questions. But they vary each time you replay the session. So, you can repeat the session as many times as you want until you’re satisfied with your score and manna.
2) Use your manna to unlock power-ups.
After getting enough manna and points, you can trade them for any power effects you desire.
How?
Go to Effects. Choose any effects that you think will benefit you the most and will be worth your available manna. It’s like going to the market and choosing the best fruits and vegetables within your limited budget.
3) Choose 3 power-ups before you play.
After unlocking enough power-ups, you’re ready to play. But you can only take 3 of them per session.
How can you activate them?
Beside each power-up, there is a toggle with a white bar on top and red at the bottom. Simply tap it until the red bar goes up and displays a green light at the bottom.
If you’re ready, click Play.
4) Use them wisely as you play.
Your chosen power-ups appear floating on the right side of your screen as you play.
Depending on how you find the questions, you can use any of them as your lifelines. But be wise enough to reserve them only for the most challenging questions so you won’t run out of power-ups.
Isn’t It Cheating to Use These Power-ups?
Well, just think of it. While you won’t spend even a single penny to buy effects, you earn them by collecting manna and points anyway.
Quality Assurance Manager Richard Machado advises using them. He says, “it’s no harm. It’s not cheating. You earned it.”
After all, using them “brings another level to the game,” adds Moraya Truman, the community manager for the Discord server.
She continues, “Sure, you can play [the game] like a normal person.” But you have 2 options. ”You can get a three-minute score or you can [play it] cool [by using] the effects.”
So, better use the effects.
What are Your Thoughts?
Aren’t these power-ups interesting and exciting to use?
Which of them would you like to try first? Why?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below.
