What are the 9 power-ups of Heroes? How do they work in the game?
In this blog, we will:
- Define power-up and explain what it does
- Enumerate those 9 power-ups of the game, identifying their functions and biblical inspirations
- Demonstrate how you can get and activate them
Ready? Let’s get right into it!
What are Power-ups?
Let’s define and explain it briefly!
A power-up is an in-game effect that helps level up your play by increasing your life, strength, and score. It can be an individual object or a group of objects.
Power-ups 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.
To be more specific, let’s take some examples of power-ups from Super Mario.
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-ups, may it be a maze, race, shooting game, platform game, combat, or the like.
Without them, playing wouldn’t be that fun and exciting. Also, 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-ups of Heroes and Their Functions and Biblical Inspirations
As we’re continually improving the game, expect more exciting power-ups to come.
But for now, let’s get to know the current nine:
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.
Great help, isn’t it?
The biblical story behind it
In Genesis 15:7-10 (ESV), God made a covenant with Abram, then Abraham.
He said, “I am the Lord Who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.”
Abram asked, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?”
God replied, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.”
As Abram brought them to God, he “cut them in half and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds…”
Now, this cutting in half is where the Abraham effect takes the idea of reducing the choices in half.
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.
That’s exactly what the Daniel effect does for you. It reveals the Bible verse that hints you at the correct answer.
How interesting!
What inspires it?
Daniel is one of the most well-known characters in the Bible.
He was a wise man who could interpret dreams, visions, and other signs from God.
In Daniel 2, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon woke up with a dream he couldn’t remember exactly.
None of his wise men could tell him that dream. So, he ordered killing them all. But before the order was implemented, Daniel volunteered to interpret the king’s dream.
Consulting with his friends and praying to God for wisdom, Daniel saw the king’s dream and learned its meaning.
Approaching the king, he told him he dreamed of a statue.
Standing proud, the statue was made of different metals from head to toe. Then, a stone from nowhere struck it from its feet and broke it into pieces.
Nebuchadnezzar and his kingdom represented the head of gold. But other kingdoms, represented by the rest of the body parts, would arise after him to rule over the earth.
Soon, the world would grow so wicked that it needed to be destroyed. Hence, Jesus, the promised Messiah, symbolized by the stone that broke the statue, would come to restore the earth.
This same instance happened in a feast during the reign of King Belshazzar, son and successor of the late Nebuchadnezzar.
Here, Daniel’s interpretation of the strange writings on the wall was that another king had just taken over the kingdom. Hence, that night was the fall of Babylon.
Daniel’s God-given revelations frightened the two kings. Yet, his wisdom amazed them enough to believe that his God was the true God.
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.
Now, the Elijah effect comes into play by doubling your XP to boost your game.
Where is it taken from?
In 2 Kings 2 (ESV), Elisha was with Elijah.
On their way from Gilgal, Elijah said to him, “Please stay here for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha didn’t want to leave him.
Then, they went down to Bethel.
The sons of the prophets told Elisha that “the Lord will take away your master from over you.” Elisha said he knew it but he wanted to keep it a secret.
Elijah told him to stay there because God was sending him to Jericho. Yet, Elisha didn’t want to leave him.
The same instance happened as they went to Jericho and then to Jordan.
Finally, Elijah told Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you.” Elisha replied, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me” (verse 9).
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 (ESV), the Israelites settled in the wilderness of Sin having been led by Moses.
One time, they complained to him. “Would that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger?”
Then, God said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain bread from heaven for you…And the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day that I may test them whether they will walk in My law or not.”
With this, they only had to gather what would be enough for the day because any excess would spoil the next day.
But on the sixth day, “it will be twice as much as they gather daily.”
Why was it so? Because God wouldn’t provide manna on the seventh day, which was the Sabbath rest.
Now, having mentioned the sixth day, which is Friday, you probably get why the Friday effect is called such.
But what about the “double manna” effect? Well, the idea is obviously taken from that double portion of the manna God provided the Israelites with.
Does it make sense?
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 in behalf of all the power-ups.
What biblical event supports the idea of this power-up?
In Jonah 1 (NIV), God asked Jonah to “go to the great city of Nineveh.” He wanted him to preach to the people there because they were growing so wicked.
But Jonah ran away from God by heading for Tarshish.
On the sea, “the Lord sent a great wind.” Then, “a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up.”
The sailors went panicking and started throwing the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship. Meanwhile, Jonah was deeply asleep.
The captain asked him to get up and call on his god. He said, “Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”
When asked by the sailors about his background, Jonah answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, Who made the sea and the dry land.”
Terrified, they asked what they should do to calm the sea.
Surprisingly, Jonah asked them to throw him into the sea. “I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you,” he confessed.
As they threw him overboard, the sea finally went calm. Amazed, the sailors and the captain praised God and offered Him a sacrifice.
Meanwhile, a huge fish swallowed Jonah. He was in its belly for three days and three nights. He spent this time praying to God, thanking Him for the deliverance, and promising to accept His mission for Nineveh.
Soon, the fish ”vomited Jonah onto dry land.” And he went to Nineveh as God wanted.
Now, 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 (NIV), five Amorite kings joined forces to battle against the Israelites led by Joshua.
As they began to attack, Joshua “marched up from Gilgal with his entire army.”
God comforted and promised him, “Do not be afraid of them. I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.”
So, God confused the Amorites, making them fall into the hands of the Israelites at Gibeon.
Meanwhile, those surviving tried to escape into Azekah. But God “hurled large hailstones down on them” and killed more of them.
Finally, God gave the Amorites over to Israel.
Then, Joshua said, “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.” And it happened.
So, the day went longer than usual.
This supernatural event inspires Joshua effect’s function of freezing time.
7) Jesus effect
What does it offer you?
Among all other power-ups, the Jesus effect is probably the best.
Instead of just giving hints, increasing your life, or manipulating time, it simply selects the answer for you.
Isn’t that amazing?
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 (NIV), Jesus comforted His disciples, saying, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me.”
He continued, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?”
“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.”
Thomas asked, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
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…”
Now, how does this relate to the function of the Jesus effect?
Having mentioned “the way,” the power-up shows you the way by choosing the correct answer. Makes sense?
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 interesting is that?
The biblical story
In John 11 (CEV), Mary Magdalene and Mary Martha informed Jesus that their brother, Lazarus, was sick.
He said, “His sickness won’t end in death. It will bring glory to God and His Son.” So, Jesus stayed where he was for two more days.
After which, He decided to visit Lazarus with His disciples.
On their way, He told them that the man was “asleep, and I am going there to wake him up.”
The disciples didn’t understand that Jesus meant that Lazarus was actually dead.
Telling them the truth, He said, “I am glad I wasn’t there because now you will have a chance to put your faith in Me.”
Arriving at Bethany, Jesus found that Lazarus was already in the tomb for four days.
Magdalene and Martha told Him that their brother wouldn’t have died if He had been there. But Jesus comforted them, “Your brother will live again” because “I am the One Who raises the dead to life.”
Then, as the stone of the tomb was rolled aside, Jesus looked up to heaven and prayed.
As He finished, he asked Lazarus to come out.
And the man did. His hands, feet, and face were still wrapped with burial cloth.
Now, let’s go back to Jesus’ statement “now you will have a chance to put your faith in Me.” Here is where the Lazarus effect gets its idea of giving you a second chance.
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 into half.
How Can You Get, Activate, and Use These Power-ups?
1) Collect manna and increase your XP.
Power-ups are locked the first time you play the game. To unlock them, you have to earn manna and increase your points first.
How? 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.
Getting enough manna and points, you can trade them for any power-ups you desire.
How?
Go to Effects. Choose any power-ups 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 already sure with your selected power-ups, 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 two options. ”You can get a three-minute score or you can be 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.
