I actually think that the auto battler kind of gameplay is what sets Splinterlands apart from other card games. It isn't really like MTG or Hearthstone where you have to dedicate time to playing and be able to react to your opponent. This is actually what kept me from playing at first. I didn't think there was much to it. Now I regret that. There is a lot of depth to the game once you start learning AND it isn't just another clone. All other blockchain card games I've tried are really just Hearthstone clones. I think this matters. For instance, if Hearthstone were to ever shift over to being a blockchain game itself, all other games would basically die instantly IMO. Splinterlands being unique gives it a lot more longevity.
Some optimistic points to make. Mobile gamers in general like this sort of thing and they make up the vast majority of the game market these days but a small portion of Splinterlands player base (presumably because they don't know about it yet and the mobile app is in beta still.) As a comparison to show, Splinterlands is claiming to have over half a million daily active players. If this is true and it was on Steam, Splinterlands would be about the 5th most actively played Steam game of all time. I think the numbers on that are a bit inflated but even a reasonable fraction of that would put it in the top 50 or so.
If other players tell friends and family about it as much as I do and it keeps growing as it has. Splinterlands will probably be a pretty well known game very soon, if you don't already consider it as such. Kind of an ambiguous thing to accomplish after all. I discover games all the time I had never heard of before but was relatively popular. 😅
Hearthstone is crazy dominant for sure, but I agree about Splinterlands being attractive to a different subset of players. I get excited when I unlock new cards or learn new tactics, but it's a very different feeling then in a traditional TCG.
If the numbers concerning daily active players is somewhat accurate I could definitely see Splinterlands rising pretty fast in 2022.