Magic: The Recent Addiction

I avoided Magic: The Gathering for the longest time.  The people who I had seen play it either in my old high school cafeteria at the lunch table or in the dark corners of a rundown gaming store had always kind of creeped me out.  That's not to say some of them still don't but now that I have recently been introduced to the game I can't believe I didn't fall in love with it sooner.  The game has encouraged me to overlook the creepiness of some of its players and embrace the "magic" of the game.  To quench my undying urge to play, I downloaded a couple of digital versions to get my fix and teach me the ropes.

I started off with Magic: The Gathering, Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 for XBLA.  All in all, very cool.  What I think the interactive computer versions of these games are particularly good for is actually learning how to play.  MTG has many rules, so much complexity, so much diversity to it's ever evolving landscape that it's not the most intuitive thing to pick up right away.  If you want to learn quickly, the digital game has set boundaries that only allow you to make the moves you are allowed to make; While, on a table-top with a fresh deck of cards, the possibilities seem endless and to approach it all is daunting.  In reality, it's not that hard of a game to learn thanks to the tutorials and help menus embedded in the game and the rules and actions 100% translate into the actual card based version.  You can take what you learn out into the real world but first, of course, you'll need some real life cards!

It's important that the game not only teach you to play but also teach you to enjoy the game and this version, and really any digital version, does just that.  There's a reason this game has long been played by people in dark corners of society.  Some hobby stores have restricted space reserved for these types of games because there's an unfair stigma attached to playing them where some associate the game's lore with Dungeons & Dragons or LARPing which couldn't be further from the truth.  While I personally have nothing against people who do engage in Live Action Role Playing, players of Magic: The Gathering are actively avoiding the "L-A" part.  Sure, many MTG players also LARP, the core of the community is shared but the two aren't exclusively related.  With MTG,  I can cast dragons and angels and attack you without ever having to duct-tape a few paper-towel rolls together all while wearing a cape fashioned with old curtains.  While this unfortunate stigma remains that only weirdos play MTG, this XBLA version allowed me to dabble in a game that I otherwise wouldn't have with just the actual card based version mainly because I was completely ignorant about it.

It took years of trying but finally, I'm a weirdo! *Cue Radiohead*

Why do only weirdos play it?  Well, because it's all math, strategy, and logic and most of it is out of your control like any other card game.  It's still, above anything else, a game of chance.  Sound like poker to you?  Yeah, me too except badder ass.  Why do weirdos play MTG and cool guys in sunglasses on ESPN play poker?  Because society sucks and life's not fair.

The next version I played was on my girlfriend's iPad: Magic: The Gathering, Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013.  While she offered her dismay of having her iPad games username attached to my mediocre MTG successes, she eventually convinced herself that admiring the pretty art on the cards was more fun than complaining.  Plus, she plays way too much Free to Play Sims on that thing anyway so who's the weirdo now?  Anyway, I found this version of MTG to be easier but my selected difficulty setting was "Yeah, I've played a little magic", which was true.  I suppose I could have made it more difficult by saying I had played quite a bit of magic, but I didn't want to get in over my head while I was still having fun.

Aesthetically, I found the cards and details on this game easier to see than the previous version but I'm also holding the iPad closer to my face while my TV is across the room.  The two games only differ in terms of the updates to the cards which aren't drastic.

Ultimately, the two versions are very similar and do exactly what they set out to do.  They simulate the card version extremely well, allow you to build your own decks, play multi-player online, and challenge the AI which is impressively realistic.

I can say tons of good things about this game, digital or table-top, and still never convince certain small minds that MTG is a truly awesome game just as I have a hard time convincing fellow video gamers that some sports games are actually fun.  At any rate, whether its the fantastic art, the ability to customize your own deck of cards, or the overwhelming hipster presence in the community, there's something about MTG that will draw you in if you just give it a chance.  What a better way to dabble on your own time and at your own pace than with the video game versions?  Go for it!

Image sources in order (1) (2) (3)