Most popular video game series manage to create at least one truly successful game. While even iconic franchises sometimes release disappointing titles, they usually have at least one standout hit – it’s hard to become famous without it! Even consistently released series like Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry have generally found success over time, though that hasn’t always been the case recently.
Despite consistently earning a lot of money each year, the Magic: The Gathering franchise hasn’t fully succeeded in the video game market. I’ve been a dedicated player of the card game, both recently and years ago, and while several Magic: The Gathering video games exist, none have truly captured the essence of the experience. They’re usually just decent versions of the tabletop game, and I’m left wondering why that is.
Magic: The Gathering Has An Odd History With Video Games
Like Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic: The Gathering has inspired some unusual video games. Some try to closely replicate the card game, while others drastically change the formula. A prime example is simply called Magic: The Gathering, but better known as Shandalar. It’s a simplified take on the card game from the 90s with RPG elements awkwardly tacked on. The result is a strange and ultimately disappointing mix of ideas. While it has a dedicated fanbase, largely because it’s one of the few single-player games set in the Magic: The Gathering universe, it’s difficult to recommend to new players.
Some games, like Duel of the Planeswalkers and MTG: Arena, have tried to faithfully recreate the Magic: The Gathering card game experience online, letting players trade and battle each other. However, as Magic evolves with new formats like Commander, these games can feel restrictive. They’re also difficult for beginners to pick up, often having confusing interfaces and minimal guidance beyond a weak starter deck, leaving new players feeling lost.
These games definitely rely heavily on microtransactions, especially Duel of the Planeswalkers, which can get very expensive to play through. While MTG: Arena and MTG: Online aren’t the worst games ever, they don’t quite deliver a fully satisfying experience. It’s disappointing because there’s so much potential for a complete Magic: The Gathering game that truly captures the depth of the trading card game, as well as for other games set in the fascinating Magic: The Gathering universe that explore different genres.
Wizards Of The Coast Needs To Make More MTG Games
It’s easy to see why Wizards of the Coast seems content with Magic: The Gathering: Arena. While it’s a very profitable game, it has significant flaws – it’s difficult for new players to learn, can be costly due to in-game purchases, and doesn’t offer a single-player experience. It’s a shame they haven’t followed Riot Games’ example by creating more content – like shows or other games – set in the Magic: The Gathering world.
Riot Games, the creator of League of Legends, has built a large and varied universe that extends far beyond the original game. They’ve released several different video games set in the League of Legends world, including story-rich RPGs, fighting games, and classic side-scrollers. Magic: The Gathering, on the other hand, hasn’t seen the same level of expansion. While Wizards of the Coast tried some RPG-style games in the past and released MTG Puzzle Quest, they haven’t done much to create new video games based on Magic: The Gathering in recent years.
While we have comic books and a Magic: The Gathering movie coming up, there haven’t been many video games that let players experience Magic: The Gathering on their own, or fully capture the trading card game experience. Wizards of the Coast is reportedly developing a game centered around the Commander format, but their previous attempt, a Diablostyle RPG called Magic: Legends, was cancelled in 2021. Aside from that, we haven’t seen much in the way of single-player Magic* games.
It’s disappointing because I often get asked about good ways to play Magic: The Gathering online, either the Commander format or single-player games, to enjoy when not playing with friends. Sadly, there isn’t a current digital option besides very old games from 1997 or a Dreamcast adaptation. It’s surprising and frustrating, because Wizards of the Coast could really create something amazing and new, but they don’t seem interested in capitalizing on this opportunity. This leaves fans relying on unofficial methods to play the game digitally.
What are your thoughts on the current video games based on Magic: The Gathering? Share your opinion in the comments below, or discuss it with others in the ComicBook Forum!
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2026-02-15 01:13