Magic: The Gathering
A collectible card game built on synergies between hundreds of cards.
Where Magic: The Gathering comes up1 episode or test
Magic: The Gathering is cited as the model for lenticular design, coined by designer Mark Rosewater: cards that look simple to newcomers but hide deep combinations for advanced players. The catch is that building a deck from hundreds of cards can overwhelm people. Lesson: put depth in combinations, and let players assemble gradually, as Slay the Spire does with one-at-a-time card picks.
- 1Beginner plays a cardUsed directly, no combos needed
- 2Expert pairs it with othersCombines pieces with other cards
- 3Synergy reveals hidden depthExperts keep finding more
From Mark Rosewater, via Game Maker's Toolkit
What was said about Magic: The Gathering
Magic's cards follow lenticular design: simple to start, deep to master. Designer Mark Rosewater coined "lenticular design" for pieces that look easy to new players but hide complexity that advanced players unlock by combining them with other pieces. Magic cards are his example: beginners can use them directly, and experts keep finding more.
Synergy between cards is how the game does both. Game Maker's Toolkit quotes the idea as cards that "hide untold complexity, that is only seen by advanced players".
Choosing a deck from hundreds of Magic cards can overwhelm players. Mark Brown of Game Maker's Toolkit finds Magic's deck building overwhelming because he must pick from hundreds of cards at once.
He says Hearthstone has the same problem. Slay the Spire avoids it by handing out cards one at a time over a run, which keeps the thrill of synergies without the paralysis of a huge pool.
How Synergies Make Slay the Spire Fun
Designer Mark Rosewater coined "lenticular design": simple on the surface for new players, deep for advanced ones. Choosing from hundreds of cards for a deck feels overwhelming to Mark Brown.
Magic's cards follow lenticular design: simple to start, deep to master. Designer Mark Rosewater coined "lenticular design" for pieces that look easy to new players but hide complexity that advanced players unlock by combining them with other pieces. Magic cards are his example: beginners can use them directly, and experts keep finding more.
Synergy between cards is how the game does both. Game Maker's Toolkit quotes the idea as cards that "hide untold complexity, that is only seen by advanced players".
Choosing a deck from hundreds of Magic cards can overwhelm players. Mark Brown of Game Maker's Toolkit finds Magic's deck building overwhelming because he must pick from hundreds of cards at once.
He says Hearthstone has the same problem. Slay the Spire avoids it by handing out cards one at a time over a run, which keeps the thrill of synergies without the paralysis of a huge pool.
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