Lorcana: The Heart of Magic Review (Part 1 of 2)

The CCG gamespace has always been a treacherous one. Following the advent of Magic: the Gathering in 1993, a legion of games chasing that same lucrative business model glutted the market. How could they not, when by the end of 1994 Wizards of the Coast had sold over a billion cards.

The 90’s saw a number of still-notable games carve out a place for themselved, but for ever Netrunner there were probably at least a dozen Spellfires.

While a broader history of the medium is fascinating (including a “second wave” in the early 2000’s), suffice it to say that the model of the idea of a collectible card game- games where you buy booster packs containing random playing cards for the game- is a far harder sell. Magic is still going strong, but far fewer games are competing in the booster space.

While the market innovated (in particular, Fantasy Flight Games with the “living card game” model), there are a few still looking to have success with the original formula. Disney’s Lorcana is the newest member of that rarified air, and one worth coming out of retirement for a moment to take a look at.