Mage Knight is a game that mixes a little bit of every kind of game with epic RPG adventures and endless replay potential.
Mage Knight is a game that combines a board game, a TTRPG, and a deck-builder into one adventure board game. Critically-acclaimed, award-winning, and endlessly replayable and customizable, this is a game you can return to time and time again. So, pick your Mage Knight, explore the map, and conquer in the name of the Atlantean Empire.
| Quick Guide | ||
|---|---|---|
| Mechanics | Card Play, Conflict Resolution, Solo Play Mode | |
| Players | 1 – 5 Players, Age 14+ | |
| Playing Time | 150+ Minutes | |
| Similar Games | Heroquest, Renegade, Star Wars: Rebellion | |
| Publisher | WizKids |
Mage Knight Overview
If you’re a fan of board game mechanics, Mage Knight has all of them. It’s a little bit deck building and resource management, a little bit exploration and RPG, and a little bit of a classic board game with dice rolling and board movement, and a modular board that’s always different every time you play.
Like many other games, players will choose their Mage Knight character, take their deck, and move around the board. They will explore the map and battle against monsters or other players or both, depending on the game mode. And as the game progresses, cards will allow the Mage Knights to take different actions.
In fact, every card can be used in multiple ways. Which has the fun effect of making gameplay a little like a puzzle. There’s a way to solve the problem you’re facing – you just need to figure it out. But also makes this a game that’s almost endlessly replayable and nearly impossible to play the same way twice.
How To Play Mage Knight
To set up a game of Mage Knight, players must choose a scenario to play through, select their characters, and all of the components associated with their hero, including their tokens and cards. The game must then be set up as outlined in the rulebook, as well as any specifications or special rules determined by the scenario.
Players then explore the ever-expanding modular map, which will add variety in terrain. Monsters will populate the map, giving the players both something to fight and a way to gain rewards to use later. Heroes can use their magic, interact with locals, and must get rest when needed, just like most tabletop RPGs.
The scenario chosen at the beginning will dictate both the game’s setup as well as the objective. And often these objectives will have a time limit, as well as an end goal. So players must be strategic in how they use their resources and cards in order to solve the problem at hand in a timely fashion. The game ends when the scenario’s objective is met. But winning can be based on the completion of the objective or a score, depending on if players are playing competitively, cooperatively, or solo.
Should I Buy This Game?
Mage Knight is a chunky game. It’s long to play. It’s physically large and takes up a lot of space. And the rules book is not short and requires you to check back in with some regularity. None of this is a bad thing, and I don’t say it to scare you off of checking out Mage Knight. In fact, our own Matt has said that Mage Knight is one of his favorite games. But if you know that extra chunky games aren’t for you, this one will probably play as more of a slog than an adventure you’d like to continue.
However, if you like long adventure games with a lot going on? If you enjoy an open-ended game that plays like a puzzle in need of solving? If you have a table that always needs to have a big game or a jigsaw puzzle spread out all across it? Mage Knight might just be an obvious choice. The adventures and options are endless, and with a solo mode, you won’t need to wait for all of your friends to be free to start a new quest.
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