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If you aren’t familiar with the tabletop card/board game Mystic Vale from AEG, then the title of this post might be confusing. Obviously, the idiot in charge of headlines [Dave is that idiot -ed.] screwed up and should have written “deck-builder” because card-builder sounds more like a craft project than a game. Well, thanks to the wonders of plastic, Mystic Vale IS a card-builder in which transparent sleeves and cards blend to make new cards every time you play. I first stumbled on Mystic Vale when it released at Gen Con a few years ago and was struck by the gorgeous artwork and the unique crafting concept but never got the chance to actually sit and play it. That makes today’s news even more exciting, as I’ll finally get to give Mystic Vale a go. What news, you ask? Mystic Vale is now available to play via Steam Early Access.
Mystic Vale’s plot pits the players as Druids which, of course, means no one knows who they are or what they are doing. Actually, scratch that last part. You’re doing druid-y things like protecting your mystic vale from the forces of evil. This is done via deck-building and the aforementioned card-crafting where you’ll build your own cards by mixing and matching different abilities.
A curse has been placed on the Valley of Life. Hearing the spirits of nature cry out for aid, clans of druids have arrived, determined to use their blessings to heal the land and rescue the spirits. It will require courage and also caution, as the curse can overwhelm the careless who wield too much power.
Mystic Vale is a deck-building card game, in which 1 to 4 players take on the role of druidic clans trying to cleanse the curse upon the land. Each turn, you play cards into your field to gain powerful advancements and useful vale cards. Use your power wisely, or decay will end your turn prematurely. Score the most victory points to win the game!
Features
- Innovative Card Crafting System creates a game experience like you’ve never played before!
- Beautiful artwork and graphics that bring the game to life.
- Concise rules offer a deep gaming experience with meaningful decisions.
- Tremendous replay value that will increase with future expansions.
Mystic Vale just launched on Steam Early Access today, and it’s currently PC-only. I’ve asked Nomad if they’ll be bringing the game to other platforms, but haven’t heard back yet. I think, from previous Nomad titles, we can assume it’s definitely coming to mobile but a Mac/Linux release is still up in the air. I’ll let you know as soon as Nomad lets me know, which might not be until it actually releases on said platform. (UPDATE: Nomad has said a Mac and mobile version is coming down the road. Not sure about Linux right now and they’re not saying anything about Switch…yet. Hmmmm….)
If you want to see Mystic Vale in action (and you should, it’s awfully pretty), follow the Steam link below and watch the trailer. It’s not currently available at the normal channels, so I can’t embed it below, but you can watch it just fine over there. Did I mention it’s awfully pretty? (UPDATE: Nomad sent me the YouTube link. Watch below and enjoy)
This is almost one of those games where a developer found a way to do with cardboard what most people thought you could only do digitally. I haven’t played, but my cousins, with whom I game, like the game (how’s that for a weak anecdotal story). The idea sounds neat, but the card game itself sounds really fiddly. Though I haven’t played it, I can imagine nightmare scenarios where the card seams begin to split much like some cheap penny sleeves. This game sounds as if it were made for digital and I hope to try it someday.
I feel pretty much the same way. I’ve had Mystic Vale sitting in my Amazon wishlist for over a year, just assuming it would be far to fiddly to be fun to play. Digital is going to be a definite buy, but I’ll wait until they get a proper tutorial in.
I first played the game on Yucata, and as a Dominion fan I really liked it. I recently bought the cardboard version, and I think it is great.
Not too fiddly and I generally prefer the cardboard to digital experience.
I did a short post about how it looks so far.
I’m liking it!