A new trading card game from Magic: The Gathering's head designer is shaking up the format.
Mark Rosewater's latest project, Mood Swings, is a minimalist TCG designed to be played straight out of the box.
Wizards of the Coast has announced a new trading card game called Mood Swings, designed by Mark Rosewater. Unlike Magic: The Gathering, this game is marketed as playable immediately without deck building, supporting 2–4 players.
Each deck contains 45 cards drawn from a pool of 133 cards, including commons, uncommons, rares, and mythics.
The game features a unique "shared deck" mechanic. In a two-player game, both players draw from the same deck. They hold five cards and play one card per round, with possible additional plays.
Points are scored per round. The player with the highest total wins the round, and three rounds win the game.
Cards remain in play between rounds. The loser of each round draws a card, creating a comeback mechanic.
The cards feature sketch versions of Magic: The Gathering card art, connecting the new game to its predecessor.
Mood Swings will be a Secret Lair product, priced at $24.99, on sale from June 1.
Trading and personalized deck construction are also possible.