The Design of Mood Swings, Part 1

The Mana Forge Digest

I'll explore how I designed Mood Swings, a new trading card game aiming to be the simplest and most accessible in its genre.

Key points

• Card Balance: How scoring works
• Design Space for Cards: Variety of cards available
• Color Pie Application: Applying color mechanics
• Matching Emotions: Balancing emotional content

What you get

• Understand how Mood Swings balances gameplay and card value
• Explore the diverse range of cards in the game
• Learn to apply traditional Magic's color pie system
• Discover how emotions are integrated into the game design

Why it matters

This series will provide insights into creating an accessible trading card game, focusing on its core mechanics and emotional content.

Details

I'll explain how scoring works in Mood Swings, ensuring a fair balance between cards

The design space for cards is vast, allowing for many different interactions and gameplay experiences

Applying the color pie system helps maintain consistency with Magic's established rules

Matching emotions will be crucial to creating an engaging and immersive experience

Good to know

• No specific dates or eligibility criteria apply to this design process

Read the original on Wizards (https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/making-magic/the-design-of-mood-swings-part-1) • Source: Wizards of the Coast