iMagi: Kingdom of Thor

Designer: Sean N Ricks and JC Thompson

Artist: Sean N Ricks

Publisher: Self Published

Year Published: 2023

No. of Players: 2

Ages: 10+

Playing Time: 30 minutes

Main mechanic / Theme: Collectible Card Game / set-building

The world has been torn apart and it is up to you to bring the elements back together.

This game is currently in prototype. Watch for more information for crowd funding.

Overview

When an artist and a writer come together to create something new, you’re never sure what they are going to come up with. In this case, creators Sean N Ricks and JC Thompson use the written works to create the backstory for the art used in a strategy card game.

I received a prototype of iMagi: Kingdom of Thor from one of the creators for review purposes.

Setup and Gameplay

The goal of iMagi is to make sets of the five elements, earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. Players work to a create sets to a predetermined number to become the winner.

Each player creates their own deck to use in iMagi. There is a base deck that is used and expansions. For a tournament deck cards from an expansion deck need to be added to the base deck to get to the needed number of cards. Each element must have a minimum number of cards in the deck, and there is also a maximum. The rest of the deck is made of special cards that can be used to create your desired strategy.

Each of the expansion decks will contain at least one unique card along with common, uncommon, and rare ones.

Once your deck is created shuffle it up and have it ready to draw from. You start with five cards in your hand. On your turn you can play any or all the cards in your hand. However, to start building a set you must first have an earth element in play.

When playing the elements, you can extra ones in play to get a start on additional sets. But be careful, there are cards that allow an entire stack on an element to be eliminated from play. When you complete a set, it is moved to your discard pile, and you score a point.

When you are done with your turn, draw back up to five cards in your hand. Reshuffle the discard pile as needed.

Now your opponent repeats the steps until one of you reach the required number of sets.

Art

I have seen Sean Ricks art for some time because he has done work for authors I know. I met him in person at FanX and have had the opportunity of seeing some of his original art, he likes to work with acrylic on canvas. His work is on every card of iMagi.

The visuals of the cards provide a good feeling of other worldliness that is set up in the backstory of the game.

Accessibility and Inclusivity.

The elements are color coded and include text. They are easy to discern one from the other by the title information at the top of the card. The text explaining the card is a little smaller and italicized. I found it still easily readable and the cards accessible.

Overall

iMagi: Kingdom of Thor presents a game of construction instead of destruction—that took place in the backstory. Some of our players found this aspect refreshing without taking away from the strategy. There is still conflict as you work to block your opponent from making their sets.

iMagi is a two-player game that only needs a flat surface to be played on. This has its disadvantage for larger group play. Its style though also has its advantages. With a predeveloped deck iMagi is a good filler game while waiting for the rest of the group to arrive. Or a good travel game since you only need to pack two decks of cards. Just decide how many sets (our who has made the most by the end of time) shuffle and draw five cards.

We enjoyed the subtle rule set. You don’t need to spend hours learning the rules, but you might want to spend more time developing your strategy with the chosen cards of your deck.

I don’t yet have information of general availability. There has been discussion of getting crowd source funding and the developers have been showing the game at game and book shops.

I recommend iMagi: Kingdom of Thor to those who like strategy card deck games that allow for easy learning and teaching. And to those who like to keep a good filler or travel game ready.

About the Author

Daniel Yocom does geeky things at night because his day job wouldn't let him. This dates back to the 1960s through games, books, movies, and stranger things better shared in small groups. He's written hundreds of articles about these topics for his own blog, other websites, and magazines after extensive research along with short stories. His research includes attending conventions, sharing on panels and presentations, and road-tripping with his wife. Join him at guildmastergaming.com.