Never played Magic? Start here.

Draft A first version for León's review.

1. Lands make mana

Mana is what you spend to play cards. Most of it comes from lands: you may play one land from your hand each turn, and each land can be tapped (turned sideways) once a turn for one mana of its colour. Spent mana comes back at the start of your next turn.

2. Cards cost mana

The symbols in a card's top-right corner are its cost. Pay it, and the card is cast. Creatures stay on the table and fight for you. Spells do something once and are gone. Other cards (artifacts, enchantments) stay and keep working.

3. Creatures fight

A creature's numbers, like 3/2, are its power (the damage it deals) and its toughness (the damage it can take in one turn). On your turn you choose which creatures attack. Your opponent chooses which of theirs block. Unblocked attackers hit your opponent; blocked ones fight the blocker. A creature cannot attack on the turn it arrives.

4. Win the way the story says

In ordinary Magic you win by bringing your opponent's life from 20 to 0. Many fights here have their own goal instead: escape before the pursuit catches you, hold out for five turns, find a memory in someone's mind. The goal is shown, big, before each fight starts.

5. Words on cards

Cards have keywords such as flying (only creatures with flying or reach can block it) or first strike (it deals its damage first). Hover over a card, or hold it on a phone, to read it whole.

Tips for this game

• Cards you can play right now are lit. If nothing is lit, there is nothing to do: move on.
• When a card asks you to choose (a target, which cards to keep), the choice is always yours.
• The menu behind the ☰ button holds the sound, the art, the log of the game, and the credits.
• Lost a fight? The end screen gives you a tip, and every challenge can be won.
• Your progress is saved in this browser automatically.

Play your first fight