Magic: The Gathering (1993)

This is the grandfather of the collectible card game (or CCG) genre. Players build a deck of cards and duel against an opponent's deck. The first player to reduce his opponent to 0 life (or meet another set win condition) wins the game. There are over ten thousand different cards from which to build your deck.

Though traditionally a two-player duel, there are several casual and tournament formats to Magic that allow more players to play.

Referred to as "cardboard crack", the game of Magic: The Gathering subsists by producing new sets cards periodically, and by offering their cards in blind booster packs. Based on a rarity schedule, each pack includes at least one rare card, and a fixed number of uncommon and common cards. By this method, players are enticed to purchase more booster packs looking to find that "one card" they need, or to increase their pool with which they can trade. This is also often viewed as a negative aspect of the game, as in casual play the player who has spent the most money on purchasing cards generally has a better pool of cards from which to draw to make his or her deck, and will generally win with the better deck (i.e., "Mr. Suitcase"). This is mitigated with small tournaments where players either play with a sealed-deck and a fixed number of boosters, or play with a collective pool of boosters that are distributed to all players, thus giving no one person an advantage by having spent more money.

Awards

• 2005 Origins Awards Winner, Collectable Card Game or Expansion of the Year (for "Ravnica: City of Guilds").
• 2005 Årets Spill Nominee, Strategy Game of the Year (for 9th Edition).
• 1998 Origins Awards Winner, Best Card Game Expansion or Supplement (for "Urza's Saga").
• 1996 Golden Ace, (Game of the Year, France) Winner
• 1995 A la carte Fairplay Magazine prize for card games 1st Place.
• 1994 Mensa Select Winner
• 1994 Lucca Games Best of Show (Italy), Winner, Best Translated Game
• 1993 Origins Awards Winner, Best Fantasy or Science Fiction Boardgame and Best Graphic Presentation of a Boardgame.
• Games Magazine Hall of Fame Inductee.