A Pretty Good Designer Search

I probably like thinking about games as much as I like playing them.

Like many of you, one of the things that cemented Magic: the Gathering as my favorite game is that it's more than just one game. It's a framework for many games. Think about how many formats and variations exist, and how different they are -- and this is without even considering the constantly updated card pool and rules.

I like dreaming up new cards, and checking out what other people are coming up with on /r/custommagic. I have even built a whole set using Magic Set Editor, but lost it because I failed to backup the set file. Insert stern look from Michael here.

So I completely lost it when I first read about Wizards of the Coast's Great Designer Search. Never mind winning, just the thought of having a goal in mind when brewing up cards got me so excited I felt like Jace at a My Chemical Romance show.

Then I saw that only US citizens could enter.

I imagine many of you reading had the same reaction as me: swearing and sulking. I gnashed my teeth and stomped my feet and was a pretty pouty puppy for a few days there. Really.

So what say we do our own for fun?

For the same kinds of reasons WotC can't extend the legitimate Great Designer Search globally, I can't run this as a real contest with a prize. But we can still come together as a community and see what we can come up with, which I suppose makes it just another sort of game you can play with magic cards. Maybe it won't be great without the extra incentive of a prize, but I think it will still be pretty good.

Post your best homebrew cards in the comments below, tweet them at us, or post them on our Facebook. We'll pick some community members to help us narrow the field down to the best of what gets submitted, and then we'll get all of your votes on semi-finals and finals.

1. Get your submissions in by January 31st.
2. If you use artwork on your card, make sure it's properly licensed and you also use the artist text to provide attribution.
3. Nothing NSFW please.

P.S.

Another great "game framework" you should check out is Pyramid Arcade by Looney Labs.