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From the 2nd edition rulebook intro for MAGIC REALM:
MAGIC REALM is a game of fantasy adventuring, set in a land filled with monsters, fabulous treasures, great warriors, and magicians. The scene is set in the ruins of a mighty kingdom, now inhabited by sparse groups of natives and swarms of monsters. Beneath it all are the rich remnants of a magical civilization, scattered and lost across the map.
To this scene come the adventurers, seekers of riches and fame, to make a name for themselves in this promising field. Swordsman and Dwarf, Magician and Sorceror, the humans and the half-humans come seeking to loot the legendary riches of a lost civilization. Now you can play the part of one of these adventurers, stepping into an unknown Realm of magic and monsters, battles and treasures.
As a player, you will take on the role of one of the sixteen major characters who are represented in detail in the game. You will control where he goes, what he tries to do, how he handles himself in combat, and much more. In the course of the game, you will run into deadly monsters, tribes of humans ranging from old friends to sworn enemies, and treasures that will enhance your abilities in many ways.
MAGIC REALM is a complex game designed to recapture the suspense and desperate struggles of fantasy literature. The game creates a small but complete fantasy world, where each game is a new adventure with a new map where everything lies hidden at new locations. The game includes many more playing pieces than are actually used in a single playing. The additional pieces are set up and can appear, depending on the directions in which the characters explore, but many of the treasure troves, treasures, and spells will still be set up, unfound, when the game ends, and many of the monsters and natives might never be met. The result is an extremely unpredictable game full of surprises, a game that plays very differently each time it is played.
The complete game system includes hiking, hiding and searching, fatigue, wounds, rest, trade, hiring natives, and combat between characters, monsters, and natives using a variety of weapons on horseback and afoot, as well as many magical effects.
Between exploring a new land where the mountains, caves, valleys, and woods change every game, and not knowing what you will find in each place, you will find each game a new and unpredictable adventure, filled with surprises. You will find this like no other board game you have ever played.
Avalon Hill Complexity rating - 9
See also the list of articles about Magic Realm in The General.
- Host finally obtained an unpunched copy at the BGG con flea market.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the White House plumbers with uh Woody Harris it was about Watergate
- that looked good
- it was a pretty funny if all this [ __ ] is like even somewhat true that happened in the series it was pretty wild what the [ __ ] happened
- she's still working man
- she's got like three or four credits every year
- I can't think of a movie I've seen her in in forever and for a while there she was in a ton of stuff
- 99 was a big year
- 97 was a big year
References (from this video)
- Fantasy
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I remember playing the the original one and I remember standing at the table playing with Don and JB no Jamie wasn't there it was uh Chris and a couple other guys and I remember the cover of the game but I do not remember playing the game you know it's like it left no impression on me whatsoever
- I mean it hit the table a couple times for me and then like then it did hit the table forever so it was one of those things where you know just give it up you know let somebody else you know
- but but highrise was one of those games that everybody said no it's just too expensive to publish now I have no idea what happened with his high-rise campaign or or how he did it but when he only raised like 52 grand for it and then like and then he did his high-rise Ultra plastic Edition and he raised like a little over 100 Grand like for the life of me I I think like basically he didn't my me personally with with covet and everything else it was like one of those things where I think it was just way too expensive I mean you can't make a big old plastic fancy thing for 100 grand
- It's like it's like the the the the the the best answer in most situations if you are stopped by a police officer um and asked hey uh where are you going your best answer is I don't answer questions that is just yeah and just yeah yeah and that's I mean and yeah they're they're gonna be annoyed with you and they're gonna but you know you're just better off not saying anything and and just go the fifth
- I think it's a good thing for the hobby I think it really is I think it's just gonna some of those people just uh suck it suck it uh go go work at UH Burger Time and and try to uh the same pre-insured me okay go to the work houses
- I just don't understand it neither do I if you if you can't find a game for fifty dollars that's available right now and you will go back some 300 no no backer no backer history no prior history game I just don't get it why would you do that
- I don't think it's a perfect solution would you want to get bigger anymore I don't think so I mean I really like it the way it is I feel like it's it's unwieldy
- I think it's a lot of potential here too people really seem to enjoy I don't think the coffee ones are that funny if I mean me personally
- Yeah the problem is those those rooms go into the block or don't go back into the block price so they go in for stupid price so you don't get a good deal
- I mean it's just it's crazy hard like what yeah you know we we ship out we don't really let stuff sit in orders for more than a day maybe a day at most and it still like takes a couple days takes two three days three or four days yeah
- it is rules dense but it is nowhere near as rules and sense as uh as as magic Rome was
- I'm going to hate doing the video I'm going to absolutely hate doing the video because it is going to be it is going to be uh uh it's going to be annoying to try to get all the rules correct
- magic realm was one of his all-time favorite games when he was a kid
- bo Jackson bo knows baby
- I just don't understand how you make money on honestly selling games it's really tough
- people don't want to buy games that exist already they want to buy games that don't exist for some reason I don't get it
- I mean it is like it is like there are pages and pages and pages of games that are just like who is this who is publishing this what is this you know
- the flea market spoken Lobster steak
- it's like the the ideal game library was a database of mine oh sorry a database of more than 700 short board game reviews in French and broken English
References (from this video)
- Acquired a handmade deluxe version.
- Difficult to get through.
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Custom artwork — A handmade deluxe version with new artwork was acquired by one of the speakers.
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Quotes (from this video)
- why is it that you set up appointments with do with doctors that never keep them?
- I’m sure she’s seen dozens if not a 100 kids at this point getting physicals
- It’s a really solid game. I’ve played it a bunch since it came out.
- It’s a cooperative game where you and your friends are gonna work together to achieve a common goal.
- Terraforming Mars is a game that really rewards long-term planning.
- The engine building in this game is just fantastic. You really feel like you’re building something.
- Wingspan is such a beautiful game. The artwork is just stunning.
References (from this video)
- Favorite game of all time.
- Amazing game.
- Unmatched emergent narrative.
- It's fun.
- Difficult to learn.
- Dragons Down
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- emergent narrative — The game is known for its emergent narrative.
- rulebook — The rulebook is described as difficult to learn.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- It's the longest running weekly live stream uh on YouTube.
- I felt like garbage, I still got this stupid cough that just will not go away.
- After the Empire, it's a game where you really feel like you're in charge.
- The complexity is part of the appeal.
- It's like a cute woodland creature war.
- Every game feels like a different experience because of the factions.
- Everdell, it's just so pretty to look at on the table.
- I love the feeling of building up my little city.
References (from this video)
- deep, story-rich, and highly influential in history of board games
- great for groups that enjoy complex, open-ended design
- notoriously heavy and learning-intensive
- clunky components and setup can be off-putting
- sandboxy, emergent social and tactical play
- Large fantasy world with multi-layer political and magical concerns
- open-ended with heavy player-driven storytelling
- Dragons Down
- Descent Second Edition
- Merchants of Venus
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- complex rule-set and governance — diplomacy, negotiation and procedural rules drive outcomes
- large, multi-layered exploration — big map, many interacting subsystems requiring planning and negotiation
- story-driven, emergent play — player actions and events weave a narrative that evolves over time
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a deck builder of sorts
- the powers are diverse like it's really asymmetric
- Noi Hyimat will easily be the most checked out game of BGCon 2026
- Magic Realm saved my life when I was a kid