Description from the designer:
The Most Brilliant Mage is a short CCG-like game for two players that can be played with a standard deck of cards. In the game, the players are Mages casting spells and summoning the elements to fight for them.
Each turn, players cast spells and/or summon elements in an attempt to have the most power in play. Players are fighting a tug-of-war for points, similar to games like Twilight Struggle, and if a player gets to 3 points, she wins.
The game was designed to mimic the more meta-decisions involved in CCGs while being able to be played with just 18 cards. Strategies like Aggro and Control are present in the game. There are also options for pre-built decks and drafting.
While it does not have the depth of true CCGs, The Most Brilliant Mage is a brain-burner that can scratch that same itch.