Saturday, August 2, 2025

A very particular niche for this one

 

OK, Not Enough Mana is a step outside games my gaming group plays.

To begin with it will remind of a simplified Magic: the Gathering. It’s not near as deep, nor is it expected to be, but you can feel a connection.

There’s also a kind of dash of Uno.

So this one from designer Paweł Piskorski, artist Krzysztof Maziarz, and publisher SUPERHOT Presents, (in Canada through ilo307), is a rather straight forward card battler.

That said it is set apart because Not Enough Mana is a ‘potion; drinking card game for three-to-six fearless wizards.

So drinking is actually a mechanic in this game, so that limits interest in terms of who plays – legal age of course that varies with jurisdiction – and where you are playing. You need a locale where a few drinks is safe, and where you stash vehicle keys too.

In broader terms in Not Enough Mana you’ll be destroying each other using epic spells, curses and artifacts – using card spells ala MtG, while replenishing your mana by drinking magical potions. (It must be noted the rules say to come up with options to taking a drink to secure ‘mana’ but I haven’t come up with a reasonable option).

Your goal is to eliminate all other wizards from the game, either through depleting all their health points or by K.O. (also known as Too Much Mana).

In their turn, players cast spells and curses, equip artifacts and face epic events by drawing and playing cards. Spells require mana points, which the player can replenish at any point in the game by drinking mana potions.

If a player loses all health points or is incapable of making a move on their turn, they are removed from the game. The last player wins.

At age 65 I’m well past interest in a drinking game – couldn’t afford the good Scotch either – so this isn’t a game that held my interest although 40 years ago this would have been a blast.

Just be aware the game group has to be on the same page for this one.

Check it out at notenoughmana.com and here in Canada find it via ilo307.com/en

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