Magic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield talks game design: "Players look back now and see a bunch of broken cards"

Tabletop GamingMagic: The GatheringMagic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield talks game design: “Players look back now and see a bunch of broken cards"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. Tabletop GamingMagic: The GatheringMagic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield talks game design: “Players look back now and see a bunch of broken cards"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Wizards of the Coast) I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Richard Garfield is a legend in the tabletop community. Besides rattling off some of thebest board gamesover the past two decades, he created a certain, indie card game called Magic: The Gathering. I doubt you’ve heard of it. Now he’s back to the grindstone with his latest offering – the trivia sequel Half-Truth: Second Guess, co-developed with Jeopardy powerhouse and presenter Ken Jennings. It’s already blown way past its initial goalon Kickstarter(the target was $10K, but it’s currently circling $39,000), and that runaway success doesn’t seem to have hit the end of the line just yet. I managed to leap aboard the hype train for a moment to pick Garfield’s brain on this, Magic: The Gathering, and previous projects from King of Tokyo to Keyforge. Developer profile(Image credit: Richard Garfield)You probably know Richard Garfield as the designer of MTG, Netrunner, and countless other games, but he’s also an accomplished mathematics professor and the great-great grandson of U.S. President James A. Garfield. He’s not the only creative mind in the family, either; his great uncle invented the paper clip. Developer profile (Image credit: Richard Garfield)You probably know Richard Garfield as the designer of MTG, Netrunner, and countless other games, but he’s also an accomplished mathematics professor and the great-great grandson of U.S. President James A. Garfield. He’s not the only creative mind in the family, either; his great uncle invented the paper clip. (Image credit: Richard Garfield) You probably know Richard Garfield as the designer of MTG, Netrunner, and countless other games, but he’s also an accomplished mathematics professor and the great-great grandson of U.S. President James A. Garfield. He’s not the only creative mind in the family, either; his great uncle invented the paper clip. GR+: Speaking of which, let’s talk about Half-Truth: Second Guess. What brought about this standalone sequel, and what makes it different from the first game? RG:We always knew we wanted to do a follow-up game. The original came with enough cards to play about 20 times and we expected players to want more questions. What form would that follow-up be? We wanted Second Guess to be stand-alone, so players could jump in. This also gave us the opportunity to add some different ways to play – a faster way and team play, for example.GR+: As a follow-up to the original Half-Truth, was there anything you wanted to address or change from your original design?RG:My main goal was providing more questions and more ways to play – there wasn’t anything in particular that I saw as needing correction. Our skill at making questions in this format had grown, and the questions are much more consistently good in Second Guess. Half Truth questions are all multiple choice, with three correct answers and three incorrect answers. It turns out, you can do a lot with that format!For example, which of these are types of bells? A good question has a look of hooks to work with and this has a bunch – you might know the bells, you also might recognize words that sound ‘bellish,’ you also might recognize that the wrong answers are characters from The Hunchback of Notre Dame – and that would allow you to eliminate one or more of the possibilities.They don’t all follow this format, but we found many ways to give players additional angles to approach questions. This did occur inHalf Truth, but not as consistently as with Second Guess. My wife, Koni, was the first to come up with the negative answer theme and she did it brilliantly – she had poisonous mushrooms with Magic cards. I hate to admit – she got me with it. I did manage to answer it correctly but I only got one, had I seen the pattern I would have easily gotten all three.(The answer to the bell question is ABC.) (Image credit: Nighthawk Games) GR+:Can you tell me what it’s like to work with Ken Jennings? I imagine he brings a different perspective to game design.RG:Ken is an excellent writer, with a terrific sense of humor and he knows trivia as well as anyone does. He was a delight to work with. He helped us develop style guidelines, and to cut back on questions that didn’t work for one reason or another. He helped vet the questions and pointed out questions that might age poorly. He was also supportive of our work, and seemed to genuinely appreciate the questions we were contributing.GR+:Your portfolio has a lot of variety. Would you say there’s a common design philosophy that you bring to each one, or a calling-card that you see as very ‘Richard Garfield’?RG:I like to think of myself as a game-omnivore, and I try to follow that with my design. Because of that, I think it becomes hard to categorize my games. One thread which is quite common though, is that I like to play games which can be played both seriously and casually at the same time and that usually means there is a bit more luck injected in some way. I can play with much broader groups of players if the most experienced player is winning, say, 75% of the time rather than 99% of the time. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Currently playing(Image credit: Quadradius )“I am very interested in digital games which feel like tabletop games rather than some sort of simulation. One of my favorite examples of this isQuadradius, which is an amazing game. It may feel like the game is mostly luck, but the more you play it with a good player the more you will realize there is a lot to it. I have played hundreds of hours and will almost always beat new players, but there are players I probably have a 25% win rate against. If you check it out, bring a friend or be prepared to wait a while – the player community is small.” Currently playing (Image credit: Quadradius )“I am very interested in digital games which feel like tabletop games rather than some sort of simulation. One of my favorite examples of this isQuadradius, which is an amazing game. It may feel like the game is mostly luck, but the more you play it with a good player the more you will realize there is a lot to it. I have played hundreds of hours and will almost always beat new players, but there are players I probably have a 25% win rate against. If you check it out, bring a friend or be prepared to wait a while – the player community is small.” (Image credit: Quadradius ) “I am very interested in digital games which feel like tabletop games rather than some sort of simulation. One of my favorite examples of this isQuadradius, which is an amazing game. It may feel like the game is mostly luck, but the more you play it with a good player the more you will realize there is a lot to it. I have played hundreds of hours and will almost always beat new players, but there are players I probably have a 25% win rate against. If you check it out, bring a friend or be prepared to wait a while – the player community is small.” GR+:How does it feel to be responsible for such a beloved and enduring card game?RG:It is still kind of staggering. It makes me happy to have brought so many people into games and to have contributed to modern design in a meaningful way. There is little I find more rewarding than my work being appreciated. GR+: On that subject, I’m a big fan of King of Tokyo - it’s a great game. Can you talk me through what that was like to make?RG:People often ask me whether I design theme first or mechanic first and the answer is, both. For The Hunger, it was theme. For King of Tokyo, it was mechanics. I was thinking about Yahtzee, which a mathematician friend of mine was taking very seriously at the time. I thought about how marvelous that game was, and how I might change it. I thought “I would like to add a real theme, and some direct interaction”. I tinkered with the direct interaction for a while— I wanted something where your ability to pick on another player was limited, and soon came up with the King of the Hill mechanic that is used in the final game.At this point I made a game with a fantasy theme. I did not expect it to be a fantasy game, but I find it a useful placeholder flavor since it is broad and widely understood. After I had a game I liked, Skaff Elias and I brainstormed some final themes and at some point chose a Kaiju theme as being appropriate and exciting.At this point there is an important step, it is not simply transferring what was there into a Kaiju world. There is some amount of redesign necessary to make the final game feel natural, with the theme more than just painted on. (Image credit: Iello) Second Guess(Image credit: Nighthawk Games)The trivia-based Half Truth: Second Guess is onlyon Kickstarterfor a limited time, and the campaign ends this November 14. If you pledge, you get an exclusive 18-card promo pack. Second Guess (Image credit: Nighthawk Games)The trivia-based Half Truth: Second Guess is onlyon Kickstarterfor a limited time, and the campaign ends this November 14. If you pledge, you get an exclusive 18-card promo pack. (Image credit: Nighthawk Games) The trivia-based Half Truth: Second Guess is onlyon Kickstarterfor a limited time, and the campaign ends this November 14. If you pledge, you get an exclusive 18-card promo pack. GR+:Finally, what makes the medium so appealing in your opinion?RG:Wow, there are so many things about gaming that make it amazing. I’ll give two answers – one outward facing and one inward facing. The outward facing one is that it allows you to connect with anyone in a relatively safe way. Whether you feel comfortable with socializing with other people or not, a game provides a way to engage. If you know the rules you don’t even necessarily need to speak the same language! This ability to broadly connect people is powerful, and more important than ever.The inwardly facing answer is that complex systems are often beyond our understanding, but you can explore them in games. Some of these systems may be completely abstract, like Chess, but others might reflect real life systems, like Mafia/Werewolf. We thirst to understand the world and games help. Inspired? You can see what other tabletop luminaries think in our feature onhow one of the most prolific board game designers made it: “The idea of mass market ‘being simple’ is bullshit.“As for what you should play next, why not check out theseboard games for adultsor thebest 2-player board games? 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Sushi Go! $11.99View $11.99 $11.99 See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices More about tabletop gamingThis new indie D&D campaign setting brings Studio Ghibli and Zelda: Breath of the Wild aesthetics and worldbuilding to the tabletop RPG, and I’m already scheming hard as a DMD&D Monster Manual 2025 is going to pack a serious punch thanks to a family of monsters descended from gods, and frankly I’m terrifiedLatest26 years later, Codemasters' Chris Southall talks Colin McRae Rally: “We wanted to do something that was an authentic rally experience for the hardware of the time"See more latest► More about tabletop gamingThis new indie D&D campaign setting brings Studio Ghibli and Zelda: Breath of the Wild aesthetics and worldbuilding to the tabletop RPG, and I’m already scheming hard as a DMD&D Monster Manual 2025 is going to pack a serious punch thanks to a family of monsters descended from gods, and frankly I’m terrifiedLatest26 years later, Codemasters' Chris Southall talks Colin McRae Rally: “We wanted to do something that was an authentic rally experience for the hardware of the time"See more latest► More about tabletop gamingThis new indie D&D campaign setting brings Studio Ghibli and Zelda: Breath of the Wild aesthetics and worldbuilding to the tabletop RPG, and I’m already scheming hard as a DMD&D Monster Manual 2025 is going to pack a serious punch thanks to a family of monsters descended from gods, and frankly I’m terrified More about tabletop gaming This new indie D&D campaign setting brings Studio Ghibli and Zelda: Breath of the Wild aesthetics and worldbuilding to the tabletop RPG, and I’m already scheming hard as a DMD&D Monster Manual 2025 is going to pack a serious punch thanks to a family of monsters descended from gods, and frankly I’m terrified This new indie D&D campaign setting brings Studio Ghibli and Zelda: Breath of the Wild aesthetics and worldbuilding to the tabletop RPG, and I’m already scheming hard as a DM This new indie D&D campaign setting brings Studio Ghibli and Zelda: Breath of the Wild aesthetics and worldbuilding to the tabletop RPG, and I’m already scheming hard as a DM D&D Monster Manual 2025 is going to pack a serious punch thanks to a family of monsters descended from gods, and frankly I’m terrified D&D Monster Manual 2025 is going to pack a serious punch thanks to a family of monsters descended from gods, and frankly I’m terrified Latest26 years later, Codemasters' Chris Southall talks Colin McRae Rally: “We wanted to do something that was an authentic rally experience for the hardware of the time"See more latest► Latest 26 years later, Codemasters' Chris Southall talks Colin McRae Rally: “We wanted to do something that was an authentic rally experience for the hardware of the time” 26 years later, Codemasters' Chris Southall talks Colin McRae Rally: “We wanted to do something that was an authentic rally experience for the hardware of the time” 26 years later, Codemasters' Chris Southall talks Colin McRae Rally: “We wanted to do something that was an authentic rally experience for the hardware of the time” See more latest► Most Popular"This is incredibly rare”: How Mouthwashing quietly became 2024’s breakout horror hitI’m no Grinch, but will someone please direct me to the good Christmas games?This canceled Netflix fantasy series was one of the best shows of 2024 – and deserves a second chancePatton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - 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This canceled Netflix fantasy series was one of the best shows of 2024 – and deserves a second chance Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics” Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s past Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé 17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding” Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over Christmas Spy x Family season 3: Everything we know so far One of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strength How Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1 Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”