
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Mage Noir: The Lone Mage
- 1–4 players
- 2022

2022
Rules assistance for Mage Noir
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Mage Noir is a board game released in 2022 for 2 players, 15–30 minutes per game, and ages 14 and up. It was designed by Constantin Dedeyan and Vincent Vimont and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Card Play Conflict Resolution, and Deck Construction.
Mage Noir is a strategy card game. In this dueling, deck-building game, players become true Mages and fight each other with the power of the elements. The game is focused on crafting spells and is packed with fireballs, crashing waves, devastating tornadoes and powerful magical abilities, all held in the palm of your hand. In Mage Noir, you’ll combine lesser spells to create stronger ones. The spell crafting system is simple, logical and very thematic. Will you cast your spells for immediate effects or risk saving them to combine into a game-winning combo? Mana is shared at the center of the table, every action you take will change this amount, and you’ll get to claim some of it at the beginning of your turn. But the rest may end up with your opponent, so plan accordingly. The separation of Mana from your deck also means no more failing to draw what you need to cast your spells! In Mage Noir, both players start with 20 Health Points (HP) . You achieve victory if you reduce your opponent’s total Health Points to zero . Additionally, if a player has to draw a card but does not have a deck to draw from, they lose the game . —description from the designer
Mage Noir supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Mage Noir is 15–30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Mage Noir for ages 14 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Mage Noir has a complexity rating of 2.8 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Mage Noir belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Collectible Components. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, Card Play Conflict Resolution, and Deck Construction. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Mage Noir are: Constantin Dedeyan and Vincent Vimont. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Mage Noir as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.