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Mood Swings
2026
Rules assistance for Mood Swings
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–4 players
- 5–30 min
- 13+
- Complexity 1.3/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Mood Swings
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Mood Swings is a board game released in 2026 for 2–4 players, 5–30 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Mark Rosewater and its main mechanics are Take That, Card Play Conflict Resolution, and Deck Construction.
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About the game
A collectible trading card game for 2-4 players that uses a single deck of 45 cards. Players take turns playing mood cards to score the most points at the end of each round. The first player to win 3 rounds is the winner of the game. Mood Swings has fun card interactions, adaptability, collecting, and trading—but in the style of a traditional card game, something you could buy off the shelf and play immediately. While there's no necessary deck building, it's still a trading card game, which means each deck is not the same. You will get 45 cards (23 common, 14 uncommon, 6 rare, and 2 mythic rare cards), all randomized. If you go to your friend's house and play their copy of Mood Swings, the cards won't all be the same. You'll recognize some of the cards, but others will be new to you. The game, as Magic's creator Richard Garfield likes to describe trading card games, is "bigger than the box," meaning each game uses some of the pieces but not all of them. In total, Mood Swings has 133 cards—48 commons, 40 uncommons, 30 rares, and 15 mythic rares. Each copy of Mood Swings will include 45 of those 133 cards. The game uses Magic's five colors, and the art on the cards are all sketches from published Magic art, but the cards each represent an emotion or mood.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Wizards of the Coast
Questions and answers
Mood Swings supports 2–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Mood Swings is 5–30 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 Mood Swings for ages 13 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.
Mood Swings has a complexity rating of 1.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a 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.
Mood Swings belongs to these categories: Card Game and Collectible Components. Its main mechanics are Take That, 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 Mood Swings are: Mark Rosewater. 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 Mood Swings 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.