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Sorcery: Contested Realm
2022
Rules assistance for Sorcery: Contested Realm
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 15–90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 3.6/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Sorcery: Contested Realm
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Sorcery: Contested Realm is a board game released in 2022 for 2 players, 15–90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Erik Olofsson, Nickolas Reynolds, and Rafael Novellino and its main mechanics are Player Elimination, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, and Card Play Conflict Resolution.
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About the game
Two players take the roles of Avatars, assemble their own decks, and then cast a variety of elemental spells, summon powerful minions, and shape the world around them from their Atlas to increase their dominance and ultimately banish their foe. Sorcery is a realm contested by Avatars with one goal: to be the last Avatar standing. In order to win, a player must first put their opponent’s Avatar at Death’s Door by reducing its life total to 0. After that, the player must then deliver the final Death Blow to the dying Avatar, which rewards them with the win. A player also wins if their opponent attempts to draw a card from an empty deck—either the Atlas or Spellbook— or if their opponent surrenders. Sorcery: Contested Realm is played over a series of turns. Players take their turn, one at a time, following 3 phases: Start Phase Untap Step: Untap your Avatar, minions, and relics. Draw Step: Draw a card from your Spellbook or Atlas. If you are the first player, skip this step on your first turn of the game. Start Step: “At the start of turn” abilities trigger. Main Phase You may, in any order: Cast spells; Activate abilities; Interact with relics; Move with a minion; Attack with a minion; End Phase Rest Step: Remove damage from all minions. End Step: “Until the end of turn” abilities end, and the turn passes to your opponent.
Publishers
- Erik's Curiosa Limited
Questions and answers
Sorcery: Contested Realm 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 Sorcery: Contested Realm is 15–90 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 Sorcery: Contested Realm for ages 12 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.
Sorcery: Contested Realm has a complexity rating of 3.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Sorcery: Contested Realm belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Fighting. Its main mechanics are Player Elimination, Deck, Bag, and Pool Building, and Card Play Conflict Resolution. 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 Sorcery: Contested Realm are: Erik Olofsson, Nickolas Reynolds, and Rafael Novellino. 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 Sorcery: Contested Realm 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.