Mistborn Deckbuilder Infuses Cosmere with Slay the Spire’s Style

In Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series, certain individuals possess the incredible ability to harness magic by metabolizing metals. They might burn pewter to boost their physical prowess or employ brass to calm another’s emotions. However, the true powerhouses of this world are the Mistborn, who can manipulate a wide variety of metals, allowing them to effectively soar through the skies and even glimpse into the future.

Mistborn: The Deckbuilding Game draws inspiration from Sanderson’s meticulously crafted magical system, offering players the opportunity to demonstrate the formidable capabilities of a Mistborn. The essence of the game lies in crafting intricate combos by efficiently utilizing metals. Players can aim to complete three missions, each offering rewards upon reaching certain milestones, or they can opt to knock out their opponents by depleting their health to zero.

As the game progresses, characters become increasingly powerful, acquiring the ability to burn more of the game’s eight metals each turn. These metals trigger card activations that enable players to advance along mission tracks, attack other players, or refine their decks by purchasing cards from the center row or removing weaker starting cards. Many cards come with additional effects, or kickers, that unleash more potent abilities if you can burn multiple quantities of the same metal, encouraging a specialized approach. Alternatively, you might adopt a broader strategy by flaring metals, temporarily putting them on cooldown until you can reactivate them with a matching card on a future turn. I realized I hadn’t fully leveraged this tactic early on, which hindered the growth of my deck.

A unique element of the game is its damage mechanic. In matches with three or four players, there’s a designated target who becomes the focus of attacks. Interestingly, this isn’t entirely negative, as the target gets to retaliate against all opponents when they strike. When the target takes damage, they have the option to pass the target token to another player or hold onto it. This approach cleverly prevents players from piling on the current leader, but it also provides an aggressive player with a strategic option.

I’m looking forward to exploring different tactics and diving into the game’s co-op mode. This mode aligns more closely with the series’ narrative as the Mistborn collaborate to challenge the oppressive Lord Ruler. There seems to be ample potential for expansion, incorporating more characters and story arcs from beyond the first book of the series.