I've been out of the Disney Lorcana loop for a while (having a baby will do that to you), and Archazia's Island is making me realize how much I've missed. It also reinforces why I think it's become one of the best card games despite only being a couple of years old.
Simply put, it still doesn't require much effort to pick up again after time away – and several expansions in. Archazia's Island is the sixth Disney Lorcana set so far, but I've still been able to dive back in using the starter decks without getting lost. This is an advantage Lorcana has over something like Magic: The Gathering, if you ask me. I can hit the ground running with it even if I've never played before, while approaching MTG Aetherdrift cold is a recipe for frustration. Don't get me wrong, I'm fond of the racing-themed expansion. But I'd be lost if it was my introduction to the game, because it's awash with terms that you won't understand unless you look them up. By contrast, Lorcana (usually) explains what keywords mean on the card itself.
This has always been a mission statement for Lorcana. As designer Ryan Miller told me when we interviewed him back in 2023, "we want to feel fresh and fun and all these things. But really, our goal was to be welcoming… the main job of a rule system, in my opinion, other than fun and that sort of thing, is to be a strong frame, like a house frame, so that it can hold a nice roof and floors and furniture."
However, I can still see how far Lorcana has come by flipping through the Ruby/Sapphire and the Amythyst/Steel starter decks I got my hands on. As a case in point, both include the first Dual-Ink cards that combine the strengths of two playstyles in one. The former (starring Belle and Beast in steampunk inventor getup) emphasizes discarding items and reclaiming them from your discard pile for bonuses. It's exactly the kind of resource management mechanic I'd expect from the slow-and-steady Sapphire Ink, but throws in some Ruby aggression to keep you from being on the back foot. For example, Beast, Frustrated Designer can Banish two item cards and deal five damage to another character.
Similarly, the latter deck (an Amythyst/Steel matchup with Jafar and Iago on the cover) combines the defensive qualities of both Inks with the tricksiness of Illusions that keep your opponents busy before vanishing. If you have Jafar, Newly Crowned in play, you can then put the Illusions back into your hand for use later. It's a hit-and-run style of gameplay that feels fresh.
I'll have a full review of these two decks in time for the full retail release on March 21, but for now, I'm back in the game.
For more to play at your next games night, why not check out the best board games or the best tabletop RPGs?
