Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013

 iOS
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 15 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 15
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 15
  3. Negative: 0 out of 15
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  1. AppSpy
    Jul 10, 2012
    100
    Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 has long since set itself up as a prototypical 'yearly' franchise, but for long-time fans this is nothing new and the iPad version of the latest title lends itself perfectly to the series thanks to visceral touch controls.
  2. Slide to Play
    Jul 1, 2012
    100
    Wizards of the Coast has done a phenomenal job of bringing the tabletop game to the iPad. The gameplay, despite a few small problems, is incredibly well done and we honestly can't think of a better way to do it.
  3. TouchGen
    Jun 28, 2012
    100
    Magic 2013 is awesome. You can get a good chunk of the game for free to see if it is for you, and then unlock the rest for $9.99. It is literally the most fun I have ever had playing ag ame on my iPad, and it is almost flawless in execution. Seriously, just get the game now.
  5. TouchArcade
    Jun 24, 2012
    100
    Regardless of whether you've been vaguely curious about Magic the Gathering or an experienced player, you need to try Magic 2013 on the iPad. For us veterans of the game, it'll also serve as a cruel tease and horrid reminder of how badly Magic Online needs an iPad port.
  6. Games Master UK
    Jul 24, 2012
    90
    New cards are a big attraction, but this year it's the multiplayer that shines. [Sept 2012, p.101]
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  7. 148Apps
    Jun 30, 2012
    90
    Magic 2013 is one of the best iOS games I've played this year. Hands down.
  8. Pocket Gamer UK
    Jun 30, 2012
    90
    A superb strategy game that offers up a complete package of single-player and multiplayer card combat.
  9. Multiplayer.it
    Jun 26, 2012
    90
    This is out of doubt the best Duels of the Planeswalker released on the market from the start of the series. The interface works well and there are enough contents to keep the players playing for a long time.
  10. Modojo
    Jun 24, 2012
    90
    There's no denying that tablets offer a unique opportunity to both breathe new life into the genre, as well as open it up to a new audience. Certainly Magic 2013 is the best game of its kind that we've played on the iPad.
  11. IGN
    Jun 25, 2012
    85
    I had just as much fun with the new iPad version as I did with the PC and console versions--perhaps even more so.
  12. SpazioGames
    Sep 11, 2012
    80
    Magic The Gathering Planeswalker 2013 is a great start for the brand on iPad and probably the best version on the market.
  13. AppAdvice
    Jul 8, 2012
    80
    Having challenges and other game modes to play is a nice change from the standard fare that I normally play, and I'm especially enjoying the Two-Headed Giant mode (a team battle) from the Custom Games option.
  14. Vandal
    Jul 5, 2012
    80
    Hands down the best card collecting game available. The rules have been revised, the decks balanced, and the new collection will delight fans. Its iOS adaptation is great.
  15. NZGamer
    Jul 4, 2012
    80
    While my iPad 1 struggled with some of the more demanding scenarios (more than two players usually crashed me out of the game), the iPad platform, generally speaking, is perfect for this sort of game.
  16. AppGamer
    Jan 15, 2013
    70
    Yes there are a couple of niggles but for the most part Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 is still very much the same, albeit cut down, game I fell in love with back in the day.

Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Best iOS Game of 2012
46
#46 Most Discussed iOS Game of 2012
55
#55 Most Shared iOS Game of 2012

User Reviews

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User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 30 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 30
  3. Negative: 9 out of 30
  1. jin44jim
    Dec 13, 2020
    0
    What can I say every card game past 2012 has predetermined draws and cards to counter and set for anything you do. You expect me to believeWhat can I say every card game past 2012 has predetermined draws and cards to counter and set for anything you do. You expect me to believe that the A.I. can play 12 of the same cards in a row every match to make a barely win or a defeat, when you can only have 4 of the same cards in your deck legally? I made a deck of elf card, no cards in this deck would of been useless because of the way I built the deck but magically every match I pull nothing but mana for up 17 turns sometime and I do mean literally 17 turns I pulled nothing but mana cards. It is recorded on video. I played about 5 matches of this happening and uninstalled the game. The mana cards are set automatically and I have only 24 mana cards in my whole deck and still pull that many mana cards. Card games need to be random not data collecting predetermine matches to make the game feel like a movie or something. TRASH game! It blows my mind 23 mana cards in a 60 card deck and I pull almost my entire mana pool not once but 5 times in a row. WOW!!!! What a joke. It should be illegal for you to have my data to use against me without my consent.… Full Review »
  2. avwynin
    Jul 21, 2014
    0
    Easily the worst balancing ever in any game. The AI cheats like mad to compensate for the fact that it would otherwise be completely inept,Easily the worst balancing ever in any game. The AI cheats like mad to compensate for the fact that it would otherwise be completely inept, even on lowest difficulty. AI always draws the right card at the right time (e.g. playing 3 identical fire spells at the same time? Seriously?) No variety in deck building except for paying $4 dlcs. The mulligan system is fundamentally flawed, and when they implemented it into this iOS version, each hand that's drawn is so blatantly rigged that it's not even funny. Over half if not most of the time, the player will either have too few lands or too few spells. Not uncommon at all to draw 5 or 6 cards in a row without drawing a single land.

    The only redeeming factor is the fact that it's on iPad, which is portable. Only if you have absolutely nothing better to do, or if you're on the go, is it by all means an OK game. It really does the actual card game no justice.

    Update: Turns out that for some reason, the more cards you unlock, the more unstable the game becomes on your machine. It crashes after every match, so it is nearly impossible to make any progress whatsoever. The design of the save system is absolutely moronic, i.e. new unlocks are only saved when you return to the menu screen and not if you continue playing. So, if you don't regularly quit to the menu, you could easily lose an hour (or more) worth of gameplay. Utter nonsense.    … Full Review »
  3. Enlil
    Jun 24, 2012
    5
    Back in high school I plaid quite a lot of Magic, but stopped later due to lack of playing partners. When I saw that a Magic: The GatheringBack in high school I plaid quite a lot of Magic, but stopped later due to lack of playing partners. When I saw that a Magic: The Gathering game is coming for iPad I knew I had to get it. Sadly the part I used to enjoy most, deck building, is the part the game doesn't allow you to do. You can make some modifications to pre-made decks, but that's it. For me that takes a huge part of the fun and the motivation away, since I always enjoyed making new decks with interesting strategies much more than actually playing the game. I am surprised that this doesn't seem to be an issue for any commercial reviewers.

    The interface of the game looks quite beautiful, but has some flaws. As pretty as some of the animations look it get's annoying to have to watch the 1-2 second tapping animation so often. That doesn't sound like much but sums up. Want to attack with you pack of 10 wolfs? Well you will have to wait for every tapping animation to finish before you can tap the next creature. This alone wouldn't be that bad, but it contributes to to make the game feel very slow. This behavior also makes the interface feel wonky at times, because slow starting animations like tapping, don't give immediate feedback and needs some getting used to.
    Most other board and card games are much faster in the computer versions. Not so with this game. You have to wait for a timer for every phase of the game to finish, even if there is no action that possibly could be taken. This makes especially the first few round feel unnecessary slow.

    Overall it's an OK game, but could have been so much more. Just a little interface polish and the option to build you own deck (which Magic is all about) and this could be one of my favorit games.    … Full Review »
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