A Closer Look at Riftbound: The TCG That’s Hooking League Fans and New Players Alike

Perhaps it’s the odor and consciousness of caller cards caller from a pack, oregon conscionable the anticipation of what could be, but I emotion maine immoderate colorful cardboard rectangles, commonly referred to arsenic “trading paper games”. As idiosyncratic who has been playing immoderate mode of TCG oregon different for adjacent to 30 years astatine this point, it feels similar this peculiar hobby has seen an detonation successful popularity and options for imaginable deck-builders to prime from.

The latest offering that has drawn successful crowds is Riftbound, designed by Riot Games and published successful concern with UVS Games (the aforesaid radical down Universus, different TCG that brings monolithic properties similar Godzilla and Street Fighter unneurotic successful a competitory paper game) and based connected the immensely fashionable League of Legends IP. With Riftbound: Origins, the game’s archetypal set, debuting lone a fewer abbreviated weeks ago, Riftbound looks similar a beauteous neat game, but conscionable however neat exactly?

I hopped successful my car and dropped into my FLGS (friendly section crippled store) to get a much boots-on-the-ground look astatine Riftbound.

To the Rift!

Pulling into Games & Company, located successful Walled Lake, Michigan, I popped successful during their precocious added play Riftbound night. Spread crossed a fewer tables, players were fending disconnected 1 another, holding down their battlefields, and making pushes to assertion their opponents successful an effort to people points.

Walking implicit to 1 of the tables, the players kindly fto maine beryllium down and ticker and graciously answered my basal questions astir the crippled - I had yet to play it astatine this point. At a glance, I could archer some of them were TCG veterans, with 1 playing connected a gorgeous Dragon Ball Super playmat and the different 1 adorned with the MagicCon logo, truthful I asked what they some thought of Riftbound.

It rapidly became evident that some Brandon M. and Alex H. felt the large archetypal gully for Riftbound was the attached League of Legends IP. “I’ve played a batch of League [of Legends] truthful that’s decidedly a draw,” Brandon explained, “I’ve ever liked paper games but conscionable haven’t recovered that I person related to 1 arsenic overmuch arsenic Riftbound.”

Alex echoed a akin sentiment, mentioning that helium is simply a large instrumentality of however the assets strategy is handled successful Riftbound, known arsenic Runes (basically mana for the MTG players retired there), and that “you lone person yourself to blasted if you manascrew yourself” since Runes are placed successful a separate, tiny side-deck you gully from each turn.

Popping into the shop’s Discord channel, I spoke with progressive subordinate Chris, who attributes not lone the IP to the reception but besides the prime of the game: “Riftbound seems to person been developed by a squad that has been paying attraction some to what these games person done correctly oregon incorrectly arsenic good arsenic however they could link this trading paper crippled to the beingness of Runeterra fans already cognize and love."

"There is an unthinkable magnitude of extent to this crippled that I person lone experienced successful Magic:The Gathering. This is simply a large thing, arsenic I consciousness a batch of the trading paper games that person travel aft haven't truly captured the complexity that leads to genuinely outstanding plays. Riftbound feels live and vibrant, without feeling watered down and tired. I consciousness similar astir players are alert determination is truthful overmuch much to travel owed to the extent and expanse of the Runeterra lore, but we invited it arsenic players and are acceptable to instrumentality that journey.”

But however is it selling?

Leaving the players to decorativeness their best-of-three match, I wanted to get immoderate position from the different broadside of the FLGS coin, the folks who tally the shop.

Taking a interruption from stocking the shelves with committee games and packs of the hottest TCGs, I asked Alyssa Dean, 1 of Game & Company’s owners, what she makes of Riftbound truthful far. “What stands retired to maine the astir astir the Riftbound merchandise is conscionable however passionate the players are astir the IP. They’re already successful emotion with each these characters truthful conscionable seeing them travel to beingness successful the crippled has been truly rewarding for america arsenic a store and for the players.”

That excitement looks to beryllium translating into income too, Alyssa continues, ”Sales are truly high. TCGs are benignant of astatine a precocious close now, truthful I wouldn’t accidental that it’s wild, but it is decidedly precise strong. If I could get, you know, 20 times much merchandise than what I did, I warrant I’d inactive merchantability out, which is simply a truly large mode for a crippled to commencement off, with this level of excitement.”

With the hype and the store’s excitement absorbed into my veins, I cracked immoderate packs and wanted to spot if Riftbound could descend its claws into idiosyncratic who ne'er played overmuch League and could hardly archer you what “jungling” means. First and foremost, beatified crap is it pugnacious to find ANY benignant of merchandise close now, beryllium it azygous packs, champion decks, oregon the Proving Grounds boxed game.

Getting immoderate games successful and cracking a mates of packs, adjacent without overmuch in-depth cognition of the IP, it’s wide that Riftbound has immoderate amusive gameplay backing up the hype and immoderate gorgeous paper creation too. The paper games I've played, predominantly being Magic, Digimon, and immoderate Gundam, mean my absorption is ever connected however I crockery retired harm oregon vessel the blows against me. I recovered Riftbound’s absorption much connected holding crushed and shoring up your presumption to beryllium a refreshing alteration of pace.

Sure, I bask countering moves by my opponents and taking retired their units, but I got acold much of an adrenaline boost by overtaking an force battlefield and watching my triumph points creep up arsenic I held the line. I don’t request to cognize who Lee Sin is to cognize that this crippled feels good. Now I conscionable request to way down capable packs to effort my manus astatine making my ain platform and truly get into the jungle with this game.

Riftbound looks to beryllium riding precocious retired of the gross with fans and crippled stores alike, and adjacent arsenic a League newbie (that’s inactive a connection folks use, right?) its speedy matches and its capture-and-hold gameplay person yanked maine successful similar a champion retired of formation.

There is nary shortage of options disposable for connoisseurs of colorful cardboard rectangles retired there, truthful it remains to beryllium seen if this up-and-comer is capable to support its lanes from the likes of Magic, One Piece, and immoderate the adjacent caller TCG turns retired to be. The adjacent set, Spiritforged, is owed retired successful February and with players rabid to get their hands connected each spot of Origins they can, Riftbound looks to beryllium a superior contender for TCG players’ clip and money, but it remains to beryllium seen for however long.

Scott White is simply a freelance contributor to IGN, assisting with tabletop games and usher coverage. Follow him connected X/Twitter oregon Bluesky.