Sorcery: Contested Realm
Sorcery: Contested Realm, or Sorcery, is a tabletop collectible card game designed by Erik Olofsson and published in 2022 by Erik's Curiosa Limited.
Publishing history
Sorcery was promoted as an "old school" fantasy card game for players with a "rich imagination, tactical nerve and an appreciation for hand-painted art". The first edition, Alpha Set, was released during May of 2023 after a successful Kickstarter campaign which raised NZ$ 5,784,804 pledged by 6,456 backers. This release was exclusive to Kickstarter backers and featured 403 different playable cards. The Beta Set and its booster packs were released to retail stores in October 2023.The subsequent set after Beta, Arthurian Legends, a booster set focused on Arthurian mythology which featured new gameplay mechanics and 220 additional cards, was released to retail in October 2024. During 2025 the Dragonlord miniset was released containing 13 different dragon-themed cards whose art was done by Ed Beard Jr. In December of 2025 a fourth large set was released named Gothic consisting of 440 different cards and featuring a mix of demonic, angelic, undead, religious and lovecraftian horror themes.
Across Alpha to Gothic, booster packs include extremely rare “Curio” Cards relating to the game's development, alternative art or various easter eggs. Interestingly, Erik’s Curiosa has never officially acknowledged or denied the existence of the “curio” cards, increasing its appeal of being discovered during packs opening.
Art and design
The visual identity of Sorcery: Contested Realm is defined by its exclusive use of hand-painted artwork, a departure from the digital illustration standards of contemporary trading card games.The game's developer, Erik Olofsson, was co-founder of Grinding Gear Games and the original Art and Creative Director for Path of Exile, known for his focus on dark, realistic item art and atmosphere. He left GGG around 2022 to create Sorcery: Contested Realm, though he still consults for GGG.
Together with his team Erik's Curosia, they commissioned a roster of fantasy artists, many of whom were instrumental in the early aesthetics of Magic: The Gathering, and other collectible card games including Guardians and Wyvern. Sorcery
Gameplay
Two players, depicted by their Avatar cards, play cards onto a 5x4 playing field called The Realm. Each player having their own deck of cards split into two parts: The Atlas – site cards that can be played on empty Void spaces filling out the board with new areas for their minions to move onto and control; and The Spellbook – spell cards that can summon minions to The Realm, relics that can be carried by the forces in The Realm, and magics to create short or long-term effects through auras and monuments. Deckbuilding is based on the rarity system with each card being represented by Ordinary, Exceptional, Elite or Unique. Players are allowed to have 4 of each ordinary cards, 3 exceptionals, 2 elites and 1 unique to build their Atlas and Spellbook.The game's goal is reducing their opponents life total to zero. Additional strategic depth is added through the regions of The Realm: Void, Surface, Underground and Underwater which give The Realm a physical persistence of a tactical game board by defining where and how the minions and the Avatars can move.
There are four elements in the game which describe the types of magics and spells being played:
- Fire: Focused on "Raw Damage" and destruction.
- Air: Focused on "Movement" and indirect, random lightning effects.
- Water: Focused on "Control" and altering the board.
- Earth: Focused on "The Physical".
Reception
Polygon reported that the Kickstarter for SorcerySean Migalla, writing for Screen Rant, noted that he "was pleasantly surprised by how unique and fun Sorcery: Contested Realm is" and praised Sorcery
In July 2025, it was announced that Star City Games has partnered with Erik’s Curiosa to bring Sorcery: Contested Realm to SCG CON events, beginning with SCG CON Houston. “This partnership will introduce the uniquely immersive trading card game to a broader audience through curated experiences, Learn-to-Play sessions, and organized play opportunities.” shared Pete Hoefling, President of SCG.
Community
It is not uncommon for longtime Magic: The Gathering players that have become disenfranchised, citing the expansion of Universes Beyond as a break from MTG’s established lore boundaries, along with ongoing product fatigue from an increasingly aggressive release schedule. As a result, some are leaving the game in search of alternatives like Sorcery, or taking it up as a "2nd" TCG.The Sorcery community has been steadily expanding since Alpha with various geographical regions being well represented by players and collectors alike, often attracted to the art, unique blend of tactical depth and narrative immersion. Collectability of game pieces such as foiled versions which features full art on card backs, and the extremely rare curios randomly allocated in boosters, have helped with fueling the game's growth.
Jens and Sofie Heiberg Plovdrup, better known as the duo behind the YouTube channel Cardboard Guide featuring Sorcery news, gameplay and card discussions - have become beloved fixtures especially in the Europe community. In the United States, Mike Servati, who runs the Collector Arthouse site, often delves into the historical development of the game pieces and art advocacy for Sorcery's artists. The Eternal Durdles also sees regular podcasts and frequent Sorcery articles contributed by various content creators.
Naoki, also known as Haine from Japan, and Wizards' Den on his YouTube Channel, is a seasoned Sorcery judge and player that has helped to shape the community in Japan. In recognition of his effort, the site card named "Wizard's Den" was released in the Arthurian Legends set, along with a curios version printed in Japanese. The game has also found its bearings in the Asia-Pacific region including Singapore and Australia with niche but growing communities.