Derek 'Dez' Maggs 
Ready to sling some spells and dive into a world where words hold the power of ancient magic? Spellward: The World Slinging Card Game promises epic battles, strategic spell casting, and immersive gameplay that might just cast a charm on your game nights.
But does it live up to the hype, or is this just a failed spelling bee gone awry?
SET UP
1. Deal 7 cards to each player
2. Place a card face up in the centre
GAMEPLAY
- There’s no turn order in Spellwards. Players may jump in and play a card at any time
- After a card is played, it becomes the new centre card
- The first player to play all their cards wins!
ADDITIONAL RULES
- Players must wait 3 seconds before playing on top of a card they played
- At any time, players may discard a card and draw 2 cards
- If players all agree, they may replace the centre card with a new card
PLAYING CARDS
- To play a card, place it over the centre card and say a word that starts with the letter on the centre card
- Has word length equal to the number on the card being played
- Ends with the letter on the card being played
An the example above: LINK, LUCK and LURK are all valid as they start in L, end in K and are 4 letters long
Playthrough
Spellward: the World Slinging Card Game was a game I sat down to play at PAX Australia 2024 while catching up with two minds behind Logic Engine, Matthew & Lyndon. We were chatting about their great little print & play, Floodlands.
While there a new designer, also from Adelaide like the Logic Engine team; introduced me to Thien. We chatted for a bit & then he excitedly showed me his game Spellward: The World Slinging Card Game along with 2 others he has been working on, but I won’t ruin the surprise on those.
We did a quick run-through of the rules—as you can see, there aren’t many of them—and then we were off to the races!
That saying could not have been more accurate. As the games are quick and exhilarating. As someone who hates spelling & loves the F7 key, I was nervous of making a fool about myself. Yet, you have no time to think, cards are going down quickly. Words are flying out before you can think of them or get your cards down & word of advice, plurals are your best friend.
Spellward: the World Slinging Card Game is a great palette cleanser or icebreaker for your games night. It is easy to learn, exhilarating fun, and annoyingly competitive. We found ourselves playing multiple games, to the point that I was so enthralled in the game that I almost missed my interview with Jack Box Games’ Chief Creative Officer, Allard Laban. The replay value is so high!
Even at a recent games night at my friend’s house, it took us two hours to stop playing this game. I honestly think that after the 20th game, the phrase “one more game” was said about 35 times. It was so hard to put down, and everyone wanted to go out on a win.
It is also crazy how many times I had 6 of my seven cards in hand & came out with the win. Never count yourself out as winning Spellward: the World Slinging Card Game can come from anywhere!
Art
The elegant stained glass style design of the cards, really just brings a simple but elegant game to the next level. The intricate designs, both elegant and yet complex, still allow the cards to be easily read by all players and don’t take away from the simplicity and beauty of the game.
The royal purple card box & backs give Spellward: the World Slinging Card Game an elegance and beauty that contrasts the light airy feel of the cards.
Conclusion
Spellward: the World Slinging Card Game is a game that randomly fell in my lap. A game I had little to no knowledge of, from a designer I knew nothing about; and yet, it was heaven sent.
Its simplicity and elegance mixed with its diabolically fast play that gets you thinking with its ever changing board state. It has become a game that I take with me to all gaming nights, as it is something that gets the blood & adrenaline pumping while getting the gaming night off to an amazing start.
If you want to add a great little game, that is fast, exhilarating & will help you discover new words, then Spellward: the World Slinging Card Game is a must-have.
The Kickstarter kicks off in the next we dates, so click the link here & then the Notify me button. You will want to this game in your collection.
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