Magic: the Gathering - Tactics

If recent "Magic: the Gathering" ("MtG") trading card video games are vanilla ("Duels of the Planeswalkers 2011" and "2012"), then "Magic: the Gathering - Tactics" is pistachio almond. The funky new game from Wizards of the Coast is the type that can be enjoyed by those with a discerning palate, who, in all likelihood, will be made fun of by their friends.

The premise of the game is simple enough: to adapt popular aspects of the "MtG" card game and morph them into a square-tile, turn-based strategy game.

"Tactics" attracts special attention by being free to download and play. Though it was released in January 2011, the game has gained momentum recently with PC gamers when it became part of Steam, Valve's digital distribution service.

The turn-based gameplay is easy to pick up, and the pace of gameplay is relaxed enough to allow for burrito runs in the heat of battle.

The game itself similar to other tactical turn-based games like "Fire Emblem" or "Advance Wars."

The creature summoning aspect from the card game is similar in "Tactics," but beyond this, an intimate knowledge of the card game will be of little use as quite a few "MtG" rules are thrown out the window.

The free-to-play structure of "Tactics" may help draw a large audience, but it's easy to see the cracks where developers expect aspiring wizards to spend some green mana on a spell of purchasing.

In order to unlock significant portions of the game and be a threat in multiplayer matches, players will either have to open a wallet-sized spellbook, or spend the kind of time grinding that only an idle adolescent could hope to achieve.

Still, the solo missions are more than enough to occupy an evening, and messing around with some like-minded friends for a few multiplayer bouts could certainly be refreshing for any undergraduate planeswalker.