TCG Interview #82: Symphony of Witchcraft

I spoke with the creator of Symphony of Witchcraft! Here are her answers to my questions:

Q: Please describe your trading card game!

A: Symphony of Witchcraft is a TCG that attempts to alter the typical formula for the genre.Unlike most normal TCGs, the players in Symphony don’t have “hands” where they draw cards into. Instead, there is a 5-space “arsenal” in which they draw cards into. When a player draws a card, they have four choices:

Place it face-down in an empty slot.
Place it face-up in a slot occupied by another copy of that card.
Put all the cards in an occupied slot at the bottom of your deck, then place it in the now empty slot.
Put the card at the bottom of your deck.

As long as a card is in your Arsenal, you may tap it for Vis energy of that card’s type (face-down cards tap for neutral/“colorless” Vis), which may be used to play other cards in your arsenal by paying their casting cost.

Unlike other TCGs, most cards will stay with you after casting, allowing you to cast a spell once a turn so long as you have the resources to do so. The exception for this are Enchantments and Guardians, which are put into their own rows.

Combat is similar to Flesh and Blood, as each player will take turns sending one attack at a time, be it by casting a Bullet Spell or by sending a summoned Guardian into the fray.

Q: What inspired you to create your own TCG?

2.) I’ve always been a huge fan of card games, having grown up raised in a very nerdy household. I always knew that I wanted to make SOME type of game, whether it was a card game, video game, or D&D homebrew.

Back in early 2022, I made the decision to start experimenting with my own game system for a TCG. After lots of tweaking, refining, and even starting from scratch, I eventually came up with Symphony of Witchcraft.

Q: What TCGs did you grow up playing as a kid?

3.) Unlike most people, my first TCG was actually the Neopets TCG back in 2005. I didn’t wind up getting into more fantasy-focused games like MTG until I was already in high school.

Q: What sets Symphony of Witchcraft apart from other TCGs?

4.) I’d say the big thing that sets Symphony apart from most TCGs is we’ve set out to redesign the resource and card management system of games like MTG without overly complicated them. By cutting out a “resource” card type like Lands or Magic Stones, we ensure that a player will never have a point where they can’t play the cards they have.

As for the “Arsenal” replacing the hand of cards in other games, this new system changes how players need to manage their board state and the information they relay to their opponents. By choosing when and how to organize your arsenal, players are able to obfuscate their heavy hitting cards until it’s time to end the game, or bluff their opponent out of attacking by leaving a card face-down in the arsenal as an active threat.

Q: How did you come up with the name Symphony of Witchcraft?

5.) The elemental system and much of the worldbuilding I’ve built for the game has heavy ties to the Wiccan religion, so “Witchcraft” felt like a perfect tie-in. “Symphony” was chosen for the grand feeling the word carries. In essence, the name signifies that the game is about Witches performing great feats of magic.

Q: How long have you been working on the game?

6.) I want to say I started development around February of 2022. Back then, the game was under a different title, Spring Song, and the gameplay/art direction for it were much different from where we’re at now. Part of this was due to me needing to take a break due to medical reasons. It’s amazing the difference in perspective a few months away can bring to development.

Q: What is the illustration/design process like?

7.) I’m a huge fan of how 1990s TCGs had a huge variety with their artists, ranging from realistic to comic-esq or cartoony. As a result, I look for artists that have distinct art styles, that way there’s the added collectible factor that comes from having multiple artists working with different mediums.

When it comes to my workflow, I use a watercolor style inspired by Quinton Hoover. I draw the initial design in photoshop, then using waterproof ink I transfer the lineart to cotton paper. This process restricts the flow of the paint to specific regions and prevents the colors from bleeding into the wrong areas.

Q: When will the game officially be released?

A: Ideally I want the premiere set to be ready for shipping in June. A big thing for me is I want production for the first set to be done entirely out of my own pocket, that way I can ensure that players won’t have to wait months between pre-ordering and actually getting their hands on the game.

A big reason why I’m launching a Patreon for Symphony of Witchcraft is to drum up hype for the initial set while also building a war chest for the first full print run.

Q: Will you be at any conventions?

A: Due to my ongoing treatment for cancer, I’m currently unable to travel to conventions without disrupting my treatment schedule. However, I’m looking into solutions such as having family and colleagues travel to conventions and run booths on my behalf. At the very least, I can confirm that we will be selling the premiere set at conventions once it’s been printed.

Q: Do you have any advice for someone looking to make their own TCG?

A: Less is more when it comes to design. A lot of games I see in and outside the TCG space try to make their game stand out by adding all these layers of complexity to their gameplay without factoring playability. While this will create a unique gameplay experience, it also increases the overall learning curve, which reduces the reach your game will get.

On top of that, don’t be afraid to give your artists the reins and let them do their own thing now and then. Having a consistent mood or theme is important, but speaking from experience, artists like myself work best when we’re given the freedom to experiment with the style of our creations.

For more, follow @symphonytcg on Instagram