Magnum Opus

About this board game

Magnum Opus is a goal-oriented deck-building game for 2–4 players that takes about 60 minutes to play. Each player is an alchemist seeking to become the first and only scientist to complete their life’s great work: the Philosophers’ Stone.

Rather than focusing on victory points, the game plays more like a traditional card game with a deck-building twist. Players collect alchemical ingredients known as reagents, then combine them through a series of experiments to uncover the mysteries of the ultimate alchemical substance.

Experiments take place in the Discovery Matrix, where Research and Discovery cards are randomly selected and placed. This changing arrangement ensures that no two games are ever the same, giving each alchemical pursuit its own challenges and discoveries.

• Build a deck while collecting essential reagents.
• Conduct experiments in the Discovery Matrix.
• Earn gold to purchase reagents.
• Gain experience from failures and knowledge from successes.
• Transmute physical and mystical elements into the Philosophers’ Stone.

Every experiment can contribute to your understanding of alchemy. Failures provide experience, while successes grant knowledge, helping you progress toward the game’s singular objective rather than simply accumulating points.

In Magnum Opus, careful collection, experimentation, and discovery are all part of the path to greatness. Complete the Philosophers’ Stone before your rivals and your work will go down in history as your true magnum opus.