Via Magica

About this board game

Via Magica is a 2020 board game for 2–6 players that plays in around 30 minutes. Players compete to complete objective cards by populating their symbols with tokens, earning special powers and ultimately victory points.

At the heart of the game is a shared draw from a bag. Symbols are drawn one at a time, and every player gains the benefit of each symbol drawn. However, the bag contains more of some symbols than others, making the availability of different requirements an important part of every decision.

Each objective card shows between two and six symbols. To complete a card, you must populate all of its symbols with the required tokens. Completing objectives provides special powers and contributes toward the victory points that determine your success.

Your most important choice begins before the first draw. You receive six objective cards and select three to start with, weighing the potential difficulty of completing each card against the value of its reward. Whenever you complete one of your three objectives, choose a replacement from five available objectives.

• Shared symbol draws: Every player benefits from each symbol drawn from the bag.
• Objective selection: Choose three starting cards from six, then select new objectives from five available options.
• Variable requirements: Cards require two to six symbols to be populated.
• End condition: The game ends when someone completes seven objectives.

Via Magica turns a simple shared draw into a tense test of evaluation and timing. Choose objectives that match the symbols you can realistically collect, pursue their rewards, and adapt as new cards become available.