Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
MetaZoo: Cryptid Nation is a TCG rooted in creatures, spells, and artifacts. For this first set, the creatures, or Beasties as we call them, are USA based cryptids (i.e.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Betting and Bluffing
Risk resources on uncertain outcomes while disguising intentions or information.
Deck Construction
Build a deck before play by selecting cards under defined construction rules.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Action/Event
Cards can provide player actions, trigger events, or force a choice between them.
Interrupts
React during another action to alter, prevent, or respond to its resolution.
Read the full game description
MetaZoo: Cryptid Nation is a TCG rooted in creatures, spells, and artifacts. For this first set, the creatures, or Beasties as we call them, are USA based cryptids (i.e. Bigfoot, Mothman, Jersey Devil, etc...). What sets MetaZoo: Cryptid Nation apart is its core mechanic of breaking the 4th wall, or "meta". From a gameplay perspective, this means that the strength of your Beasties and Spells are impacted by the environment you play in. Playing on a rainy day? Your water Beasties and Spells get a power boost. Playing near an open fire while trying to keep warm as it snows outside? Your Flame spells are now twice as powerful, but watch out... the Snow outside not only boosts the strength of your opponent's Snow Beasties, but also makes some of them invisible (unable to be directly attacked). This added level of meta means choosing your battleground to best suit your deck build, or rapidly building decks to suit your environment, is a key feature of the game. Imagine playing a friend, but deftly convincing them to play next to a patch of trees to gain additional power boosts for your Forest Beasties! —description from the designer