Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 402 sampled Steam reviews (192 positive / 210 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
Positive reviews don't converge on specific aspects.
What negative reviews complain about
- Multiplayer & servers16% mention it
- Monetization15% mention it
- Bugs & crashes13% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
35%
55 reviews
5-15h
55%
71 reviews
15-40h
56%
72 reviews
40-100h
49%
78 reviews
100h+
44%
126 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 82 | 44 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 61% | 61 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 36 | 95 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 58% | 58 | 343 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 300 reviews sampled · 979 total reviews in window · weighted 165.6 up / 99.1 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (31)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 75
“Magic: The Gathering Arena is currently the most successful digital adaptation of the popular card game Magic: The Gathering, appealing not only to complete beginners but also to experienced players who occasionally like to take a break from physical cards. The user interface is intuitive, the audiovisual presentation is certainly impressive, the pleasant pace ensures fast-paced action, and the biggest plus is, of course, the zero purchase price. So definitely expect microtransactions, but fortunately, you can get by just fine without them and accumulate in-game currency on your own. Unfortunately, even so, you’ll notice some significant differences between fair-play players and those who don’t hesitate to spend a large chunk of their monthly paycheck here.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Overall, I think Streets of New Capenna hits the sweet spot for what a Magic set can be. It is weirdly experimental on the creative side and tries to afford a huge amount of possible play experiences due to some new mechanical design on the game side.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Playing MTG in the palm of your hand, flicking between cards with your fingers, that's the best way to play the digital version of this card game.”
read full review ↗ - 60
“Magic: The Gathering, Bloomburrow is a fantastic set for new players and those who dip in and out of Arena, or are looking for an easy entry point. The tribal nature means you can build decks with the safety rails on, and the relatively simple mechanics introduced in the set make for a relatively shallow learning curve. Plus, did we mention the cards are adorable? All of this means that there hasn't been a better time to start learning Magic in the past few years.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“MTG Arena is not yet perfect and it's probably why it is not essential to every player. It remains a very valuable help and will evolve anyway to become an essential card game developping its esport side. If you have not played it yet, do not hesitate to download it for knowledge, and if you are practicing Magic, you will play it one day or another.”
read full review ↗ - 79
“Slick and generous, Magic: The Gathering Arena is finally the adaptation the CCG originator deserves. ”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Magic Arena is a stellar addition to the Magic: The Gathering family. It’s here to stay and the competitive landscape will likely be better for it overall as time goes on. While its monetization is a bit too aggressive for my liking, and the fact we really can’t have full control over what we do with our cards bugs me, it’s hands down the best digital Magic experience Wizards have implemented to date.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“An excellent and faithful conversion of the iconic card game into a very welcoming computer free-to-play form. This is a hit. [Issue#300]”
- 85
“MTG Arena is the best possible transposition of the historic card game. It's free (initially, at least) and it's wonderful, there's no reason to not try it. With its unique style, complicated and rewarding, it will charm any TCG lover.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“There Magic Arena is with its fantastic game mechanics just front runner for me.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“A great adaptation of one of the best card games of all time. It’s fast, it’s accessible, it isn’t any less complex than the original. Are you bored of Hearthstone? Try Arena. ”
read full review ↗ - 85
“Magic the Gathering is the grandfather of a lot of deckbuilding games, but its introduction to the digital marketplace feels fresh, exciting and well worth the (free) price tag.”
read full review ↗
Gaming Professors
Paste Magazine
Explosion Network
TheSixthAxis
Gameblog
PC Gamer
MMORPG.com
IGN
Wccftech…and 19 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
No patch announcements found on Steam yet.