I have a complicated relationship with Magic: The Gathering. There’s plenty I like about the well-established collectible card game, but the Magic: The Gathering Arena mobile game is not one of them.
Yet, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has made it playable in a way few other smartphones can, and for that I’m grateful.
Magic what?
A quick introduction
Magic: The Gathering is a collectible card game launched in 1993, and is a powerhouse of the genre alongside the arguably better-known Pokémon.
It has recently gained plenty of attention outside its established fanbase for some interesting world-blending collaborations, including Final Fantasy, The Lord of the Rings, and soon, Spider-Man.
I played “paper” Magic for many years, then lost interest until more recently, when a chance conversation made me wonder what the game was like today.
I quickly discovered none of my friends had any interest in finding out, which led me to Magic: The Gathering Arena, the mobile, all-digital version of the game.
Magic is a complicated game, with cards often filled with text explaining what they do and how they work.
That’s fine when you see the paper card in person, and also fine if you’re knowledgeable about the game today, where you may know the features of a card just by looking at the art.
With this in mind, what would the game be like on my phone, particularly for the newcomer?
A mobile game that’s awful on mobile
A day out in tiny town
My return to Magic: The Gathering led me to discover a vastly more complex, powerful, and fast-moving game compared to the one I played on a Friday night in the late 90s and early 2000s.
I found out the hard way when I went to a launch event for a new card set at a local games store and was trounced in every game I played.
Taking refuge in Arena seemed like a good idea, as at least I could be embarrassingly beaten by the AI or a faceless player online, instead of having to look them in the eye as my life count reached zero.
What a shame Magic: The Gathering Arena is a frustrating experience on Android phones.
Right from the very beginning, the account login page is poorly designed and doesn’t readily accept stored passwords, and signing in can take minutes rather than seconds.
Then, after extra gigabytes of data have been downloaded, a teeny, tiny version of Magic is yours to play.
Arena turns Magic: The Gathering into a test of not just your gameplay skills, but your vision too.
Perhaps it’s just my eyes, but the whole experience on a normal phone is frustratingly small, with lots of weeny buttons to tap and cards you can’t read unless you enlarge them.
It’s not that it’s impossible to play. It’s just slow-going because of the size restrictions, especially for new players.
The cramped size lessened my enjoyment, which was doubly frustrating as I began to enjoy the actual game more.
A big screen is required
But not always on a tablet
I disliked it to the extent that I turned to a tablet to play, and found using a stylus with the Galaxy Tab S10 FE was a great way to experience the game.
Unfortunately, a tablet stops the game from being truly mobile, as I almost never casually carry a tablet around with me. That’s where the Galaxy Z Fold 7 comes in.
With the screen closed, all the same, size-related problems with Arena remain, but opening the screen up transforms it.
The game fills the 8-inch, 2184 x 1968 pixel screen, and although the annoying login issues remain, the rest of it plays almost faultlessly.
I can live with the screen edges sometimes cutting off some animations, because I can otherwise actually see what’s going on, all without any extra steps.
Unsurprisingly, being able to better see what’s going on speeds the game up considerably.
I no longer have to rely on memory or enlarge cards to remember what’s in my hand, and I don’t miss out on a play because I can immediately see the name of the cards my opponent has on the battlefield, and instantly remember what they do.
Arena became more like the fluid, natural play experience I remembered. Plus, I won a bit more in Arena, which is always a good thing.
The way the game orientates itself means the crease is very rarely felt under your finger. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy is more than powerful enough to cope with the animations and graphics. There’s absolutely no heat buildup at all.
Every aspect of the game demands a sizable screen, and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is big enough to make everything from a quick game to building a new deck effortless.
I never wanted to play Arena on a normal phone, and couldn’t always be bothered to get a tablet out. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the ideal middle ground.
Only for Magic fans?
It’ll be magical for everyone
Magic: The Gathering is a popular game, but I’m aware not everyone reading will play it. However, my experience with Arena on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will translate to a great many other mobile games.
From Marvel Snap to Clash Royale, collectible card games are an established mobile gaming genre, and I’m willing to bet that all will benefit from being played on a bigger screen.
Even Asphalt Legends: Unite, my other mobile game of choice, is far more enjoyable on an open Z Fold 7.
It’s easy to call the Galaxy Z Fold 7 a productivity and media-led phone, and settling on the open screen being superb for multitasking or for watching video.
However, we shouldn’t forget it’s also fantastic for games, where, in the case of Arena, it takes one that’s irritating on a normal phone, and turns it into one I can happily play for hours without thinking a magnifying glass may be required.
The screen isn’t the only big thing, though, and we can’t ignore the Galaxy Z Fold 7’s price. It’s a serious commitment, but it can be justified if you keep the phone for at least three years.
Is it the ideal Magic fan’s phone? Yes, I think it is, and seeing how much paper Magic: The Gathering cards and collector boxes can cost, the $2,000 price probably won’t seem that outlandish to hardcore players.
- SoC
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Snapdragon 8 Elite
- Display type
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Dynamic AMOLED
- Display dimensions
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6.5-inch external, 8-inch internal
- RAM
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12GB or 16GB
