MTG Duskmourn is like if Cabin in the Woods was a card game: "We were very inspired by horror media from the last 30 or 40 years."

2024-07-02

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Wizards of the Coast / Chris Rallis)

'Reluctant Role Model' card art showing a young man with dark hair and glasses holding a weapon, he looks off the the left. In the distance, to his right, a shadowy figure hangs from the ceiling, its eyes glow green and it has pointed teeth.

I’ll admit that when I attended the MagicCon Amsterdam preview panel, MTG Duskmourn wasn’t my top priority. At the time, I was far more interested in seeing the newest cuddly creature from Bloomburrow or learning about unrevealed sets like MTG Foundations. After all, horror is pretty well-tread ground in Magic: The Gathering. The plane of Innistrad has given us plenty of exposure to vampires, werewolves, zombies, and ghosts – and Eldrazi have the cosmic horror angle totally covered.

Face your fears. All of them. #MTGDuskmourn - YouTubeWatch On

Face your fears. All of them. #MTGDuskmourn - YouTube

Despite Cartagena’s nostalgia and admiration for classic horror cinema, he does recognize that there have been a number of welcome shifts in audience palettes. True to the “Magic is for everyone” credo, he and his team made a careful effort to deliver scares without actively disturbing or alienating players. Achieving this goal required them to exorcize some of the particularly unsavory demons of the horror genre: “There were certain forms of body horror that I wanted to avoid. There are many negative tropes in 80s horror that I wanted to avoid as well. The team was very cognizant of that. We had consultants on both horror and its tropes so we could do the best version, filled with all the things we love about classic horror.”That said, one area where Duskmourn is eager to dive into tropey fun is with its band of survivors. Rather than creating a random rag-tag band of tubular teens with questionable perms, Cartagena and his team set to work deciding which existing MTG characters would fit within classic slasher film archetypes: “Who is the burnout? Who is the jock? Who is the nerd who comes up with some machine to help everyone? From there, we matched them to several characters. Some came very late into the process, and some came quite fast. You know, Zimone came like this [snaps fingers] Of course, she is our genius. Tyvar took a few meetings, a few heated discussions but finally, we’re like, you know what, we need him as the jock.”

(Image credit: Wizards of the Coast / Oliver Bernard)

Tyvar Kell, a muscular young elf swings a bat a hoard of zombies

Of course, Duskmourn isn’t entering uncharted waters with its nostalgia-leaden, glitchy horror aesthetic. Retro and faux-retro media have become fertile ground for scares as of late and are something that have especially captured the imagination of independent online creators in the past decade. I saved myself the indignity of querying Cartagena about his takes on the Backrooms and Five Nights at Freddy’s, but I did ask him if he was aware of the current Analog Horror trend and where it fit into his team’s creative process.In some ways, it seems as though Analog Horror (and modern audiences' relationships to it) forms the thematic backbone of Duskmourn as a set. The obsolescence of things like cassette tapes and CRT televisions only intensifies the feeling of being lost in time deep within the unending maze of Duskmourn’s mansion. In Cartagena’s words, “We’re definitely responding to the audience’s excitement for Analog Horror. That feeling of being disconnected, being not in sync with the world. Like you are using, for some reason, a TV that is completely obsolete that nobody ever would use anymore. [The anachronisms] are thematic and very resonant with modern tastes.”

(Image credit: Wizards of the Coast / Produzioni Atlas Consorziate)

Screaming Nemesis card beside a screengrab from Suspiria 1977

Blockbusters and creepypastas aside, some deeper cuts from Cartagena’s filmic mood board for Duskmourn include a number of picks from the Italian horror subgenre of Giallo. However, the place of Giallo cinema in Duskmourn’s development offers more than a hipster, cooler-than-thou reference. Cartagena describes how he was particularly interested in emulating the genre’s high-contrast cinematography, owing to how well it lends itself to being printed at a small scale.

Looking to keep up with other upcoming Magic releases? Why not swap out monsters for mice and check outeverything we know about Bloomburrow. Or, if you’re looking to expand beyond MTG, give another one of thebest card gamesa try.

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Today’s best MTG Duskmourn deals:$41.99View$49.99View$143.20ViewShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

Today’s best MTG Duskmourn deals:

$41.99View$49.99View$143.20View

$41.99View

Magic: The Gathering…

Target

$41.99View

$41.99

$49.99View

Wizards of The Coast - Magic:…

Best Buy

$49.99View

$49.99

$143.20View

Magic: The Gathering…

Amazon

$143.20View

$143.20

Show More Deals

We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

More about tabletop gamingThis new indie D&D campaign setting brings Studio Ghibli and Zelda: Breath of the Wild aesthetics and worldbuilding to the tabletop RPG, and I’m already scheming hard as a DMD&D Monster Manual 2025 is going to pack a serious punch thanks to a family of monsters descended from gods, and frankly I’m terrified

More about tabletop gaming

This new indie D&D campaign setting brings Studio Ghibli and Zelda: Breath of the Wild aesthetics and worldbuilding to the tabletop RPG, and I’m already scheming hard as a DMD&D Monster Manual 2025 is going to pack a serious punch thanks to a family of monsters descended from gods, and frankly I’m terrified

Obojima

This new indie D&D campaign setting brings Studio Ghibli and Zelda: Breath of the Wild aesthetics and worldbuilding to the tabletop RPG, and I’m already scheming hard as a DM

A red dragon perches on a broken statue and looks out at the ruins of a burning civilization

D&D Monster Manual 2025 is going to pack a serious punch thanks to a family of monsters descended from gods, and frankly I’m terrified

Latest

See more latest►

Most PopularPatton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics"Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s pastWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the futureI’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle gamesThe Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier"Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changes

Most Popular

Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics”

Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s past

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé

17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding”

Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over Christmas

Spy x Family season 3: Everything we know so far

One of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strength

How Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future

I’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle games

The Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier”

Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changes

GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis board game models and tokens laid out on a board

1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”

2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”

3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”

4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”

5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Shadow brandishes a gun in Sonic The Hedgehog 3

1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”

3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor and Nicola Coughlan as Joy in Doctor Who Christmas special Joy to the World

1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”

3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”

4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Contents