Why Don't We Play Magic Outside?

A folding table is pulled from the closet and brought outside to the courtyard. Four wicker chairs are borrowed from the kitchen, their joints creaking with age as they're arranged on the dusty ground. Guests arrive, a cigarette is pushed into an ashtray, and the first bottle of Tempranillo is opened.

Playing cards, dog-eared and worn from countless games, are dealt out. It's Saturday afternoon in Barcelona, and it's time for some Botiffara, a trick-taking game popular in the Catalonian region of Spain.

The breeze carries across the rooftops, with echoes of the Mediterranean heard between buildings. Across town, thousands of Magic: The Gathering players sit shoulder-to-shoulder in a convention center without air conditioning.

Look across continents, across cultures, and you'll find people playing table games outside. Whether it be mahjong in Beijing, canasta in Montevideo, or chess in New York City, table games bring people together from all walks of life.

These game sessions populate cafes and courtyards, or any place with a cozy spot to spend time with friends. But with Magic: The Gathering being one of the most popular games on the planet, where are all the Magic players on a sunny afternoon? It's unclear how many people in Rome play scopa compared to Commander, but which do you think you're more likely to see when walking in a piazza?

Magic, as we know it, has historically been an indoor game. Why is that? How can we change it?

The Great Indoors

Magic has its roots indoors, divided between three main spaces. The game was originally designed for gaps between Dungeons and Dragons sessions. Since 1993, it's been entwined with the masses of backpack-wearing convention goers.

The second home for Magic is local game stores; the locations we know as part retail, part social gathering space. These are where tournaments happen, under fluorescent lights and shelves of shrink-wrapped board games.

The third home for Magic is the kitchen table at home. Year after year, Wizards of the Coast alludes to the common demographic of Magic players. The majority of games played are done in low-stakes environments, in the heart of the home. This is no different than pulling out a board game or jigsaw puzzle after dinner, but it represents the vast majority of interaction with Magic as a game. 

Coincidentally, the kitchen table is one of the most common places for other table games, like poker or dominoes. But those games make their way outside when the weather is nice, and Magic stays indoors.

Game Piece Bloat

When it comes to things standing between Magic and the outdoors, game pieces are easy to point to. At its core, Magic is two to four decks, a table, and some chairs, but any enfranchised fan knows there's a lot more involved. 

Magic is a space-hungry game. It doesn't mix well with things like beer flights or charcuterie boards, like other games might. We bring playmats, bags of dice, tokens, markers, and lots of spare decks. A four-player Commander pod might have 10-20 decks within arms reach, stashed in backpacks or plastic hardware cases. Four people might have several thousand dollars' worth of collectibles between them, which is a lot to be mindful of if you're in a public place. 

The bloat of materials, strewn across a table, represents a whole production of putting a game night together with friends. When everyone has a backpack to assemble before heading out, it reduces the likelihood of a spontaneous game of Magic at a cafe. Not to mention the space needed to experience the game as we do now. A round table at the corner coffee shop might fit a cribbage board, but it won't handle a board state fueled by Doubling Season.

Public outdoor spaces might have surfaces available for two people to share a meal, but they can lack the real estate needed for Magic players to breathe. In this case, the decision to play inside doesn't come from a distaste for the outdoors, but rather a desire for practicality.

The Mighty and Feared Wind

For some outdoor table games, heavy pieces can withstand the elements. Chess and domino players don't have to worry about a springtime breeze, but for Magic players, a gust of wind can spell disaster. A Mox Opal, catching the air like an autumn leaf, is the stuff of nightmares.

Despite these challenges, other card games are still played outside. It's worth recognizing that a cheap set of playing cards is as replaceable as some basic lands. You won't find foiled-out Commander decks for a few bucks on an end cap at Walgreen's. However, wind doesn't have to be the deterrent we think it is.

With every smartphone having weather and map applications, players can easily look up how conditions will be outside. Does the patio at the brewery back up to another building that blocks the wind? Will the storms arriving tonight make for a breezy afternoon? These things can be planned for in advance.

While it doesn't take much for a Magic card to catch the wind in a park, there does need to be a lot of wind to find a Magic table nestled between buildings. Choosing the right location makes all the difference.

Our Relationship With Our Cards

Playing Magic outside represents a social contract. Unlike a social contract for player behavior in Commander, this one is based around property risk. We embrace the risks found when stepping out from under a roof, away from climate control. Sure, there's an off chance that a card might fly off the table, or for a spilled drink to wreak havoc. But with the advent of double-sleeving and satellite images for maps, the risk isn't as high as it used to be. Proper planning can avoid the disasters we conjure in our heads.

But, what if something did go wrong? 

My Gonti, Lord of Luxury Commander deck once had a beer spilled on it at a brewery. Some cards got ruined, but the beer-spiller replaced them immediately. I keep a damaged Languish in the 99, a reminder of the relationship I strive to keep with these possessions. The relationships we forge with people are stronger than the cards we use along the way. What is this game if not a means of spending time with people you care about?

Stepping Out into the Sun

A few years ago I was passing through northern Virginia and reached out to my friend ALK Alters. We got together at a brewery to look through his newly made Commander Cube, and get some 1v1 games in. A light breeze tossed the edges of vinyl umbrellas above us, with sunshine heating up the air. As we talked about draft archetypes, two others walked past our table and stopped, looking at the collection of cards on the red picnic table. 

"Oh, Magic! Do you mind if we play?"