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by Ramon Schneider
New Pathfinder spin-off: "Spellfinder" focuses on witty word magic
2/2/2026
Translation: machine translated
Magic word fragments, quick games and a touch of chaotic academy atmosphere: Paizo's "Spellfinder" transforms the Pathfinder world into a party game.
With «Spellfinder», Paizo Publishing is releasing a card game on 4 March 2026 that transfers the fantasy world to a compact party game format. Instead of complex rules and hour-long campaigns, you can expect a relaxed round in which you, as a budding student of magic, find creative solutions to magical problems.
Spells from the modular system
You take on the role of a student at a prestigious magic academy. Your task is to create new spells from given magic words to solve all kinds of problems. The challenges range from everyday worries of the villagers to mystical phenomena that can only be overcome with magical help.
The game combines 225 magic word cards with 100 problem cards. Shuffling these elements constantly creates new scenarios, as the players receive different combinations of magic words and problems to be solved in each round. The most creative and amusing solutions are rewarded by the other players with seals of approval. There are a total of 84 of these in the game box.
A preview video from Paizo shows just how absurd the magic combinations can be. There, developers and presenters outdo each other with completely over-the-top magical creations.
Short games for spontaneous gaming sessions
«Spellfinder» is aimed at groups of three to seven people aged 13 and up. A game lasts around 20 minutes. Paizo describes «Spellfinder» as a fantasy variant of established party games such as «Apples to Apples» or «Cards Against Humanity».
Designer Joe Pasini, who works as lead designer for games at Paizo, is responsible for the development. Pasini has already worked on numerous «Pathfinder» and «Starfinder» publications and knows the universe correspondingly well.
An independent game in a familiar universe
Although «Spellfinder» is set in the «Pathfinder» universe, it functions as a completely independent product. You don't need any rulebooks, dice or other materials from the role-playing game. The box contains everything you need for a game.
Header image: Paizo / Youtube
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