| User | Rating | Min. Age | Adults Too | Comment |
| spearjr | 9 | 10 | Yes | Magic has endless variety and can be really rewarding for someone who likes to explore new strategies and paths with their games. It does have randomness, but for me it is a non-issue. Using the cards you are dealt to their full advantage is what makes the game tick. Opportunities for clever play and interesting decisions are frequent. I started playing at 15 (In 94) , but I've seen a number of kids younger who play well and enjoy the game. |
| Mark | 8 | | Some | |
| pikkusiili2000 | 8 | 10 | Yes | Great game. Can be a real money pit. |
| wcbarksdale | 8 | 10 | Some | Rating is pretty variable, anywhere from 4 to 10 depending on the kid. I started playing when I was eleven. Portal is probably not the best way to begin these days, because the terminology is slightly diffferent, and most of the cards are not legal in recent tournament formats. Instead, I recommend Ninth Edition, or Tenth Edition, when that comes out. There is a Core Game that contains two small decks of simple cards and an introductory rulebook.
Advantages: Teaches strategic thinking and mental calm under pressure. Helps make friends.
Disadvantages: Addictive potential, something of a money sink. Can bring out the overcompetitive side in a lot of people. |
| cdefrisco | 7 | 10 | | The rating here is very subjective. It's certainly worth the cost to get two starter decks and set some kinds up with this game as many, many kids enjoy this game. Two of my sons play this game very often (ages 12-15). The older son considers it one of his favorite games. The game does nothing for me, but there are also many adults who play this game as obsessively as the kids. |
| erik2point0 | 7 | 10 | Yes | |
| mawiker | 7 | 9 | Yes | |
| robingoblin | 7 | 8 | Yes | Fairly easy to pick up and play. Never grabbed my older son the way Pokemon, Yu gi Oh, and WoW CCG did. |
| Shade_Jon | 7 | 10 | Yes | This game has somewhat been supplanted by newer ccgs, such as Yu-Gi-Oh, Vs, and others. While some of the cards are a bit risque or macabre, it remains a fascinating game for kids and adults alike.
Kids thrive on the complex interactions and collectability of the cards, although they should be discouraged from trying to collect all the cards or pay large amounts of money to feed the habit. he game play itself is what makes the game so nice. |
| sheylon | 7 | 10 | Some | To really get the strategy of the game, it will take some work and a lot of the later rules made it a very fiddly game for younger (heck, and older) players. Start with Portal cards if you can since the game simplifies many concepts and has training-type cards. Eventually, the kids will revel in the different types of cards (in the teens, perhaps), but they need to start slow. If they get a start in Pokemon (which is similar) or Yu-Gi-Oh, they will have a head start since both of those games have a lot of card variation and different abilities. |
| The Unbeliever | 7 | 10 | Yes | Avoid the collecting aspect of the game with kids. Older kids will appreciate deck building, younger kids just the basic gameplay, |
| Thommy8 | 6 | 12 | Some | |
| shawndumas | 1 | 14 | Some | Bad game for kids, pre-teens, and teens. Has half naked women, gore, cursing, and morbidity. |