Magic: The Gathering is the most complex game in the entire world, according to a recent study from Cornell University. This places it above other notably complex real-world games like chess, shogi, and so on. This is fascinating since the results ultimately prove that MTG is the most complex game out there.

If you’re someone who has played MTG or any other card games then you will likely that this is seemingly the case, but it is reassuring for Magic fans to now know that this is truly the case. The study comes from researcher Alex Churchill; who is independent for what it’s worth.

According to Churchill’s study, the team used a Turing test to see if they could find a computable way to win Magic: The Gathering. Typically, a real-world game like chess or something could have a computer program determine the most optimal way to win most any situation.

This is due to the limits to complexity with just about every game out there, be it various limitations like how big the board game is or how many moves that a player has during the game. The Turing test is used to show that the game is complex but in a limited way.

Proof That MTG Is More Complex Than it May Seem

However, when a similar test was done by Churchill for Magic: The Gathering, the results were much different than before. Usually, the computer reacts and is able to almost always find some strategy around the opponent.

But with Magic: The Gathering, there is absolutely no way to compute a winning strategy no matter how you do it. MTG is the first real-world game to have this level of complexity and be not computable. So, what does this basically mean to us?

It means that no matter how you calculate it, there is no way to compute your way to victory in Magic: The Gathering. You can’t predict any outcome or anything like that because of the complex nature of the game. With decades of cards and strategies, it’s become too complex.

This is a great thing, though, not just for fans of the trading card game. It means that there is no real ideal way to play the game, which only furthers the uniqueness of MTG. Your deck and playstyle can vary greatly from another’s and neither player is going to have an inherent advantage.

This is great news for fans as it only confirms what they have known to be true for decades now. MTG is the single most complex game in the world, but it would be great to hear more results from other similar card games like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh!.

This could only serve to prove the results are true, and that it’s not just a statement about trading card games as a whole. It is fascinating to know that this is the case, but it would also help to see some AI train and battle real pro players in card matches.

Similar events have happened with other games like Starcraft II and Dota 2 wherein both instances a computer was able to defeat some of the best players in the whole world. It would be interesting to see how a computer AI would do against real professional Magic: The Gathering players but that’s a study for another day.