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The FroGames Card
You cast a devastating spell. Your opponent drinks to recharge mana and responds with a curse. You drink again. Someone has already lost count of the life points, but no one has lost count of the laughs.
WHAT IT'S ABOUT
A wizard duel where magic is expensive (and alcoholic)
Not Enough Mana was created in 2022 from the idea of Paweł Piskorski, with ironic illustrations by Krzysztof Maziarz. Originally published by SUPERHOT Presents (yes, the same as the video game) and brought to Italy by MS Edizioni, this fantasy party game starts from a simple premise: you are a wizard, you have devastating spells, but every time you cast a spell you consume mana. And mana is recharged by drinking.
At the table, you manage a hand of cards (spells, curses, artifacts, and events) trying to eliminate all other wizards. Each card has a mana point cost, and you can recharge them at any time by drinking a real potion (alcoholic or non-alcoholic, you decide before the game). But beware: if you accumulate too much mana you're out by K.O., if you run out of life points you're eliminated anyway. The last wizard standing wins, sober or not.
What they say abroad
"Not Enough Mana is a "potion" drinking card game for 3-6 fearless wizards (legal potion drinking age may vary depending on your kingdom’s laws)."
— Mosaico Jogos
The mana-potion mechanic turns every spell into a risky choice. And when someone falls from the table, the game is already a success.
— FroGames
Not Enough Mana
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews and game sessionsYour magical arsenal
Four types of cards to ruin your evening (in the best possible way)
Spells
Direct attacks that take life points from opponents. They cost mana, so every lightning bolt is a choice: do I drink now or wait? The cautious wizard dies first.
Curses
Persistent effects that ruin others' plans: limit actions, steal cards, force drinking. They are played on other players and remain active until someone dispels them (or collapses).
Artifacts
Magic items that you equip and give you continuous advantages: extra mana, defenses, special abilities. But they occupy limited slots, and a cursed artifact can be worse than nothing.
Epic Events
Cards that shake up the entire table: magical earthquakes, portals, mana storms. They activate by surprise and change the rules of the round. No one is safe.
Recommended sleeves 165 cards in 1 size ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting your cards with transparent sleeves to make them last longer.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 63 × 88 mm | 165 |
| Total cards | 165 |
🎲How to playThe rules in four steps▼
How to play
The flow of each turn
Four simple actions repeated until someone collapses (or wins).
At the start of your turn, draw 1 card. If you want more mana, drink your potion: each sip is worth mana points (decided at the beginning). But beware: exceeding the mana limit eliminates you by K.O.
Cast spells (paying the mana cost), equip artifacts, place curses on opponents. You can play as many cards as you want, as long as you have mana. Every move changes the state of the board: life points drop, effects accumulate.
If you draw or activate an Epic Event, it resolves immediately and affects everyone. Other players can play reaction cards (counters, defenses, dispels) to save themselves or sabotage you. Chaos is collaborative: everyone against everyone, always.
End of turn: if a wizard has 0 life points, they are eliminated. If someone has exceeded the mana limit (too much potion), they are eliminated by K.O. The last wizard standing wins. If you're the only one left, you win. If everyone falls together, chaos wins.
⏱️Your first gameThe chronicle, moment by moment▼
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
Setup and declarations of intent
Choose your wizard (each character has special abilities), draw 7 cards, and declare your potion. Someone chooses beer, someone cocktails, someone tonic water. Everyone swears that this time they will play strategically. The laughter starts here.
The first spells (and the first drinks)
The first player casts an Arcane Lightning, drinks to recharge spent mana, and hits their neighbor. Who responds with a Toad's Curse. Which costs mana. Which requires another drink. The rhythm is immediately established: every move costs something, and the table starts to heat up.
Magical escalation
Someone equips a Staff of Power, someone else activates an event that forces everyone to discard cards. Life points start to drop, mana to rise, alliances to form (and break). A player is already dangerously close to a K.O. from too much mana, but keeps playing cards because "this curse is too good."
The memorable elimination
The first wizard falls. Either due to zero life points, or too much accumulated mana, or because they drank "just one more sip" and are mathematically out of the game. The table explodes. Group photo. Someone starts cheering. The game turns into a show, and those who are out stay to watch because it's too much fun.
The last wizard standing
Two wizards remain. Both with low life points, both with mana at the limit. One casts the final spell, the other tries to counterattack but doesn't have enough mana. Drinks. Exceeds the limit. K.O. Victory. Applause. No one really remembers who won, but everyone remembers that absurd curse from the third round.
🐸Good to know beforehandThree honest things, from friends▼
Good to know beforehand
Three honest things you should consider
Requires real alcohol (or serious alternative)
Not Enough Mana requires you to actually drink to play. You can choose non-alcoholic beverages (juices, sodas, tonic water) but the mana mechanic only works if you drink something measurable. If you don't feel like drinking during a game, this isn't for you. It's not optional, it's the heart of the system.
Balancing depends on you
Before the game, you need to decide how much mana a sip is worth, and what the K.O. limit is. Too generous = short and confusing game. Too strict = no one drinks and the game loses meaning. You'll need 1-2 games to calibrate the right rhythm for your group. The first few times, someone always overdoes it.
With 3 players, it's a different game
Not Enough Mana really shines with 4 or more players, when alliances form and break, and chaos becomes uncontrollable. With 3, it's more tactical and less of a party game: it works, but loses some of its magic. The ideal number is 5-6, where no one really controls anything and everyone laughs too much to get angry.
🏆Victory and defeatWhat the ending rewards▼
How it ends
How to win and how to be eliminated
Two win conditions, three ways to exit the game. The last sober (or almost sober) wizard wins it all.
Victory
- You are the last wizard remaining in the game (all others eliminated)
- You have reduced all opponents' life points to zero
- Everyone else has exceeded the mana limit (collective K.O.) and you are still standing
Elimination
- Your life points drop to zero (spells, curses, adverse events)
- You exceed the maximum mana limit by drinking too much (potion K.O.)
- You cannot make any legal moves on your turn (blocked by curses/effects)
Not Enough Mana is not a game about strategy. It's a game about how much you're willing to risk to cast the perfect spell. And about the absurd story you'll tell the next day.
💬Frequently asked questionsQuick answers before checkout▼
Frequently asked questions
FAQ about Not Enough Mana
Can I play without alcohol?
Yes, but you must replace it with something equivalent: juices, sodas, tonic water, energy drinks. The mana mechanic only works if you actually drink something measurable. Decide before the game what you'll use and how much each sip is worth. The important thing is that everyone uses the same unit of measurement.
How long does a game actually last?
It depends on how many players you have and how much you drink. With 3-4 players and "light" drinks, it finishes in 60-75 minutes. With 5-6 players and real alcohol, it can last up to 2 hours, but rarely does anyone finish sober. The box says 60-120 minutes and it's honest: the duration varies greatly depending on the pace you set.
Is it suitable for people who never play board games?
Yes, the rules are explained in 10 minutes and the first game is already fun. No hobby experience is needed: you just need to be able to read cards and not be afraid to drink something. It's more of a party game than a strategic game, so it works perfectly with mixed groups or informal evenings.
What mechanics does Not Enough Mana use?
Hand management (you manage a hand of cards), push your luck (you decide when to drink to recharge mana, risking K.O.), player elimination (you eliminate opponents by reducing their life points), random events that change the board, and implicit negotiation (temporary alliances against whoever is ahead). The core is the mana/potion balance: the more you drink, the more powerful you are, but you risk being eliminated for too much mana.
Is this edition in Italian?
Yes, the MS Edizioni edition is entirely in Italian: cards, rules, text. You don't need to know English. The cards have textual effects and visual memes that work better in your native language.
The people behind the game
Who invented it, who designed it, who publishes it — and what else they've done.
Not Enough Mana is a fantasy card party game for 3-6 players, 60-120 minutes, ages 18+. Designed by Paweł Piskorski, published in Italy by MS Edizioni, it blends hand management, push your luck, and player elimination in a drinking game structure. Each wizard manages spells, curses, and artifacts by paying with mana points, rechargeable by drinking real potions (alcoholic or non-alcoholic). The last wizard standing wins: you can eliminate opponents by reducing their life points to zero or exceed the mana limit by drinking too much (K.O.). With 165 cards, epic events, and easy-to-explain mechanics, it's ideal for chaotic adult evenings. Available on FroGames.it.
Mana insufficiente
Frequently Asked Questions
The answers you're looking for, no beating around the bush.
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📦Does the content of the box match what is indicated?
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