Analog Game Studies

This article demonstrates how the nonviolent victory condition of questing to achieve twenty lore in Disney’s Lorcana subverts typical CCG conventions, player expectations, and maintains alignment with Disney’s brand identity of “goodness, kindness, and innocence”. Lorcana is worth analyzing because it diverges from CCGs that require eliminating an opponent’s health. The mechanics of questing, character willpower, and challenging (the game’s version of combat) are how the game maintains Disney’s brand identity. These mechanics demonstrate how CCG language is deescalated to imply a reduced level of violence. Lorcana would be less unique if it had the typical victory condition of attacking an opponent’s health, and the game would not have the Disney feel if it were as violent as Magic the Gathering or Hearthstone.