With Bloomburrow scampering by, Magic: The Gathering’s next set is a far cry from the cute critters that come before. Duskmourn House of Horror is a set dripping in tropes and references. If you’re a horror buff in particular then this new expansion is really going to satisfy that terrifying itch for terror. Duskmourn sees players thrust into a sinister plane where The House looms over all. The mansion has consumed an entire world with Valgavoth at its heart. The eldritch-like entity twists the plane with the torment and fears it induces in those who dare to intrude. The mansion is alive and ever-shifting, with winding corridors, eerie rooms, and endless hallways aplenty. Each door is a gateway to fear, leading to horrors beyond imagination. Classic horror tropes come to life in this new plane. Duskmourn is not for the faint of heart, but for those brave enough – or foolish, it’s a bloody fun new chapter in MTG’s growing universe.
I’ll admit – despite my love of horror movies and getting scared, I wasn’t quite sure Duskmourn would pull me in as deep as it has. With it’s drastic tone overhaul from Bloomburrow for starters, it takes a moment to really wake up to all the set is doing. It’s easy to feel lost or overwhelmed at first, yet much like a survivor stumbling blindly through The House, you eventually find your bearings and start to appreciate the ways Duskmourn creeps under your skin. This set isn’t just about cheap scares or relying on horror clichés – it’s about building that creeping dread and uncertainty that leaves you glancing over your shoulder. Every card is brimming with atmosphere, and the plane itself becomes an overarching character—an omnipresent force that breathes through the cards in ways I haven’t quite seen before in MTG. Truly, one might actually be able to appreciate that Wizards of the Coast isn’t afraid to totally flip the aesthetics between sets.
For starters, the artwork for this set is absolutely on the sauce! This isn’t just a cheap scares gore slash fest like you might be thinking. Much of the horror in the set sits in the tension of situations seen in the cards and it’s only aided by their presentation. Along with the traditional border cards, full arts players also can pull impressive showcase cards with Paranormal and Double Exposure variants. While the bold colours on each are quite eye-catching, I do like how the Double Exposure variants really show two sides of the same card – that flash of teeth or some hidden secret about the card. In the booster packs I received I was lucky enough to pull Kona, Rescue Beastie in a foil double-exposure showcase. The foil paranormal showcases also gives the impression of the lights flashing which really adds to their vibe.
Duskmourn, like other recent sets, isn’t afraid to pull at the seams, even dragging sci-fi elements among the horror tropes into the world of the plane. Gone are the days of MTG sets rooted entirely in classic fantasy tropes, and for good measure. The set embraces the genre-bending approach Magic: The Gathering has experimented with in recent years, introducing complex themes and fresh mechanics that draw players deeper into the lore. It’s a world where the boundaries of magic and technology blur, where ancient curses meet futuristic machines, creating a unique atmosphere that feels simultaneously nostalgic and groundbreaking. The mansion hosts everything from wizards to demons, nightmares and even hopeful glimmer creatures that guide survivors to safety.
Of course, Duskmourn isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s got mechanics that play directly into its horror themes. Rooms act as split enchantments, with players able to cast one enchantment then unlock a door and cast the other. Till the other portion of the card is cast, it’s as if it doesn’t exist on the battlefield. Given Duskmourn’s setting, room cards really play into that horror of the unknown and opening doors uniquely. That theming pulls players into the world before they’ve even realised what.
Manifest Dread is a new iteration of the manifest mechanic. The player must look at the top 2 cards of their library and then choose one to cast face down as a 2/2 creature. The other card is sent to the graveyard. Players can then cast the card if it is a creature at any time for its mana cost, though its enter effects will not activate. Still this a great way to really jump scare your opponents if you have the mana to flip the card at the right time! It feels very on-brand for the horror premise.
Yet, for me, it’s the Survival mechanic that really embodies Duskmourn’s terrifying world. Survival abilities trigger during your second main phase, putting the focus on whether a creature survives both combat and whatever horrors the opponent has thrown at it. There’s a desperate, clutch feel to it- every time a creature with Survival endures, it’s like a small victory. Take Acrobatic Cheerleader, which gains a flying counter if it’s still standing, or Kona, Rescue Beastie, which lets you play a permanent from your hand. There’s an added thrill to these abilities, which capture the essence of defying the odds and fighting tooth-and-nail to make it out alive. Reluctant Role Model even lets players choose from adding a flying, lifelink or 1/1 counter and lets players move counters to other target creatures when they are killed.
Each card feels like a love letter to horror media, twisting familiar themes and characters in ways that are both apparent and deliciously subtle. The set’s very foundation is built on an unsettling balance of the known and unknown, where technology and toys run rampant in a chilling dance of dread. Arabella, Abandoned Doll draws a direct line to Annabelle from The Conjuring series, while Trapped in the Screen pulls at Poltergeist evoking that spine-tingling fear of being swallowed by a haunted TV like Carol Anne. Duskmourn thrives on this creeping unease, blending the familiar terror of classic horror with that distinctly MTG twist that dares you to dive into a plane that reimagines what fear can look like across the multiverse. You can find a list of our favourite horror references from MTG Duskmourn – here!
Along with each preconstructed commander deck, players also receive 10 scheme cards to play Archenemy, a returning format that lets players team up against another more powerful player. In my time playing the format, it felt akin to a boss battle, with the archenemy playing a scheme card on each of their turns that really ups the ante. Teamwork was often a make or break as the archenemy would choose one player to attack and other players could defend them. Each scheme card further feeds into the horror theme of the set, with players forced to work against brutal odds. It’s a skewed format that might not be quite for everyone but as a fun twist on the original commander, it works in providing a break from the usual format.
Duskmourn isn’t just another MTG set—it’s a masterful leap into horror that goes beyond aesthetics to deliver a spine-tingling experience at every level. It’s not about flashy scares or gratuitous gore, but rather building tension and dread through the mechanics, storytelling, and design, making each game feel like you’re navigating the shifting, sinister halls of a haunted mansion. The eerie Room cards and nail-biting Survival mechanic embody calculated risk and capture the thrill of barely surviving through quick thinking and bold plays. The set’s clever nods to horror classics bring the chills of iconic films directly into gameplay, while Manifest Dread plays on the fear of the unknown, and Survival rewards players for outlasting their worst nightmares. While the new Archenemy format might not appeal to everyone, it perfectly complements the sense of a last stand against a relentless, overwhelming force. For horror lovers or anyone looking to shake up their MTG experience, Duskmourn is a dark triumph that easily stands out among 2024’s most memorable expansions.
