Exploring Card Galaxy
Card Galaxy gives you room to wander through the Riftbound collection. A familiar card is a good place to begin; its neighbors can give you ideas for what to look at next.
Find a familiar starting point
There is no prescribed route through Card Galaxy. Start with a card you recognize, move closer, and open it. Once you have a point of reference, the surrounding cards are much easier to make sense of than a whole screen of distant stars.
You can use Galaxy for a quick look at a favorite card or spend time browsing a neighborhood. It works especially well when you are curious about the collection but have not yet decided on a precise search. Follow something that looks interesting and see what connects it to the card you started with.
What you are looking at
A main star represents a card. Smaller shards around it represent the different printings attached to that card, including alternate artwork and other treatments in the archive. Keeping those versions together makes it easier to compare them without filling the Galaxy with several separate stars for the same name.
Two cards can have similar names and still be separate stars. A Legend and a champion unit, for example, are distinct cards even when they feature the same champion. Open the details to check the full title and card type when you are unsure which one you have found.
Read the neighborhood
The map brings cards with shared features closer together. Domains, regions, types, traits, and mechanics all help shape the neighborhoods. You might notice several cards from the same region in one area, then find a card nearby that connects to them through its mechanics.
That is the useful part of the Galaxy: it gives you another way to notice connections. Open a few neighbors and compare what they share. Sometimes the connection is obvious from the card type; sometimes it only becomes clear after reading their text.
Being nearby does not tell you how strong a card is or guarantee that two cards work well in a deck. Treat the neighborhood as a starting point for investigation. If you find an idea you want to try, take it into Card Atlas or the deck workspace where you can filter the pool and check a list.
Move around before judging distance
A three-dimensional map can be misleading from a single angle. Two stars may look almost on top of one another while actually sitting at different depths. Rotate the scene and look again before assuming they are close.
Zooming out helps you see the larger neighborhood. Moving in lets you inspect individual cards and the shards around them. Alternate between those views when an area is busy: the wider view gives you context, and the closer view helps you choose the next card.
Sky Map gives you a flatter view of the same Galaxy when depth gets in the way. It is a useful option for comparing areas or getting your bearings after moving around.
Make the display comfortable
Appearance settings let you adjust effects and how prominently the shards appear. If the scene feels busy, reducing those effects can make individual cards easier to follow. The display settings are there to suit your screen and preferences, so there is no need to keep every effect at its default.
You will also see visual cues for newer releases. They help distinguish recent additions as the collection grows. For the exact set and collector number, use the card details rather than relying on its color or position in the scene.
Take a discovery somewhere useful
When a card catches your attention, check its available printings and read its rules. Add the version you want to your watchlist, record a copy in your collection, or explore it further in Atlas. For deck ideas, the deck tools provide the next step.
You can also stop at simply enjoying the artwork. The Galaxy is meant to make the collection easier and more interesting to explore, whether you are planning a list or looking around between games.