Hecatomb (card game)

Hecatomb is a collectible card game created by Wizards of the Coast, with its base set of 144 cards debuting on August 18, 2005 at the Gen Con Indy convention. Designed by Mike Elliott and Jonathan Tweet, building on an original concept developed by Paul Barclay, Brandon Bozzi, Mike Elliott, Aaron Forsythe and Robert Gutschera, the game distinguishes itself physically from most collectible card games by printing its cards on five-sided, stackable plastic pieces rather than conventional cardboard, allowing cards to be layered to create combined effects during play. Games are designed for two or more players and typically run under twenty minutes, considerably faster than many competing collectible card games of the period. Despite its unusual card format and horror-themed artwork, Hecatomb did not sustain a large tournament or retail presence and went out of print not long after its initial release, leaving it a comparatively obscure entry in Wizards of the Coast's catalogue of collectible card games alongside titles such as Magic: The Gathering.