Lore, Casters, and the Future of MetaZoo’s Design

Casters,

This week’s MetaZoo Monday dug into questions about the game’s lore, its connection to real-world cryptids, and how future sets will explore narrative through gameplay.

One community member voiced concern that the game might be drifting too far into fantasy territory:

Is this based in our familiar reality? Is it all based in a League of Legends-esque steampunk world like Piltover? Some of the earlier designs seemed to suggest that and I’m not as much of a fan. I liked the idea that the OG MetaZoo was based on our reality, and not some fantasy world since cryptids are very much based on our real world experiences and stories.

- Jack (MZ Discord Community Member)

Charlie responded by grounding the identity of the brand in its cryptid roots.

Totally love this. And I resonate with it heavily. One of the elements that I feel the strongest about is that cryptids are cool because they are real stories taking place in the real world. We are a cryptid IP first and foremost. People cling to the characters and their stories. By virtue of this, Casters need to be cool because of their relationship to and use of Cryptids.

- Charlie Hurlocker

This reaffirmation makes clear that cryptids remain at the heart of the franchise. Casters are meant to be extensions of those myths, not detached fantasy figures.

The lore has spent more time developing this and I hope you’ll get the time one day to dig into it a little more! Cards can be a limited medium that makes it take a little longer and a few more tries to navigate the nuance because you don’t get as many words/material to contextualize it. But the imaginative space that we want to invite people into is that Casters are real, Casters are special, you could be a Caster, and as a Caster you get to go through your world in pursuit of Cryptids and along with Cryptids as part of your adventure.

- Charlie Hurlocker

Here, Charlie painted Casters not as distant archetypes but as stand-ins for the players themselves, tying the game’s appeal back to the idea that you could be a Caster in your own cryptid story.

Lore & Gameplay Mechanics

The discussion then shifted to how lore ties into gameplay mechanics.

Not explicitly except insofar as the act of going on adventures with a team of cryptids you have built is performed in both… But I think that you will find that in set 4, we start to explore a set layout with a lot of purpose and storytelling to the gameplay wherein playing the game through the mechanics presented actually feels like participating in the narrative structure of the set theme itself.

- Charlie Hurlocker

While previous sets have hinted at narrative through art and flavor, Set 4 appears poised to weave mechanics directly into the storytelling. That direction could give matches a stronger thematic identity, making gameplay itself feel like an unfolding cryptid adventure.

Finally, a fan asked whether cryptids themselves might ever appear as Casters.

We will blur the lines in some ways that are on the horizon, but there’s a line in the lore where I don’t think you’ll ever see cryptids mapping other cryptids. I think it creates a lot of unwanted dynamics. But some characters just demand that we flirt with it, don’t they?

- Charlie Hurlocker

This answer hints at experimentation, but within limits. While some cryptids may bend the rules of design, the team is cautious about creating confusing or self-referential dynamics. Perhaps this means we might see Indrid Cold as a caster, or someone similar, but only time will tell.

By reaffirming MetaZoo as a cryptid-first universe, teasing narrative-driven mechanics in Set 4, and exploring the boundaries between Casters and cryptids, this MetaZoo Monday reinforced the brand’s core identity while signaling room for creative growth.