There are plenty of reasons not to play Magic: The Gathering - a major one being cost. For a Collectible Card Game (CCG), the value of some cards is utterly exorbitant. Right now, there's a card valued at (an average of) $50. It's selling at some stores for $60 and higher, and that's only one of the four that the rules allow you to play in a deck.

It's an expensive hobby, but there's no doubt it's gained in popularity over the last few years thanks to the Duels of the Planeswalkers video games, produced by Stainless Games, makers of the controversial racer Carmageddon back in 1997.

The British studio's conversion of Magic has proved hugely popular, attracting new fans for a CCG that began life all the way back in 1993. Wizards of the Coast and Stainless Games have continued to capitalise on that with the release of Magic 2014: Duels of the Planeswalkers for the PC, iOS, Android, Xbox 360 and PS3.

Part of the appeal lies in the cost: the game only costs US$10 on any platform. The interface operates exactly the same way, excluding the use of touch controls on tablets. (A fairly large screen is needed to clearly read the card text, although the game does not require a great deal of graphical power.) I've been playing the Android and PC versions over the last week, and have finished the two single-player campaigns, the sealed deck campaign and tried a little of the multiplayer. And while the original Microprose game is still a more-wholesome experience, the modern Duels of the Planeswalkers are a much simpler and gentler introduction into the world of Magic: The Gathering.

The concept is simple: two or more players battle against each other using a mixture of creatures, enchantments, artefacts, spells, lands and Planeswalkers until the opponent's life is whittled down to 0. Players "duel" by making a deck using one or more of the five colours of Magic: black, blue, white, green and red. Each has different properties, with red focusing on direct damage and aggressive strategies, blue concentrating on control and denial, green revolving around large creatures and the idea of growth and so on.

Most CCGs copy the basic fundamentals established by Magic, although many recent cracks at the genre have eschewed the more complicated interactions possible in Richard Garfield's creation. Players have the opportunity to respond to every spell cast and every trigger, making games longer and potentially more convoluted than other CCGs available on PC and mobile devices.

The benefit, however, is that the depth of the game is improved substantially. Wizards of the Coast, which determines what's playable in DOTP 2014 (compared to the real Magic 2014 core set, which launches at game stores around the country in a fortnight), have kept the potential for confusion to a minimum. Most of the strength lies in creatures, rather than interrupt-type spells, so newer players should be able to understand the flow of the game quickly.

Progressing through the single-player campaign unlocks additional cards and decks, but any deck and 30 bonus cards can be purchased from the outset for US$1. Each deck has a rating out of five stars based on the strength of its creatures, the average mana cost of its cards (classified as deck speed), the synergy between the cards and the flexibility in handling different situations.

While some decks are designed to cater towards different play-styles, some are just downright awful. If you want to purchase a deck off the bat, I'd recommend the Sliver Hive - it's relatively quick, has creatures large enough to sustain you through the boss fight at the end and is simple enough for beginners to understand. But even without Slivers, the campaign isn't particularly difficult. Some duels might take one or two restarts, especially if you're forced to Mulligan, but the game is designed to be an easy route into the world of Magic.

The new introduction for Magic 2014 is Sealed Play, which mirrors the format stores use at pre-release events for new expansions. After making a 40-card deck from six booster packs (75 cards total), you can unlock new cards by playing with it online or progressing through a short single-player campaign. Playing with something of your own creation, even within the limited window of Magic 2014, is always more interesting, although the decks I ended up making played very similar to the pre-constructed ones.

The challenges from previous versions are back too. Here, players are asked to discover the correct sequence of cards to play to complete an objective (survive the turn, win the game and so on). It's the most complicated array of interactions you'll encounter in Magic, and it's a taste of how involved the game can become at the higher levels. But even then the challenges are not overly perplexing; with some time and logical thinking, most players should be able to conquer the tests without too much stress.

For those with an interest for CCGs but no prior experience, Magic 2014: Duels of the Planeswalkers is the perfect introduction. There's enough content to justify US$10 on mobile or the PC, although I'd recommend players hunt down the original Microprose version after completing the sealed deck campaign for a more raw, enjoyable experience.

That's partly because the old game has a much wider array of cards. The cards are more powerful, more broken, and more fun, but you need a functioning knowledge of Magic to enjoy it. But that's the market Wizards and Stainless Games are aiming at: the uninitiated. And those are the ones who will get the most fun from the latest digital version of Magic.

Magic 2014: Duels of the Planeswalkers is available now on the PlayStation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, PC, iOS and Android for US$9.99.

Alex Walker is the regular gaming columnist for ABC Tech + Games. You can follow him on Twitter at @thedippaeffect.