Mojang's Scrolls will have a paid beta

Mojang's Scrolls will soon enter closed alpha, the next development step before the game moves to a paid open beta. The idea of a paid beta worked very well for Mojang's first title, Minecraft, which released a full real client in November of last year.

"We are rapidly approaching the closed alpha of Scrolls. Although this alpha version will be far from a feature complete version of the game, it will include multiplayer matches, single player matches vs AI and the Deck Builder, where you can build your decks out of the 100+ scrolls that currently exist in the game," said designer Jakob Porser in a post on the official Scrolls website.

"As we get closer to a stable build, we will stop the closed alpha, and move to an open beta, where you will be able to buy the game at a reduced price and with some added benefits," he continued. "If you're wondering why we would release a game that's obviously not finished, the reason is simple: We want your feedback in good time to help us shape Scrolls to be the next big online Collectible Card Game!"

Like Minecraft, Mojang will continue adding new features like single-player to the game as beta continues.