What counts as 'playing a card' in Riftbound?

Ruling: A card counts as "played" regardless of whether it's played from hand or cheated out through other means. Tokens are not cards and therefore spawning a token does not count as playing a card.

Nuances:

• Spells specifically are only considered played if they resolve. If a spell is countered, it is not "played".
• When a spell is countered (e.g., by Windwall or Defy), you still pay the cost of the spell before the opponent gets an opportunity to counter it.