Card games are among some of the most popular and time-tested types of analog games around. Whether they are a one-on-one contest, a single-player experience, or a larger group activity, card games are often characterized by their blend of strategy and luck, as a player never knows exactly what card they’ll draw, leaving much of the match up to chance.
While card games have their origins on tabletops, there are many excellent video games as well. Whether a virtual adaptation of an already existing property or a brand new package, card-based video games allow for the implementation of various systems and modes only available in the medium. What are the 10 best card-based video games of all time?
10 Poker Night 2
While the gameplay of Poker Night 2 is little more than a standard Poker simulator, the dialogue and visuals surrounding the game are what make it special. Rather than simply focusing on the game itself, Poker Night 2 has the player join matches against iconic characters from various franchises such as Claptrap of Borderlands and Ash of Evil Dead.
The excellent dialogue and banter between the characters are full of references that fans of the respective series will love, making it an unforgettable experience.
9 Kingdom Hearts: Chain Of Memories
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is a unique outlier within the Kingdom Hearts series. Chain of Memories was originally released for the Game Boy Advance in 2004, although it was later remade into a PS2 game. While most entries in the Kingdom Heart series are somewhat straightforward action RPGs, when it comes to gameplay, Chain of Memories has players construct a deck of actions, summons, and spells. They must be then used and shuffled through in combat.
This system allows players to create unique strategies based on which cards they have access to, essentially allowing a player to design their own unique move set.
8 Gwent
Released in 2019, Gwent is a card game spin-off from the Witcher franchise. A deckbuilding game that allows players to utilize strategies from one of the various factions, players aim to win two of three rounds before their opponent can.
While Gwent appeared in various Witcher novels as well as within The Witcher 3, the standalone game provides additional development and depth to the experience.
7 Pokemon Trading Card Game (Game Boy)
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Released for the Game Boy Color in 1998, the Pokemon Trading Card game was a digital adaptation of the physical game of the same name. Taking the form of an RPG with many similarities to the core Pokemon video game series, the player is able to challenge various themed gym-equivalents called clubs as they collect cards and improve their deck.
As the game was released early into the Pokemon TCG’s lifespan, the game’s tutorial taught countless Pokemon fans the proper rules of the game.
6 Magic: The Gathering: Shandalar
As the longest-running modern trading card game of all time, Magic: The Gathering has had many video game adaptations in its day. The first of these games, Magic: The Gathering: Shandalar happens to be one of the best.
Released in 1997, the game takes the form of a full-fledged RPG rife with side-quests, encounters, and explorable dungeons as players aim to improve their decks and fight bosses.
5 Slay The Spire
Slay the Spire is a single-player rogue-like RPG that uses a card-based battle system. Allowing players to pick from one of three characters that each have their own simple albeit unique deck, as you progress through the game’s dungeon known as the Spire, you are able to unlock new cards for your deck.
As the game features many branching paths that can unlock different cards, Slay the Spire has an excellent degree of replay value as you can experiment with differing card synergies.
4 Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links
Released in 2016, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links is a free-to-play digital adaptation of the ever-popular Yu-Gi-Oh trading card game. Featuring several characters from across the various Yu-Gi-Oh anime series, players can unlock a wide range of playable characters, gaining access to their respective decks in the process.
In addition to using pre-made decks, players can construct their own decks to play against both the AI or other players.
3 Hearthstone
Few video game card games are as popular as Blizzard’s Hearthstone. In this competitive one-on-one game, players have access to increasingly growing resources as they play more and more powerful cards over the course of a game.
Unlike many other trading card games, Hearthstone is exclusively a video game rather than an adaptation of a physical property. Hearthstone uses this to its advantage, utilizing randomization mechanics and updating card effects in a manner that would be impossible with paper cards.
2 Magic: The Gathering Arena
The most recently released digital alternative to Magic: The Gathering, Magic: The Gathering Arena is a massive and ever-expanding video game. Free to play, the game features excellent tutorials and various means of unlocking new decks and cards.
With a massive and always growing pool of cards both new and old, Arena even supports several distinct formats from Historic and Standard to Draft and Brawl, allowing you to play the game how you want.
1 Tabletop Simulator
While this may seem like a bit of a cop-out, Tabletop Simulator is a game that allows you to play and access countless other card games.
Whether a player wants to play a popular TCG like Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh, the Pokemon Trading Card game, or even a classic like Poker, it’s all available within Tabletop Simulator. This makes it the most flexible and all-encompassing card-based game on this list.