Card games have been around almost as long as civilization, with some believing they originated in 9th century China before eventually moving their way over to the west and becoming the standard 52 card deck we all recognize. In recent years, these playing cards have evolved into various trading card games, each with their own unique set of rules that set them apart from one another.
As the internet rose to become a household standard, these card games also made the transition to the web, and players can now challenge one another over vast distances. Gone are the days when fans had to struggle to find someone who played the same card game, these days it’s as simple as logging in and finding someone to battle.
Updated on November 16th, 2020 by Patrick Mocella: Although new consoles such as the Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X are pushing the limits of technology in gaming with stunning graphics and robust A.I systems, card games are still going strong. Not only in terms of physical releases, but also in digital gaming. Whether you’re more of a competitive player who wants to crush your opponent or one who wants to team with friends to beat the game itself, there is an option for everyone in terms of digital experiences. Most of these titles are exclusively available on PC but some are nice enough to include support for consoles as well.
15 Smash Up
A popular card game that is still going strong eight years later, Smash Up from AEG is 2-4 player competitive game that aims to solve schoolyard arguments like: can zombie dinosaurs beat a team of robot pirates? What about ghostly wizards vs fairy aliens?
Available on Steam with a pair of expansions, this digital version of the game is missing the majority of the physical card game’s catalog but for those new to Smash Up, the digital version of the game is still a good time to introduce players to this system.
14 Tabletop Simulator Mods
Anyone who has played board/card games online has absolutely heard of Tabletop Simulator on Steam. A physics engine meant to simulate the experience of playing board games with friends in person, this game is tailor-made for developers to make their own official DLC for the game. However, when card game companies fail to make digital versions of their game, fans are there to pick up the slack.
Using mods, people can play popular board/card games like Disney Villainous, Marvel Champions and more are on here. While not every mod is programmed perfectly, the sheer variety and their cost of $0.00 makes them super easy to try out. If you like the mods so much it may just inspire to purchase the physical copies!
13 Uno
Some games have endured the test of time and are classics for a reason. Decades after its initial release, UNO has had various forms of digital versions dating back to the days of the Game Boy Color but now the most popular version is undoubtedly on PC.
For those who don’t know, the goal of UNO is to empty your hand of cards before everyone else. This simple goal can be impeded in a number of ways either by your own miscalculations or meddling from other players. It’s the simplest game on this list, but it definitely makes it easy for families to play together.
12 The Lord Of The Rings: Adventure Card Game
With its endless lore and a massive roster of characters, The Lord Of The Rings franchise is a perfect choice for a card game. Fans can play that out in The Lord Of The Rings: Adventure Card Game.
Unlike many other games on this list, this game is a cooperative one as you team up with another player to build decks of heroes from the book/movie franchise and take on Sauron’s minions. For those who prefer a bit of a story element to go alongside your card games, this one is a great choice.
11 Yu-Gi-Oh Legacy Of The Duelist: Link Evolution
Although there is another Yu-Gi-Oh game later on in the list, this game for the Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC has an absolutely ridiculous library of 10 000 cards for players to collect and use to battle each other in online play. There is also a story mode where players can relive duels from the various animes in the franchise.
While the also popular Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Links is a much more simplified and faster version of the card game, this game goes all in with every summoning mechanic that will make players head spin when they first play the game. For those seeking a challenge in their card games, this might be your best choice.
10 Hex: Shards of Fate
Hex is one of the newer online CCG’s out there and plays almost identically to Magic, but with enough differences to make it stand out a little from the crowd. It leans hard into the online aspect of play, but also has a decent length solo campaign for those who don’t want to play any PvP rounds.
Unfortunately, Hex seems to be on its way out, with very few updates being released in the last year, and many players have moved on to other games.
9 Pokémon TCG
While the Pokémon TCG never saw the superstardom of the mainline RPG series, it still has a dedicated fan base to this day and often sees real-world tournaments played alongside the VGC Tournaments.
The official Pokémon website also has a way for people to play the game online and even has a trading option that few other collectible card games possess, taking cues from its more successful counterpart.
8 Yu-Gi-Oh: Duel Links
The Yu-Gi-Oh TCG may be the most polarizing card game, with many players bowing out as Konami adds more and more mechanics to its already bloated roster of cards.
While there are a handful of unofficial avenues to duel someone online that Konami has tried to quash in the past, their own rendition of an online Yu-Gi-Oh game has found wide success among players who don’t want to fork out real-world money for their cards. It even has its own official tournament now.
7 Magic: The Gathering Arena
Although it has had some competition in the past, Magic: The Gathering has maintained its spot as the most popular TCG of all time. Magic has had many digital versions of the popular card game, but arguably the best one for online play is Arena.
One downside to Magic is its rotation system, where cards and entire decks become unusable over time as new sets are released. Although Arena offers some degree of freedom in this area, the “historical” decks can’t be used for some aspects of progression in the game.
6 Hearthstone
Arguable the big daddy of online CCG’s, Hearthstone took enough aspects of Magic to make itself familiar but added enough elements to make it stand out from its inspirations.
Hearthstone also seems to have been the influence of many online CCG’s. While this makes them feel a little too similar, it allows new players familiar with similar titles to dive right into Hearthstone with very little time needed to get acquainted with the mechanics.
5 Gwent
Starting as a side game in what has been said to be the greatest RPG of all time, it grew so popular that CD Projekt Red made Gwent into its own game more than once. While Thronebreaker is a great solo experience as a twist on the original game, there is also an online version that has gained popularity even outside of The Witcher fanbase.
If someone’s only experience with Gwent is in The Witcher 3, they will be in for a surprise as the mechanics are altered slightly, although the general gameplay is basically the same.
4 Shadowverse
Shadowverse shares a lot in common with game derived from the Magic formula, but is able to stand out as a brilliant solo and multiplayer experience. Each leader card in Shadowverse represents a different deck, and each deck has a unique playstyle that makes experimenting with each type a fun time for newcomers.
It leans heavily into its anime inspirations, making for some ridiculous plot points in story mode but also some of the best card graphics and artwork of all online CCG’s. Shadowverse also manages the impossible task of having a monetization system that can be completely ignored in favor of its gameplay rewards system, if a user wants to keep playing the game for free.
3 The Elder Scrolls: Legends
Even though Bethesda might be having a rough time with its publicity as many are boycotting the company altogether, the card game version of The Elder Scrolls is one of its high points of recent years.
Taking cues from Magic and Hearthstone, Legends plays almost identically in terms of battle mechanics, though several aspects help it to stand out from the crowd of similar games in the genre. Although the console ports of Legends have been canceled, the PC version is still up and running and worth playing for those who enjoy the world of Elder Scrolls.
2 Faeria
This is a unique one among online card games, as the gameplay not only involves the ever-popular mechanics that most on this list share but also adds a board building aspect.
This secondary feature introduces another layer to player strategy, as monsters move across the board towards the opposing player in a way that’s reminiscent of Dungeon Dice Monsters from Yu-Gi-Oh, and they can only be placed on specific tile types. A Switch port has been announced, but with no release date yet.
1 Eternal
Eternal is more of the same kind of gameplay as Hearthstone, Shadowverse, and Magic, but comes with a much larger story mode.
The gameplay is familiar enough to veteran CCG players but fresh enough to not feel like it’s just another Hearthstone clone. Eternal also has a ridiculous amount of voice acting, on a similar level to Shadowverse, and the level of deck customization is something not often sees in online card games.
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