Trading card games are a lot of fun for gamers who like mixing attractive visuals with strategy. With these unique titles, the focus is on building a careful plan of action so that you can tackle your opponent with a combination of strength, defense, and cunning.
You get to put your excellent strategic skills to the test with trading card games, and you also get to immerse yourself in some great lore. Of course, your experience depends entirely on the game you choose to play.
So, which are the best online trading card games available right now?
Today, we're looking at all the top contenders worth checking out in the modern market and providing insight into what makes them unique.
While you are here, you may want to check our lists of the Best Free PC Games, Best Cross-Platform Games, and best mobile games for Android and iOS.
1. Hearthstone
Hearthstone is probably one of the biggest trading card games in the world, and for good reason. The title is published by Blizzard Entertainment and is based on the World of Warcraft series. If you're familiar with Warcraft, you'll probably feel comfortable with the mechanics and characters you'll discover in this free-to-play game.
The game is deceptively simple and a lot of fun, with various different ways to play. You get to choose from a range of heroes with different playstyles. For instance, Hunters can summon beasts to help them in battle, while a Mage will use spells and buffs to improve their chances of success. You'll collect new cards to add to your deck as you continue to play and defeat more opponents.
Hearthstone has seasonal events, new updates regularly, and a massive community in case you want to test your skills against other major players. It's a game you can very easily play for months at a time without getting bored.
2. GWENT
GWENT is another title based on a popular game franchise. This time, you'll be exploring the world of the Witcher series. The mini-game was introduced as part of “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt”. In the full trading card game created by CD Projekt Red, you get to enjoy all the free-to-play action you like, with no pesky missions to get in your way.
At the start of each game, you'll have a deck of cards containing various classes of spells and different assets. The goal is to play your hand in a way that gets you the most power points possible. Each unit you play has a power value assigned to it. The more power points you have on the board, the better. Being good at Gwent takes a lot of practice, but it's easy to get addicted after a while.
The game is rich in Witcher lore, and it's a lot of fun once you get a hang of the strategic part. There are also various updates and seasonal releases to the game to keep it fresh.
3.?Legends of Runeterra
Inspired by the classic card game, “Magic: The Gathering,” Legends of Runeterra is a relatively new addition to the online card game space. Riot Games introduced this title in 2020 to expand their portfolio. However, several characters from Riot's most popular game, League of Legends, are still featured among the cards.
In this title, players battle against other people in a classic arena. Each round gives you a single mana point you can use to cast spells and summon units. As the game continues, each player gets more mana points ? up to as many as ten per round. When you place a rune on the board, it also protects your “Nexus”, which you must keep safe throughout the game. You can also send units to attack the Nexus of the other player, so the experience does feel a little like League of Legends.
You'll need to stay one step ahead of your competition to win. It's a fast-paced, fun, and strategic game but comes with a steep learning curve. Prepare to spend some time losing battles until you develop your own strategy.
4. Magic The Gathering: Arena
Speaking of Magic the Gathering, a fantastic digital version of this game is available online today. The title takes place in the “MTG” landscape and was developed and published by Wizards of the Coast. The game is free to play, but like many card-based titles, microtransactions are available for people who want to speed up their collection of new cards.
If you're familiar with Magic: The Gathering, you'll have no trouble easing into this game. Most features are the same, but the experience is much more animated and interactive. Players are given assorted decks of unit and land cards. The land cards ensure you can determine the kind of terrain your units will move and the color of your mana pool.
There are also a host of spells and special abilities you can use to reduce your opponent's health to zero. Plus, you can switch between a “Constructed” deck option and Limited play, depending on your preferences for building your own decks.
5.?Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel
Another phenomenal online card game, Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel, is based on the collectible trading card game in the physical world. Konami created it for the Switch, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation, and Xbox. There's also a version for mobile players too.
Although this title has only been around since January 2022, it has already earned some great reviews and even climbed to the very top of the Steam charts for a while. By February, Konami announced it had been downloaded more than 10 million times. In this game, you'll play just like in a classic Yu-Gi-Oh card game, placing units on the board in an offensive or defensive position.
You can place trap cards and use strategies to try and outsmart your opponent at every turn. Much like most digital versions of classic card games, the whole experience is enhanced by a huge selection of beautiful visuals and graphics.
6. Inscryption
One of the more unique online card games on our list, Inscryption, combines a horror game and a deck builder. The narrative is impressive, told through sinister talking cards and mysterious challengers who play against you on the other side of the table. You start the title in a remote cabin and gradually collect a deck full of woodland creatures.
As the storyline progresses, you'll learn more about the game's rules, discovering how to sacrifice some of your weaker cards for “blood” so you can trade for more powerful cards. Though the game might sound a little complex, it's relatively straightforward for beginners.
The story is designed to enthrall you in a selection of quick and engaging short matches. In between card games, you'll also have opportunities to experiment with different mini-games, which involve going through video archives and pulling out teeth.
7. Slay the Spire
This rogue-like game is definitely an exciting choice for anyone in search of a unique deck-building experience. The whole point of the game is to ascend the spire, defeating the enemies you come across with your unique deck of cards as you go. To make things a little more challenging, if you die, you'll return to a completely different tower when you respawn.
The bottom of the spire gives you a selection of resources every time, such as a bundle of health, your deck of cards, some gold, and a relic. Once you've stocked up, you can tackle your enemies one at a time as they gradually get stronger and more complex.
The gameplay has a minimal learning curve, so you shouldn't worry too much about getting lost as you try to remember too many rules. All you need to do is release attack units and buff them from time to time to ensure you can defeat enemies.
8. The Elder Scrolls: Legends
We all know the Elder Scrolls games, but have you tried out the collectible card title yet? The Elder Scrolls: Legends is Bethesda's free-to-play digital card game. The experience revolves around turn-based matches between two opponents. You can play against another person or challenge the computer and hone your skills.
The decks you create are built up of spells and creatures taken directly from the Elder Scrolls series. Every turn, you draw a card and receive a magic point. You'll need your magic to use spells and units, and the first player to decrease their opponent's health to zero will be the winner. One exciting feature of this game is two lanes on the board.
Once you play a unit in one of the lanes, it will only be able to attack other units inside the same lane, so you need to be cautious. However, if you get your strategy right, the game is wonderfully fast-paced and engaging. It's a great choice for Elder Scrolls lovers.
9. Faeria
If you're looking for something a little different from your standard online card game, Faeria could be just the thing. This strategy-focused card game takes place on an exciting, dynamic board, which evolves as you play. Set in a fantasy universe, the living board is made of hex tiles you can fill with land to summon specific units for gameplay.
In each round, you'll be awarded three mana points. These are the action points you'll need to perform specific actions. You can increase your points by gaining control of different mana wells on the board. Using your points, you'll be able to cast spells and summon different units, but a significant portion of the game revolves around adding land tiles to your territory.
Specific land types allow you to summon unique types of units. There's also a power wheel you can spin to determine the kind of actions you can perform in any given turn. Ultimately, the game's goal is to reduce your opponent's health to zero before they defeat you instead.
10.?Eternal
Finally, Eternal is a wonderfully modern and engaging collectible card game, available on various platforms like Switch, Xbox, and Steam. You can also play on mobile and access cross-platform play to connect with your friends on different devices. Eternal is a turn-based game where two opponents use structured decks brimming with spells and specific units.
Like many popular card games, Eternal rewards you as you win more matches. The more you succeed, the more gold and cards you'll collect. The gold you receive allows you to purchase new cards from the store. The experience is quite similar to Hearthstone when it comes to gameplay. However, it's worth noting this game can be pretty complicated to learn.
Some features like “Sites” take up different places on the board and have unique mechanics, like being able to cast a spell with every turn. Once you get a feel for the title and learn how to play it correctly, the experience is enjoyable and addictive.
The Best Online Card Games
Online card games have a wonderfully addictive quality. They're perfect when you want to put your strategic skills to the test and explore different storylines. Above, we've covered just some of the most popular and exciting card games available, but you're sure to have some preferences too.
Why not share your favorite picks for the best online card games in the comments below?