Trading card games have long been a staple in gaming culture. These tabletop games force players to use unique strategies and constantly introduce new cards to shake up gameplay. They are so popular that there are even tournaments around them, but which are the best of the best?
1. Magic The Gathering
Magic The Gathering is a card game that use a D20 as your life counter and is known for its high-fantasy illustrations. The decks revolve around drawing land, which comes in five different elemental types. By combining different land types, players can make unique combos to take on opponents.
Magic has one of the biggest catalogs of cards available. And for players looking for a social setting, it is easily the best choice. The popular Friday Night Magic sessions happen all over, and even smaller towns have dedicated times when players can come together and play.
2. Yu-Gi-Oh!
Yu-Gi-Oh! is a strategy game, and your score is determined by who has life points left. You have to sacrifice monsters to bring out better ones. Even if your monster isn’t the strongest, though, don’t fret! You have Spell and Trap cards that can help you turn the tables on unsuspecting opponents.
Yu-Gi-Oh! is massively popular due to its accessibility, intricate strategy and meta mechanics, and its widely available tournaments. The struggle of keeping your life points up is addicting, and some of the card desings are so popular that they’ve even been made into scale figures.
3. Pokémon TCG
The Pokémon TCG may not be as popular as it was in the nineties in regards to tournaments, but it’s still a fun game. Finding your favorite Pokémon in a pack is still an incredibly joyful experience, and collecting full sets of each release is a huge driving force behind the Pokémon TCG. If you are looking for a card game that you can still play with friends but teeters more toward the collection aspect, then you won’t find any better than Pokémon.
4. Weiss Schwarz
Weiss Schwarz is a lesser-known card game, but it has been making its way into larger cities over the past few years. It is one of the most unique games out there, as it teams up with anime series to make its sets. If you love anime and want to make a deck with your favorite characters, then Weiss Schwarz is the way to go.
This makes an excellent game for trading, especially if you find a new anime you like even better or are just trying to get a collection of your favorite characters.
For more on card games, check out 2022 Pokémon World Championships – Dates & Tournament Details on Pro Game Guides!
