We haveHearthstoneto thank for the revival of Trading Card Games in their current digital format. TCGs have always had a presence in video games for as long as both were around.PokemonandYu Gi Ohhave a long list of console games stretching back to the originalGameboys.Magic The Gatheringhas a shorter list with the Duel of the Planeswalker series of games being stand-out successes. Those games, combined with the long-running Magic The Gathering: Online PC game, became the basis for MTG’s modern digital format.
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There are many unique Trading Card Games out there, but only some of them have been able to successfully make the switch to digital or stand the test of time in the case of new IPs. Here, we will honor a few of the finest of these games that are leading examples among others in the Digital TCG space.
5Pokemon TCG Online
Pokemon’s Digital TCG has gone through much since its release in 2011. Since release, it has been the de facto way for most people to have their Pokemon battles in card form. The current meta is a far cry from the days when Gen 1 ‘mons battled each other. Now, with Pokemon V, a new level of play exists that your original Pokemon simply aren’t made for.
A successor to Online was made with its age in mind: Pokemon TCG Live, an upgrade promising to bring the old game more in line with game clients used by more modern TCGs. The gameplay of course remains unaltered – aside from sunsetting some sets.
4Shadowverse
While not the first game to follow Hearthstone’s massive success,Shadowversebecame a big success of its own. The developers had Rage of Bahamut, it’s well received predecessor, as a platform to build the game off of as well as Hearthstone to draw some inspiration from. This and any other influences the game had turned out to be the winning combination that helped bring more TCGs to their current form.
Shadowverse’s gameplay was radically different from Rage of Bahamut, with the older game resembling the other web browser RPGsCygamesmakes. The newer game, however, is a full-fledged trading card game in which the main gameplay is collecting cards and battling against players in a similar format to Hearthstone, complete with hero classes and energy obtained per turn.
3Yu Gi Oh: Master Duel
Yu Gi Oh has always had a good presence in the digital world, especially in an online space.Duel Links, Millennium Duels, Yu Gi Oh Online, and a whole host of single player games all provided duelists ways to play the game at home and online with ever updated presentations.
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Master Duelis the most recent iteration of their digital success. It houses familiar features and visuals from the previous games. The difference this time around is that Master Duel is meant to be “The definitive edition,” boasting the vast majority of the cards in the history of the game, rather than a limited selection. It is well-made and well-executed with the plethora of rules made easy to interpret. If you’ve ever been interested in learning about Yu Gi Oh or coming back to it, there is probably no better time.
2Legends Of Runeterra
Riot Gameshas been working on expanding theLeague of LegendsIP for some time. Several different future games were announced to be in development, among them beinga single player game,a mobile version,a fighting game, and an MMO. While some of them are still in the works, Legends of Runeterra is one of the best that are currently released.
It is a TCG much like the others on this list, taking cues and combining elements from them and creating something surprisingly well done. Cards “Level up” and evolve, mana is accrued per turn, and creativity is encouraged. Champions present themes to build your deck around that can be mixed and matched for a desired effect rather than limiting you to an archetype. By far, one of the best aspects of the game, however, is the expansive single player mode, the Path of Champions, where you follow a single champion on a rogue-like sort of adventure.
1Magic The Gathering: Arena
Magic: The Gathering released a series of online games called Duels of the Planeswalkers, celebrating the continuation of MTG’s most popular and ongoing storyline revolving around the titular planeswalkers. After the positive reception of these games, the same company, Stainless Games, wanted to make an end all be all game as a service that would be updated and maintained, free to play with microtransactions. That game was Magic Duels: Origins.
While well received, it was also seen as something of a mess, eventually having its updates canceled just two years later.MTG: Arena, however, is essentially a retry of this concept, this time with much better results.Wizards of the Coastlearned from previous mistakes and turned it into something much more focused in scope. First and foremost, it provides MTG players a way to play the standard, contemporary format that, going forward, will be released around the development of the game. This tied the digital to the physical, with each promoting the others and creating mutual success for the whole franchise.
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