7. Shadowverse CCG
Shadowverse CCGmay surprise you since it isn’t tied to a massive franchise (i.e.Warcraft,Elder Scrolls,The Witcher, etc).
It’s set in its own universe with a stylized anime look–and-feel to every aspect of the game. And unlike many other card games, there’s a fairly involved story mode that’s great for getting started with the game.
As far as the mechanics, it’s a one-on-one card duel where each player is represented by a leader with 20 health and a starting hand of three cards.
The objective is to reduce your opponent’s health to zero using the cards from your deck. It’s free, so it’s worth giving a shot!
6. The Elder Scrolls: Legends
You’ve almost certainly heard ofThe Elder Scrollsat one point in your gaming life, and this is the card game based on the beloved franchise.
The game first released in 2017, and it’s been going fairly strong ever since. While not as huge asHearthstone, the game being free-to-play does mean that it has a solid player base.
Everything inLegendsis based on characters, monsters, and lore found inThe Elder Scrollsvideo games likeOblivionandSkyrim. Decks in this game are between 50 and 100 cards, and it’s one-on-one (there are computer-controlled opponents to play against before going online).
The game has received mostly positive reviews from critics and fans of CCGs, so it’s definitely worth a shot.
5. Gwent: The Witcher Card Game
Gwentis the digital card game that was part ofThe Witcher 3. Because players enjoyed it so much within the larger game, the developers decided to spin the card game off into its own thing.The Witcher 3came out in 2015, and the dedicated card game first hit the market in 2018.
Like most card games, it’s a one-on-one battle. Each game is divided into three rounds. While the game is happening, each player needs to play at least one card from their deck of at least twenty-five cards.
Similar toHearthstone, the decks belong to a faction, which determines aspects of the play style.
It’s also free-to-play, which means you can jump in and get started without spending anything, though you’ll need to invest if you want to keep up with the latest decks.
4. Hearthstone
When it comes to digital card games,Hearthstoneis easily the most recognizable brand in the space.
That’s because it’s the game that helped put digital card games back on the map and because it comes from Blizzard, one of the biggest game developers out there.
Part of what makesHearthstoneso great is how long it’s been around. The developers have had years to come up with new cards and mechanics and a thriving pro scene has helped to shape an interesting meta that’s constantly changing and evolving.
The actual game is played between two players, each with a deck of 30 cards. There are heroes that have their own powers and cards, as well as neutral cards that are available to all classes.
One issue you might find with the game is that it’s hard to keep up if you don’t spend money—but let’s be honest, you can’t play a physical CCG or TCG without spending money either.
3. Slay the Spire
Slay the Spireis the only non-multiplayer digital card game on this list, but it’s so good that we had to include it.
It’s a roguelite dungeon crawler with CCG combat: you gain new cards by exploring the floors of the Spire, and you grow more powerful by building a better deck with the cards you acquire.
The nice thing aboutSlay the Spire(as opposed to the other games featured in this article) is that you never have to worry about buying cards.
You buy the game and you get everything you need to have a full experience. IGN even named it the Best Strategy Game of 2019!
Related:Unique roguelikes with fun twists on gameplay
2. Mythgard
Mythgardis a free-to-play digital card game that features one-on-one card duels with minions, spells, enchantments, and more.
You can play online with other players, but there’s also a single-player campaign where you can learn the gameplay mechanics and get comfortable.
So what’s unique aboutMythgard? Well, every card can be unlocked through play, meaning no pay-to-win gotchas. There are 2 free decks rotated in every Monday and Friday, which makes the free experience that much more enjoyable.
And unlike a lot of digital card games, card positioning plays a fundamental role in combat.
1. Legends of Runeterra
Legends of Runeterrareleased in April 2020 to much fanfare, which surprised absolutely no one given that this game comes from Riot Games and uses the same characters and setting as world-renownedLeague of Legends.
But even if you hateLeague of Legends, you should still give this one a shot because it’s actually quite good.
InLegends of Runeterra, you play in a one-versus-one duel where both players have a 40-card deck, a 20-point Nexus, and one objective: destroy the enemy’s Nexus before they destroy yours.
What’s unique is that one player has an attack token and the other has a defense token every round, which dictates who can attack. The mana mechanics are also unique.
It’s very streamlined and accessible without sacrificing any depth or fun. And it’s free-to-play, so there’s no risk in trying it out.
Honorable Mention: Artifact
In its current state,Artifactis NOT one of the best digital card games to play. When it launched in November 2018,Artifactwas widely criticized for pay-to-win microtransactions and overly complex game mechanics…
…but mostly for coming off as an exploitative cash grab by Valve of itsDotafranchise. By summer of 2019, it pretty much died.
So why the honorable mention forArtifact? Because the game has been undergoing a massive revamp, and Beta 2.0 ofArtifactis scheduled to drop publicly sometime in 2021.
Games likeFFXIVandNo Man’s Skyhave shown us that redemption is possible with lots of elbow grease, and we’re hopingArtifactenjoys success when it’s re-released.
The Future of Digital Card Games Is Now!
Who needs to go out and spend big money on physical card games? You can get much of the same fun from these digital games and you won’t need to spend as much, nor will you need to fill your house with paper cards in order to have a good time!
