10 Best Trading Card Games

In recent years, there has been an upswing in the number of noteworthy trading card games (TCGs), leading many players to wonder which is the best to play. Games for major IPs like Disney Lorcana and Star Wars Unlimited have likely introduced some new players to the world of TCGs. However, some old favorites like Magic: The Gathering remain strong, and may be better choices for players looking to get into card games.

One important thing for players to consider when getting into a card game is the barrier to entry. TCGs can get pretty expensive. Even when they do offer affordable starter decks, these are often too underpowered to hold their own against established players’ decks. Aside from accessibility, popularity is also important to consider. Even if a player enjoys a lesser-known TCG, if they can’t play it anywhere, it’s probably not worth investing too heavily in.

10 Final Fantasy TCG Corrects Some Issues With Older TCGs

Final Fantasy Avoids Bad Draws By Giving Players More Options

Like many TCGs, Final Fantasy takes heavy inspiration from Magic: The Gathering. What makes the game so engaging is the steps Final Fantasy has taken toward smoothing out some of Magic’s rough edges. For one, the game’s resource system combined with the fact that players draw two cards per turn makes it a lot harder for players to get stalleddue to bad draws. The addition of Ex Burst abilities also prevents one player from simply running away with the game.

The Final Fantasy TCG also has a lot to love for fans of the video game series. Plenty of fan-favorite characters – like Cloud and Sephiroth – appear in the game. There are also popular summons from the video games, like Bahamut and Cactuar. While the game is a treat for Final Fantasy fans, and the gameplay is engaging, it does leave a bit to be desired from an aesthetic standpoint, as many cards simply feature characters on a blank background. For players who care more about mechanics over artwork, this won’t detract too much from the experience.

9 Yu-Gi-Oh! Is Fast Paced & Competitive

Many Yu-Gi-Oh! Games Can End In Just A Few Turns

Yu-Gi-Oh! is one of the most popular trading card games. Part of its appeal is its relatively quick matches, compared to other games which can tend to drag. The game also offers some starter decks for around the $10 mark, making it easy to pick up and play with friends at home to test out. However, these starter decks likely won’t hold a candle to anything players will encounter at a local event, so while entry is cheap, staying competitive isn’t.

Although Yu-Gi-Oh! has a strong following, it isn’t without its issues. The game tends to reinvent itself often, which usually makes older cards completely obsolete. This unfortunately creates an environment where players have to frequently change the types of decks they’re using just to keep up.

Players who enjoy deckbuilding and like major changes to the status quo will really enjoy Yu-Gi-Oh!, so this flaw isn’t necessarily a downside for everyone. However, players who want to just make a fun deck that they enjoy playing and stick with it indefinitely will likely want to look to games with more options for eternal formats. Thanks to its cheap starter decks, it’s easy for players to at least test the game out and see if it’s for them before investing more heavily.

8 Weiß Schwarz Includes A Wide Range Of Popular Characters

Weiß Schwarz Uses Licensed IPs For Its Cards

Weiß Schwarz may be one of the most appealing card games to casual players, thanks to its wide range of licensed IPs. The game has cards for popular video games, including the masterpiece Persona 5, as well as many different anime, like Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure and Attack on Titan. Weiß Schwarz also features some cards from popular Western animation, including Adventure Time. This allows players to just learn a single game system, but still get to play with characters from a wide range of their favorite IPs.

Weiß Schwarz’s gameplay is innovative enough that it doesn’t feel like a direct rip-off of another card game, but it still has enough familiar elements of TCGs that experienced players can pick it up relatively easily. The game doesn’t have as many events as something like Yu-Gi-Oh! or Pokémon, so it would be a better TCG for players who are largely looking for something to do with friends. That said, there are some competitive tournaments if players want to try to reach higher levels of play.

7 Digimon 2020 Revitalizes The Game With New Mechanics

The New Digimon Card Game Has Unique Resource Mechanics

In 2020, a new version of the Digimon TCG came out, and it has been met with a warm reception from players. Though some concerns may be intimidating to newer players – one-turn kills are common at competitive events – the game isn’t too inaccessible. It helps that even the strongest decks in the game at the moment don’t cost nearly as much as competitive decks for other TCGs. The game also doesn’t allow mulligans or have a lot of deck searching, so combos rely more heavily on luck.

Digimon’s memory resource system is another interesting aspect of the game. Players can choose to try and stymie their opponents by only giving them access to one or two memories each turn. Alternatively, players can drop a big card, giving their opponent access to a lot of memory to spend on their turn. This creates an interesting strategy where players can risk big plays early on but may have it come back and bite them.

6 One Piece Offers Fun Combat & Streamlined Gameplay

One Piece Ensures Players Have Resources To Play Cards Consistently

The One Piece TCG does a good job addressing some issues with other TCGs in a fun and unique way. One thing that really stands out about One Piece is its additional resource deck for DON!! Cards. Unlike other TCGs where players shuffle their resources into their main deck, One Piece has a separate deck for them, cutting down on the times that players get stuckwithout something to do because they don’t have enough resources.

One Piece also gives players on the defensive end of fights ways to respond to an attack. This makes the combat feel like a back and forth exchange and is a good emulation of the fights from the anime. Players choose to build a deck around a specific leader character, which is also a treat for fans of the source material. They can choose their favorite character to build a deck around, and there is some freedom to get creative with builds.

5 Disney Lorcana Is Perfect For New Players

Lorcana’s Gameplay Is Approachable For All Experience Levels

Disney Lorcana is one of the newer TCGs, but it has already become relatively popular. This is likely due to its streamlined gameplay which is essentially a simplified version of other TCGs like Magic: The Gathering. Though ditching some of the complexity of other games may make Lorcana less appealing to some players, it also makes the game very approachable for new players, especially with products like Disney Lorcana Gateway as an introduction to the game. This coupled with the Disney branding makes it an excellent game for younger players to get started with.

Since Lorcana appeals to more casual players and is tied to a popular IP, the game may have more staying power than some of its competition. A steady stream of new players is a better way to keep a game alive than simply relying on a small population of hardcore fans. Sinking a lot of money into a TCG just for it to die off is never a fun feeling, so picking a game like Lorcana that seems to have legs can be a safer option.

4 Star Wars Unlimited Challenges Player’s Ability To Strategize On The Fly

Unlimited’s Turn Format Creates More Unpredictable Turns

There have been several attempts at a Star Wars TCG, so players could be forgiven for being cautious about Star Wars Unlimited. As one of the newest TCGs, players will probably want to wait and see how it does after a few new set releases before they invest too heavily in it. That said, in terms of actual gameplay, it is one of the better current TCGs.

One element that makes Star Wars Unlimited’s gameplay so interesting is the turn structure. Instead of a player using all of their plays on a single turn and then waiting for their opponent to do the same, players switch off after each individual action. This allows them to be more reactive in their strategy, changing their plan each time they get new information about what their opponent is doing. This also helps prevent a single player from monopolizing game time.

Star Wars Unlimited was also designed from the start to work both one-on-one and with a larger number of players. This provides flexibility on how to engage with the game and makes it easy for friends to form their own small playgroups instead of relying on local events. The only real downside to the game is the inconsistent quality of its art, but that will hopefully improve over time.

3 Pokémon Has A Unique Style Of Play

Pokémon Battles Are Similar To The Ones From The Video Games

Pokémon is one of the most popular TCGs, and for good reason. The gameplay is unique, it’saffordable to play competitively, but it also has decent collectible value. The Pokémon IP is also very strong thanks to the video games, anime, and general merchandising. It seems very unlikely that Pokémon is going anywhere, so players don’t have to worry about sinking money into a game that is going to disappear after a few years.

It’s hard to understate how important Pokémon’s affordability is for making it one of the best current TCGs. Of the big three TCGs – Magic, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Pokémon – Pokémon has the lowest average price for competitive decks in the Standard format, making it much more accessible for players to start participating in local events. For players who want to play in more competitive settings, but not be forced to drop triple digits on a deck, Pokémon is a great choice.

2 Flesh And Blood Is An Old-School TCG

Flesh And Blood Is Committed To Only In-Person Play

Flesh and Blood has several great qualities that make it one of the best current TCGs. For one, the game’s commitment to providing in-person experiences is appealing to players who don’t like TCGs moving increasingly online. Flesh and Blood’s hero-based gameplay also feels unique compared to other TCGs. Instead of playing with a myriad of characters and/or creatures, players take on the role of a single character, with cards in their deck representing attacks or maneuvers. This can help players form more of an attachment to their chosen characters than they might in other TCGs.

One aspect where Flesh and Blood thrives is in its complexity. Though the basic gameplay isn’t overly complicated, the many different choices players can make create a lot of depth in the game’s strategy. Flesh and Blood likely won’t be for everyone, but for long-time TCG fans, it is one of the most rewarding experiences once players come to master it.

1 Magic: The Gathering Has Something For Everyone

Magic Has A Wide Variety Of Game Formats

31 years in, Magic: The Gathering is still going strong as one of, if not the best TCG on the market. One of Magic’s strengths is the huge variety in how it can be played – between Drafting, Commander and similar multiplayer formats, and a whole host of competitive one-on-one formats, players have a wide range of ways to engage with the game.

Magic also ticks pretty much every box TCG players are looking for. It has value as a collectible, its gameplay is accessible but also allows for interesting strategies, and it has some of the nicest-looking cards of any TCG. Recently, Magic has also started collaborating with a variety of popular IPs. Though this has been met with mixed reactions from long-time fans of the game, it is undoubtedly a good way to attract new players who may never have previously been interested in Magic.

The nice thing about trading card games is that there isn’t really one objective “best” game. While Magic may cover the widest range of desirable qualities in a TCG, there are plenty of games that players prefer. Finding the right game will ultimately come down to what aspects of a trading card game matter most to the individual.