Card games in the digital landscape take inspiration from traditional card games that have existed for centuries. Countless card games exist today in every culture, region, and nation, and these are the result of a long evolution in board and tabletop games. Video game developers have attempted to implement some of the mechanics from these historical games to create a whole new genre of gaming. The products of these efforts have birthed an array of video games that use cards as their main mechanic.
Card games such as blackjack online, as well as other games in the same family, are also transposed into the digital world without many changes. After all, brick-and-mortar casinos now also exist as online casinos, with a myriad of online gambling options.
Given that, the video games we have listed below won’t include poker-like card games but rather complex card games that combine the elements of RPGs and dueling. One of the prominent examples of this is Yu-Gi-Oh! a card game that has a huge presence offline too, especially among otakus.
Here are the 7 best card games on Android
The Elder Scrolls: Legends
The Elder Scrolls: Legends has been around since 2017 on Android. Published by Bethesda, the game is based on the popular Elder Scrolls series and features both multiplayer and single-player game modes. When it comes to the digital card collectible video game genre, this offering from Bethesda certainly lives up to fan expectations.
The game’s single-player mode includes several story campaigns where you duel using a deck of 50–100 cards. And in multiplayer mode, matches are in player-vs.-player format. The Elder Scrolls: Legends features a very interesting set of rules for its gameplay, and being part of a popular franchise does add to the appeal of the game.
Gwent: The Witcher Card Game
Similar to the first entry on this list, Gwent: The Witcher Card Game is a free-to-play digital collectible card game based on The Witcher novels and the video game series of the same name. Gwent is a turn-based strategy game played between two players where matches can last two to three rounds. Each player starts with 10 cards in their hand, chosen from a deck of 25. The objective of each round is to obtain more points than your opponent, and the ultimate goal is to win two of the three rounds. While this is a standalone game on Android, it is also available as a minigame in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
Pokémon TCG Live
Pokémon Trading Card Game Live is a successor to Pokémon Trading Card Game Online, which was released more than a decade ago. Thanks to the iconic Pokémon series’ global popularity, the games it spawns have no problem attracting a dedicated player base. TCG Live is more complex when it comes to gameplay, as it implements many mechanics from role-playing games, making building custom decks even more fun. TCG Live offers many ways to compete in versus battles but uses the same rules as the physical version of the game.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links
Konami launched the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Card Game in 1999, and it has enjoyed an unprecedented level of success as a global phenomenon. Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links is a digitized version based on that original game available on Android. The game features many missions, and players can duel with NPCs who are either Standard Duelist or Legendary Duelist. Additionally, in online versus mode, the game allows players to duel with other players in real time.
Fate/Grand Order
Fate/Grand Order (FGO) is a free-to-play mobile game based on the immensely popular Fate franchise. FGO can be described as a turn based role-playing game, but there’s more to it, the game also uses visual elements for story progression and in-game campaigns. The player (Master) can expand their collection of characters (Servants) by using the gacha mechanic. Each summoned servant has a set of five command cards that determine their attack value in combat. During battles, a hand of 5 cards is randomly generated from the combined cards of 3 different servants. The player can then use those cards strategically to win battles that can be comprised of one or many rounds.
Magic: The Gathering Arena
Magic: The Gathering Arena is a digital adaptation of Magic: The Gathering, an iconic tabletop game. Arena follows the same rules as the physical card game, but being a digitized game, it has its own perks. MTG Arena allows players to collect cards through booster packs and in-game achievements. Additionally, the cards can also be obtained through microtransaction purchases. Once a player builds their deck of cards, they can use it to challenge the computer, friends, and other players. Aside from Android, the game is also available on Microsoft Windows, macOS, and iOS.