1 Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering is the original and best.For starters, its 5 color mana system is simply brilliant [and brilliantly simple]. It balances all the components of the game, it creates clearly defined early/mid/late game stages, and unites the flavor and meaning of different cards created decades apart.In addition, the development process of the game is just awe-inspiring. Every few months a new set is released, and every set tells a story. Wizards of the Coast, the company behind Magic, manages to make every last set release exciting. It doesn't matter if you play Standard or Modern or Commander or rules-free casual-- every last set will have something new for you.
There are a few caveats. Becoming a skilled Magic player is challenging, and is quite the pricey habit. But once you get past the initial learning stages, you will be rewarded hundreds of times over. The community is established, the creators are ingenious, and the possibilities are endless.
Magic the Gathering is not only the oldest card game, but its basic mechanics have lead to the creation of every other TCG out there, including YuGiOh. In fact, even the Pokemon TCG was originally designed by Wizards of the Coast, several years after they made Magic, and proved that the genre was not only capable, but a huge market.
Magic's fundamental mechanics lend it to a balanced form of gameplay, that adds incredible depth not only in deck construction but in play. Core differences in play lead to complex situations, especially where combat is involved, and instant-speed interaction and counterplay. By forcing players to work for the resource that allows you to play your cards, which many other TCGs do not, Magic has a steeper learning curve, difficulty, and capability to be far more entertaining.
I've seen some people say that Yu-Gi-Oh! Is less complicated than Magic. There's nothing further from the truth. Now, Yu-Gi-Oh! Is extremely complicated and the meta is completely inaccessible to all but experts. To be good at Yu-Gi-Oh!, one must have loads of cash to buy all of the necessary cards. The game relies entirely on deck building. Once in the game, there is hardly any strategy, only rapid-fire card combos. In the meta, the game can practically play itself because of all of the chains of effects.
Magic, on the other hand, is much more simple. Beginners can pick it up in just a few minutes. Pre- constructed decks can be played right out of the box and it is possible to have fun with them. And, if you find a card, you like, you can put it right into the deck and play it, unlike Yu-Gi-Oh!, where single cards are useless. The strategy in Magic occurs in the deck building, but also in the actual play of the game [choosing whether to attack, or have a blocker for the next ...more
Not much competition. Magic: The Gathering is 100% the best trading card game and here is why:1. Better Artwork2. More Strategy/Thinking3. More Formats for a variety of players4. Magic: The Gathering Arena. Magic Arena is an online version of Magic with great visuals and programming. This is great for new players and players who don't want to spend money on the game and still want to enjoy it. Magic Arena will also force other players to not be able to cheat during the game.5. In-Depth story. The story for Magic is great compared to any other trading card game. Every card in every set has something to do with the story of the game whether it is a key event or a creature that exists in the plane[Not the flying kind]6. Card Types. In Magic, the number of different cards may be confusing for new players but offers a variety of different play styles and unique decks.
These are just a few examples I can think of from the top of my head, I'm sure there are ...more
2 Yu-Gi-Oh!
Really, yugioh should dominate. I have magic and yugioh. I've been playing both for years and yugioh is a lot more fun. Magic is too complicated and it can be hard to create a new deck. Yugioh is not that complicated and is a lot easier to create a deck with. You don't need mana and all that stuff. Also, yugioh has stragetgy but magic is just working with what you have. Yugioh can play cards face down to keep your opponent guessing but magic just has monster to attack. Magic also has flying O. Creatures which is way overpowered. Yugioh has cards which can always be beatable. Yugioh also takes longer to play which is good cause you can enjoy the experience longer. For another reason magic has like 9 different types of ways to play with different rules. Yugioh has one good way to play which is not confusing.
I like Yugioh, and I personally believe it's better than other games, because of its complexity, where you can create very interesting decks with very cool combinations. Yugioh is a much more expansive game, with a lot more room to be innovative. Magic The Gathering and Cardfight Vanguard are too linear, and don't allow for nearly enough creativity or interesting games. One possible issue with this game is that it may be too complicated for a child to understand, but in that case all they have to do is keep practicing the game on a yugioh simulator until they understand all of the mechanics of the game. Overall Yugioh is a lot of fun, simply because you can be extremely creative with your decks.
The one card game that keeps "dying" yet always seems to be relavent. Let's not forget how Pokemon's kid friendly animal trainer, and Magic's high fantasy settings greatly restrict what types of creatures and art can even make the final cut, whereas Yu-gi-oh has some of the most unique card arts and archetypes in any TCG. Every tcg has artifacts, creatures, spells, trainers, draw power, dragons etc... How many of them have archetypes based around batteries? The Modern smartphone and household appliances? Athletes and formula one racers? Stuffed Animals? Yu-gi-oh has you covered beyond the realms of warriors and wizards and catch 'em all.
Awesome card game for the very young using structure decks to the more older experienced players that can spend money on a better deck. The game play is very intriguing and captivating. Even an experienced player can loose to an amateur one if the right cards don't come out. Unlike other gametype card games the YUGIOH cards keep value for those collectors that don't play but like to have them for future $$. Unlike POKEMON that has 20+ cards for the same character YUGIOH has very few and their ratings are Ghost rare, Secret rare, Ultimate rare, ultra rare, super rare, rare and commons. The Secret and ultimate rares have a lot more selling/trading value then all the others and there is also the limited edition, 1st edition and ulimited which will also affect the value [but card description, power and details are all the same regardless of $$ value]
By the way I'm a collector and rarelly play but my favorite is the prophecy deck.
3 Pokémon TCG
Honestly, the best card game out there. In comparison to Yugioh, Pokemon appeals to anyone regardless on how old they R. In tournaments, they have Juniors, Seniors and Masters so if you are 14 years old, you wouldn't have to worry about going against a 22 year old. This is also good because it puts people with the same caliber together so it isn't too unfair. Also, anyone can qualify to the world championships, unlike Yugioh which you must qualify from nationals. Pokemon is a really strategic and fun game and the community is much more friendly than Yugioh. I play Pokemon and Yugioh and while I still enjoy Yugioh a lot, I prefer playing Pokemon much more, especially as I have qualified for the World Championships 2013 in Vancouver, Canada.
Pokemon the name is 'Got to Catch Them All' the reason is the favorite select chosen Pocket Monster can be against a vastly distinct number of foes. Meanwhile the Pokemon can evolve itself too so more forms of the same enjoyable creatures can be given to the user for satisfaction. The Items and Clothing evolve as well, despite being an evolution problem this series is fun and never ceases to amaze. So although the others might be not in the favor list there is a newer better evolve version to captivate the attention in a good way. If that holds true the Poke-Masters can enjoy at leisure victories against all sorts of diverse beings in the same built world of Pokemon. So the changes are important but not always needed to do well with the user's Pokemon of lower level for instance. Different levels of play change the game as well, and although strange sometimes not evolve creatures under control might win against different strong or larger adversaries simply since are not in the same ...more
I played Yu-Gi-Oh! all my life, long story short-- Yu-gi-oh became broken and is a different game now and it's painfully obvious. Magic is boring and the cards look bland in my opinion. Pokemon is refreshing for a change and shows that a game can last for a long time without losing its core. Unlike YGH, Pokemon kept it Pokemon while YGH has developed a dissociative identity disorder, the game doesn't know if it wants to be fast or slow, simple or complex, new types of cards and constant rule changes have ruined it. Pokemon is simple [complex yet simple], the cards are colorful and the artwork has so much love in it. Ask yourself, when was the last time you played a YGH duel longer than 2 minutes... Pokemon can end fast as well but it's not cause of an unbalanced archetype or meta. All in all, Pokemon does it right!
Easy game to pick up, yet has room for tons of strategy. Also, the online game is just fantastic, so if you're looking for an online card game, whilst waiting for Hex/Hearthstone, I definitely recommend it to put your feet in it before going out and buying cards. Like many said, it's appealing because it's Pokemon, everyone knows it and tons of people love it. Wish I'd gotten into the actual card game earlier when I was a kid, but with the online game and growing popularity in my town, I'm just happy to be a part of it.
4 Cardfight!! Vanguard
The game is very fun and requires strategy and does not require luck and it is very well balanced and easy to get the gang of it. As for Yu-Gi-Oh it can get complicated and at times the rules and the cards contradict one-another. And when I play this with friends and other we sometimes get into arguments over the card effect because they are not specific or clear, I have also seen that happen to others. But in Cardfight Vanguard the cards are clear and balanced in Yu-Gi-Oh it is not balanced and at times not that fun since you can get into the arguments because of the cards clarity. In conclusion Cardfight Vanguard is better because of its mechanics and previously mentioned elements.
I've delved into many different TCG's throughout the years. I've played Magic the Gathering on and off, was a hard core Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan for years, played some Pokemon and even Digimon. With Cardfight! Vanguard, this is a game above the other's in my opinion, for one reason. It makes the game more evenly balanced. It does not matter which deck one uses, if they build their deck right, it can compete with the other's and stand a solid chance. When a new rule comes out, all clans benefit from it. When you play Magic, the rules are convoluted and confusing, making it hard to get new players into the game. With Yugioh, it's all about running a meta deck to win, taking away the individuality of the game. But with Vanguard, it allows for an easier play style as well as allows any player to use a deck they want instead of forcing them to play certain decks to win. In the end, Vanguard is the best for these reasons and can easily compete with the top games that have been around for years.
Such a unique card game with really unique mechanics. It takes the best parts from all of the top 3 card games and mixes it in with some of its own futuristic spice. The Clans may seem like a drawback for some people but it allows for even more strategy and it allows for a good type on linearity. Magic and Yu Gi Oh had 1000's of cards but Vanguard gives you the clans with 100's of cards within that clan. It gives you space while not giving so much space that it becomes daunting. The triggers add to the fun and it is so adaptable to different people. There is a clan for everyone. I play Shadow Paladin and it just suits me. When I attempted to get into yugioh is was way to much for me. For me, best card game there is followed by magic, yugioh and then Pokemon.
It's easy to learn, but requires expert strategy, predictions, and balance to master the game. It's impossible to win in the first turn, making the game a lot more enjoyable and a lot less bland. The idea that every clan has their own unique way to play, while each one still having their own pros and cons and also having different ways to build your deck but still making it good, makes it have tons of variety, so much in fact that two decks of the same clan could be vastly different, but still similar in the basic point of the clan. Also, the trigger mechanic allows you to stay in the game when it seems you have lost, and turn the entire match around and win. Another good thing in it is that there is no "Best deck" nor any cards that are over $50. [unless you count SPs, which are either alternate art versions or pseudo-3D reprints of cards in the same booster set] The last great thing about this game is the fact that no card is absolutely useless, meaning that any card [within the ...more
5 Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's
Ahh, Yu Gi oh brings so many memory's! It is one of those game that appear out of nowhere! This game is highly recommended and one of the best tcg games! It is more fun when it's for duel
Best card game simple rules, few requirements, great idea, and cool cards, gave me a way to gain more friends.
Thanks yugioh!
It has cooler cards more stronger monsters [except for exodia, the god cards, etc]. I like the all the syncro summoning and its goes a little more differently, in a good way
Best card game ever made and will be in the future!
6 Duel Masters
I want to get one thing out of the way. The art is frankly amazing. It was one of the factors that got me interested in this game so much. The rules are very easy to learn, and you can use a whole lot of creativity with the decks compared to other TCG's and the every duel is exciting. In Japan this game is still very, very popular and the game has advanced to a whole new level with many new card types, abilities and of course the beautiful art. I also love the fact that the game depends on skill and strategy rather than luck and some card you drew by chance. I really, really hope this game comes back to the rest of the world with the new concepts and abilities. It would be awesome!
I love magic but hate how standard always pushes cards out which are less than a year old. I started with duel masters and kinda started making it popular at my school for most of 2012 but honestly it's downfall was its own fault, it's kinda sad. Now in japan the artstyle is so over hyped and flashy it makes my eyes roll to the back of my head. Magic is amazing but in the end it's basically a cash cow I do play magic but only casually with duel decks or if my friends happen to have a spare deck. Duel masters will always have a special place in my mind!
As a matter of verity, I wasn't expecting this truely beatiful game to take the 9th position simply for some reasons; First of all, I played Yu Gi, Vanguard, and I know a lot about MTG and Pokemon, but believe me, Duel Masters requires more strategy and intelligence to master it, really though. You'd need like 1/2 years experience to consider yourself finally a "Good DM player". With a large card pool as well as efficient card combination, Duel Master pretty much encourage the player to be creative [for E. X: in Vanguard all decks are the same; decks are lost of your own touch] and enthusiastic and careful during deck building, since card choice represents the key to build a strong deck. As for gameplay, learning it wouldn't take a lot of time as it's pretty simple. And again, another advantage; most trading card games depend on luck whereas in DM, if you depend on it, you pretty consider yourself lost, as in; if winning the game depends on one card then your opponent will work to ...more
Alright, listen. This new game is actually called Kaijudo, and was discontinued by Wizards of the Coast because of its failing profit. Fortunately, that makes the cards dirt-cheap, and building decks around it is fun. The game is basically MTG meets Yu-Gi-Oh, two amazing and great card games, and the games go fast, so you can fit one in before bed. One of the struggles of playing this game, though, is that almost nobody plays it anymore. I really like it, and I'm kind of hooked on it at the moment. The art is great, the gameplay super fun. This is why it's the best.
7 Hearthstone
Great card game for those wanting a first experience to strategic card games or veterans looking to destroy. 889 cards are in the game, with another 45 officially coming out in about 3 or 4 weeks. The virtual aspect brings many cool animations and sound effects, playing on many different boards with many different heroes and many different mechanics. What hearthstone offers that no other card game can is the RNG, where sometimes probability can decide a critical moment in the game.
Honestly in its glory years this could be number 1 Any day But with the toxic devs a OP card wont just get nerfed, but will be completely unusable Got a request? Well they OBVIOUSLY don't need to read them as they used to nail Warcraft. Also its fine having to battle modes one friendlier for new players so they don't need to have all the old cards but At NO point do they encourage wild, Sorry old players tough luck. Also old players who spent a lot of money on the expansions Well, guess what, those can be crafted rendering everything but the levals [which have no replay value] USELESS.
Hearthstone is much awesome. I think that later a new game called hex might be better than it but for now it is a fun and simple time waster and is one of the best card games out there. The only thing I could criticize is it's long term appeal but they're adding some new game modes and cards too.
Hear this.MTG and yu gi oh may have some history to say but I bet they doesn't stand a chance with hearthstone.Yes I do agree that hearthstone took ideas from those games but their has been no card games that was able to draw huge attention all over the world unlike pokemon card games who's popularity is restricted and this game is the one of the top among esports games.Blizzard gives great maintenance to the game and it's free to play and you could really get cards without paying.I am a legendary rank player and I have proven it.So great gaming guys!
8 Star Wars
The Decipher version should absolutely be top 10, and is #1 in my book. I tried numerous other games after Decipher lost the license to Wizards of the Coast [whose version was far inferior], and nothing compared in terms of mechanics and the "free-world" feel, although from what I've read, Legend of the Five Rings might be a contender.
Great Games, particularly deciphers version. This was one of the great card games of all time and if decipher had been able to continue with the license from lucas arts it would be one of the best out there today.
No doubt a complex game but the feel of star wars and depth of play is off the charts. Best game ever!
Too bad the license didn't continue. Complex, but amazing!
9 Lord of The Rings TCG
Besides being a lot of fun it requires a lot of thinking. Try playing for a hour without making any mistakes.
Amazing game, requires lots of thinking.
Fantastic card game! Wonderful arts!
Really good gameplay mechanics and really fun to play with friends
10 World Of Warcraft TCG
Unfortunately it has stopped manufacturing.Otherwise one of the better TCG to learn and get hooked, yet complex enough to be enjoyable for veterans. Captures the fantasy of the MMO well and extremely flavorful with deck building and strategies.
Raid decks also provide a commander-like experience that is challenging and fun for group play in parties.
Legendary Game. Instead of dying it gave it's position to Hearthstone. And Hearthstone currently holds the number 1 position of digital card games and one of the top five positions of online games. Hearthstone has a great future but also a legendary ancestor.
It offers a gameplay that is very similar to Magic, but with its own changes.It's easier to learn, gives you boss fights and the types of cards are fun.
The combat system is also entertaining.
The raid decks was really what made this TCG stand out - three players against a very powerful deck [either operated by a player or automated] made this a co-op experience like no other.
The Contenders
11 Digimon
Simple, tactical, works with the theme of Digimon and is overall a joy to play. Also, the artwork is great.
Good game, great card artwork, talking about the HC Serie. Others series like Alpha and fusion are way below. They have more childish artwork, Fusion ressemble more to Transformers to digimon
Digimon is much less complicated than ships.
Digimon is more card like instead of building ships which can be confusing
12 Chaotic
Chaotic is easily called the best. They got everything: Creatures, Battlegear, Mugic, Locations, and attacks. They have a T.V. show, online game, trading card game, Video Game, and even drinks! No other TCG did all that not even Pokemon, magic or yugioh. Their Card art is made a lot by Khary Randolph and if you look at Chaotic Cards, you can see all the good art. Magic is just mana and using att/definitely to attack while Chaotic you got energy, stats. elements, and ability all per creature. Mugic [spells] are not like yugioh but they actually have affect paying costs which is strategy. There are millions of combos but ONLY CHAOTIC has battlegear, Location cards which alters affects, ATTACK DECK and you can reshuffle so you don't just lose like Magic, and the Creature cards have so much different abilities which makes you think twice before playing. Chaotic is definitely the best and if you're reading this, go on Google, look at the cards and you can easily see.
It is an innovation for trading card games because it can be played not only in reality but also online. It was released publicly as a trading card game online and a television show but with unfortunately squashed to death by more popular trading card games such as Magic the gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Pokémon. It had a very short lifespan, although there have been rumors that it will start up again in the year 2013 or 2014. I believe that on YouTube there was a video called Chaotic roomers and it was about 4kids saying that they would release it again in Japan.
I hate that this game isn't around anymore. It was made for today's mobile market. Heck, the show was basically showing us what we would have today if it hadn't been for the greed of 4Kids. It would have been Pokemon GO long before Pokemon GO. Go out into the world, scanning monsters, battlegear, mugic, and attacks with your phone, then using those scans against other players either from the app or with the online game. But now we'll never have it and it sucks.
It was always a balanced game. Nothing was definitely overpowered. You could have some of the best meta decks face each other and you would never know which one would win or lose. Anything that was too powerful would be balanced by the next set and even the oldest cards were playable competitively.
13 Naruto
Great mechanics and a great set of art. Promos were full art and the impressive detail put into the cards deserve a spot onto this list.
Although it's the hardest game out there, This game is great!
14 Yu-Gi-Oh Arc-V
Newest yugioh on psp
15 Harry Potter Trading Card Game
The Harry Potter Trading Card Game, [colloquially "HPTCG"] is a strategy and collectible card game based in the magical world of the Harry Potter novels by J.K. Rowling. Created by Wizards of the Coast in August 2001, the game was designed to compete with the Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering card games. It was released to coincide with the release of the first film in the series. The game was praised for the way it immersed people in the Harry Potter universe. At one point the game was the second best selling toy in the United States.
I am so sad they discontinued it... :[ I almost want to design cards based on the last 5 books and print them out to play with my dad as we did years ago.
16 Sword Girls
My favorite, the art is attractive, the amount of card content is vast and it doesn't make you feel like you have to stick to any specific style or faction, the only downfall is it consume a lot of time to progress
I like SG easy to learn you could craft your own cards very friendly people and also good art.
17 Topps Attax
18 Digimon Fusion
Love this card game! One of the best out there! They made a smart decision on making their own play styles and ideas for this game, unlike their previous versions which copied much of the ideas from other card games. Too bad Bandai chose to back the Power Rangers card game instead, this game was selling out everywhere within days of being stocked. Could have put Bandai back up there in popularity.
Much better art than the original digimon and you can see some packs in target, proving it is becoming popular.
19 Bakugan
It is so entertaining and some of the designs for the Bakugan are spectacular. What other game can incorporate this many different types of creatures all into a ball shape. Even though I am still a gigantic fan of Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon, I feel like Bakugan deserves more appreciation. It had an excellent television run and the TCG was played a lot during it's time on air.
This game is so simple, and all the bakugan have unique features, making it a very fun game to play. I mean Magic and Yu Gi Oh are fun indeed, but this game is just both reduced to simplicity.
Also, there are constantly many bakugan with high power G's that you can find them almost anywhere.
Bakugan is not only a fun game, but one of only three that I can think of off the top of my head that is played the same way in real life as it is in the anime.
Nobody understands the strategy within this game, I'm 35 with no mental issues whatsoever and I still play this with my dad!
20 Walking Dead
Stupidest game out there zombies seriously people!
These cards are great
Its great fun
21 Future Card Buddyfight
This new card game by bushiroad [the creators of weiss schwarz and cardfight vanguard] is a new breath of fresh air for the tcg scene all new mechanics that are super solid and just looks fun! This card game comes out at the end of January and the anime comes out January 3! So close I can almost feel it taking my money from my wallet! But for real try this new card game out and the most cool thing is the Japanese and us are getting everything the card game introduces at the same time so no waiting like other card games. I could talk about this card game all day so just see for yourself and I bet you wont regret it!
After years of playing pokemon, magic and yugi I felt lime I need a change. Buddyfight offers a simple to learn, hard to master aproach in a very low budget game -you can build a solid deck with 100$-. Its rules are simple and clear amd very easy to pick up. But for me as a card player what exites me more is that with the proper twinking almost every deck can be competitive and every single world between the 12 available offers a unique playstyle that covers all taste. No more ban lists, no more 1000$ decks that after 1 season are banned and useless. Buddyfight its all about fun and creativity and I reccomend it to anyone who lpves tcgs
One of the few promising games to be on the horizon. I tested it, it's a lot of fun and quick to pick up. It will be interesting to see where it goes.
It is the best game in the whole universe based on your skills which makes it the better than other cheap card games. LETS BUDDYFIGHT!
22 VS System Marvel
This was a great cardgame and I miss playing it.
I started off with only one deck/team [Arkham Inmates], but new characters and mechanics made me buy a whole lot more. The rules of the game were complex and made different kind of tactics possible. I'm still looking for a ccg that can replace it.
FANTASTIC GAME! Terrible shame that it stopped being sold at stores, although you can still get new sets via the on-line community...
23 Topps 2013 Football Cards
24 Dragon Ball Z
This game recently got a reboot and I have to say its amazing. Panini bought the rights and they streamlined the game a ton making it way better. The original dbz ccg was great but once we got to like buu saga on it got ridiculous. Especially gt. Free style decks and sensei decks and all this crap that this wonderful card game did not need. granted it was great with all that stuff, the game is now easy to pick up so much fun and streamline
Ignore the license and this game has one of the best card game engines created. Its from a time when every game wasn't trying to just be Magic 2.0. If you've only recently come into playing card games, or have never ventured far from Magic land, give this game a chance to see how fun Card Games can be.
Variety is the area this game excels in. The variety in win conditions masteries and personalities make it to where there are no two decks exactly alike.
I must admit, these cards are AWESOME! They are really fun and I love trading them.
25 Battle Spirits
This game is so good and fun to watch!
Best game ever