While the anime and video games follow the exploits of Goku, Gohan, and their friends, the TCG allows players to use any of the characters available. You may have seen the term ‘trading card game / TCG’ thrown around a lot, and you might be wondering what that is. To put it simply, these are ongoing games that allow players to create their own decks or use premade decks that can be tweaked with new cards.

You can easily find meta decks in the double digit price range, or slightly over $100. This makes Pokemon one of the cheaper games to get into if you want to play more competitively. Speed Duel is a format with altered rules to help new players learn the game, though I contend that it’s kind of harder to get into the game when you have to relearn a bunch of rules just to play the other formats. You might pay more than you would’ve when it was still alive but, honestly, it’s worth every penny.

Best trading card games

You do this by collecting food cards featuring the likes of cartoon dumplings, and each item’s got a different points value attached to it. Some are worth more than others, while certain cards only pay up if you’ve gathered the most of them. Naturally, Lorcana starring some of the world’s most beloved characters doesn’t hurt its appeal. Mickey Mouse, Moana, and the rest are here with original artwork pulled from their stories… or with a fresh twist. These are downright beautiful, so the game will appeal even if you just want to collect those cards.

Alongside a range of game formats (dictating deck size, MTG banlist restrictions, and other gameplay requirements), MTG has an indefinable depth. You can spend hours learning how to build an MTG deck that’ll win every game, or experiment with unusual strategies and different MTG color combinations. You can also have fun by just picking up a starter set, and blasting through a few mono-color matches with your mates.

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However, if a card is expensive because it’s good in Standard, then it won’t be valuable for long. Standard rotation in Pokemon happens every year, which is really fast. The nice thing about Pokemon is, while some collectibles can be very expensive, actually playing the game isn’t as bad.

There are different campaigns and modes to play, and you can even enjoy a standalone experience if you wanted to. By and far, Lord of the Rings is one of the best collectible card games to add to your collection and continue to nurture over many years to come. Legend of the Five Rings (L5R) is a collectible card game that is set in feudal Japan and combines elements of deckbuilding as well as role-playing, making it a game that stands apart from many of its other competitors.

Now we’re on the latest set of many, and that hype train isn’t slowing down. Picking up one of the best Yugioh structure decks is also a smart way to get started. Universus is another older card game (released around 2006) that could rightfully be called an “anime card game.” Cards feature characters from anime like My Hero Academia, Cowboy Bepop, and Yu Yu Hakusho.

Launched in 2019, this New Zealand TCG developed and published by newcomer Legend Story Studios offers a more mature take on the fantasy genre than the likes of MTG. Combine that with high-value chase cards and a bustling in-person play scene, and Flesh and Blood has become a real force to be reckoned with in the TCG space. Don’t forget to check out the Best board games, or even the best tabletop RPGs.

Best card games – for kids

Having the option to sit commander combos around the table with a group of friends or even just strangers at the LGS and have a conversation while playing is a nice way to keep the game from always just being competitive. There are also preconstructed decks for a variety of playstyles like Commander, Pioneer, Standard, etc. These products make it easy to get into the game in the specific way you want to. It’s a casual format that uses Blitz rules but allows the use of cards that aren’t normally legal.

Prop up your most powerful characters with extra tokens, and try to anticipate which cards will be of most use in the upcoming rounds. Of course, you can also play offensively, removing tokens from your opponent’s characters, and wiping clean their side of the table. But Legend of the Five Rings’ main mechanical flavour stems from its ‘fate’ system. You might arrange a killer frontline that will have your enemy weak at the knees, but characters won’t stick around for long. KeyForge was originally published by Fantasy Flight Games, though they suffered a strange snafu in 2021 that ‘broke’ the algorithm that generated unique decks.

Given the enormous popularity of Genshin Impact, Genius Invokation will no doubt be a hot topic for discussion among players when the mode releases. In the One Piece Card Game, decks are built around a Leader Card, which have varying abilities and life points. While other TCGs usually have players mirror each other’s life points for a fair game, what makes the One Piece Card Game interesting is that the Leader Card’s life points represent the player’s life points.

This format has an extensive banned list to prevent any broken combos from ruining it. Of course, there are expensive chase cards, as there are in any TCG, and competitively viable cards tend to fetch higher prices. Estimations show that you could build a tournament-ready deck for anywhere around $30-$350, so it’s not exactly dirty cheap to participate at a high level, but there’s some wiggle room. A quick look at prices online suggests that Digimon is super cheap, at least for casual players. Starter Decks come in around $10-20, which is highly affordable, especially for anyone who just wants to try the game out, and non-foils from most set releases seem to be under a buck.

Sushi Go is a bizarre little game that’s suitable for everyone, but children in particular; it’s easy to understand and incredibly quick to play. In fact, we’ve found ourselves coming back time and again because each match can be wrapped up in under 15 minutes flat. That gives it a shot at being one of the best card games for kids or adults who don’t want to sit about for long periods of time. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos, this is a streamlined adaptation of the classic Arkham Horror board game that simplifies gameplay for a snappier – yet still engrossing – experience.