The 8 best digital card games

Digital card games continue to thrive and evolve while the classics still scratch your card-casting itch. This genre of games doesn’t rank at the top of Twitch’s most-watched list, but that doesn’t stop players from enjoying a wide variety of playable options.

The best digital card games are free-to-play, although some have friendlier monetization systems than others when it comes to expanding your collection. But it is the experience of playing those cards that matter for card game fans. From cracking open packs to directly purchasing the cards you want in your meta deck, here are the best digital card games players should check out.

Legends of Runeterra

Legends of Runeterra is a free-to-play card game developed by Riot Games that was released in April 2020 that is also available on mobile. Since its launch, LoR has continually challenged the norms typically associated with the best PC card games. The digital card game’s monetization system is the best overall, rewarding players with free regional battle passes, weekly chest rewards based on XP, and the option to purchase cards directly by completely doing away with cracking packs.

The animation within LoR is intense, and players will never get tired of repeating voice lines from classic League champions. And the gameplay mechanics are full of complexities that aren’t hard to learn.

Casting spells within LoR works a little bit differently from other games, allowing you to save up to three unused mana, which can then be used on spells but not on creatures. And the spell system features three speeds of spells— Fast, Slow, and Burst—providing players with a number of different lines of gameplay each round.

There are also multiple playing options within LoR to hit every type of PC card-gaming itch. Players can challenge friends or hit the ranked ladder. But if the meta isn’t up to par, there’s always Expeditions, a unique version of Draft. And for single-player storyline options, there’s the Path to Champions, hitting those Slay the Spire feels.

Magic: The Gathering Arena

Magic: The Gathering is widely considered to be the grandfather of modern card-based duel games, available on PC and mobile. Wizards of the Coast invented the iconic MTG competitive format which has captivated the imagination and strategic sensibilities of millions of players since it first hit the shelves all the way back in 1993. 

The basic concept behind MTG is that you are engaged in a wizard’s duel with your opponent. It is one of the most strategically rich games ever invented and its popularity spawned the creation of many of the other card games on this list. Cracking packs for cards is the backbone of the MTG Arena monetization system. But free-to-play players can still have fun competing in non-ranked modes.

And when it comes to mode options, MTG Arena has a ton to choose from. There are Live modes like Alchemy and Historic that tap into eternal and digital-only formats, along with the classic Standard Constructed and Limited modes.

Griftlands

Created by Klei Entertainment, Griftlands is a deck-building, roguelike digital card game that launched in June 2021. It’s not a free-to-play game, costing around $20, but Griftlands is worth the price tag as it combines RPG mechanics like turn-based actions, and a solid storyline—similar to Slay the Spire.

The animation within Griftlands is cartoonish and clean, and there is a total of three campaigns and three main characters. Cards are earned as you progress, along with the plot of the story. Strategy plays a major role, despite following a storyline, allowing players to repeat a campaign with different results.

In addition to turn-based action fights, players are also required to negotiate with cards, adding another layer of strategy into the best PC card game. Choices you make in Griftlands matter and each campaign can be completed in around three to four hours of gameplay.

Pokémon TCG Online

The Pokémon TCG is one of the longest-running physical trading card games of all time. Even if the mainline video games of the franchise serve as its backbone, the presence of the Pokémon TCG makes it refreshing for fans to have a different take on how to battle using the Pocket Monsters in the form of playable cards.

The Pokémon Company took a big leap in 2011 when they released a digital and online version of the Pokémon TCG. The cards players can use in Pokémon TCG Online are synced with the current releases for the physical version of the TCG. As for its gameplay, it retains all the rules and mechanics from the original TCG. This includes the turn-based system, the winning condition of getting all of a player’s prize cards, the application of Special Conditions, and more.

In Pokémon TCG Online, players can get card packs by either using the in-game currency or buying physical packs, which will have a code that players can use to gain in-game packs. Players can also trade cards with other users.

You can go up against other players in Pokémon TCG Online. There is also a story mode where you can unlock cards along the way.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links was released in 2016. It introduced the Speed Duel format, where players can have faster matches compared to the traditional format of the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG. In a Speed Duel, players will only have 4,000 life points rather than the original 8,000, as well as the reduction of the Monster and Spell/Trap zones from five to three.

Duel Links is also known for removing the Main Phase 2 of Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG matches. The main deck size is also reduced from 40-60 cards to 20-30 cards. One major difference from the traditional way of playing the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG is the inclusion of Skills. They can affect the flow of every match, including adding cards to the hand or field, adding stats to Monster cards, having more life points, and more.

You can use various characters from all of the Yu-Gi-Oh! series. This includes Yugi Mutou/Yami Yugi and Seto Kaiba from the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series, Jaden Yuki from Yu-Gi-Oh! GX, Yusei Fudo from Yu-Gi-Oh! 5Ds, and many more. As for the cards you can collect and put in your decks, you can get those from the decks you can unlock by beating other characters, buying packs from the in-game store, and from the Card Trader, where you need to use various items.

Wildfrost

Wildfrost is one of those hidden indie gems; a hard-hitting roguelike wrapped up in a rather inconspicuous art style. Fans of Slay the Spire will readily take to this turn-based game with its multiple different archetypes and multi-faceted strategy.

In Wildfrost, players choose one of three tribes, then pick one of three leaders, or cards they must protect throughout each encounter of a run. There are different paths you can take after each boss fight, and you’ll collect a series of companions that can be added to the field of play or items that can be used. You get one action per turn, and each enemy card has a countdown that, when it hits zero, causes the foe to attack.

You’ll need to carefully arrange your companions into one of two lanes; the order they’re placed determines the order in which they attack and whether they’ll receive damage. If your leader card’s health is fully depleted, your run ends. Each card comes with its own effects that can be upgraded in the shop, making every run a unique experience.

Wildfrost is available on PC, Xbox Game Pass, Nintendo Switch, and mobile.

Marvel Snap

Marvel Snap takes Marvel fans into an immersive experience where they get to see their favorite characters as playable digital cards.

The game offers fast matches with 12 cards per deck and six turns per battle under normal circumstances. Cards can be vanilla units that don’t have a special effect, or they can feature abilities that are patterned on the hero or villain’s ability in the Marvel universe. An example of this is Thanos, which can let you use the six Infinity Stones as cards with various advantages for your side.

Locations make Marvel Snap stand out from other digital card games. They serve as the playing field to showcase your strategy. They all have different effects which can affect the flow of the game, giving either a disadvantage or an advantage to both players. For instance, the Cloning Vats gives you a clone of a card that you play there. Fisk Tower, on the other hand, destroys the cards you play in the location.

As for acquiring new cards, you can get those by progressing your Collection Level. Card classifications are divided into Pools, which correspond to your CL. You can earn rewards as you progress, including new cards. You can also get cards by purchasing each Season Pass, as well as getting Collector Tokens which can be exchanged for limited-time cards in the Token Shop.

Balatro

Balatro hit digital shelves in 2024, and it doesn’t take long for players to figure out why this indie gem was nominated for The Game of the Year against AAA titles like Astro Bot and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. This roguelike is based on poker hands, in which players must play certain hands to meet a blind, or a set number of chips they must earn each turn.

You can unlock various Jokers that add modifiers and upgrade cards in your deck to get more chips from each hand played. There are three encounters per Ante, or stage, of an eight-stage run, and with every level you climb, the difficulty of each blind increases.

With its numerous crossovers and collaborations, Balatro is an ever-evolving game with tons of replayability. Just be careful; once you’ve given it a go, you’re more than likely going to get hooked on this addictive game.