Card Games
Card games
A card game is any game in which playing cards, whether traditional or specific, are used as the main medium.
There are countless card games, including games that are related in type (e.g. different types of poker). A small number of card games played with traditional decks have formally standardized rules, in which international tournaments are held, but most are folk games whose rules vary by region and culture.
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Traditional card games are played with a deck or pack of playing cards that are the same size and shape. Each card has two sides, a face and a reverse. Usually the backs of the cards are indistinguishable. All card faces may be unique or there may be duplicates in the deck. The composition of the deck is known to each player. Modern card games usually have specific decks, often with more cards, and may contain number cards or action cards. This type of game is generally considered part of board games.
Games using playing cards take advantage of the fact that the cards are individually identifiable from only one side, so that each player knows only the cards they are holding and not those held by someone else. But even this rule is often broken in recent years by modern board games (Hanabi, Tribes of the Wind, and others). For this reason, card games are often characterized as having a high degree of chance. Many games that are not generally classified in the card game family actually use cards for some aspects of their mechanics.
Some pure card games, on the other hand, include a game board (Cribbage, etc.). The difference is that the playability of a card game depends primarily on the player's use of cards (the game board serves as a guide for counting scores or for placing cards), while board games (the main genre that does not use cards) usually focus on the players' positions on the game board and use the cards for some secondary purpose.
The basic types of card games
Stack games
The object of a stacked game is to play several rounds or stacks, in which each player plays one card from his or her hand and, based on the values of the cards played, one player wins or "takes" the stack. The specific objective varies from game to game and may include winning as many stacks as possible, winning as many scoring cards as possible within the stacks won, winning as few stacks as possible (or as few penalty cards as possible), winning a specific stack in a hand, or winning the exact number of stacks. Popular examples are maria, bridge, whist, spades and various tarot card games.
Collecting sets
The goal of a matching (or sometimes "melding") game is to get certain groups of the same cards before your opponent does. In Rummy, this is done through moves and discards, and these groups are called melds. Mahjong is a very similar game that is played with stones instead of cards. Examples of non-rummy match games generally fall into the "fishing" genre and include the children's games Go Fish and Old Maid.
Bluffing games
In bluffing card games, players try to outwit their teammates by playing cards and sharing information about their perceived values or types. A typical representative is the game Bluff!
Solitaire Card Games
Solitaire games are designed for single players. Most games start with a particular layout of cards, called a tableau, and the goal is then to either build a more complex final layout or to clear the tableau and/or draw pile or stock by moving all the cards to one or more "discard" or "foundation" piles. A classic representative is the game of Solitaire.
Collectible Card Games (CCG)
CCGs, or Collectible Card Games, are strategy games designed most often for two players. Each player has his or her own deck assembled from the very large pool of unique cards on the market. The cards have different effects, costs, and artwork. New sets of cards are released periodically, sold as starter decks or booster decks with random cards. Acquiring different cards makes the game a collectible card game, and cards are sold or traded on the secondary market. The most famous representatives are Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon, and Yu-Gi-Oh!
Live Card Games (LCG)
LCGs, or Living Card Games, are similar to collectible card games (CCGs), but their most distinctive feature is their distribution method, which breaks away from the traditional collectible card game format. While new cards for CCGs are usually sold in the form of starter packs or boosters (these are often random), LCGs thrive on a model that requires players to purchase one basic set in order to play a game that they can further customize by acquiring additional sets or expansions with new content in the form of cards or scenarios with a precise composition of cards in each pack. There is no randomization involved in this process, so players who get the same sets or expansions get exactly the same content. This term was popularized by Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) and applies primarily to their products, however it can be observed that some board game companies use a very similar model. Representatives are Arkham Horror, Marvel Champions and Star Wars - all subtitled The card game.
Deck-building games
These are card games in which the main element is the building of a deck of cards over the course of a game. Deck-building games are similar to collectible card games (CCGs) in that each player has their own deck. However, unlike CCGs, cards are not sold in randomly selected decks, and most of the deck building is done during the game, not before the game. In fact, deck building is the main mechanic of these games. The founder of this genre is Donald X. Vaccarino with his 2008 title Dominion. Other well-known deckbuilding games include Star Realms, the Legendary series, and others.
Product sorting
List of products
Dobble, a game of quick wits featuring characters from the hit Netflix film. Simple, fun and fast-paced: Dobble is a game that will test your attention and quick thinking! Be the quickest to spot the single symbol in common between two cards – and be the first to call it out – to either keep the card or get rid of it! Are you ready to test your reaction time? Rumi, Saja Boys, their glow...
An expansion for the game Smíšený les: Dartmoor. Smíšený les: Dartmoor – Exmoor (Forest Shuffle: Dartmoor - Exmoor) expands your landscape with new species of plants and animals, as well as strategic options that will add variety to every game. This is an expansion only. You must own the base game Smíšený les: Dartmoor to play it. Furthermore, the expansion is not compatible with the base...
Smíšený les: Dartmoor (Forest Shuffle: Dartmoor) takes you to the vast English moors, where every card helps to create a unique home. A standalone game from the Forest Shuffle series. The game Smíšený les: Dartmoor is not compatible with the base game Smíšený les or any of its expansions.
Expansion for the game Smíšený les. Smíšený les: Průzkum (Forest Shuffle: Exploration) expands the game to include a solo mode, asymmetrical caves and rare species from various corners of the world. You must own the base game Smíšený les (Forest Shuffle) to play.
The Slasher is a cooperative trick-taking game for two players that blends deduction, tension, and cardplay. Players face off against the game’s system by playing tricks under restrictive and evolving conditions, attempting to collect sets of cards that represent survival items. Each trick is both an opportunity and a risk—players must navigate limited communication and mounting pressure as...
The One Piece TCG Starter Deck ST-36 contains a powerful, ready-to-play deck of cards, as well as a stylish playmat for easy organisation. It is therefore the ideal introduction to the One Piece game for beginners.
The One Piece TCG Starter Deck ST-35 contains a powerful, ready-to-play deck of cards, as well as a stylish playmat for easy organisation. It is therefore the ideal introduction to the One Piece game for beginners.
The One Piece TCG Starter Deck ST-34 contains a powerful, ready-to-play deck of cards, as well as a stylish playmat for easy organisation. It is therefore the ideal introduction to the One Piece game for beginners.
The One Piece TCG Starter Deck ST-33 contains a powerful, ready-to-play deck of cards, as well as a stylish playmat for easy organisation. It is therefore the ideal introduction to the One Piece game for beginners.
The One Piece TCG Starter Deck ST-32 contains a powerful, ready-to-play deck of cards, as well as a stylish playmat for easy organisation. It is therefore the ideal introduction to the One Piece game for beginners.
The One Piece TCG Starter Deck ST-31 contains a powerful, ready-to-play deck of cards, as well as a stylish playmat for easy organisation. It is therefore the ideal introduction to the One Piece game for beginners.
You've found a mysterious box filled with strange cards. As you try to decipher their meaning, you soon realize that you won't be able to do it without help. Surrounded by your friends, you begin to unravel their secret: played the right way, the cards eventually disappear. But they always come back, safely tucked away in the box, for the next game. In Znamení (Omens), you team up to get rid...
In Veggie Match plant your veggies, harvest the best ones, and leave the rotten ones for your opponents. Good timing, underhanded deals, and surprises make Veggie Match a family, quick, and hilariously mean game!
Summon the Horsemen, but avoid the apocalypse. Apocalypse is a trick-taking game where the goal is to score the fewest points. Each round, you play cards and influence the Apocalypse tokens at the center of the table. Watch them carefully: if they are all flipped, the rules change and the round descends into chaos! Apocalypse is a redesign of Saika Banrai, adding a 5th suit, a 2 player...
In Heatwave, you and your friends hit all over the world to prove who is the ultimate surfer. Three legendary beaches await, each with its own rhythm, risks, and perfect break. Paddle out, ride towering waves, and stay ahead as the heat rises and the ocean shifts. Every ride is a chance to shine or wipe out. By the end of the trip, only one surfer will be champion. Grab your board!!
You are a respectable 1920s socialite striving to serve the best morning tea! All around Britain, eleven in the morning is recognised as the perfect time to stop and have a bite to eat. In Dice Tea, you play cards to create your spread - sandwiches, biscuits, cakes - and don’t forget the tea! When eleven o’ clock strikes, the player with the best spread wins! Can you serve the most...
Confusing Lands: Icebound Isles is a standalone, frost‑themed expansion to the minimalist spatial‑puzzle game Confusing Lands, designed by Zak Eidsvoog and published by Envy Born Games. It supports 1–2 players, plays in about 10 minutes, and introduces new Frozen Spaces that alter placement rules and scoring conditions. The expansion can be played on its own, combined with the original...
La Cuenta is a fast, interactive card game about a chaotic night out at a tapas bar. Players order tapas, wine, and use various special action cards while trying to avoid being the one who ends up paying the bill. Designed for 3–8 players and played in about 15–20 minutes, it blends set collection, push‑your‑luck, take‑that, and hot‑potato mechanics into a light, humorous experience where the...
Flourishing times in the kingdom! With every card played, the kingdom’s display grows in power – but only your last two cards in hand will score at the end of the round. Will you build up a character’s strength, or go for their victory points? And are the conditions met for a particularly lucrative scoring?
Get Wet, a mad party game where you answer racy questions and, if you get the answers wrong, you get a refreshing splash of water.
A fun party game where you guess what others are thinking. The game is easy to understand and suitable for larger groups of players, not just at parties.
Guess the word that all your teammates are hinting at at the same time – but each in a completely different way! This fast-paced, cooperative party game is fun for 3–8 players aged 8 and over.

