Despite not having the same budgets or the exhilarating twists-and-turns of AAA blockbusters like their counterparts, the best deck-building games offer an experience that is both rewarding and immersive, albeit in a different way.
AAA video games like Grand Theft Auto and Call Of Duty often spend millions on advertisements and sponsorships. As a result of the advertisements, they receive larger audiences and almost-stratospheric revenues. In comparison, the often forgotten sub-genre of strategy games, deck-builders, tends to garner smaller audiences and uses vastly different gameplay mechanics.
Here are some of the best deck-building games on the market at the moment…
1. Hearthstone
Hearthstone sees you – the player – building a deck of weird and wonderful creatures for card-combat.
Set in the Warcraft universe, Hearthstone is a deck-building game. The moment-to-moment gameplay is a combination of building attacks, setting defenses and quick arithmetic. All resulting in wonderfully beautiful yet-simplistic combat animations.
The battles throughout Hearthstone consist of a, largely, one-to-one dynamic of hero VS villain. Every character can be an opponent and utilized by the player as their chosen hero.
Originally released in 2014, the game has seen dwindling numbers and lesser mainstream coverage as time has passed. To mitigate the lessening of daily active users, updates have been introduced with new modes and mechanics. One of these modes is the Tavern Brawls – A mode in which an unusual deck-building element is introduced weekly.
Hearthstone is by no stretch-of-the-imagination a world-changing game, but it does offer players a wonderfully enveloping and time-stealing experience worthy of your consideration.
2. Gwent
Set in the mystical and mythical word of The Witcher, Gwent is a minigame originally featuring in the Witcher III: Wild Hunt.
Players go up against AI opponents scattered throughout the main-game, and collect increasingly powerful cards and developing intricate combat strategies. Seeing wide-spread acclaim and popularity, the time was right for a Gwent stand-alone game.
The basic formula is still exactly the same as it was when it featured as a mini-game, however we now see the focus switching entirely to the card-game and the removal of the siege row which in-turn, leaves players with only two rows in which to play their cards.
Gwent delivers a more accessible version of games like Magic: The Gathering. It employs miniature impact-based card-animations and requires players to be on their toes at all times, lest they become victim to the almighty AI strategy brain or worse yet, other people!
3. Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Links
When discussing card-games and deck-building games, we would be remiss to not mention one of the original godfathers of the format, Yu-Gi-Oh.
Yu-Gi-Oh came into the world in 1996, developed by Kazuki Takahashi. The cards featured come from the manga series – which in-turn became a popular anime series. The concept of Yu-Gi-Oh is one of basic maths at it’s base level; the higher a cards attack value is in comparison to its opponents, merits the victor. As the game progesses, and more expansion packs become available, the more complex the game becomes.
The complexity comes from the introduction of monster-types, various forms of attachable enchantments, fusion processes (combining monsters to create larger monsters) and sacrificing etc. The Duel Links game brings all of this to the screen in an accessible and enioyable way. Original characters like Pegasus, Cyrus and Yugi are all available for combat and this can take place throughout, any and all, player encounters.
Living out your Yu-Gi-Oh fantasy has never been so easy. With a reasonable micro-transaction system, an interesting – not groundbreaking – narrative and the ability to play almost anywhere at any time, Duel Links certainly deserves to live on your hard drive rent-free… did I mention it’s FREE?
4. Kards
From the mystical, to the mythical, and now parachute-landing onto the military. Kards is a free-to-play deck-building game which combines CCG and RTS.
The game follows the tried-and-tested formula of building a deck of cards, combining the ‘correct cards’ and, employing various strategies, all in order to defeat AI and multiplayer opponents alike.
Players can choose from many of the powers involved during WW2 (Imperial Japan, Germany, US, UK and Poland). Each country has their own strategies which reflect their real-life counterpart strategies during World War 2. For instance, Germany is offense based and Great Britain is occupation and building-based with a view to enacting long combos.
As a fan of military-sims and deck-building games alike, you will find this game bridges the gap and does it in a way which becomes second nature to all players.
5. Inscryption
The only game on this list that doesn’t include multiplayer, Inscryption takes the proven recipe and flips it on its head.
Inscryption is an overtly creepy rogue-like deck-building game which has you – the player – doing card-combat against an almost inhuman figure across a rustic worn-out dining table. Another difference we see in Inscryption is that the player can stand up during intervals between rounds, and explore the cabin in which the card-combat takes place. As you walk around the cabin, you discover new cards that guide you through the game and offer help and advice at regular respites, their motives however are not always clear.
Inscryption is a horrifically riveting deck-building game which bucks the trend and the formula which we have become accustomed to. Inscryption does so with such finesse that the length of the experience never really feels relevant.
AAA games often get the air-time with very little effort. Hopefully this list has shown that if you venture off the beaten track, and open your mind, (not too much or it might fall out!) you will be welcomed with a rewarding and unique experience which lingers long after the credits roll.