A deck-building game is a card game or board game where construction of a deck of cards is a main element of gameplay. [1] Deck-building games are similar to collectible card games (CCGs) in that each player has their own deck. However, unlike CCGs, the cards are not sold in randomized packs, and the majority of the deck is built during the game, instead of before the game.
In most deck-building games, each player starts with a small deck of cards of low value. Each turn, they draw some cards from their deck and play them, which may have various gameplay effects, and may buy more cards from a central market, thereby building their deck. The effects of playing cards often include providing the in-game currency that allows players to buy cards; other effects may include increasing the number of game actions a player may take on their turn, removing unwanted cards from the player’s deck, or attacking other players. As players buy more cards with more valuable abilities, their decks gradually become more powerful. When the player runs out of cards to draw, they shuffle their discard pile (which usually includes newly-gained cards) to create a new deck to draw from. Apart from this, however, games may vary; for instance, some are competitive, while others are co-operative. [2]
As players do not build their decks before playing, they cannot organize a deck in advance, and must do so during play. Therefore, strategy is driven by the cards available in the market, which may vary from game to game. [3] In some games (such as Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game ), before the game begins, players can strategize and choose which cards go into the central market deck (the cards that can potentially be bought to increase the strength of each player’s deck). [4]
Deck-building is the central mechanic in some games, such as Dominion or Star Realms . However, in others, such as the Mage Knight Board Game or Arkham Horror: The Card Game , it is combined with others. [2]
If a game has similar mechanics, but doesn't use cards, it is frequently called a pool-building game.
While StarCraft: The Board Game (published in 2007) was the first deck-building game,[ citation needed ] Dominion was the first popular deck-building game that set the standard for the genre. [5] [6] Its popularity spurred the creation of many others, including Thunderstone , Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer , [7] Legendary (based on Marvel superhero comics) published by Upper Deck, and Clank! published by Renegade. In many cases, computerized versions of deck-building games are available, usually mimicking the tabletop version. For example, Dominion [8] and Star Realms [9] can be played online.
Deck-building elements can be used as part of larger video games, such as Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Metal Gear Acid which integrate deck-based combat systems into established game series.
A novel version of the tabletop version of deck-building games are roguelike deck-building video games. Typically single-player games, these games combine deck-building with procedurally generated scenarios and rewards, a fundamental principle of roguelike games. These games require the player to build their deck as they play, usually having to add cards from a random selection as a reward for completing objectives. While the first known example of such a game was Dream Quest, the genre gained momentum with the release of Slay the Spire in 2017. [17]
Legend of the Five Rings is a fictional setting created by John Zinser, Dave Seay, Ryan Dancey, Dave Williams, DJ Trindle, Matt Wilson and John Wick and first published by a joint venture between Alderac Entertainment Group and ISOMEDIA in 1995. The setting primarily involves the fictional empire of Rokugan, though some additional areas and cultures have been discussed. Rokugan is based roughly on feudal Japan with influences from other East Asian cultures such as China, Mongolia and Korea. This setting is the basis for the Legend of the Five Rings Collectible Card Game as well as the Legend of the Five Rings Roleplaying Game. Legend of the Five Rings was also the "featured campaign setting" of the Oriental Adventures expansion to the third edition of Dungeons & Dragons, though this book is now out of print.
Darwin Kastle Mess, also simply known as Darwin Kastle, is a champion Magic: The Gathering player from the United States of America, and was a member of the inaugural class elected to the Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Hall of Fame in 2005. Kastle also ranks 12th on the all time Pro Tour earnings list. Kastle's likeness is depicted on the card Avalanche Riders, which he also designed after winning the second Magic Invitational.
Robert R. Dougherty is a professional Magic: The Gathering player from Framingham, Massachusetts. He was inducted to the Magic Hall of Fame in November 2006. He is also a tournament organizer and the founder of Your Move Games. Your Move Games is the name of one of the most respected teams in the history of the game as well as the name of a chain of game stores owned by Dougherty.
Dominion is a card game created by Donald X. Vaccarino and published by Rio Grande Games. Originally published in 2008, it was the first deck-building game, and inspired a genre of games building on its central mechanic.
A collectible card game (CCG), also called a trading card game (TCG) among other names, is a type of card game that mixes strategic deck building elements with features of trading cards. It was introduced with Magic: The Gathering in 1993.
Cryptozoic Entertainment is an American publisher of board and card games, trading cards and collectibles based on both licensed and original intellectual properties. The company is well known for its "Cerberus Engine Game", the catch name for its series of deck-building games. Cryptozoic's first game was based on DC Comics characters, having been released in 2012. The Cerberus engine is utilized in various games; all Cerberus games are compatible with each other, allowing gamers to intermix different decks and characters from different universes.
Ascension: Deckbuilding Game is a 2010 deck-building card game created by American studio Stone Blade Entertainment, headed by professional Magic: The Gathering player Justin Gary. The main designers of the game are Justin Gary, Brian Kibler, Rob Dougherty and John Fiorillo. The game is available both in physical and digital formats; the iOS version, developed by Playdek, was released on June 30, 2011, and was later released for Windows on December 16, 2014. Ascension Tactics, a spin-off with similar mechanics, was funded on Kickstarter in August 2020.
Thunderstone is a fantasy deck-building card game series designed by Mike Elliott, with artwork by Jason Engle. It was first published by Alderac Entertainment Group in 2009. Each card has dimensions of 6.3 cm x 8.8 cm. It has been translated into several languages.
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is a card game produced by Fantasy Flight Games since 2011. As part of the Living Card Game (LCG) genre, it is a cooperative and strategic card game set in Middle-earth, a fantasy world featured in literary works by J. R. R. Tolkien, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Star Realms is a card-based deck-building science-fiction tabletop game, designed by Rob Dougherty and Darwin Kastle and published in 2014 by Wise Wizard Games. The game started out as a Kickstarter campaign in 2013. The goal of Star Realms is to destroy opponents by purchasing cards using "trade" points and using these cards to attack an opponent's "authority" using "combat" points. The game takes place in a distant future where different races compete to gain resources, trade and outmaneuver each other in a race to become ruler of the galaxy.
Hero Realms is a card-based deck building fantasy tabletop game, designed by Rob Dougherty and Darwin Kastle and published in 2016 by Wise Wizard Games. The game started out as a Kickstarter campaign in 2016. The goal of Hero Realms is to destroy your opponent or opponents by purchasing cards using "Gold" and using these cards to attack your opponent's "health" and their champions using your "combat" points or other powerful effects.
Slay the Spire is a roguelike deck-building game developed by the American indie studio Mega Crit and published by Humble Bundle. The game was released in early access for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and Linux in late 2017, with an official release in January 2019. It was released for PlayStation 4 in May 2019, for Nintendo Switch in June 2019 and for Xbox One in August 2019. An iOS version was released in June 2020, with an Android version released in February 2021.
A roguelike deck-building game is a hybrid genre of video games that combines the nature of deck-building card games with procedural-generated randomness from roguelike games.
Renegade Game Studios is an American game company based in Escondido, California that creates and publishes board games, card games and role-playing games. In 2020, they also began producing jigsaw puzzles using art from their games.
Monster Train is a roguelike deck-building game, developed by Shiny Shoe and published by Good Shepherd Entertainment. It was initially released on May 21, 2020, for Windows, followed by releases on Xbox One on December 17, 2020, and iOS on October 27, 2022. A Complete Edition of the game titled Monster Train First Class was released for Nintendo Switch on August 19, 2021. The game received positive reviews, being nominated in the category of Best Strategy/Tactics Game at IGN Best of 2020, as well as Strategy/Simulation Game of the Year at the 24th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards.
Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game is a cooperative deck-building game for 1-5 players, released in 2012. It was designed by Devin Low and published by Upper Deck Entertainment, a division of Upper Deck Company.
Trials of Fire is a roguelike deck-building game developed by Whatboy Games and released for Windows in 2021. It blends card mechanics with turn-based tactics in a fantasy world.
Cobalt Core is a sci-fi roguelike deck-building game released in November 2023 for Nintendo Switch and Windows, developed by Rocket Rat Games and published by Brace Yourself Games. It follows a group of anthropomorphic animals trapped in a time loop, fighting various enemy spacecrafts in an attempt to discover the origin of the loop and escape it.
Expandable card game (ECGs), also known as living card games (LCGs), or non-collectible customizable card games - card games where each player has their own customizable deck of cards. Unlike in collectible card games (CCGs), where a player buys a starter deck of cards but then expands and improves that deck by purchasing booster packs containing a random distribution of cards, such decks are usually made from one or more sets sold as a complete whole, eliminating randomness while acquiring the cards.
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