Card-based battles can take on a new and interesting life in a video game. Each of the following games features deep strategy, imaginative art, and a clever use of, well, cards!
Even if youve never heard of the term deck-building before, the following selection may serve as a good entry point to a world of strategy and little rectangles. We hope you find something you like!
(At the very least, you wont need to lug around a binder full of cards with these games. Or, you know, trade with someone who said they had a rare holographic version of a card, but it ended up being a piece of cardboard wrapped in foil with a bad drawing taped on it. Not like that has ever happened before)
Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars
Experience an RPG set in a world of swords and sorcery, told entirely through the medium of cards. The story follows a self-proclaimed hero as they set off to slay a recently awakened dragon, presented in the manner of a tabletop RPG.
Monster Train First Class
Monster Train brings a strategic layer to roguelike deckbuilding, with a tactical twist: Defend not one, but three vertical battlegrounds simultaneously as you fight to protect the final pyre against the forces of heaven. No playthrough is ever the sameits a fresh challenge every time!
Slay the Spire
Craft a unique deck, encounter bizarre creatures, discover relics of immense power, and Slay the Spire! You will discover hundreds of cards to add to your deck with each attempt at climbing the Spire. Select cards that work together to efficiently dispatch foes and reach the top.
Wingspan
Ok, you got usthis one is not a battle game. Instead, you take the role of bird enthusiastsresearchers, bird watchers, ornithologists, and collectorsseeking to discover and attract the best birds to your network of wildlife preserves. Each bird extends a chain of powerful combinations in one of your habitats.
Faeria
With its living board, Faeria will challenge you with truly strategic card battles. Build exciting decks and shape the battlefield as you fight epic battles. Raise mountains, build forests, fill lakes, or harness the sands of the deserts. You choose your own path to victoryliterally!
Dicey Dungeons
Become a giant walking dice and battle to the end of an ever-changing dungeon! Can you escape the cruel whims of Lady Luck? Youll play as six different characters, each with their own play styles and abilities. Master each class and figure out which one best fits your style.
Signs of the Sojourner
Signs of the Sojourner is a narrative card game about connecting with people. Your deck is your character, reflecting your experiences and shaping your relationships. Youll encounter optimistic stories, compassionate characters, and delightful surprises in a world where climate change has made life hard.
Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales
Thronebreaker is a single player role-playing game set in the world of The Witcher that combines narrative-driven exploration with unique puzzles and card battle mechanics. Facing an imminent Nilfgaardian invasion, Meve is forced to enter the warpath and set out on a dark journey.
SteamWorld Quest Hand of Gilgamech
Lead a party of aspiring heroes through a hand-drawn world and intense battles using only your wits and a handful of cards. Take on whatever threat comes your way by crafting your own deck choosing from over 100 unique punch-cards!
Griftlands
Fight and negotiate your way through a broken-down sci-fi world. Every decision is important, be it the jobs you take, the friends you make, or the cards you collect. Death comes quickly, but each play offers new situations and strategies to explore.
Shadowverse: Champion's Battle
Team up with characters from the Shadowverse anime in this card battle game. With new summoning animations and exclusive cards, take on your rivals in story mode or head online* to challenge your friends!
Read this article:
Put your deck-building skills to the test with these card battle games - Nintendo
- How Pokemon TCG Pocket's Best Deck is Adapting to Win Even More - Game Rant - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- One of Pokemon TCG Pocket's Best Decks Finally Has a Way Out Against Its Worst Matchup - Game Rant - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Deciding the Face of the FFXIV Commander Deck Wasn't Easy, Says Developer - But Why Tho? - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Forget Switch 2, ROG Xbox Ally has Steam Deck in its sights here's why - Tom's Guide - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Supply chain issues are making the Steam Deck OLED go out of stock - GamingOnLinux - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- You'll Want To Have These 10 Cards From Magic: The Gathering's Final Fantasy Commander Decks - TheGamer - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Not Sure Which Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy Commander Precon Deck To Use? We've Got You Covered - TheGamer - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- I've been gaming on the Switch 2 and Steam Deck since launch and I didn't expect it to be such an even battle - PC Gamer - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- How One Time-Limited Pokemon TCG Pocket Card Suddenly Skyrocketed to the Top of the Meta - Game Rant - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Dune: Awakening is out now and works well on Linux Desktop but rough on Steam Deck - GamingOnLinux - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy Starter Kit Restocked Ahead Of Friday's Release - gamespot.com - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- I just don't care about the Steam Deck 2 anymore - XDA - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- One New Pokemon TCG Pocket Card is Bound to Keep Tipping The Scales in Meta Decks - Game Rant - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- The Xbox Ally is more comparable to the Steam Deck than I initially thought - Windows Central - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- This is the best $20 I've spent on my Steam Deck - XDA - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- The Xbox Ally needs to compete with the Steam Deck on price if it's going to be a winner - Windows Central - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Why the Boeing 747-8F Has Such A Shorter Upper Deck Compared To The 747-8I - Simple Flying - June 12th, 2025 [June 12th, 2025]
- Customize decks with artwork from other games in the poker-inspired roguelike deck-building game Balatro. - Nintendo - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- How To Pick The Right Commander Deck For Magic The Gathering's Final Fantasy Set - Kotaku - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Chef Tzarina Reveals Where Her Relationship with Captain Jason *Really* Stands Today (EXCLUSIVE) - Bravo - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- I Just Realized Star Trek: Lower Decks Brilliantly Foreshadowed Captain Freemans Season 5 Fate - Screen Rant - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Greensboro plans to demolish 2 parking decks and bring new options to the city - FOX8 WGHP - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Exciting Things On Deck at Daiquiri Deck - SRQ Magazine - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- The End of An Era: Where Is the Below Deck Down Under Crew Now? (EXCLUSIVE) - Bravo - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Austin moves forward with plan for parks over I-35 - KUT - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Where Is the Below Deck Season 12 Crew From? - Bravo - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- These ex-Uber managers just raised $13 million to bring AI teammates to the workplace. Here's the pitch deck they used. - Business Insider - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Every PC Handheld is a Steam Deck Now With SteamOS Support - Gizmodo - May 28th, 2025 [May 28th, 2025]
- Top Decks And Winners From SCG CON Hartford - Star City Games - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- 10 Best Pokmon TCG: Destined Rivals Cards You'll Want To Add To Your Deck ASAP - Screen Rant - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Elgato is letting you stick a Stream Deck on anything - The Verge - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Every reprint MTG fans need to know about in the Final Fantasy Commander decks - wargamer.com - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Disney Lorcana: Reign of Jafar Starter Deck A Harmonious Team - Bleeding Cool News - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Doom: The Dark Ages is surprisingly playable on the Steam Deck - Ars Technica - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Man accused of attacking, sexually assaulting woman in Tuscaloosa parking deck restroom - wbrc.com - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- With Brock Purdy paid, C.J. Stroud is on deck (after the 2025 season) - NBC Sports - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Valve made a Steam Deck Verified program for things that aren't Steam Decks - Engadget - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Magic: The Gathering's Final Fantasy Commander Decks Are Packed With Fun, Surprising References - IGN - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Why Two Pokemon TCG Pocket Cards Have Suddenly Skyrocketed to The Top of The Meta - Game Rant - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Pokemon TCG Pocket Needs to Bite The Bullet Its Deckbuilding Has Long Dodged - Game Rant - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Aldi Is Selling These Outdoor Storage Gems for Only $50 (Theyre So Spacious!) - Apartment Therapy - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Shroom and Gloom is a first-person fungus-filled deck-builder with a demo you need to try - GamingOnLinux - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Denuvo will lock you out of games on Linux, SteamOS, Steam Deck if you keep changing Proton versions - GamingOnLinux - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- Steam Deck / SteamOS hits 19,000 games rated Verified and Playable - GamingOnLinux - May 20th, 2025 [May 20th, 2025]
- New Florida-based cruise ship has 22 decks and a mall - Tampa Bay Times - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Temur Roar is the new must-have Commander deck for MTGs Tarkir: Dragonstorm - Polygon - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Top Decks And Winners From SCG CON Denver - Star City Games - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- One Pokemon TCG Pocket Shining Revelry Deck Makes Ranked Accessible to All - Game Rant - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Fire Damages Deck And House Tuesday Evening - Chattanoogan.com: Breaking News - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Decks at Modesto condo complex fighting against HOA fee increase red-tagged by city - CBS News - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Walmart Has a Waterproof Deck Box on Sale for Over 60% Off Right Now, and Shoppers Say It 'Looks Great' on a Porch - Men's Journal - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Create the ultimate deck with Integrity Decking Co. - WLUK - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Our curated guide to the 9 best turntables we've reviewed and highly recommend for every budget - What Hi-Fi? - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas Cruise Ship Tour - Business Insider - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- I'm waiting for the Steam Deck 2, not the Nintendo Switch 2, and I know I won't regret it - XDA - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- The highest observation decks in the world for spectacular views - MSN - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Potential Steam Deck prototype spotted in the wilds of eBay with AMD Picasso APUand an asking price of $3,000 - PC Gamer - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- GIVEAWAY: Win Two Cute and Helpful Card Decks of Granny Square Designs! - Early Bird Books - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Upper Deck and WSL Partner Up to Release Surfing Trading Cards - The Inertia - April 16th, 2025 [April 16th, 2025]
- Walmart's bestselling $100 deck box is on sale for $30, and it's a 'must-have' for extra outdoor storage - TheStreet - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- Grab three top-rated Steam Deck games for just $3.69 in this Fanatical bundle - PCGamesN - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- Step Aside Pole Wrap, This $25 Costco Find Will Help You Kick Off Your Outdoor Projects - Apartment Therapy - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- New Real Housewives of Sydney star decks herself out in Chanel as she meets up with a talent agency to discuss - Daily Mail - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- This Stunning Tiny House Has a Roomy Rooftop Deck Thats Made for Warm-Weather Entertaining - Food & Wine - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- There's no denying the MSI Claw 8 AI+ has better performance than Steam Deck - Windows Central - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- Disney Lorcana's Best Set 7 Deck is The Most Expensive Ever - GameRant - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- Assassins Creed Shadows is the Steam Deck surprise of the year so far - Rock Paper Shotgun - March 26th, 2025 [March 26th, 2025]
- Top Decks And Winners From SCG CON Charlotte - Star City Games - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- 49ers clear the decks for Brock Purdy: Say goodbye to the Mr. Irrelevant storyline - The Mercury News - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- 'The future of hardware at Valve is bright': Valve celebrates the success of Steam Deck and Steam OS - PC Gamer - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- 5 best decks for Evolutions Mayhem event in Clash Royale - The Times of India - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Why Now is The Best Time to Get One Disney Lorcana Legendary, The Worst For Another - GameRant - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Interview: Hearthstone team talks Into the Emerald Dream decks, slower meta, and more! - Esports.gg - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- See The Department Of Temporal Investigations Drop By In Preview Of Star Trek: Lower Decks #5 - TrekMovie - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Steam Deck hits 18,000 games playable and verified - GamingOnLinux - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Upper Decks First DC Annual Trading Cards Are Finally Here - ComicBook.com - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- As Epic Games continue ignoring Linux / Steam Deck for Fortnite they're putting it on Windows Arm - GamingOnLinux - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- LETTER: 'All hands on deck' needed to address climate change - Rocky Mountain Outlook - Bow Valley News - March 17th, 2025 [March 17th, 2025]
- Disney Lorcana: Archazia's Island has one major advantage over MTG, and the new decks prove it - Gamesradar - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]
- Where a Witch moves, tarot decks are soon to follow - The Wild Hunt - March 9th, 2025 [March 9th, 2025]