Card games have been around almost as long as civilization, with some believing they originated in 9th century China before eventually moving their way over to the west and becoming the standard 52 card deck we all recognize. In recent years, these playing cards have evolved into various trading card games, each with its own unique set of rules that set them apart from one another.
As the internet rose to become a household standard, these card games also made the transition to the web, and players can now challenge one another over vast distances. Gone are the days when fans had to struggle to find someone who played the same card game; these days, it’s as simple as logging in and finding someone to battle.
Updated on January 22, 2022, by Jack Pursey: Since the start of the pandemic, online card games have had a sharp rise in prominence. This was particularly the case in 2020 when lockdowns were common, though online card games are still going strong today, as many people have realized how easy it is to play popular card games with friends or online opponents.
Thankfully, there’s no shortage of popular online card games that can be played from the comfort of one’s home, so we’ve updated this list to include some more of the best online card games.
18
Codenames
Codenames was designed by Vlaada Chvátil and released in 2015. The game splits players into teams; on each team, one player is appointed as the spymaster and must provide one-world clues for their teammates. The purpose of the clue is to help teammates guess as many words as possible from the grid of words – but only ones that score their team points – as some words will score the other team points, and there is even an assassin word that will end the game instantly.
Codemasters: Duet is also available to play online, which is a co-op version of the game.
17
Spyfall
Spyfall is a social deduction game for 3-8 players that was released in 2014. In a game of four players, three players will be given cards that show the same location but have individual roles (for example, the three players may get the School card, and each have roles like a teacher, student, and janitor), the fourth player will get a spy card.
Players must then ask and answer questions about where they are from the perspective of the role they were given. The aim of the game is to work out who the spy is, while the spy must try to guess what location card everyone has. This adds an interesting dynamic to the game, as non-spy players must ask questions that reveal as much information as possible, but they can’t be too specific, or else the spy will guess where they are.
16
Dominion
Dominion is one of the most influential card games of all time. The game was released in 2008 and introduced the world to deck-building, a mechanic that has been replicated by countless card games since. Although many card games have tried to improve upon Dominion, the game’s simplicity and incredibly well-balanced gameplay still make it one of, if not the best of its kind.
Dominion starts off with players having a small deck that they must strategically grow by making smart purchasing decisions with their treasure cards. The process of slowly building a deck can be immensely rewarding, and the way that every decision is important makes the game extremely engaging.
15
Smash Up
A popular card game that is still going strong eight years later, Smash Up from AEG is a 2-4 player competitive game that aims to solve schoolyard arguments like: can zombie dinosaurs beat a team of robot pirates? What about ghostly wizards vs fairy aliens?
Available on Steam with a pair of expansions, this digital version of the game is missing the majority of the physical card game’s catalog but for those new to Smash Up, the digital version of the game is still a good time to introduce players to this system.
14
Tabletop Simulator Mods
Anyone who has played board/card games online has absolutely heard of Tabletop Simulator on Steam. A physics engine meant to simulate the experience of playing board games with friends in person, this game is tailor-made for developers to make their own official DLC for the game. However, when card game companies fail to make digital versions of their game, fans are there to pick up the slack.
Using mods, people can play popular board/card games like Disney Villainous, Marvel Champions and more are on here. While not every mod is programmed perfectly, the sheer variety and their cost of $0.00 make them super easy to try out. Those who like the mods a lot may just get inspired to purchase the physical copies!
13
Uno
Some games have endured the test of time and are classics for a reason. Decades after its initial release, UNO has had various forms of digital versions dating back to the days of the Game Boy Color, but now the most popular version is undoubtedly on PC.
For those who don’t know, the goal of UNO is to empty your hand of cards before everyone else. This simple goal can be impeded in a number of ways either by your own miscalculations or meddling from other players. It’s the simplest game on this list, but it definitely makes it easy for families to play together.
12
The Lord Of The Rings: Adventure Card Game
With its endless lore and a massive roster of characters, The Lord Of The Rings franchise is a perfect choice for a card game. Fans can play that out in The Lord Of The Rings: Adventure Card Game.
Unlike many other games on this list, this game is a cooperative one as you team up with another player to build decks of heroes from the book/movie franchise and take on Sauron’s minions. For those who prefer a bit of a story element to go alongside your card games, this one is a great choice.
11
Yu-Gi-Oh Legacy Of The Duelist: Link Evolution
Although there is another Yu-Gi-Oh game later on in the list, this game for the Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC has an absolutely ridiculous library of 10 000 cards for players to collect and use to battle each other in online play. There is also a story mode where players can relive duels from the various animes in the franchise.
While the also popular Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Links is a much more simplified and faster version of the card game, this game goes all-in with every summoning mechanic that will make players head spin when they first play the game. For those seeking a challenge in their card games, this might be your best choice.
10
Hex: Shards of Fate
Hex is one of the newer online CCGs out there and plays almost identically to Magic, but with enough differences to make it stand out a little from the crowd. It leans hard into the online aspect of play, but also has a decent length solo campaign for those who don’t want to play any PvP rounds.
Unfortunately, Hex seems to be on its way out, with very few updates being released in the last year, and many players have moved on to other games.
9
Pokemon TCG
While the Pokemon TCG never saw the superstardom of the mainline RPG series, it still has a dedicated fan base to this day and often sees real-world tournaments played alongside the VGC Tournaments.
The official Pokemon website also has a way for people to play the game online and even has a trading option that few other collectible card games possess, taking cues from its more successful counterpart.