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Card Games

The start of card games is unknown, but is guessed to be around the 9th century in the Tang Dynasty. It wasn't until around the 14th century that card games spread to Europe and beyond. I fell in love with card games at an early age playing games like Go-Fish, Uno, Pit, and Cribbage. I started collecting and playing Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh when they came out and more recently, found myself getting pulled into Magic The Gathering. Today, there are many wonderful and exciting card games being developed and published. In this blog, I hope to explore them with you, bring to light some new ones or dust off some old ones.

If I wanted to explore new card games, what should I be looking for? Here are the different categories of card games to get you started. Remember, some games can be a combination of multiple categories:


  1. Trick-Taking Games: Players compete to win specific cards or "tricks" by playing cards of higher rank or suit. 
    • Bridge, Hearts, President, and Spades
  2. Rummy Games: These games involve forming specific card combinations or sets, such as runs or sets of cards of the same rank. 
    • Gin Rummy, Rummy 500, and Canasta 
  3. Shedding Games: Players aim to be the first to get rid of all their cards. 
    • Crazy Eights, Uno, and Phase 10, President, Dutch Blitz 
  4. Matching Games: Players must match cards based on specific criteria, such as colors, numbers, or symbols. 
    • Go Fish and Memory
  5. Collectible Card Games (CCGs) and Trading Card Games (TCGs): These games involve collecting, trading, and customizing decks of cards to compete against other players. 
    • Magic: The Gathering, Pokémon TCG, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Lorcana
  6. Deck-Building Games: Players start with a basic deck and gradually build it by acquiring new cards during the game. 
    • Dominion and Star Realms 
  7. Bluffing Games: Players use deception and psychology to mislead opponents. 
    • Poker variants like Texas Hold'em and Bluff
  8. Collecting and Auction Games: Players bid on or collect sets of cards with the goal of accumulating points or wealth
    • Bridge and Fantasy Realms
  9. Cooperative Card Games: Players work together to achieve a common goal, often battling against the game itself. 
    • Aeon's End, Hero Realms
  10. Role-Playing Card Games: These games combine card play with storytelling and character development
    • Gloom and Munchkin.
  11. Customizable Card Games (CCGs): Similar to CCGs but with an emphasis on creating and customizing cards
    • KeyForge, Epic
  12. Living Card Games (LCGs): Similar to CCGs but without the collectible element. Players purchase complete sets or expansions.
    • Netrunner, Arkham Horror: The Card Game, Legend of the Five Rings: The Card Game
  13. Word Card Games: Players create words or phrases using letter cards
    • Quiddler and Yammer
  14. Party Card Games: Social and often humorous games designed for large groups
    • Cards Against Humanity, Apples to Apples, Codenames

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