If you’re looking for a curated list of the best card games to pick up as we head into 2023, from Marvel Snap to Clash Royale, we’ve got you covered with a list of our top picks to play on PC, iPhone, and Android.
The often fast-paced nature of card games combined with the easy pick-up-and-play mechanics makes them perfect for both mobile and PC gaming. With countless card games having been released over the years, and with the genre showing no signs of slowing down, it can be difficult to decide what to play.
What’s great about card games is that if one isn’t taking your fancy, there’s sure to be something out there for everyone. From roguelike deck builders to more competitive multiplayer titles, whether you’re completely new to the genre or a veteran, here are seven of the best card games you should play on PC and mobile in 2023.
Marvel Snap
- Release Date: October 18, 2022
- Platforms: PC & Mobile
Marvel Snap is one of the newest card games on the market that’s taken the world by storm since its release in October 2022. In this mobile title, players can build a deck consisting of their favorite heroes and villains from the Marvel Universe before challenging players in strategic 1v1 matches.
When players win, they obtain credits that can be used to raise their collection level and add more cards to their overall collection. With lots of exciting cards to acquire, different art variants to unlock, and fast-paced gameplay, there’s no other game on this list that will make you keep saying ‘just one more match’ quite like Marvel Snap.
Slay The Spire
- Release Date: November 14, 2017
- Platforms: PC, Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
When it was originally released back in 2017, MegaCrit Games’s Slay the Spire combined punishing rouge-like mechanics with classic deck builder gameplay to bring a completely fresh take to the card game genre.
In Slay the Spire, players must attempt to ascend the procedurally generated floors of the spire by defeating enemies and bosses, which are defeated by engaging in a collectible card game. Upon winning a battle, you’ll receive to add a new card to your deck. The higher you climb in the spire, the better the rewards will be, and as you gain stronger cards, you’ll need to strategically adjust your deck to make sure it’s as effective as possible.
With four unique characters to choose from, excellent card synergies to discover, and powerful relics to find, Slay the Spire is one of the most unique roguelike experiences out there.
Monster Train
- Release Date: May 21, 2021
- Platforms: PC, Mobile, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
For longtime fans of Slay the Spire, Monster Train is another roguelike deck builder that has a unique premise. Instead of needing to climb a spire, players are tasked with protecting the titular train by defeating enemies in card-based combat.
With a total of four floors on the train, enemies will begin by attacking the ground floor before making their way upwards. Once they reach the highest floor, your train’s pyre will be targeted, and if it’s destroyed? Game over. In what can only be described as thrilling, exciting gameplay, you’ll have to summon monsters and activate a variety of spells to defeat the intruders before taking on the boss of each level.
Monster Train takes the unique formula introduced in Slay the Spire and enhances it with its own interesting premise, environment, and mechanics to deliver one of the best card games that’s perfect to pick up and play, whether just for a few hours or a few minutes.
Legends of Runeterra
- Release Date: April 29, 2020
- Platforms: PC & Mobile
League of Legends is undoubtedly one of the biggest IPs in all of gaming and its universe has kept expanding over the years with multiple spin-off games, as well as the hugely successful Netflix show Arcane. One of the most popular spin-off titles for LoL is Legends of Runeterra, which places beloved champions in a competitive card game setting.
Legends of Runeterra replaces the chaotic MOBA battlefield with a traditional 1v1 card game matchup, where players will have to use their decks to duke it out and damage their opponent’s Nexus to come out victorious.
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Overall, it’s a fun, accessible title with a brilliant art style that both longtime fans of League and newcomers can enjoy.
Clash Royale
- Release Date: March 2, 2016
- Platforms: Mobile
Clash Royale is a real-time strategy title that combines tower defense gameplay with card mechanics. During matches, players must utilize deck-building mechanics to destroy the opponent’s towers.
Troops, buildings, and spells are all represented in the form of cards in Clash Royale, with decks consisting of eight battle cards. Matches in this game can last up to three minutes with a two-minute overtime in the instance of a tie.
Clash Royale is one of the most vibrant mobile games available and is a great entry point for newcomers to both the card-based and RTS genres.
Hearthstone
- Release Date: March 11, 2014
- Platforms: PC & Mobile
Hearthstone is undoubtedly one of the most popular digital card games ever made, and we couldn’t have finished this list without its inclusion. Created by Blizzard Entertainment and based on the developers’ mammoth MMO, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone is a colorful 1v1 card game where players build their decks with creatures and characters from the WoW universe.
There are countless cards to find in Hearthstone, with new expansions still being regularly released. With multiple modes, there’s a lot to do and collect in Hearthstone, but the game’s original PvP mode is the most beginner friendly. There’s also a good amount of PvE content for those who want to make sure they master the fundamentals before taking on other players.
There’s a reason Hearthstone is still widely regarded as one of the best card games of all time almost a decade since its original launch, and you should absolutely give it a try in 2023.
Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel
- Release Date: January 18, 2022
- Platforms: PC, Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel gave fans a direct and definitive adaption of the popular card game when it was released for PC, mobile, and consoles in early 2022. Players can experience the fast-paced nature of Yu-Gi-Oh in this faithful video game version of the tabletop game that’s been enhanced with great soundtrack and exciting animations.
Longtime fans of the franchise can battle fellow players by collecting and using thousands of recognizable beloved cards. For newcomers, the game offers an in-depth solo mode that not only explains the mechanics of a match, but also goes into detailed lore about the cards.
Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel was one of the most pleasant surprises of 2022 and is an excellent card game that fans old and new alike are sure to enjoy.
Those are our picks for the best PC and mobile card games you should check out in 2023! For more content, check out our guides below:
Best Clash Royale decks | Best Marvel Snap decks | Best Marvel Snap cards in Pool 1 | Best Marvel Snap cards in Pool 2 | Best Marvel Snap cards in Pool 3 | The best mobile games to play in 2022 | Hearthstone Mercenaries guide | Hearthstone March of the Lich King: Best 5 cards to craft | Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel best decks | Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel: How to unlock secret packs | Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel codes | Best gacha mobile games | Best MMO games | Best Hearthstone Murder at Castle Nathria decks
