Nothing beats a good match between 2 skilled players in a fantasy card game. But sometimes, we prefer to be in the comfort of our own homes and still want the same experience. These physical fantasy card games all have free online recreations that you can enjoy from any location. Join us as we break down 4 of the best fantasy card games you can play online.
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering may seem like a complex card game to get into, but the game’s concept is quite simple. You are a wizard that can cast spells using the mana you acquire. You can also summon monsters and creatures to defeat your opponent.
Each player has a deck of 60 with a maximum health limit of 20 points. Life can be gained during play or lost should you be attacked. This classic card game is available to play online using either MTG Online or MTG Arena. The former is catered more towards the veteran Magic players, simulating the game one for one, while the latter is a more accessible rendition of the game available online or on mobile devices. More and more players are migrating to MTGO and MTG Arena and it is becoming the best way to play Magic: The Gathering. Both options are free with monetization coming in the form of virtual decks or packs. If you choose to play MTG Arena and want to keep track of what cards are being played, try using Draftsim deck tracker. This gives you card recommendations, suggests deck builds, and provides reviews of your stats.
Yu-Gi-Oh!
Yu-Gi-Oh! is one of those childhood card games you’ll always remember fondly. It is a turn-based game where one player duels with another using a deck of 60 cards. This deck contains trap cards, spell cards, and monster cards. Each card has a level 1 to 12, with level 1 to 4 cards being the ones you can put down whenever you wish. Level 7 and up cards require a sacrifice or tribute. Monster cards have both attack and defense positions, with their attributes shown on the cards. Spells can either be equipped, have a continuous effect, a quick-play spell that can be activated when the opposition is playing, or field spells that remain on the field. Matches are played in duels and you win a duel when your opponent’s 8000 life points drop to 0.
Right now, the most popular Yu-Gi-Oh! the online game is Master Duel. It is a recreation of Yu-Gi-Oh! that is free-to-play having the same monetization style as MTG Arena.
Pokémon
From one classic to another, Pokémon has been one of those card games that remain at the top of everyone’s list. Pokémon is a game about adorable creatures with vicious intent on doing damage to the opposition. Each player has a deck of 60 with a third of the deck being used as energy cards. Once the deck is finalized, the players draw 7 cards. You want to make sure that you have at least one BASIC Pokémon in your hand. Each Pokémon has an attack and defense statistic and a respective active and bench position. The active cards attack and the bench cards wait their turn to battle.
Pokémon, both benched and active, can be evolved if you use energy cards, making their attacks more powerful. Once an active Pokémon is defeated, a benched Pokémon must replace it. You lose once you have no Pokémon left on the field. Pokemon can be played online through Pokemon TCGO, a free online version of the classic card game.
Star Realms
The premise of Star Realms is a simple one. There are factions that want to gain control of the galaxy and, as a player, you will choose a faction to side on. You can purchase ships from a central reserve, commandeer them, and attack with them until your opponent’s life points reach 0. Each player will receive 8 scout cards and 2 viper cards, shuffling them up to become the draw pile. The players will also receive 50 points worth of authority cards which will serve as life points.
The central reserve or buying area will be the center of the table, where 6 random cards are drawn from the remaining cards in the deck. Each card has its price and certain cards have special abilities and attributes that will be activated after the purchase. The gold circle represents how much gold you obtain. So if a card has 2 gold and you play it, you will obtain 2 gold after playing the card.
Another card you can encounter is the base and outpost cards that are used as protection. If there’s a base or outpost activated, the opposing player must go through that before attacking your life points. While many enjoy the physical card game, you can play Star Realms for free online too. It offers both single-player and multiplayer modes at no additional cost.
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