5 great trading card games that aren't Magic: the Gathering

Here are a few trading card games we think you'll enjoy! Here at Dicebreaker we try to show off every facet of tabletop gaming. We've given you the scoop on RPGs and board games but sometimes we don't feel like we show enough love for the noble art that is playing trading card games. Unless you've been a fan for a long time, you might not know the following: how to get started and where to get started. If you fancy a foray into the world of TCGs and are sick and tired of being told non-stop that you should get into Magic the Gathering, you might want to check out our thoughts on the other greats you can take a look at.

00:00 - Introduction
01:00 - Pokemon
03:00 - Yu-Gi-Oh!
05:30 - Ashes Reborn
07:40 - Keyforge
10:30 - Android: Netrunner

Buy Pokemon cards here:

Buy YU-GI-OH! cards here:

Buy Ashes Reborn here:

Buy Keyforge here:

Android Netrunner fan revial information here:

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[peacefulliving]

A fun TCG I would recommend would be the new digimon TCG. The memory system that the game uses instead of a more traditional mana system I feel is a really fun mechanic and the more free form evolution mechanics definitely represent the series well while also adding some interesting considerations for deck building

[kdolanjr]

Hey, I'll chime in and say that I got the Nisei (Android successor game) set in its entirety just a few weeks back and it is GLORIOUS. Have no qualms recommending that.

[leonardquirm]

I'm a big fan of Keyforge - not needing to build decks proved a massive time-saver, plus it means when I do badly I can just blame the deck rather than me! Its aember/key-forging focus also helps reduce instances of games snow-balling, by requiring players (usually) to give their opponent some breathing room when they have the advantage, because your creatures are busy collecting aember instead of hitting the other player.

Unfortunately it's a bit harder to get hold of at the moment than it should be because FFG managed to 'lose' the algorithm for producing decks so there hasn't been a new set in a while and I think some of the more recent sets have sold out. Hopefully FFG manages to get it back up and running again and I have the chance to grow my collection some more!

[zilla]

Keyforge absolutely had a meta, which meant that instead of chasing packs for good cards people just bought and sold entire decks to chase the meta. It just moved the secondary market from single cards to entire decks.

[lstndamned]

While I don't play any myself, I like the idea of living card games and very much agree that they are more consumer-friendly. Glad to hear there's fan-efforts to keep some of them alive.
Vampire: the Eternal Struggle is missing from this list. An interesting game that works well for big groups rather than just two players.

[grumpyinbrooklyn]

I'm surprised Fless and Blood wasn't mentioned here!

[christopherchild]

I’ve actually been digging out my Netrunner collection over the last week or two, having stopped playing in 2018. Holy crap, it’s a good game. And guess what? You can play indefinitely and entertain yourself with just the core set. The other sets and expansions are nice, but definitely not necessary.

[manveruppd]

Netrunner never really died, Null Signal Games (formerly known as NISEI) picked up the torch and there's 7 sets of brand new cards out already.

[kyleb]

I'm so sad A:NR is no longer in production. It's easily the best LCG/CCG I've played. There are no wasted turns. You always have an option because the parts of a turn are modular (each player has 4 points to spend and corp is forced to draw on their first one). Want to spend a turn just drawing cards? Go ahead. I remember so many MtG games where I just draw a card, look at my sad game state, and pass. Like Yu-Gi-Oh, it has the fun of bluffing with face-down cards. I've seen the bluffing aspect balance a game that would've been a blowout otherwise. The asymmetry is a big plus, too. Playing each side feels very different. If you're like me and don't like wasting money trying to chase rares and mythics, it also has the benefit of being a LCG, which means you always get the same cards when you buy a pack. (It's also pretty easy to teach to someone who's used to games like MtG.)

[ketzerapathetic]

I love the shout out for KeyForge. It's easily my favorite card game. I gotta point out that it's not a 2-4 player game, it's 1-3 players. The standard match is 1v1, but there are Adventures where 1-3 player(s) can play against the Adventure deck as a solo or co-op experience.
Another mechanical difference to most other card games is that you draw to a max hand size instead of one card per turn.

[saarthel]

A great recommendation : Chaotic
It's one of the most unique tcg i've ever seen. The game is currently dead, but there are some news about reviving it and even if no new cards are being printed, the community is still alive!

I'd also recommend Cardfight Vanguard which is a bit different to what we are used. Like Yugioh, very simple at first, but the combos and synergies are very cool

[drew]

Android Netrunner is an absolutely brilliant game, both in mechanics and flavor. I've played what feels like a million different TCGs and Android Netrunner is by far the best one out there. Despite FFG discontinuing support for the game it still lives on through the fan-run Nisei, which is available either very cheap or entirely free and is essentially the same game. Don't miss out on it.

[drakwarrior]

I think a few people mentioned 2 of the three i be mentioning. Digimon cards are making a comeback. I love their new system mechanic. It was supposed to rival pokemon TCG but failed in the 90's. It made a come back not that long ago during the pandemic. Also Card Battle Vanguard i like it very simple and quick pace. I like it over Yu-Gi-Oh i still love Yu-Gi-Oh. Lastly I think they try to make it more TCG than accessories is Bakugan. They made a come back in 2018 where you focus on the cards then i knew what's going to happen. Adding more stuff like more gimmicks, and needing to buy the expensive toy with the card....yeah it's a new twist to a marbles game with cards. Also anyone from Dicebreaker is reading this. THANK YOU for your time. I appreciate you lot. Please keep doing what you are all doing.

[fairelymaid]

It's out of print now, but the Harry Potter TCG has always been my favorite. We still have family tournaments every once in a while. I highly recommend it if you see a starter pack in a garage sale or some thing.

[MichaelM-evek]

I was quite surprised to hear you saying that getting into Netrunner is not so easy anymore and I also have to disagree.
I never was that much into LCGs/TCGs, but I've recently made the Nisei System Gateway set as a print and play and oh my word, is it good. Of course you could just get the cards made at a copy shop, or just print the paper faces, stick it into an opaque back sleeve with a a Poker card and Bob's your uncle...

[whenisdinner]

I think the fact that Yugioh has no set rotation whatsoever makes the absolute chaos that some fifteen-year-old card can bring to the meta fucking hilarious. And it makes deck-building so much more fun

[jonathanmick]

The Star wars TCG was great, sadly it is out of print for like 15 years, really captured the rebel vs Empire feel. Great game

[alexbiersner]

One Piece is super fresh and clean. The don mechanic is keeping me intrigued, but if I watched the anime more, this would be something I'd sink my teeth into.

The card game that has my attention currently is Marvel Champions. Sure you can play with other players to take down the villain of choice...but I prefer to play solo. And the deckbuilding is really fun as well

[saudipanda]

I recommend the Final Fantasy TCG. It plays as if MtG was redesigned recently.

[wonoverpar]

When he mentioned the dice mechanic in Ashes I thought of Star Wars Destiny which uses dice and is a spectacular game that uses small deck sizes and really pushes you to strategize and doesnt feel as bloated as an MTG game can get. Once my friend and I made 100+ card decks in MTG and the game would never end 😆