It’s no secret that there are plenty of digital card games out there. Yet, with so many options, how can you know which ones are worth your time? Since Marvel Snap is the latest to take world the by storm, here are some of the best games like Marvel Snap.
Hearthstone
Considered by many to be the progenitor of modern digital card game experience, certainly in terms of boosting the genre’s popularity, Hearthstone has been running for nearly a decade with no signs of slowing down just yet. Blizzard’s CCG has garnered a reputation for its bright, colorful presentation and excellent variety of cards. The various class players can choose each have wildly different playstyles, meaning no matter what kind of deck you like to play, you’ll find something that appeals to you.
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It is worth noting that while Hearthstone does have a dedicated fanbase of players, the game has often been criticized for its monetization. Given that cards are hidden in randomized packs, the acquisition of new tools can be slow going, requiring players to grind for hours to unlock the kind of currency needed to own everything. Does this make it a bad game? That’s up to you, but on mechanics alone, Hearthstone is tight and fun, and it has an absolute banger of a soundtrack.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel
There are PLENTY of video games that have attempted to adapt the sprawling scale of the Yi-Gi-Oh! TCG, and while most of them have been fine, Master Duel arguably does the best job at bringing the complicated system to platforms other than your tabletop. The complex gameplay is all accounted for and, unlike many other versions, actually follows the standardized rules of the game. It seems like a small ask, but you’d be amazed at how many Yu-Gi-Oh! games are just the Wild West. Every single card, including banned ones, is included in Master Duel, meaning collectors should be busy for quite a while.
With a fleshed-out multiplayer mode that’s both quick and satisfying to play, there’s also a surprisingly decent single-player offering that should help new players come to terms with how Yu-Gi-Oh! works in practice. If you’re only familiar with Marvel Snap and never played this card game, I strongly advise playing through those missions. Reading some of those card effects requires a Ph.D. in semantics to properly understand.
Magic: The Gathering Arena
Odds are, if you’ve spoken to anyone under the age of 40 in the past decade, you’ll have heard about Magic. The first TCG to really crack it big, the 30-year-old game had its first truly excellent digital adaptation in Arena. Faithfully capturing the look, feel, and presence of Magic, this official version of the game is widely regarded as one of the best ways to actually get into the hobby, given that it’s so friendly to new players. Of course, veterans who know their way around a deck will also find plenty to love in Arena, even if the monetization feels a little too close to real life.
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Magic: The Gathering, and to a greater extent publisher Wizards of the Coast, have long been criticized for the amount of content dumped on players that requires them to spend additional money. Arena is certainly significantly cheaper than the real-life version of the game, but it could certainly do with a few tweaks here and there. Having said that, Magic has retained its popularity for a good reason: It’s a fantastic game even three decades after its launch. Arena is fun, accessible for Marvel Snap fans and an excellent adaptation.
Gwent
Starting out as a fun little activity in The Witcher III: The Wild Hunt, Gwent has ballooned into a massive game in its own right. The lane-based struggle of power will likely feel familiar to anyone who’s put a significant amount of time into Marvel Snap, and while the more dour, serious tone of the game won’t be for everyone, the artwork on display is generally gorgeous. CD Projekt Red has confirmed that no new cards will be added to the game after 2023, but the community is still very much active in keeping things balanced and under control.
If the idea of Gwent sounds appealing but playing against other people isn’t, then I highly recommend Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales. A standalone experience that combines RPG elements with card-based gameplay, it’s both fun to play, difficult to puzzle out, and exceptionally well written. Frankly, even if you’re not generally a fan of card games like Marvel Snap (why are you here if that’s the case), Thronebreaker is well worth your time.
Legends of Runeterra
While League of Legends makes for an okay video game and an EXCELLENT animated series, who would have thought the MOBA would translate so well into cards? Legends of Runeterra is Riot Games’ attempt at branching out into different genres, and anyone who’s played this CCG will tell you how much they succeeded. LoR is expertly designed in its mechanics and pacing, prompting players to take risks, make game-changing decisions, and play with strategy no matter the occasion.
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It helps that the game also looks so damn good. It’s rare to find a card game with as much polish and attention to detail as Runeterra. It’s also possibly one of the most free-to-play friendly games on this list, meaning that it’s accessible to anyone and everyone, no matter how much cash you have to burn. Even if you’re not a League of Legends fan, you should definitely check this one out if you like Marvel Snap.
Slay the Spire
Now granted, Slay the Spire is purely a single-player deck-builder that doesn’t have the competitive edge of Marvel Snap. Having said that, if creating unique decks and looking for synergies between your cards is what you find so appealing about this genre, it’s imperative that you give Slay the Spire a shot. Simple to understand yet incredibly difficult to master, this roguelike is brimming with content to discover and challenges to overcome that will likely keep you busy for hours.
While it may seem repetitive on the surface, like any good roguelike, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll have the same run twice. The amount of diversity provided by the random encounters of each level and the sheer amount of cards, items, and trinkets to unlock means that you’ll always be either unlocking or discovering something new. Slay the Spire is arguably one of the best card games ever made.
