Deck-building game


A deck-building game is a card game or board game where construction of a deck of cards is a main element of gameplay. Deck-building games are similar to collectible card games in that each player has their own deck. However, unlike CCGs, the cards are not sold in randomized packs, and the majority of the deck is built during the game, instead of before the game.

Mechanics

In most deck-building games, each player starts with a small deck of cards of low value. Each turn, they draw some cards from their deck and play them, which may have various gameplay effects, and may buy more cards from a central market, thereby building their deck. The effects of playing cards often include providing the in-game currency that allows players to buy cards; other effects may include increasing the number of game actions a player may take on their turn, removing unwanted cards from the player’s deck, or attacking other players. As players buy more cards with more valuable abilities, their decks gradually become more powerful. When the player runs out of cards to draw, they shuffle their discard pile to create a new deck to draw from. Apart from this, however, games may vary; for instance, some are competitive, while others are co-operative.
As players do not build their decks before playing, they cannot organize a deck in advance, and must do so during play. Therefore, strategy is driven by the cards available in the market, which may vary from game to game. In some games, before the game begins, players can strategize and choose which cards go into the central market deck.
Deck-building is the central mechanic in some games, such as Dominion or Star Realms. However, in others, such as the Mage Knight Board Game or Arkham Horror: The Card Game, it is combined with others.
If a game has similar mechanics, but doesn't use cards, it is frequently called a pool-building game.

History

While StarCraft: The Board Game was the first deck-building game, Dominion was the first popular deck-building game that set the standard for the genre. Its popularity spurred the creation of many others, including Thunderstone, Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer, Legendary published by Upper Deck, and Clank! published by Renegade. In many cases, computerized versions of deck-building games are available, usually mimicking the tabletop version. For example, Dominion and Star Realms can be played online.

List of deck-building games

  • Aeon's End
  • Arctic Scavengers
  • Arcmage: Rebirth
  • Arcmage: Enchanted Realm
  • Arcmage: New Horizons
  • Arcmage: Shadow Waves
  • Arcmage: Changing Winds
  • Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer
  • Attack on Titan
  • Capcom Street Fighter Deck-building Game
  • Cartoon Network Crossover Crisis
  • Clank!
  • Clank! In! Space!
  • DC Comics Deck-building Game
  • DC Comics Deck-Building Game: Heroes Unite
  • DC Deck-building Game: Confrontations
  • DC Deck-building Game: Dark Nights - Metal
  • Dominion
  • Dune: Imperium
  • Eschaton
  • Forever Evil
  • G.I. JOE: Deck-Building Game
  • Great Western Trail
  • Harry Potter™ Hogwarts™ Battle: A Cooperative Deck-Building Game
  • Hero Realms
  • Justice Society of America
  • Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game
  • Legendary Encounters: An Alien Deck Building Game
  • Legendary: A James Bond Deck Building Game
  • Library of Ruina
  • Lost Ruins of Arnak
  • Millennium Blades
  • Mistborn: The Deckbuilding Game
  • Multiverse
  • Mystic Vale
  • My Little Pony: Adventures in Equestria Deck-Building Game
  • Power Rangers: Deck-Building Game
  • Rick and Morty: Close Rick
  • Rick and Morty: The Rickshank Rickdemption
  • Rivals – Batman vs The Joker
  • Rivals – Green Lantern vs Sinestro
  • The Quest for El Dorado
  • Shards of Infinity
  • StarCraft: The Board Game
  • Star Realms
  • Star Wars: The Deckbuilding Game
  • Teen Titans
  • Teen Titans Go!
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Deck-Building Game
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Deck-Building Game
  • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Deck-Building Game
  • Thunderstone
  • Trains
  • Transformers: Deck-Building Game
  • Viscounts of the West Kingdom
  • ''Warring Kingdom''

    Deck-building in video games

Deck-building elements can be used as part of larger video games, such as Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Metal Gear Acid which integrate deck-based combat systems into established game series.
Roguelike deck-building games are games that combine deck-building with procedurally generated scenarios and rewards, a fundamental principle of roguelike games. These games require the player to build their deck as they play, usually having to add cards from a random selection as a reward for completing objectives. While the first known example of such a game was Dream Quest, the genre gained momentum with the release of Slay the Spire in 2017.