Expandable card game
Expandable card game, also known as living card games,'' or non-collectible customizable card games - card games where each player has their own customizable deck of cards. Unlike in collectible card games, where a player buys a starter deck of cards but then expands and improves that deck by purchasing booster packs containing a random distribution of cards, such decks are usually made from one or more sets sold as a complete whole, eliminating randomness while acquiring the cards.
Many ECGs are published by Fantasy Flight Games, which markets them under their trademarked term LCGs.''''''
Characteristics
ECGs are card games where each player has their own deck of cards. Decks for ECGs are either pre-made decks or made from sets sold as a complete whole, eliminating randomness while acquiring the cards. Such decks can still be customized, since after non-random expansion packs are released and purchased by players, they can customize their decks according to certain deckbuilding rules.Expandable Card Games vs Collectible Card Games
ECGs are often mistaken for CCGs. However, while these games are very similar to CCGs and can be seen as their subset, they crucially lack randomness in the purchase and distribution of the cards. They are also seen as costing much less than CCGs, and appeal to players who do not have time or resources to play CCGs.According to a price guide by John Jackson Miller, such games have less of a metagame and trading dynamic compared to CCGs. The secondary market for the ECGs cards is smaller than that of CCGs, but does exist due to existence of promotional, alternate art or foil cards implemented in some of those games.
Most ECGs are sold as complete sets and are therefore not collectible as cards.'
Some of the games occasionally classified as ECGs were meant to be traditional CCGs with expansions containing randomized booster packs, but the booster packs were never released. Examples include Anime Madness and Calore Kids.' Some games have been converted into ECGs/LCGs from CCGs; for example A [Game of Thrones |A Game of Thrones] and Call of Cthulhu: [The Card Game] where converted from CCGs into LCGs by their publisher.
Just like with CCGs, expansion packs or new standalone sets for successful games are released on a regular basis.
According to game historian Roger Travis, ECGs are more focused on the story narrative then regular CCGs, evoking comparison to storytelling games. They are also more likely to feature cooperative mechanics.