C_cards

Collectable / Trading Games

In general if you are looking for more information on the games below, use a good search engine and type in the name of the game. If the game is a spin off from a movie, type in something like +name +ccg. In case of X-files this would be [+"x-files" +ccg], remove the brackets [].

Below find some the ccg's / tcg's I'm aware off. Most of these CCG carry character / item / spell attritubes / mechanics. In some cases, there is just a name, I picked up while surfing.

Basicly all these game have the following mechanics:

Each players needs his own stock / deck of cards. Players design their own stock of cards to play with before they actually play. Each players keeps his own cards. Cards of different players don't mix up.
Games contain common, uncommon, rare and sometimes ultra rare cards. Depending on the popularity of game, the rare cards costs a fortune if you want to buy them via ebay (try to buy an MtG black lotus).

[Interesting to know: MtG started out with a mechanism to play for 'ante', where each player would draw a card first, that would be the prize for the winner. This mechanism was banned by anti-gambling laws]

The basic mechanics are

you need to gain 'energy' (playing 'energy cards') to play power cards (e.g. mtg, pokemon, etc.). You gain energy to bring specific energy cards (e.g. manna) into play.
cards are placed in various 'gaming areas', indicating their power/use
played card become more powerfull, whenever other card are played 'on' them.
in general cards influence eachother one way or another.
cards have various values for various characteristics. In general one could look at it as a advanced Rock-Scissors-Paper mechanic.

In general, ccg's are corrupted by popular themes. Name any manga series, and a ccg based on that serie is released (Pokemon, Dragonball Z, Digimon, Gundam, etc.).

The list below is intended to dis-encourage publishing any new ccg based on the 'good ole mtg mechanics'.

Collectable Customizable card/dice games	Description	Links
	alien 3 / predator / legacy. Released 1997 by HarperPrism.
	angel
	austin powers is a hilerious spin-off from the movie The Spy Who Shagged Me. It features cards with Jerry Springer and others 'famous' people. A complete set of has 30 rare, 40 uncommon and 60 common cards, plus 10 different exclusive cards found only in Starter Sets. There are four types of cards - Swingers, Happenings, Frickin' Bones and Agents.	Decipher
	battletech, bots fighting eachother in the 31st century. Expensions such as mercenaries and counterstrike.	WotC FASA
	belial
	c23 (WotC), bought 3 starterdecks, haven't played yet. Based on the ARC system, based on its turn on (simple) MtG mechanics. (For the record, the game was on sale, less than half-price, that should say enough I guess). DEAD. Published by WotC/15300, 1998, ISBN1-57530-635-2.	WotC
	combat card game from Games Workshop. Not much of a collectable card game other than you can buy sets of various races. Heavily leans on the Warhammer concept of Games Workshop. Stupid game.
	deadlands: lost colony: showdown, a trading card game featuring the Rangers, Reapers, and United Nations. Based on the comic 'deadlands'. Various games-types are based on this comic (CCG, roleplay, etc.).	peginc
	digimon is riding the (manga) waves of Pokemon. Although the game mechanic is different, the marketing concept is simular: TV-series, puppets, CCG. The cartoons look far more agressive, though it is not quite targetted at the girls segment. I don't think this game makes much of a chance. Game is published by Bandai, 2000 (ISBN 3-296580-055203 / Spanish version).
	doomtown is a poker style CCG from FRP, based on a western theme. Various expensions (Episodes 1-9, pine, mouth of hell, shootout at high noon and various other). Game was transfered from FRP to WotC to AEG, who stopped the game. Do Unto Others is the final expansion. DEAD	Alderac Alderac Doomtown
	doomtrooper, orginally an American game but one of the first completely translated to Dutch distribution by 999Games. Typical fighting / attribute game. DEAD
	Dr. Who is known as one the lousiest CCG's around. Bad art, bad rules, bad everything. DEAD
	dragonball z is another 'manga' spin off game, contains graphics from the TV series. Each player collects cards that represent the powerful Dragon Balls and characters, plus all the attacks and powers they will use against each other. ani-mayhem is apparently is set within dragon ball z.
	dune: bit of a complex cardgame, according to one of my gameshop keepers one of the only interesting CCG's around next to MtG and Middle Earth. Nevertheless to complex to be a mass market game. Published by Last Unicorn Games Ltd CA. ISBN 1-890111-51-1.
	guardians is a game I never played. First of all, I didn't think of it as being a serious game, secondly reading the reviews didn't encourage me to play it (I was allready into MtG). I bought one starterdeck, game is 'dead'
	gundam war, apparently base on some kind of manga TV/Movie hit. Haven't got a clue.
	hercules, based on the ARC system, on its turn based on the MtG mechanics. Look and Feel is based on the populair Hercules series for kids. This games appears even to be compatible with C23 (look above). DEAD. Published by WotC/15608, 1998. ISBN1-57530-562-3.	WotC
	heresy
	highlander, guess what: based on the movie.
	illuminati: new world order
	imajica. Remeber that movie, based on the book of Clive Barker. This games doens't even come close. Don't buy this game. What about a card with photo of a flaming ass? Yes, buy imajica.
	judge dread
	jyhad, later renamed to Vampire (basicly because Jyhad is not a name you to want to use for an American Game). Idea is that your characters are vampires and live on the blood of others. Fighting game.
	the last crusade is a tactical wargame, using the card for move ahead in a 3x3 (cards) arena on different terrain. Meanwhile you control you headquarters, airfield, stockpile and reinforcement. Sounds better than it actually is, I guess. I was not impressed, although some good reviews. Did buy 4-5 starter sets.	Description Pinnacle Grognard DB L
	legend of the 5 rings (l5r), card game based on japanes warlords, samurai's, ninja's, etc. Various expensions (time of void)	WotC Alderac
	magic the gathering (mtg): mother of all CCG's, created a worldwide phenomonon. Game is designed for 2 player but can easility be extended. Game contains both complexity and flexibility. Game has lots of extenstions (a thousand or something different cards). I own x000 cards (where x is a figure, either 9 or 10). Game is designed by Richard Garfield, published by WotC. Game is available in many languages (incl. chinese).	Djinn's (dutch) The Dojo WotC 999-games (dutch)
	middle earth is typical 'Tolkien'-spin off. Although the game has some 'heavy' players, this game is considered dead. The game resembles the card version of Elfenland, as its goal is to travel along locations (you own as cards). Propably one of the few interesting CCG's next to Magic The Gathering. Cool artwork. Game is extended with Middle Earth: The Wizards and Middle Earth, The dragons (and propably many more). DEAD (for the moment, just wait for the new movie)
	mlb showdown is simulation of a baseball game, where you are able to collect 'real' baseball players and put them in your dream team. Each player has unique qualities (more or less identical to the real life player) and a certain 'value'. Basicly, just as with Warhammer, the better, the higher the value: each team has restrictions to a limited number of value. Interesting game, but it helps if you are a baseball fan and into collecting baseball cards.	WotC
	mythos. Expension New AEon (1997). Published by chaosium
	netrunner
	nfl showdown 2002, well is you can make a baseball CCG, why not an american football game?	WotC
	nitro, the WWF wrestling CCG. If you are into Hulk Hogan and friends, this is propably interesting. My gutfeeling tells me, there is no reason this game (I got a free booster pack...). Published by WotC, 2000.	WotC
	overpower (marvel): expensions: mission control
	pokemon is a spin off from the popular japanese Manga series. I own a few hundred cards, as my kids enjoy collecting the cards (mmm, maybe it helps when dad is an active game-collector). The game itself is poor copy of MtG (see above), although it is kind of funny. Variou extensions (Jungle, Fossil, Team Rocket, Neo, Gymleaders, etc.). Cool Marketing concept though! (Hey, this is WotC, remember!).	WotC 999-games Djinn's (NL)
	portal is the beginners set of Magic The Gathering. Game mechanics are simular, but simplyfied. Some of the cards can be used within MtG, but in general, the cards are not compatible. Although an amusing game, not much of a CCG, as the cards are not worth the money, you better start off with magic and get taught by a MtG player: interupts, artifacts and complex cards are removed from the Portal game (compared to MtG).	WotC 999-games
	rage. Released 1977 by Five Rings Publications
	redemption, a CCG with a christian / religious touch. Never heard of again. DEAD
	sailor moon, another Manga based CCG. Comes with 6 characters (moon, venus, mercury, jupiter, mars (all girls!), and tuxedo mask)
	shadowfist. Typical fighting / attribute game, based on martial arts.
	shadowrun, have never looked into this game. Published by FASA corporation, 1997/1998. ISBN 1-55560-360-2.	fasa
	simcity, based on the popular computer game. Not much of a success. DEAD.
	spelfire
	starwars is another spin-off from the famous Starwars movies. The game is quite enjoyable, especially if you are a Starwars fan. Basic idea, you can put down your sites (so can your opponent) and you have to dominate. You can choose between the light and the dark side. A few fanatic players around. You really need a LOT of cards to have a competative deck in tournament format (15 X-wings really help, just wondering where you can get 15 of those). Expension such as Tatooine, reflections, death star I and II, new hope, dagobah	Decipher
	starwars young jedi, another 'where comes this from then?'. Some kind of dead (not yet), has several booster series though (Menace of Darth Maul, The Jedi Council, Battle of Naboo). Published by Decipher, 1999. ISBN 9-781582-365565.	Decipher
	startrek babylon 5, another CCG that spinns off from Startrek. Starters come with 50 fixed, 8 uncommons and 2 rares. Complete set of the Premier serie contains 146 fixed cards, 100 commons, 100 uncommons, 100 rares and 12 promo's. Precedence/1997, ISBN 1-885681-91-7.	Eternity
	startrek deep space 9, guess where that game comes from. Intriguing system, appears to be compatible with the other Startrek CCG games. You have your own mission. Published by Decipher/179, 1998. ISBN 9-781884-927331.	Decipher
	startrek the next generation, guess where that games comes from. Intriguing system, appears to be compatible with the other Startrek CCG games. Published by Decipher/150, 1994. ISBN 9-781884-927034.	Decipher
	s
	survivor, based on the real-life soap 'survivor'. Art comes from the TV show.
	tank commnader
	terminator
	tombraider: if you can sell games based on movies and TV-series, why not try PC-characters, like Lara Croft? Bought a few starter decks and a large number of boosters (all on sale, less than half price). Multiplayer AND solo! game. Game comes with two small dices and a Lara figure Traveling game. Published by Eidos. DEAD (maybe the Movie will lift the attention again)
	vampire, a popular ccg. Expension: dark sovereigns. Formerly known as jyhad (see above).
	Warlords, based on the computergame Warlords III: Reign of Heroes	Alderac
	wheel of time, based on Robert Jordan's novel. Apparently a reasonable game. Expensions: dark prophecies	WotC
	wyvern, a ccg about dragons, slayers and treasury.
	x-files is a typical 'whodunnit'-game. There is a standard game and an advanced version. Each player chooses an X-file card and the opponent has to identify this card, using his own card to get clues. I was not impressed by this game, actually boring. This CCG is 'dead'.	rulings
	xena, taken from the popular TV series.
	xmen, some game are boring even before they are published. This game should be a spin off from the movie X-Men and should appeal to those who just abandoned Pokemon. Not much of a chance, I guess. Published by WotC, 2000	WotC
	xxxenophile is a R/X-rated game, not as much for the game but for the cartoons on the cards ('Island of lust toys', 'Lovely Inga, the Milkmaid' should you give an idea of what is depicted). Currently published via Steve Jacksons games. (1997-2000, ISBN1-889061-04-4 / 11260-00004)	XXXenophile Warehouse23
	yu gi oh, combination between MtG and Pokemon. Currently available in japanese only. Another Manga spin off.