Card games are forever retro because card games never go out of fashion. In the sea of games that the gaming industry puts out each year, there is a card game or two that makes it on the list of games enjoyed by most players.
When you’re done with shooting and stabbing and sneaking to get to your enemies, you might try a more relaxing approach to strategy, not with a strategy game, but with a card game or better still, learning cartomancy or playing card divination instead. Old-school gamers know and appreciate the value of card games, and this is something that new players can learn to enjoy as well.
There’s a plethora of card games available online or in real life that you can enjoy with friends at a table or on the net. How you enjoy them isn’t important, and if you’re looking for some suggestions, then here are some card games for you:
Poker
When it comes to retro card games, it doesn’t get more retro than poker. This is a game that has been keeping people entertained for hundreds of years. It’s a simple card game that requires a bunch of players around a table, virtual or otherwise.
Nowadays, most poker variants are available online. A host of casino sites let you pick any of these versions and go for the demo variant of real money played online if you’re up against other players. Either way, you’ll need a grasp of the basics before you go for a poker game.
The gist of the game is simple. You should have a combination of cards that trumps the combinations of other players’ cards. You can call to stay in the round or check if you’re waiting for the next card that will help you. Alternatively, you can fold if you’re looking to keep things safe, or you can raise the bet if you’re confident in your hand or you’re bluffing. If you have the right cards, then you’ll win, and if you don’t, you won’t. It’s as simple as that.
Magic The Gathering
If you don’t feel like poker is your thing, then you can go for a different kind of card game. Magic the Gathering is one such game, and it has been around for quite a while. Similar to poker, there have been many tournaments that have had champions from all over the world face each other. In this game, you’ll get creatures and events as well as land cards that give you the mana to summon the right spells and creatures.
To summon them, you’ll need to sacrifice or rather tap land and make them attack your opponent and wreak havoc on their points. The cards feature amazing designs, and new ones are introduced regularly. There are five kinds of magic, and they are represented by red, blue, green, black, and white. To get a better idea of the game, you can go for Magic: Duels of the Planeswalkers, as this game takes you through it one step at a time. You’ll face various opponents and get all sorts of cards to play with.
Yu-Gi-Oh
If fantasy card games are your thing, then Yu-Gi-Oh will be on your list of retro card titles. This is a bit different than magic. Monsters will come with levels from 1 to infinity, and they will need to be summoned. In the early stages of the game, you’ll be allowed to summon monsters up to level 4, and to summon stronger monsters, you’ll need to sacrifice them. You’ll also get trap and magic cards that can help you win rounds against your opponent as you diminish their life points. Yu-Gi-Oh has an ongoing TV series and a bunch of video games, but the Power of Chaos title is pretty good and teaches you how to play the game step by step.
Exploding Kittens
The thing about Exploding Kittens is that it’s pretty new, but it’s a title old-school gamers will appreciate. Essentially, you’re playing Russian Roulette with a deck of kittens. The player that draws the exploding kitten loses the game. You’ll get all sorts of cards with ridiculous designs and features that help you advance in the game or hinder your progress.
These are only some card games that both old and new card game fans can enjoy in their free time.
