10 Card Games Like Magic The Gathering

No matter how big your love for Magic The Gathering is, still, at some point, you wish you’d find something similar. Good for you, I’ve been to the same situation before, and can’t wait to give you my recommendations. The card games listed below are similar to Magic The Gathering, and bring the same energy, but new equipment & content! 

• Games:

1. Keyforge;
2. Gwent;
3. Dominion;
4. Star Realms;
5. Flesh And Blood;
6. Millennium Blades;
7. Ashes Reborn;
8. Summoner Wars;
9. Ascension;
10. Epic;

• Final Thoughts; 

1. KeyForge

Available on Amazon ($41.97) & Cardhaus Games ($34.19) | 2 players | Ages 14+;

KeyForge is a close experience to Magic The Gathering, but semi-collectible and no-deck-building. There are seven available houses in the game, and during a game, you will compose cards from 3 different houses. The objective is to be the first player who forges three keys. Since the decks in KeyForge come ready to play, players focus on mastering their decks, since there isn’t any deck to be customized. In this card game for 2, players are the Archons leading their companies, which must make tactical decisions, use the creatures, and skills, hold off enemy forces, and so on. 

2. Gwent

Available on Amazon ($169.99) | 2 players | Ages 16+;

If you like the collectible card game format & the fantasy theme of MTG, you must play Gwent. Both players aim to win two out of three rounds, and that is done while using strategies & abilities available in the game. Each player has 3 rows on the board: Melee, Ranged, and Siege, where unit cards will be deployed. All cards have their strengths, which decide the winner at the end of the round. Differently from Magic The Gathering, in Gwent, mechanics are slightly simpler, and the winning conditions are set depending on the winning rounds.

3. Dominion

Available on Walmart ($44.95) & Noble Knight Games ($30.95) | 2 to 4 players | Ages 13+;

If you’d like a different player interaction & winning conditions from MGT, but a similar customization element, Dominion should be on your list. Players take turns to play, and each turn contains 3 phases: Action, Buy, and Clean-up. Each player aims to earn the most victory points, which are different for estates, duchies, and provinces. In Dominion, players start with a small deck of cards and build a more powerful one during the game, while acquiring new cards. The central cards of the game are the Kingdom cards, which help you adapt your strategies of playing. 

4. Star Realms

Available on Amazon ($14.99) & Walmart ($21.98) | 2 players | Ages 12+;

On Star Realms, each turn consists of several phases, which include the draw phase, trade, play, discard & draw, and the turn ending. There are three decks of cards, and several types of cards: Explorer, Ships, Authority, Star Empire, Blob, Outpost cards, and more. Both players have their authority, and the game ends when a player’s authority is reduced to zero, therefore, that player loses. If you like the MGT’s deck-building mechanism but would prefer a turn structure, you must give Star Realms a try. 

5. Flesh & Blood

Available on Amazon ($94.95) | 2+ players | Ages 16+;

Flesh And Blood, as a fighting, hero-centric game it is, makes you select your hero, choose weapons, and build your deck. The game uses a rarity system for its cards, which might be rare, or common. Players in the game will take turns attacking other players while using action cards, or their weapons. The winning conditions are similar to in Magic The Gathering: you aim to reduce other players’ health to zero. However, Flesh And Blood has a larger deck size (a minimum of 80 cards) and uses a different resource management from MGT.

6. Millennium Blades

Available on Amazon ($79.99) & Walmart ($79.99) | 2 to 5 players | Ages 14+;

Do you like MGT’s thematic elements and competitive gameplay, but would like a real-time trading element too? You must check Millenium Blades! The latter includes two main phases: the Deck Building phase, and the Tournament Phase. There’s a really creative story as well: each session represents a year in the players’ lives. There are several card sets, and a few card types, including character, and money cards. While playing and completing actions, you’ll earn victory points. The player with the most VP at the end wins! 

7. Ashes Reborn

Available on Amazon ($49.95) & Walmart ($54.99) | 2 players | Ages 14+;

To play Ashes Reborn, players choose their Phoenixborn playstyle and their own deck. The game is developed on the battlefield, where players fight opponents, cast spells, and deploy their Phoenixborn. Keep in mind that each Phoenixborn has their own unique powers and abilities. When one player’s Phoenixborn is defeated, the game ends. It’s similar to Magic The Gathering when it comes to deck construction and resource management but uses dice mechanics and turn structure too. 

8. Summoner Wars

Available on Amazon ($49.95) & Walmart ($44.95) | 2 players | Ages 9+;

Summoner Wars, a tactical card game, contains several types of cards (unit, summoner, and event), faction decks, and a battle mat. All players pick their factions and set up their decks. Magic points earned during the game will be used on the battlefield. All players aim to defeat the opponents’ Summoner, and victory is achieved when you defeat the other players. If we compare it to MGT, it has the same game genre and resource management, but different combat resolution. Ps. The game is adapted in the digital version too ( an online game), so you can enjoy it online and save some money! 

9. Ascension

Available on Amazon & Walmart ($31.48) | 2 to 4 players | Ages 14+; 

Are you interested in getting a game that works fine as a single-player card game? Besides all, it has a similar player vs.player interaction, and card acquisition to Magic The Gathering. In their turn, players will defeat monsters, acquire new cards, earn honor points, and more. There’s one center deck (which includes a center row) and individual player decks. The honor track, a unique feature of the Ascension, keeps track of all player’s points, so the game may end when a specific number of points is reached. To compare it to MGT, Ascension uses a different mana system, specifically, uses a dual-force system. 

10. Epic

Available on Amazon ($15.95) & Target ($17.99) | 2 to 4 players | Ages 13+;

Epic is epic. This card game contains three card types: events, champions, and actions. Events are what happen during the game: and they can be played anytime. Differently from other games (including Magic The Gathering), in Epic, players take turns at the same time. All players have their strengths and abilities, which might be used to attack other players. Every player starts playing with 30 points, and the game ends whenever a player’s health is reduced to zero. Similar to Magic The Gathering, in Epic, you manage resources to play cards.

Final Thoughts

Magic The Gathering is just as magical as its name. However, we’re extremely happy to bring to you a list of such games that bring the same feeling, but different gameplay elements, and equipment. Make sure to read all descriptions carefully, and pick whatever your soul likes!