Out of all genres, card games arguably fit the best on mobile. Sliding cards around with your finger is so pleasingly tactile in a way that a controller or mouse just can’t emulate. It feels more like how you play …
Out of all genres, card games arguably fit the best on mobile. Sliding cards around with your finger is so pleasingly tactile in a way that a controller or mouse just can’t emulate. It feels more like how you play card games in the real world.
It seems that mobile developers agree with us, as there’s no shortage of excellent examples of the genre on iPhone and Android. We’ve got your standard deck builders, TCGs, CCGs, and more alongside innovative and fresh new takes on classic card games and even completely different genres like RTS and roguelikes.
To make it easier for you to find something to play, we thought we’d put together a list of our 25 favourite mobile card games across a variety of different genres. If you can’t find it in this list, it isn’t worth playing.
GWENT: The Witcher Card Game finally made it to mobile in late 2019, and it’s probably the best version of it. Moving cards around is so tactile on mobile and, for us, trumps using a mouse or controller.
Get it on the App Store.
The Horus Heresy: Legions takes place in the Warhammer 40,000 universe and provides loads of card battling fun in Space Marine versus Space Marine combat.
Get it on the App Store and Google Play.
Hearthstone is the granddaddy of CCGs, kicking off the genre’s current wave of success when it launched back in 2014. It’s still fiercely popular today, with a massive new expansion, Saviors of Uldum, launching in August.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
The Elder Scrolls: Legends is a similar beast to Hearthstone with one difference: it splits the playing field into two lanes. This gives you something different to think about when compared to Hearthstone. It also sees regular updates that generally take place in different regions of Tamriel.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
The original Meteorfall, which you’ll also find on this list, was an amazing game. Krumit’s Tale takes everything that made that first game so brilliant and adds more scope, more cards and more fun. It’s a wonderful experience that’s going to have you coming back to play time and time again.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Clash Royale is Supercell doing what it does best: taking a popular genre and streamlining it into its purest and most fun form. This time around, Supercell took what we loved about card games – building a deck and creating strategies – and made it all work in real time with the cards actually playing out their roles as characters. It’s a joy to play.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Pokémon TCG is a digital version of the physical trading card game we’ve all played since we were kids. All of your favourite cards are here, and you don’t have to run out to the store every single time you want to purchase a new booster pack. It’s good stuff.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Reigns took the repetitive swiping action of Tinder and turned it into a genius card game that challenges you to rule a kingdom. You swipe right and left to say yes or no to a series of questions, earning reputation with different factions as you do so. Balancing the needs of these different factions is the key challenge, as your reign depends on keeping everyone happy. The Game of Thrones version takes place in Westeros and allows you to play as your favourite characters from the TV and book series.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Card Thief is arguably the best entry in the extremely talented Arnold Rauers’s portfolio of card games. Using just cards you’ll play the role of thief as you strive to get your hands on a variety of treasure. You’ll pick pockets, avoid guards, and stick to the shadows on your quest for other people’s valuable treasures.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Asmodee Digital has an absolute wealth of card and board games available digitally on mobile, but we’ve picked Ascension for this list. It’s a bonafide deck builder built by three Magic: The Gathering tournament winners, features over 50 different cards, and includes a variety of single and multiplayer modes.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
And now for something a little different. Exploding Kittens is basically a card game version of Russian Roulette. You and up to four other players take it in turns pulling cards out of a deck until someone gets an Exploding Kitten card. At this point they explode and are out of the game – unless they have a Defuse card to prevent the explosion. There are numerous other useful cards that can help mitigate explosions too, in this fun and intense card game.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Meteorfall: Journey is a deck builder meets roguelike. You’ll pick from one of four different adventurers and set out to build a mighty deck as you battle enemies and bosses, collect loot, and purchase new cards from random shop keeps. If you die – which you will – the game starts over. There’s so much replayability here.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links is a popular card battler on mobile. It’s based on the anime series and allows you to play as your favourite characters, including Yami Yugi, Seto Kaiba, Jaden Yuki, Yusei Fudo, and many more. If you’re a fan of Yu-Gi-Oh! and card battlers, look no further.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
If you’re not a fan of Hearthstone, you’re not spoiled for choice in terms of alternatives. Shadowverse is a solid and popular option, which has a reportedly massive million players logging in every single day. There’s a story mode and real-time multiplayer too, depending on your preference.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
If the multiplayer version of Gwent isn’t for you, perhaps you’d be more interested in this single player adaptation. It tells an awesome story set in the world of The Witcher, while keeping the basic Gwent mechanics and adding a sprinkling of new ideas. It’s essentially a massive RPG and it’s well worth checking out.
Get it on the App Store
Solitairica is a genius card game that combines Solitaire with a rogueli
ke. You’ll battle enemies, collect new gear, and upgrade everything just by playing Solitaire.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Night of the Full Moon is easily the most polished deck-building roguelike available on mobile right now. You play as Red Riding Hood who battles her way through the forest at night as one of a number of different classes. There’s a ton of cards to collect, loads of awesome decks to uncover, and absolutely wonderful artwork on offer.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Like deckbuilders? Wish you could go to space? Star Realms is the game for you. This awesome card battler is completely free to play, with just a single IAP to unlock the entire experience. Can’t say fairer than that. There’s no pay to win, single player and multiplayer modes, and all of the deck building you’re looking for.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Battlejack is to Blackjack what Solitairica is to Solitaire. This awesome free to play card game turns Blackjack into a battle system, with you striving to get as close to 21 as possible to unleash a variety of powerful attacks. There are dungeons to explore, heroes to unlock, and a whole lot of Blackjack to play in this awesome card battler.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Brave Hand is a card battler that dispenses with the multiplayer and gives you a deep single player game to battle your way through. Unlike many of the games on this list, there’s a full blown story to uncover as you progress throughout the gorgeous, hand-drawn game.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Missile Cards is yet another Solitaire-like card battler that challenges you to defend yourself from a variety of deadly attacks. Using a variety of card-based defences, you’ll fight off nuclear warheads, missiles, and more as you strive to save the world.
Get it on the App Store.
Developer Zach Gage is the master of taking age old games and giving them a fresh new spin, and that’s exactly what Flipflop Solitaire does. You can stack up, down, or both ways on a single stack to solve this unique take on Solitaire.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Teppen is a newcomer in the card battling genre, and it aims to shake up the formula by introducing real-time elements to it. You’ll create decks full of cards that represent your favourite characters from various Capcom franchises and battle it out with other players in real-time.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Animation Throwdown brings together five of your favourite animated TV shows in a single collectible card game. You’ll create a deck out of cards from Family Guy, Bob’s Burgers, Futurama, American Dad, and King of the Hill and battle other players in multiplayer.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
Stormbound provides a fresh new spin on the Clash Royale formula by introducing four different lanes to attack down. You’ll still play cards using an energy system, forming strategies to bring down your opponent. This time though, you’ll have four lanes to manage rather than just two.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
South Park: Phone Destroyer plays a lot like Clash Royale. You’ll create a deck out of South Park characters and spells and battle other players using a very similar energy system as Clash Royale. There’s also a single player for those that don’t just want to play with others.
Get it on the App Store or Google Play.
