The 25 best card games
Board Game Verdict Presents

The 25 best card games

Our definitive ranking of the The 25 best card games, based on aggregated critic scores from multiple trusted review sources.

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25
Hanabi
85

Hanabi(2010)

ABACUSSPIELE, R&R Games, Cocktail Games, Les XII Singes, Hobby Japan

Design: Antoine Bauza·Art: Laura Michaud, Antoine Bauza, Gérald Guerlais, Albertine Ralenti

Hanabi is a cooperative card game where players work together to create the perfect fireworks display by playing cards in the correct order. The unique twist is that players hold their cards facing away from themselves, so they can only see other players' cards and must rely on limited hints to make decisions.

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24
Love Letter
85

Love Letter(2012)

Alderac Entertainment Group, Steve Jackson Games, Kanai Factory

Design: Seiji Kanai·Art: Jeff Himmelman, John Kovalic, Andrew Hepworth

Love Letter is a quick, light card game of risk, deduction, and luck. Players use a small hand of cards representing members of the court to eliminate opponents and be the last one standing, or hold the highest-ranking card, in an attempt to deliver a love letter to the Princess.

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23
Rattlesnake
85

Rattlesnake(2026)

Osprey Games

Design: Michael Hardacre·Art: Moro Rogers, Edward Reed, Gustavo "Goose" Gutierrez, Michael Penn

Rattlesnake is a chaotic, action-packed two-player card game set in the Wild West, where players engage in a shootout. Players target their opponent with high-powered card combos and disruptive plays, aiming to be the last one standing.

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22
Arboretum
86

Arboretum(2015)

Renegade Game Studios, Z-Man Games, Filosofia Éditions

Design: Dan Cassar·Art: Chris Quilliams, Philippe Guérin, Beth Sobel

Arboretum is a strategy card game where players create botanical gardens by laying tree cards in paths while managing their hands to control which species they can score. The game combines set collection, tile-laying and hand management with a unique scoring system where you must hold the right cards to claim points for the paths you've built.

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21
Dominion
86

Dominion(2008)

Rio Grande Games

Design: Donald X. Vaccarino·Art: Matthias Catrein

Dominion is a deck-building card game where players start with identical small decks and compete to acquire the most victory points by strategically purchasing cards to build their decks. It was the first deck-building game and established the genre.

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20
Jaipur
86

Jaipur(2009)

GameWorks SàRL

Design: Sébastien Pauchon·Art: Vincent Dutrait

Jaipur is a two-player card game where merchants compete to acquire and sell goods in the markets of Rajasthan. Players collect cards representing various goods like spices, silk, and precious stones, then sell them for rupees and seals of excellence to become the Maharaja's personal trader.

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19
Scout
86

Scout(2021)

Oink Games, 4 Kavky

Design: Kei Kajino·Art: Rie Komatsuzaki, Jun Sasaki

Scout is a clever, ladder-climbing card game where players cannot rearrange their hand of cards. To win, players must play sets or runs of cards to create "shows" stronger than the previous player's. A unique twist allows players to "scout" cards from other players' shows to improve their own hand, adding a dynamic layer of strategy.

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18
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
86

The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game(2011)

Fantasy Flight Games

Design: Nate French·Art: Even Mehl Amundsen, Erfian Asafat

The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is a cooperative Living Card Game where one to four players control heroes from Middle-earth and work together to complete quest scenarios. Players build decks from different spheres of influence and face challenges controlled by the game itself, with over ten years of expansions available.

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17
Trio
86

Trio(2023)

Happy Camper, Cocktail Games, Devir, Underdog Games (II)

Design: Kaya Miyano·Art: Sai Beppu

Trio, originally released as Nana in Japan, is a light card game designed by Kaya Miyano where players attempt to collect sets of identically numbered cards through memory and deduction. While sharing identical components, Nana supports 2-5 players and Trio supports 3-6 players, with Trio also featuring a team mode and slight rule variations.

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16
Skull
87

Skull(2011)

Lui-même, Space Cowboys, Asmodee

Design: Hervé Marly·Art: Thomas Vuarchex, Rose Kipik

Skull is a captivating bluffing and risk-taking game where players secretly place discs, some showing roses and one a skull. Players then bid on how many discs they can reveal without uncovering a skull. It is a game of psychological strategy and poker face, where misjudgment can lead to losing a disc or even player elimination.

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15
Skull King
87

Skull King(2013)

Grandpa Beck's Games

Design: Brent Beck, Jeffrey Beck·Art: David Bock, Eckhard Freytag, Apryl Stott

Skull King is a trick-taking game similar to Oh Hell!, Wizard, and Spades, where players bid on how many tricks they think they'll win each round. The game uses a 66-card deck with special pirate-themed cards including Pirates, Mermaids, and the Skull King himself, creating a hierarchy where different card types trump others in unique ways.

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14
Tag Team
87

Tag Team(2025)

Scorpion Masqué

Design: Gricha German, Corentin Lebrat·Art: Xavier Gueniffey Durin

Tag Team is an auto battler combined with a deck-building game where players draft two fighters from twelve available characters, each with unique techniques. Players build their decks over the course of the game and execute sequences of attacks automatically in this arcade fighting-inspired experience.

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13
Arkham Horror: The Card Game
88

Arkham Horror: The Card Game(2016)

Fantasy Flight Games

Design: Nate French, MJ Newman

Arkham Horror: The Card Game is a cooperative Living Card Game where players take on the roles of investigators exploring the mysterious and dangerous world of H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos. Players build unique decks for their investigators and work together through campaign scenarios, making choices that have lasting consequences on the story.

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12
Android: Netrunner
89

Android: Netrunner(2012)

Fantasy Flight Games, Arclight Games, Null Signal Games

Design: Richard Garfield, Lukas Litzsinger·Art: Henning Ludvigsen, Ed Mattinian, Del Borovic, Adam Schumpert, Bruno Balixa, Ralph Beisner

Android: Netrunner is an asymmetrical Living Card Game for two players set in a cyberpunk future. One player takes the role of a hacker (Runner) attempting to break into corporate servers, while the other plays as a Corporation trying to protect their data and advance their agendas. The game features unique mechanics where each side plays completely differently, creating intense cat-and-mouse gameplay.

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11
Hanamikoji
89

Hanamikoji(2016)

EmperorS4, Takamagahara, COLON ARC, Nasza Księgarnia

Design: Kota Nakayama·Art: Maisherly Chan, Mashiro Misaki

Hanamikoji is a strategic card game for two players where they compete to win the favor of seven geishas by presenting them with gifts (item cards). Players perform a series of four unique actions each round to manage their hand and influence the geishas. The game ends when a player gains the favor of four geishas or accumulates 11 charm points from the geishas they control.

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10
Innovation
89

Innovation(2010)

Asmadi Games

Design: Carl Chudyk·Art: Cara Judd, Robin Olausson, Anders Olausson, Alanna Cervenak, Carl Chudyk

Innovation is Carl Chudyk's tableau-builder of infinite possibilities, taking players on a journey from pre-history to the present era. Players use cards both as innovations for their effects and as scoring mechanisms, creating powerful combinations and brutal interactions as civilizations develop through the ages.

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9
Lost Cities
89

Lost Cities(1999)

Kosmos, Rio Grande Games

Design: Reiner Knizia·Art: Dennis Lohausen, Vincent Dutrait, Michaela Kienle

Lost Cities is a tense two-player card game where players mount archaeological expeditions to five different colored destinations. Players must play cards in ascending numerical order while deciding whether to start expeditions or risk waiting for better cards, creating challenging risk-reward decisions.

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8
Marvel Champions: The Card Game
89

Marvel Champions: The Card Game(2019)

Fantasy Flight Games

Design: Michael Boggs, Nate French, Caleb Grace

Marvel Champions: The Card Game is a cooperative Living Card Game where players embody iconic Marvel superheroes and battle infamous villains. Players can customize their hero decks with different aspects and work together to thwart villainous schemes and defeat enemies in this strategic card-based adventure.

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7
Race for the Galaxy
89

Race for the Galaxy(2007)

Rio Grande Games

Design: Thomas Lehmann·Art: Martin Hoffmann, Claus Stephan

Race for the Galaxy is a card game where players build galactic civilizations by playing cards representing worlds or technical and social developments. It's an engine building strategy game that challenges players to build the most prosperous galactic empire through simultaneous action selection.

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6
The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine
89

The Crew: The Quest for Planet Nine(2019)

Kosmos, Thames & Kosmos

Design: Thomas Sing·Art: Marco Armbruster, Sensit Communication GmbH

The Crew is a cooperative trick-taking card game where players work together as astronauts on a space mission to reach Planet Nine. Players must complete specific objectives by winning particular tricks in particular orders, all while having limited ability to communicate with each other. The game features 50 missions of increasing difficulty recorded in a logbook.

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5
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – Trick-Taking Game
89

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – Trick-Taking Game(2026)

Asmodee, Office Dog

Design: Bryan Bornmueller·Art: Elaine Ryan, Samuel R. Shimota

A narrative-driven cooperative card game that weaves trick-taking mechanics into the story of The Two Towers. This standalone continuation follows chapters 19-36 of gameplay, allowing players to take on the roles of heroes and villains in Tolkien's legendary work.

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4
Res Arcana
91

Res Arcana(2019)

Sand Castle Games, GaGa Games, ADC Blackfire Entertainment, Asmodee Italia, Asmodee Editions, 17wanzy (Yihu BG)

Design: Thomas Lehmann·Art: Julien Delval

Res Arcana is a fantastical engine-building card game where 2-4 alchemical mages draft artifacts and transform resources to score points. Players start with 8 artifact cards and must build efficient engines to race to 10 victory points, featuring tight resource management and strategic planning in a fantasy Renaissance setting.

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3
Eternal Decks
92

Eternal Decks(2025)

Tricktakers Games

Design: Hiroken·Art: MUJUNSHA

Eternal Decks is a limited communication cooperative card game where players work together to complete stage objectives before any player runs out of actions. Players manage decks of cards while combating restless eternals, with the puzzle evolving as new decks are unlocked through completing specific objectives.

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2
For Sale
92

For Sale(1997)

Eagle-Gryphon Games

Design: Stefan Dorra·Art: Mohammad Amir Garoosian, Alvin Madden, Óscar Aguado, Abbas Amirabadi

For Sale is a quick, fun game nominally about buying and selling real estate. It features two distinct phases with different auction types where players bid for properties and then sell them for maximum profit. Known as a relaxing, filler game, it often generates intense emotional outbursts in a social setting.

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1
The Crew: Mission Deep Sea
93

The Crew: Mission Deep Sea(2021)

Thames & Kosmos, IELLO, Kosmos

Design: Thomas Sing·Art: Marco Armbruster

The Crew: Mission Deep Sea is a cooperative trick-taking card game where players work together as members of a deep-sea expedition searching for the lost continent of Mu. Players must complete various mission objectives while playing silently with limited communication, making each mission a unique puzzle of teamwork and strategy.

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