What genres of card games are there? I mean genres like genres in computer games where the genre states what the players are playing for and how can they get it.
From the top of my head, I can name three archetypes by example, though I can only call the first one a genre.
- Deck building games, made popular imo by Dominion where you start with a predetermined hand and manage your way to build the best by buying & selling cards from the middle of the table.
- Games like MTG, where you summon creatures to do your bidding (MTG, Pokemon, Vanguard, etc)
- Fighting game turned card game, where instead of creatures you play moves, as if the player was the creature instead. Made popular imo by Yomi
I'm sure there's more though, there were just on the top of my head.
I think the first division should be between collectible card game and standalone card games. From there we need to divide each by the way you win.
Collectible and Standalone Card Games differ by the winning conditions:
A. Targeting enemy players.
B. Defeating the enemy heroes.
C. Controlling certain "location" cards.
D. Playing certain cards first.
E. Completing missions.
F. Issueing and winning challenges.
Have you got any others let me now.
I don't think you can fully say that these genres are mutually exclusive. Magic and YGO could easily be considered in the category of targeting enemy players, and yet they have cards you can play to win. On top of that, "playing certain cards" and "completing missions" really goes hand-in-hand, since the particular missions are, at the very least in the case of MS War, stated on a card.
Well I meant by the main way to win, and you are right they were quite similar. I'm waiting for more experienced people to help me conjure some proper names for CCG genres. We deserve a proper way to assess games.
Well consider what defines card game and then it's the way the express those definitions that defines a complete genre.
We have a list of various things here
Win Condition
Deck Construction
Conflict & Resolution
Player Turn Initiative/Game Rounds
Theme
So can you think of any other basic game mechanics repeated through out history to add to the above list? Once finalized, you can then start to learn about the different genres/styles.
About deck construction, it is always either leaning towards permanents or nonpermanents.
Conflict, stealing from board games, is either last man standing or first one completing.
I think game rounds usualy follow this, from wikipedia:
Restore ? Make all in-play cards ready for the upcoming turn.
Draw card(s) - Necessary in order to circulate cards in players' hands.
Play card(s) - Use the cards in hand to interact with the game.
Conflict ? The primary method for victory in most games (combat is a very popular theme).
Discard card(s) - Discard to a maximum hand size, or need to refresh for next turn.
Field card(s) - May prove to be positive or negative effects for players.
When thinking about this is really what most games follow unless much simplistic.
Theme is too wild and only there for the flavor, let's leave that outside the loop.