Deck-building game
A deck-building game is a card game or board game where construction of a deck of cards is a main element of gameplay. Deck-building games are similar to collectible card games (CCGs) in that each player has their own deck. However, unlike CCGs, the cards are not sold in randomized packs, and the majority of the deck is built during the game, instead of before the game. Mechanics In most deck-building games, each player starts with a small deck of cards of low value. Each turn, they draw some cards from their deck and play them, which may have various gameplay effects, and may buy more cards from a central market, thereby building their deck. The effects of playing cards often include providing the in-game currency that allows players to buy cards; other effects may include increasing the number of game actions a player may take on their turn, removing unwanted cards from the player’s deck, or attacking other players. As players buy more cards with more valuable abilities, their decks gradually become more powerful. When the player runs out of cards to draw, they shuffle their discard pile (which usually includes newly-gained cards) to create a new deck to draw from. Apart from this, however, games may vary; for instance, some are competitive, while others are co-operative. As players do not build their decks before playing, they cannot organize a deck in advance, and must do so during play. Therefore, strategy is driven by the cards available in the market, which may vary from game to game. In some games (such as Legendary: A Marvel Deck Building Game), before the game begins, players can strategize and choose which cards go into the central market deck (the cards that can potentially be bought to increase the strength of each player’s deck). Deck-building is the central mechanic in some games, such as Dominion or Star Realms. However, in others, such as the Mage Knight Board Game or Arkham Horror: The Card Game, it is combined with others. If a game has similar mechanics, but doesn't use cards, it is frequently called a pool-building game. History While StarCraft: The Board Game was the first deck-building game developed in 2007, Dominion was the first popular deck-building game that set the standard for the genre. Its popularity spurred the creation of many others, including Thunderstone, Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer, Legendary (based on Marvel superhero comics) published by Upper Deck, and Clank! published by Renegade. In many cases, computerized versions of deck-building games are available, usually mimicking the tabletop version. For example, Dominion and Star Realms can be played online. List of deck-building games Aeon's End (Action Phase Games, Indie Boards & Cards, 2017) Arctic Scavengers (Rio Grande Games, 2009) Arcmage: Rebirth (Arcmage Creative Commons Games, 2018) Arcmage: Enchanted Realm (Arcmage Creative Commons Games, 2019) Arcmage: New Horizons (Arcmage Creative Commons Games, 2020) Arcmage: Shadow Waves (Arcmage Creative Commons Games, 2021) Arcmage: Changing Winds (Arcmage Creative Commons Games, 2021) Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer