Anime franchises extend into many realms and a long time ago, they reached into the world of Card Games as well. When they did, they did so with a splash! Fans went crazy for it and put together their own collections with passion and amusement.
It was a given that a fan from a certain franchise would prefer to collect Cards from that particular franchise, it would always hold a special place in their hearts.
Thus, it is difficult to rank the Best Anime Card Games as a whole. Below is a list of some of the most successful and fan-beloved Anime Card Games out there.
What Kind of Anime Card Games are the Best?
A great anime card game has great gameplay, a large number of collectible cards that get active results and of course an active community of players.
Without other anime card game fans, its quite hard to enjoy any of the games, that’s for sure.
Another important aspect is the lore and story behind the games that gives them a special vibe and helps them stand out. But without further ado, lets move on with our list of best anime card games!
4. Pokemon TCG
Starting off the list is the Anime Card Game that grossed millions worldwide, stemming from the Highest Grossing Media Franchise ever to be spawned; Pokemon.
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The Pokemon Trading Card Game (TCG) managed to gross roughly $144.3 million under Home Entertainment. This is a collectible card game brought to life by Nintendo itself.
The initial release was in October 1996 and now The Pokémon Company is in full control of it. In 2016, it became the year’s top-selling toy in the strategic card game subclass and by 2017, it had an 82% share of Europe’s whole strategic card game market.
In short, this anime card game is massively popular and has a huge community of players.
Pokemon TCG Gameplay
Pokemon TCG has a simple gameplay; each player is a Pokemon Trainer and the Pokemon cards possessed are the Pokemon.
Additionally, there are Energy Cards and Support Item or Character cards to aid them in Battle.
Trainers’ Pokemon battle on the board, using attacks to deplete the opponent’s HP until zero and knock them out.
Energy is vital for performing attacks and drawing the right Energy Card from the Deck is mostly upto chance.
The first to knock out a set number of opponents is deemed the winner. Pokemon in the same evolutionary line can evolve during the game to become more durable and hit harder.
What makes Pokemon TCG Fun
The gameplay is simple enough, but Pokemon TCG is more about Trading in fans’ minds.
More fans seek to collect and covet rare cards rather than actually play the game. This Collector mindset can be seen as Addictive by some, but these Cards are more valuable on the global market than a non-fan may even believe!
Trading is vital to this end; as the catchphrase goes “Gotta catch ‘em all!”
3. Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game
The Yu-Gi-Oh! Series is a collectible card game both developed and published by Konami.
It is based on the franchise’s signature fictional game titled “Duel Monsters” created by manga artist Kazuki Takahashi, which appears in the manga franchise of Yu-Gi-Oh!. It is the central plot device across its various anime adaptations as well.
Launched in 1999 in Japan, it was named the top selling trading card game in the world by Guinness World Records in 2009, with over 22 billion cards sold globally. By January 2024, they had sold over 35 billion cards worldwide, grossing over $9.64 billion.
Clearly a huge success in the eyes of anime card game fans!
Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game Gameplay
Players of Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters draw cards from their decks and take turns on the “the field”. A deck consists of forty to sixty cards. An “Extra Deck” and a “Side Deck” also exist.
Three of each card per deck are allowed. Each player begins with 8,000 “Life Points”, and players battle to reduce their opponent’s Life Points using monster attacks and spells.
The last man left standing is the winner in this bout of trading blows.
Just like with Pokemon TCG, the game itself, collecting and trading can be seen as addictive.
But more fans tend to play the Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters game than just collect. This is primarily because the game itself is the backbone of the franchise, driving its characters and story.
2. Dragon Ball Card Game
The Dragon Ball Card Game is a Collectible Card Game (Dragon Ball CCG) based on the popular Dragon Ball franchise. It was first published by Bandai on the 18th of July, 2008. They relaunched the game in 2017.
The Dragon Ball Card Game was previously released in other countries before debuting in the US.
It features exclusive artwork from all the TV anime series including Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT and Dragonball Heroes, which were never before seen.
In the relaunch, Bandai intends to introduce characters from the Dragon Ball Xenoverse to it as well. It shares many similarities with other CCG created by Bandai, like the Naruto Collectible Card Game.
Dragon Ball Card Game Gameplay
The Dragon Ball Card Game is a two-player competitive trading card game where players make up decks consisting of 1 Leader Card and 50 to 60 Battle cards, Extra cards or Unison Cards to fight it out with their opponent.
Players can utilize the Awaken and Combo systems to grasp victory in their battles. The first player to deal enough damage to the opponent’s Leader Card, reducing its life to zero is deemed victorious.
This may be a Card game, but it lets players experience the blazing-fast battles of the Dragon Ball franchise on top of a table.
More players play this game rather than just collect. It’s a great way for fans to kill time, becoming another means of procrastination in the process.
2. Best Anime Card Games: Digimon Card Game
The Digimon Card Game is a Collectible Card Game based on the Digimon franchise. It was initially released in Japan in 1997 and was published by Bandai.
The third season of the Anime Series “Digimon Tamers” utilized this part of the franchise by making this very card game a pivotal part of the Anime season.
Different versions of the card game were also included in some of the Digimon video game titles, including the Digital Card Battle and Digimon World 3.
Digimon Card Game Gameplay
The Digimon Card Game is a competitive trading card game. Each player possesses a companion Digimon within the battle area to attack their opponent.
This Digimon is capable of evolving, doing so it will become stronger and gain new powers. To secure victory, a player must bring down their opponent’s Security Area cards to zero. Follow this up with a knockout blow and the victor becomes clear.
The Digimon Card Game has renewed itself over the years, but the core of it remains the same.
The Pokemon versus Digimon battle is undying, but to each its own; fans get to choose what they like and stick with it, even in the realm of Card Games.
Can it be addictive? Yes. Fans can choose to play as a means of procrastination, but these anime card games are all meant for entertainment after all!
1. Yu-Gi-Oh Sevens Card Game
In the same year that the “Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens” anime premiered, the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game made an official announcement, making an update to the Master Rules, unofficially termed “Master Rule 5”.
This rule was made effective 2020 onwards; making it possible to summon Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz monsters directly to the Main Monster Zones without requiring a Link arrow pointing to it.
However, Pendulum and Link monsters retain the previous rules. Additionally, several changes were made to the card rulings of the Original Card Game.
Yu-Gi-Oh Sevens Card Game Gameplay
Regardless, no new card mechanics were added into the main card game. What fans got was a new format separate from the main game,called “Rush Duels” which comes with its own special rule set.
Here Normal Summoning is unlimited, but Tribute Summon rules for Level 5 or higher monsters still apply. Also, a certain card’s effect can only be used once during that specific turn.
Special satisfactions need to be fulfilled for card effects to be used. Players can only use cards designed for Rush Duels for this version of the game, which boast a special frame and a “RUSH DUEL” tag at the bottom of each card.
Here, cards based on monsters from the main card game are known as “Legend Cards” and each player is only allowed to have one copy of a Legend Card in their deck.
Truly, one of the best anime card games to play for avid Digimon fans, especially those who wanted a variation from the Main Card Game.
Can this anime card game be used as a means of procrastination? Of course it can. There is a time and place for everything, so play wisely.
Did You Agree With Our Picks For the Best Anime Card Games?
This concludes our Picks for the Best Anime Card Games out there!
Of course, there are so much more Anime Card Games out there; in fact if the Anime is moderately popular and vast enough, it is sure to have its own Card Game in some form, be it virtual or tangible. A classic example is the Naruto Card Game.
If your favorite wasn’t featured in this list, apologies in advance! We hope you enjoyed this short but petite list. Thanks for reading!