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Hi all.

For a good few years I was heavily invested with FFGs card game Netrunner. With that game gone and lockdown eased to the point that playing games in person is viable again I'm wondering what collectable card games are out there and being played these days?

Any and all suggestions welcome.

Well there are the usual big three (Yugioh, Pokemon, MTG). Hearthstone has been popular to my knowledge, but that’s a computer game. I think Pathfinder and 40k both have CCGs of their own, but I’m not sure how much people play those.

In addition, there are also standalone card games which work a bit more like board games. They are collectible in their variety of expansions, but I’m not sure of that’s what you’re looking for. Smash Up comes to mind, as well as Boss Monster.

I’m not a ccg guy (combinations don’t jump out at me), but I played Keyforge for awhile because one of my friends jumped in.

Pluses for me included no deck building since every deck you buy is a self contained set. So for $10USD per deck you got a completely playable collection. Some decks were weak but they had a leveling mechanic that players could use to help with balance of deck and/or players skills and experience.

 privateer4hire wrote:
I’m not a ccg guy (combinations don’t jump out at me), but I played Keyforge for awhile because one of my friends jumped in.

Pluses for me included no deck building since every deck you buy is a self contained set. So for $10USD per deck you got a completely playable collection. Some decks were weak but they had a leveling mechanic that players could use to help with balance of deck and/or players skills and experience.

I would say to avoid Keyforge for now. It's currently in hiatus due to some massive issues going on in the background due to the algorithm. Some of which may be because of unruly employee's deleting key data given some key timing with some reddit info given ahead of time.

CTMNine wrote:
For a good few years I was heavily invested with FFGs card game Netrunner. With that game gone and lockdown eased to the point that playing games in person is viable again I'm wondering what collectable card games are out there and being played these days?

Have you looked into NISEI? (https://nisei.net/)
It's the fan-run continuation of netrunner with new cards, events, etc.

I've heard people say Flesh and Blood is like Netrunner? I'm not sure if that's true as I've never seen much about Netrunner but reviews of Flesh and Blood have said that.

I started playing Master Duel on my PC recently.

God damn is Yugioh such a hopelessly broken game system. But its free and the matches are usually quick. There's a few decks that can be thrown together on the cheap and the game hands out so much free stuff during your initial start you can put together a full deck that doesn't suck as long as you do some checking before spending your resources.

I'd actually consider the game better than Magic Arena but that isn't a high bar to vault cause Magic Arena is gak.

Is Netrunner gone, though? The NISEI project seems to have a lot of traction.

 LordofHats wrote:
I've heard people say Flesh and Blood is like Netrunner? I'm not sure if that's true as I've never seen much about Netrunner but reviews of Flesh and Blood have said that.

I don't remember Netrunner enough to comment on that, except this: They both have an equal level of depth. FaB is a damn good game.




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CTMNine wrote:
Hi all.

For a good few years I was heavily invested with FFGs card game Netrunner. With that game gone and lockdown eased to the point that playing games in person is viable again I'm wondering what collectable card games are out there and being played these days?

Any and all suggestions welcome.

If you enjoy LCG's, have you tried the LOTR living card game by FFG? It truly is an excellent experience.
not sure if CO-OP is your bag, though.

Warhammer Underworlds is a fun deck building miniatures game.

I don't know, it's like suggesting to someone who has played a lot of Brass and Food Chain Magnate to try Monopoly now. Netrunner is weight 3.40 to Underworld's 2.50 on bgg.

The latest editions for WH Underworlds are rated 3.+ on bgg. Not that I would stress myself that much with this. Underworlds is an excelent game, deep and tactical, and very competitive - but it also involves miniatures, so it depends what you are looking for.

If you are looking for a classic style CCG: Flesh& Blood is excelent as others have said. If you like an anime/japanese style ccg - Cardfight! Vanguard. Really good, fun and great artwork.
If you want an LCG like netrunner: Doomtown Reloaded is very deep, unique, and close to netrunner experience I heard. Another option would be Ashes: Rise of the Pheonixborn. Beautiful art and interesting mechanics. Finally, you could look into the Legend of the Five Rings LCG. While technically dead (ffg ended it in 2021), the game is widely available and still supported by fans (there are even new expansions). L5R is a fantastic game, very deep and complex, beautiful art and universe. I highly recommend.

It's great to see your interest in collectible card games! If you're looking for a Netrunner replacement, I've heard that Flesh and Blood has similarities in terms of depth. It might be worth checking out some reviews to see if it aligns with what you enjoyed about Netrunner.