CCG - Collectible Card Games

Collectible Card Game Game News, Reviews, Editorials & Unboxings.

A collectible card game, (CCG), also called a trading card game (TCG) is a type of card game that mixes strategic deck building elements with features of trading cards. It was introduced with Magic: The Gathering in 1993.

Players will begin playing a CCG with a pre-made starter deck and customize their deck with cards they collect from booster packs or traded with other players. As a player collects more cards, they may create new decks from scratch from their collection. Players choose what cards to add to their decks based on a particular strategy while also staying within the limits of the rule set. Games are commonly played between two players, though multiplayer formats exist. Gameplay in CCGs is typically turn-based, with each player starting with a shuffled deck and on their turn, drawing and playing cards to attack the other player and reduce their health points to zero before their opponent can do the same to them.

CCGs are typically themed around fantasy or science fiction genres. Cards in CCGs are specially designed sets of playing cards. Each card within the CCG represent an element of that theme geared towards the gameplay of the CCG, and can fall in categories such as creatures, enhancements, events, resources, and locations. Like all card games, cards within the CCG typically share the same common backside art, while the front has a combination of custom artwork and images to embellish the card along with instructions and flavor text for the card. Expansion sets are used to extend CCGs, introducing new gameplay strategies and narrative lore through new cards in starter decks and booster packs, that may also lead to the development of theme decks. Successful CCGs typically have thousands of unique cards through multiple expansions. Magic: The Gathering initially launched with 300 unique cards and currently had more than 22,000 by 2020.

The first CCG, Magic: The Gathering, was developed by Richard Garfield and published by Wizards of the Coast in 1993. By the end of 1994, Magic: The Gathering had sold over 1 billion cards, and during its most popular period, between 2008 and 2016, had sold over 20 billion.