Card games always have been and always will be an endless source of fun. If you’re a devoted card player, you know just how exciting it is to put your last card on the table and declare yourself the winner of the game. Their only drawback is that unless you’re playing solitaire, you need a group of people to play with, and meeting up with friends isn’t always possible. But these situations have an easy solution: card video games.
In recent years, card games for PC and smartphones have experienced a real boom. Now there are all kinds of games, from everyday classics like poker and blackjack to collectible digital games and online multiplayer card battles. But some of them can be expensive or require a monthly subscription. So you might be wondering, what about free-to-play card games? Are there any good ones?
You’re in luck, because in today’s article, we’re going to look at some of the best free-to-play card games for PC and Android smartphones and tablets. Let’s get to it!
Gwent: The Witcher Card Game
If you’re a fan of RPGs, you’re probably more than familiar with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It introduced Gwent, a mini collectible card game that could be played against most of the characters in the game. It was so popular that CD Projekt decided to create a standalone version of Gwent, which is not only much better than the game you can play within Wild Hunt but also completely free.
Gwent is clearly inspired by other card battle games like Magic: The Gathering. You’ll play the role of one of the factions of the Andrzej Sapkowski universe (Northern Kingdoms, Nilfgaard, Syndicate, Monsters, Skellige or Scoia’Tael), collect its cards and use them to attack your rival. They all have unique features and special attack capabilities, so creating a good deck and knowing when to use your cards are the keys to victory. You can play Gwent on your PC or Android smartphone. Feel like commanding Geralt and his friends again?
- Gwent for PC
- Gwent for Android
Hearthstone
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is definitely one of today’s most well-known and popular card games. Since it arrived on the scene, Hearthstone has captivated followers of the Blizzard universe with its many collectible cards and perfect balance between simple rules and highly complex battles.
In Hearthstone, you’ll summon creatures and characters from Warcraft and arm them to the teeth to defeat your rival. As is usual in collectible card games, to win, you need to be lucky when acquiring troops and weapons and a great strategist when creating decks. Hearthstone is a completely free game available for both PC and smartphones.
- Hearthstone for PC
- Hearthstone for Android
Injustice 2
Interested in waging epic card battles using the most popular superheroes and villains from D.C. Comics? Then you’ll love Injustice 2! This free-to-play collectible card game offers three-on-three battles where only the most strategic player will win.
One of the strong points of Injustice 2 is that, besides being an incredibly fun card game, it lets you earn rewards for the Injustice 2 fighting game for PC, PS4 and Xbox One. This makes it the perfect choice for fans of this amazing beat ’em up. You can download the Injustice 2 card game for Android smartphones below.
JCC Pokémon Online
Fans of the Pokémon franchise have a reason to celebrate, because this popular card game also has a free-to-play version for PC and Android smartphones. It’s identical to the original card game in terms of playability, so if you’re already familiar with it, you’ll be beating rival trainers in no time at all.
One of the highlights of JCC Pokémon Online is that the game is updated frequently. In fact, since being launched in 2011, it has been updated over time, and it even has the new Pokémon introduced in the game Sword and Shield. You can play it to win new cards through your battles or, if you prefer, trade them with your friends just as you would in the physical card game! If you’re crazy for Pikachu and company, don’t miss your chance to download it.
- JCC POkémon Online for PC
- JCC Pokémon Online for Android
Legends of Runeterra
Following in the footsteps of Warcraft with Hearthstone, League of Legends also has its own free card game. When you play Legends of Runeterra, you’ll represent one of the following LoL regions: Shadow Isles, Noxus, Pilvoten & Zaun, Freljord, Demacia or Ionia. Each one has a deck with a different style of play and heroes, so it’s important to choose well.
If you’re a fan of League of Legends, be sure to check it out, but keep in mind that the game is still in the beta phase. You can download Legends of Runeterra for both PC and Android smartphones.
- Legends of Runeterra for PC
- Legends of Runeterra for Android
Magic: The Gathering Arena
If you’re a fan of card games, you’re probably more than familiar with Magic Duels of the Planeswalkers, but what about Magic: The Gathering Arena? This new edition brings back the classic from Wizards of the Coast, which is sure to please its biggest devotees.
Magic: The Gathering Arena differs from Planeswalkers in that it follows the same rules as the original card game. In it, you’ll discover exciting duels between magicians with their creatures, artifacts, spells and, of course, the source of mana. Magic: The Gathering Arena is a simple game, perfect for online duels with friends. We especially recommend it if you grew up playing this fun card game.
The Elder Scrolls: Legends
Continuing with the topic of video games with card game spin-offs, we also recommend The Elder Scrolls: Legends. This game bears an uncanny resemblance to Hearthstone. In fact, it is played almost the same way except for the arrangement of the cards and the possibility of covering them up. Of course, it’s much more appealing if you’re not a devotee of the Warcraft universe.
Among the strong points of The Elder Scrolls: Legends, the game has a very active community of players (you’ll have no problem finding an opponent), and fans of the saga will be delighted with the cards. You’ll find cards based on Morrowind, Oblivion, Skyrim, etc., and there are periodic competitions to demonstrate who’s best.
UNO & Friends
Talking about card games without mentioning UNO would be a travesty, so we made sure to add this fun game to our list. You can enjoy long UNO sessions with friends without needing to be in the same place (something that is frankly necessary in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic).
UNO & Friends is easy to play and incredibly fun. If you already know the rules of the popular card game, you’ll be able to start playing in no time at all. One interesting thing about UNO & Friends is that you can link the game to social media platforms like Facebook, which makes it easy to find friends to play with. This is really useful so you can challenge friends or encourage them to install the app.
Shadowverse
Shadowverse is the perfect card game for anyone who has tried Hearthstone but isn’t entirely sold on it. Under a seemingly simple game system is a complex, challenging title that you’ll never tire of playing.
Without a doubt, one of Shadowverse’s most attention-grabbing features are its beautiful cards. Their anime-style illustrations will thrill fans of Japanese comics and animation. What’s more, this game has an efficient deck-creating system that lets you spend more time enjoying the game itself. We highly recommend it.
WWE SuperCard
The final pick on our list is WWE SuperCard, the ideal game for wrestling fans. This fun game lets you collect your favorite wrestlers (Hulk Hogan, John Cena, etc.) and have fun multiplayer battles.
The rules of WWE SuperCard are easy to understand, so it won’t take long to learn how to play. But that doesn’t mean that it’s a simple game! In fact, its many options and playing modes guarantee you’ll never get bored. It’s a must for WWE fans!
We hope you liked our selection of free-to-play card games. Are there any others that you want to add to our list? Tell us about them in the comments section!
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