In a deck-building game, you start with a specific deck of cards that is either identical or similar to your opponents which you’ll draw from, shuffle, and redraw from for the rest of the game. As you progress you purchase new cards to add to your discard pile, adding new abilities, ditching less powerful cards, and building out killer combos over the course of the game.
As each player picks up new cards they can set progress at different rates toward the game’s objective, so the strategy is both in what you buy and how you react to the cards in your hand. In all of these games, there is both skill and luck involved, since you are reliant on what you draw and what comes up in the market, but there’s a lot of satisfaction as you work toward crafting a particularly powerful hand, which is why these games are so popular.
It’s a common point of confusion, but most deck-building games are very different from collectible card games like Magic: The Gathering for example. These games rely on collecting hundreds of cards and then building a deck before you play. That mechanic is generally referred to as deck construction.
In a deck builder, all the cards you need come in the core box, so you don’t have to go searching for the perfect cards in booster packs, or buying expensive cards at the counter. Don’t get me wrong, a lot of these games have an, admittedly, overwhelming number of expansions you can pick up, but they aren’t required for a complete game like they are in trading card games, or even living cards games – like Marvel Champions and Arkham Horror. No need to engage with the meta to find all the perfect cards and build an overpowered deck to bring to game night. Since you build the deck during the game, just open the box and you’re ready to go – everyone starts on an equal playing field.
There are some great “pure deck builders out there, but deck-building mechanics are a popular option to combine with other gaming mechanisms – like worker placement, racing, and combat, all of which have been combined with deck-building to great effect. There’s an example of each in our list below.
This is a very popular genre and there are a lot of games to choose from, but a top-tier deck builder needs to deliver a rich blend of strategy, thematic depth, and (nearly infinite) replayability.
11 Best Deck Building Board Games
Below are a few of the best deck building board games out there, all with their own theme, mechanics, and levels of complexity and challenge. There should definitely be something for everyone among our picks!
Clank: A Deck-Building Adventure
By: Renegade Game Studios, the publisher of Clank: A Deck-Building Adventure Players: 2-4 Ages: 12+ Time: 30-60 minutes
Sneaking through the passages below Dragon Keep, burglars endeavor to steal treasure and escape with their lives. Collecting allies and artifacts, be as quiet as possible to avoid drawing the Dragon’s attention and anger. One wrong Clank! and you’re done for!
In Clank, players take on the role of burglars trying to sneak out as much gold and loot out of a castle as possible. Each player has a deck of cards that they’ll use to control their actions. Playing cards generate resources that allow players to do one of three things: move around the board, add new cards to their deck, or fight monsters. Players can take as many actions on their turn as they wish, as long as they have enough resources to do so.
Adding cards to a deck is critical as players start with basic cards and not many to choose from, but playing enough resources to purchase cards will allow you to add stronger ones to assist you. A set of cards is always available on the board to purchase and new ones will replace purchased cards. Once you’ve played or purchased cards they will go into a discard pile, which gets reshuffled into your deck when you run out of cards. The purchasable cards will sometimes have monsters amongst them. Rather than a resource cost, players can use cards with swords on to fight them. If they play cards equal to a monster’s sword cost they will slay it and receive the reward listed.
Starting decks won’t have cards with swords on them so purchasing the right cards at the right time will benefit you as the game progresses. Boots will allow players to move around tunnels to different areas of the castle. The board is segmented into many different rooms that are attached by white lines connecting them. There are rules regarding moving through some of the tunnels and certain rooms you move to will have a minor or major treasure you can use to assist you on your turn, or will boost your points at the end of the game. Moving will also generate clank, which is bad, and if players suffer enough damage they will get knocked out and no longer be active. When all players are either knocked out or exit the castle with their artifact the game ends. Any surviving players total up their points and the player with the most loot wins.
Clank uses a lot more components than just cards, but the game brings them together brilliantly to create an exciting experience based on luck and skill. Easy to learn, players will enjoy trying their best to escape the castle with as much loot as possible.
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Undaunted: Normandy
By: Osprey Games Players: 2 Ages: 14+ Time: 45-60 minutes
Undaunted: Normandy is a strategic, deck-building war game that transports players back to the historic battlefields of World War II. In this two-player game, one takes on the role of the United States Army, while the other commands German forces, each trying to achieve specific objectives across a series of campaign scenarios. The game blends tactical maneuvers with the deck-building mechanic, allowing players to manage their squads by playing and acquiring new cards that represent soldiers, equipment, and actions.
Throughout the game, players must carefully choose which cards to play, as they dictate movement, combat, and control of the battlefield. Each scenario presents a unique layout and objectives, from capturing specific locations to eliminating enemy forces, leading to a highly replayable and engaging experience. The artwork and components immerse players in the theme, capturing the tension and uncertainty of skirmishes across the Normandy landscape.
Unlike traditional deck-builders who focus on accruing powerful combinations to overwhelm opponents, Undaunted: Normandy emphasizes strategic deployment and the management of resources under the fog of war. It challenges players to adapt their strategies in response to the dynamic battlefield conditions, making each decision critical to the success of the mission. With its innovative integration of deck-building and tactical combat, Undaunted: Normandy offers a fresh and thrilling perspective on the deck-building genre.
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Friday
By: Rio Grande Games Players: 1 Ages: 10+ Time: 25 minutes
Friday is a unique, single-player deck-building game that plunges you into the shoes of Robinson Crusoe’s loyal friend and guide, tasked with helping him survive on a deserted island. Unlike the other games mentioned, Friday is designed for solo play, presenting a challenging and engaging experience as you attempt to prepare Crusoe for the eventual confrontation with pirates.
Throughout the game, players must manage their deck carefully, representing Robinson’s skills, hazards, and fighting abilities. Each round, you face different challenges and must decide which skills to use or improve upon. The game operates on a robust risk-management system, where decisions to confront or avoid dangers will resonate throughout the game, impacting your ability to deal with future threats.
Friday’s gameplay mechanics emphasize learning and adaptation. You start with a deck of relatively weak cards, and through encounters with island hazards, you have the opportunity to refine and strengthen your deck. The objective is to survive all the hazards and defeat the pirates in the final showdown. The game’s difficulty scales as you progress, requiring strategic thinking and forward planning to overcome the increasing challenges.
The solo nature of Friday offers a contemplative yet engaging deck-building experience. It stands out for its thematic depth, compelling you to strategize and make pivotal decisions that will determine Robinson’s fate. Friday is not just about building a powerful deck but about the choices you make to outwit the odds stacked against you, offering a deeply satisfying and replayable gaming experience.
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Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle
By: USAopoly (The Op) Players: 2-4 Ages: 11+ Time: 30-60 minutes
Enter the magical world of Hogwarts in Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle, a cooperative deck-building game that allows players to become their favorite characters from the Harry Potter series. Players work together as Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Neville to protect the wizarding world from dark forces. Through seven successive game adventures that reflect the seven Harry Potter books, players unlock new challenges and secrets, enhancing their abilities with a growing deck of magical cards.
In this game, players start with a personal deck of basic cards. Throughout the game, they can acquire more powerful spells, magical items, and allies to add to their deck. Each adventure increases in complexity and presents unique challenges that require strategic thinking and collaboration to overcome. The game beautifully captures the progression and growth of the characters throughout the Harry Potter series, with players unlocking new abilities and facing tougher foes as they advance. Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle is not just a hit among fans of the franchise but also introduces a wonderfully immersive experience for those new to deck-building games, all while encouraging cooperation and teamwork.
The combination of familiar characters, engaging gameplay, and a progressively challenging structure makes Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle an enchanting addition to any game night, allowing players to live out the battles and adventures of the wizarding world right at their kitchen table.
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The Quest for El Dorado
By: Ravensburger Players: 2-4 Ages: 10+ Time: 30-60 minutes
Venture into the dense jungles in search of the legendary city of gold, El Dorado. This thrilling expedition combines strategy and luck as players race to be the first to reach the mythical city.
In The Quest for El Dorado, players take on the roles of expedition leaders, each guiding their own team in this adventurous deck-building game. The game board is a modular hex grid, representing various terrains like jungles, lakes, and mountains, which players must traverse. Each player starts with a basic set of cards that represent the resources needed to move through the different terrains—machetes for the jungle, paddles for water, and coins to purchase better equipment and helpful guides along the way.
Balancing speed and preparation is key, as moving too quickly might leave you ill-equipped for the challenges ahead while taking too long allows your rivals to get ahead. During their turn, a player can play cards to move on the board, buy new cards to add to their deck or rest to remove a card from their deck, streamlining their path forward. The dynamic nature of the deck-building mechanic ensures that every game will have its strategies, as players must adapt to the layout of the terrain and the actions of their opponents.
The race to El Dorado is tense and exciting, with players constantly jostling for position on the board and within the card market. The first explorer to reach the gates of El Dorado claims victory, but the true fun lies in the unpredictable journey through uncharted lands, making every playthrough a unique adventure.
The Quest for El Dorado perfectly blends the principles of deck-building with the thrill of a race, creating an accessible yet deeply strategic game. This game not only challenges players’ tactical skills but also immerses them in a vivid exploration narrative, promising a compelling adventure for families and strategy enthusiasts alike.
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Marvel Legendary: A Deck Building Game
By: Upper Deck Entertainment Players: 1-5 Ages: 14+ Time: 30-60 minutes
Dive into the Marvel Universe with Marvel Legendary, a cooperative deck-building game that assembles a cast of Marvel’s greatest superheroes to thwart the twisted schemes of the universe’s most nefarious villains. In this dynamic game, players work together to recruit powerful heroes like Spider-Man, Wolverine, and the Avengers to combat villains, mastermind plots and ultimately save the day.
Each player starts with a basic deck of cards and, through strategic planning and cooperation, adds more potent heroes to their deck from a central pool. Players must then use their assembled heroes to fight villains and progress through the mastermind villain’s scheme. The game’s cooperative nature encourages players to strategize together to overcome villains and their henchmen, all while racing against the scheme’s advancement that could spell disaster for the heroes.
Marvel Legendary is celebrated for its rich thematic content and deep strategic gameplay. With multiple heroes, villains, and mastermind villains to choose from, each game can offer a new story and challenge, ensuring high replayability. Additionally, the game has numerous expansions, allowing players to introduce more characters and schemes into the fray, further deepening the complexity and enjoyment of the game.
The combination of cooperative gameplay, strategic depth, and the vast Marvel Universe makes Marvel Legendary an outstanding addition to any game collection, appealing to both fans of deck-building games and the Marvel Universe. Its ability to bring together friends and family for a battle against evil makes every game session an epic adventure.
Marvel’s not your thing? Try the Alien Deck Building Game, which uses the same core system.
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Star Realms
By: Wise Wizard Games Players: 2 Ages: 12+ Time: 20 minutes
Battle for galactic supremacy in this deck-building game heavy on space combat. Upgrade your ships and destroy your opponent’s bases to claim galactic authority.
Star Realms is a space combat game where players fight for dominance over the galaxy. Players must grow their deck’s weak starting fleet into an armada powerful enough to overwhelm the opposition. Along with each player having their own deck of cards, there is a trade deck that will be used throughout the game. There will always be a row of five cards that are available from the trade deck that players can access to make their fleet stronger if they have the resources. During a player’s turn, they can take various actions like playing cards from their hand, trading to acquire new cards from the trade row, or attacking an opponent and/or their bases. Bases stay in play until destroyed and are used to help defend players from enemy attacks. When ships are played, they’re active for one turn and then discarded. Ships will help you with trading or attacking. Trade ships will have a resource cost to them which goes into a pool and when you acquire enough you can use the trade points to acquire stronger cards. Likewise attacking ships will have a combat cost, which can be added to a pool and used to destroy enemy bases. If the amount of combat exceeds a base defense then that base is destroyed. If a player attacks another directly, they lose authority equal to the combat used from the pool. Whoever reduces the other player’s authority from 50 to 0 is the winner.
Star Realms is a fast-paced, easy-to-learn deck-building game, especially for those familiar with similar types of games. With so many ships available and different strategies to utilize, the game is a great addition to any collection.
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Star Wars: A Deck Building Game
By: Fantasy Flight Games Players: 2-4 Ages: 10+ Time: 45-90 minutes
Enter the iconic galaxy of Star Wars with this immersive deck-building game that allows players to relive the epic battles between the Rebel Alliance and the Galactic Empire. Star Wars: A Deck Building Game combines strategic card play with the rich lore of the Star Wars universe, offering an engaging experience for both fans of the franchise and deck-building enthusiasts.
Players begin with a basic deck of cards representing resources, combat units, and iconic characters. Over the course of the game, they can enhance their decks by acquiring new cards depicting powerful heroes, mighty starships, and influential events from the central pool. The aim is to craft a deck that can outmaneuver and overpower your opponents, whether by dominating in epic space battles or by cunningly undermining their strategies on the ground.
The game features dynamic gameplay mechanics that perfectly capture the ebb and flow of the Galactic conflict. Players must make tactical decisions on every turn, balancing the advancement of their own deck against the need to thwart their opponents’ moves. With a variety of paths to victory, including military dominance, strategic alliances, and control over key galactic locations, every game unfolds in its unique way, providing limitless replayability.
Star Wars: A Deck Building Game stands out for its ability to blend strategic depth with the thematic richness of the Star Wars universe. Whether you’re commandeering a fleet of Star Destroyers or leading a daring Rebel squadron, the game invites you into a galaxy far, far away for adventures that are as varied and captivating as the stories that inspire them.
Love Star Wars? Check out our article on the best Star Wars games.
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Dune: Imperium
By: Dire Wolf Digital Players: 1-4 Ages: 14+ Time: 60-120 minutes
Dive into the immersive universe of Arrakis in Dune: Imperium, a game that masterfully blends deck-building mechanics with worker placement strategy. Set against the backdrop of Frank Herbert’s iconic sci-fi saga, players assume the roles of various factions vying for control over the desert planet and its most valuable resource, Spice.
In Dune: Imperium, each player starts with a unique leader card and a basic deck that represents their faction’s starting resources and influence. Throughout the game, players will dispatch agents to iconic locations within the Dune universe to gather resources, recruit new cards into their deck, and exert influence over the political, economic, and military spheres of the game world. The deck-building aspect allows players to fine-tune their strategy by acquiring new cards that synergize with their faction’s strengths and objectives.
The worker placement mechanics introduce a tactical layer to the gameplay, as players must carefully choose where to send their agents based on the changing dynamics of the board and the actions of their opponents. Victory points are earned through combat, political machinations, and controlling key territories on the board. The player who best manages their deck and agents to strategically navigate the complex web of Dune’s power struggles will emerge victorious.
Dune: Imperium provides a deeply strategic experience that captures the essence of the Dune universe, appealing to both fans of the novel and strategy game enthusiasts alike. With a variety of paths to victory, replayability is high, ensuring that each game unfolds in wildly different ways. Every decision counts in the quest for dominance over Arrakis, making Dune: Imperium a thrilling challenge for all who enter the fray.
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Lost Ruins of Arnak
By: Czech Games Edition Players: 1-4 Ages: 12+ Time: 30-120 minutes
Explore uncharted territories and uncover the mysteries of an ancient civilization in Lost Ruins of Arnak. This game combines deck-building and worker placement mechanics in a unique blend that challenges players to manage resources efficiently while navigating a series of strategic decisions. Set on a remote, uninhabited island, players take on the role of explorers competing to discover lost artifacts, uncover forgotten ruins, and face mythical guardians.
Each player begins with a basic set of cards that represent their starting equipment and will explore the island by placing workers on various locations to gain resources, discover new sites, and fight fearsome guardians. The deck-building element allows players to improve their exploration capabilities by acquiring new item and artifact cards, each providing valuable skills and benefits.
What sets Lost Ruins of Arnak apart is its seamless integration of multiple gameplay mechanics, offering a rich and strategic experience that evolves with each turn. Balancing resource management with the benefits of exploration and the timing of deck expansion makes for a compelling and engaging gameplay loop. The game’s theme is beautifully supported by high-quality components and artwork, immersing players in the game’s adventurous atmosphere.
With a variety of strategies to explore and a dynamic game board that changes with every play, Lost Ruins of Arnak is a captivating adventure for both seasoned gamers and newcomers to the hobby. Its combination of exploration, resource management, and strategic planning ensures that no two games are the same, offering endless replayability.
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Dominion
By: Rio Grande Games Players: 2-4 Ages: 13+ Time: 30-60 minutes
In Dominion, each player starts as the monarch of a small, insignificant kingdom, with the grand ambition to expand it into a vast empire. Unlike other deck-building games where battles and direct conflict are the focus, Dominion emphasizes strategy, resource management, and kingdom expansion through the careful selection of cards.
Players begin with an identical, small deck of cards representing their fledgling domain. Throughout the game, players use their turns to acquire valuable cards from a common pool, gradually crafting a unique deck that represents their kingdom’s resources, inhabitants, and structures. Choices include land holdings, monetary wealth, valuable subjects, and protective measures. Each card serves a purpose, be it generating wealth, enabling further purchases, or occasionally allowing for interactions with opponents’ domains.
The game progresses in rounds, where players draw a hand of cards from their decks, using them to acquire new cards or activate card effects. The main objective is to amass victory points through the acquisition of certain cards that symbolize the growth and success of the player’s dominion. However, not all cards in a player’s deck contribute to this score; thus, balancing the deck’s composition becomes a critical element of strategy.
Dominion stands out for its replayability due to the vast combination of card types available in the base game and its numerous expansions, each adding new themes, cards, and mechanisms that challenge players to adjust their strategies in diverse and intriguing ways.
Despite its serene theme of kingdom-building rather than warfare, Dominion introduces a competitive edge through strategic deck management, making every game a fresh adventure in empire building. It’s celebrated as a pioneer in the deck-building genre, offering a blend of strategy that is both engaging for newcomers and challenging for seasoned strategists.
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Conclusion: Try some new deck-building games!
The world of board games is constantly evolving, and the deck-building genre has become a staple in many gaming circles. Whether you’re a fan of strategic gameplay or simply looking for a new adventure to embark on, these three games offer unique experiences that are sure to satisfy.
From navigating the political landscape of Dune: Imperium, to exploring uncharted territories in Lost Ruins of Arnak, to building your own empire in Dominion, each game offers a different theme and gameplay mechanics that will keep you engaged for hours on end.
So why not give one (or all) of these games a try? You may just find yourself addicted to the endless possibilities and immersive experiences offered by deck-building games. Happy gaming!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What makes deck-building games different from other board games?
A: Deck building board games focus on starting with a minimal set of cards or resources and strategically acquiring more as the game progresses. This mechanism creates a dynamic playing experience where strategies evolve based on players’ decisions on which cards to add to their decks.
Q: Can these games be played solo?
A: Yes, many deck-building games, including Lost Ruins of Arnak, offer solo-play modes. These modes typically pit the player against the game’s mechanics using special rules to simulate an opponent or achieve specific objectives.
Q: How long does it typically take to play a deck-building game?
A: Playtime can vary based on the specific game, the number of players, and the players’ familiarity with the game mechanics. Generally, games can range from 30 minutes to a couple of hours.
Q: Are these games suitable for children?
A: These games are generally targeted at ages 12 and up due to the strategic thinking and planning required. However, younger players with an interest in board games and a knack for strategy may also enjoy them under guidance.
Q: Where can I find these games?
A: These games are available at most board game retailers, both in physical stores and online. You can also find them through various online marketplaces and second-hand from other gamers.