Shuffle forward if you are looking for board games like Magic The Gathering because that is what we are going to give you. Magic is a collectible card game, meaning you collect all sorts of cards from all over (multiple sets and packs and expansions) and bring them all together. It does take some money to be able to have a good enough collection to play but if you can get there it is a lot of fun. There are also fun alternative modes like “drafting” where you open up booster packs and build a deck by taking and passing with others.
To determine this list we broke down Magic the Gathering to what it is. This is a fantasy card game that is played one on one. You have many cards to choose from but you need to put together a small set to exploit combos and use synergies amongst similar factions. You need to anticipate your opponent’s weakness and attack it. If you are looking for something similar, you have come to the right place. We took all this into consideration and came up with this list of the 5 board games like Magic the Gathering.
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#05 | Hero Realms
Hero Realms is part of the “deck building” genre which is basically the opposite or the prequel of collectible card games depending on how you look at them. A deck building game, even though it sounds like it would be the same, is about the process of making a deck and everyone starts with the exact same opportunity. Star Realms makes the list of board games like Magic the Gathering because it is a showdown card battle game and instead of five colors to work within, there are factions of heroes that you need to strategically synergize.
You start the game with a ten-card personal deck containing gold (for buying) and weapons (for combat). You play with five cards each turn and shuffle your discard pile into your new deck when it runs out. A flow of communal cards comes across the center “market”. As you play, you use gold to buy champion cards and action cards from the Market which generate large amounts of gold, combat, or other powerful effects. You use combat to attack your opponent and their champions. For 2 – 4 players, games run about 20 – 30 minutes each.
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#04 | Android Netrunner
Android Netrunner makes the list of board games like Magic the Gathering because it is a strategic card game for 2 players with a very large plethora of variable player powers. MTG is more fantasy and this is more sci-fi but you do have many different races and factions, a trait common amongst both.
Set in the cyberpunk future of Android and Infiltration, the game pits a megacorporation and its massive resources against the subversive talents of lone runners. Corporations seek to score agendas by advancing them. Doing so takes time and credits. In turn, runners need to spend their time and credits acquiring a sufficient wealth of resources, purchasing the necessary hardware, and developing suitably powerful programs to hack past corporate security measures. For 2 players, games run about 45 minutes.
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#03 | A Game of Thrones: The Card Game
A Game of Thrones: The Card Game makes the list of board games like Magic the Gathering because it just happens to be a pretty amazing game, that has the same modular deck and showdown attack feel. Like choosing to focus on green or white in magic, here you can focus on specific houses and bring that deck to a fight.
Your ultimate goal is to gain influence over the greatest seat of power in Westeros: the Iron Throne! To achieve this goal, you must call upon iconic characters, such as Tywin Lannister, Robb Stark, Stannis Baratheon, Daenerys Targaryen, Euron Crow’s Eye, The Red Viper, and dozens of others. In the game, each player has two decks (draw and plot). Your draw deck contains the tactical elements of your struggle, including the characters, locations, attachments, and events that you call upon in your struggle to claim the Iron Throne. For 2 – 4 players, games last about 1 – 2 hours.
FOR MORE: Games Like Game of Thrones The Card Game | Buy Game of Thrones The Card Game on Amazon
#02 | Mage Wars Arena
Mage Wars Arena makes the list of board games like Magic the Gathering because it is a 2 player fantasy card game that relies on groupings and combos to take down your opponent in a match. You are also basically going to a match with a deck of your choice. This definitely takes it into board game territory by also having a board and miniatures as part of the gameplay.
You are a powerful Mage pitted against another in deadly arena combat. Each Mage uses their own fully-customizable book of spells to achieve total victory over their opponent. Summon mighty creatures to do battle in your name; cast powerful spells to attack your foe and thwart his every plan and strategy; use hidden enchantments to turn the tables and rule the day; adorn yourself with mighty weapons, armor, and arcane artifacts. For 2 players, games last about 90 minutes.
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#01 | Epic Card Game
Epic Card Game takes the top spot on the list of board games like Magic the Gathering because it aimed and succeeded at recreating the TCG-style experience in a single box. You have cards with factions and cost and you need to draw and play them from your deck to take down your opponent. There are 120 cards and, you can either shuffle and deal each 30 or you could do a draft like drafting in MTG.
You take on the role of an elder god, in conflict with other elder gods. The cards in your deck are your champions, who fight for you, and events, which represent your will imposed on the mortal realm. In Epic, the turn sequence is easy but there are many options to choose from. You begin the game with a hand of five cards – each card costs either one gold or is free. Defeat your opponent before they can do the same to you. For 2 – 4 players, games last about 20 – 40 minutes.
