Getting Started With CCG Games

| Sunday, June 2, 2013
By Michelle Howe


Card games these days go far beyond what can be played with a simple standard deck. While it will never go out of style to sit down to play poker or blackjack with a group of friends, more complex options are gaining popularity. If you are interested in learning more about what is out there, checking out CCG games is a great way to get started.

CCG stands for Collectible Card Game, and usually refers to a game that can be played by purchasing or assembling a deck of specialized cards that are produced around a certain theme. Sometimes these decks come pre-assembled, and sometimes they must be put together individually by buying single cards. Frequently, players can start with the former, then add or take away cards until it is precisely how they want it.

A game may center around a theme that has been written specifically for it, without an outside source. The popular CCG Magic: The Gathering is probably the most prominent example of these. With this type, characters and story are original, rather than being adapted from another source.

There are plenty of options that do draw their inspiration from previously existing situations and characters, however. Titles based on Star Trek, Marvel superheroes, and World of Warcraft, Blizzard Entertainment's online game, are examples of existing properties that have CCGs based on television shows, comics, and video games respectively. Creators must be careful when using these types of themes that their creations do not stray too far outside of existing fiction.

Specific rules will vary according to what game is being played, but you can usually count on a few things being similar no matter what. Generally, game play takes place in phases, which cycle through preparation and execution of moves and strategies according to what type of cards a player is holding. Whatever the specific goal is for that game, all players attempt to reach it first, whether it be to take out all competition or simply to secure another winning condition before anyone else.

Numerous tournaments exist that are devoted to this type of competition, and many of them are quite large, especially for the more popular titles. Therefore, while it is definitely possible to enjoy a game with just a few friends, players can also get to a skill level that allows them to pursue larger-scale play. The tournaments themselves can range in size from small local affairs to huge international conventions.

Many people may not have the time or the money to meet up with others to play, so online versions are popular as well. Although they still usually cost money, it can be less expensive, and finding matches is usually easier. The rules must sometimes be altered to suit the new format, but overall the experience is very similar.

Those who love collections as well as those who simply love to compete in a friendly game will find CCG games to be both fun and challenging. Learning the rules and perfecting your play style is a delicate art, but worth the time. Keep competing and see how good you can get!




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