Finding an enjoyable card game app for your smartphone or tablet may seem easy at first until you realize how saturated the market is with this type of gameplay. From your basic Solitaire and Hearts to more action-RPG-orientated titles, there are many options to choose from.
Fortunately, you’ll find our top 7 picks of mobile card game apps here below. It starts with straightforward gameplay and moves towards advanced deck-building game mechanics that require some strategy.
Solitaire Bliss
Why only play one type of Solitaire when you can try 28 over ten types or modes? With Solitaire Bliss, you can enjoy the standard game or try others like Freecell or Klondike. There are different backgrounds and themes to spice up the screen, and gameplay is straightforward with clear rules for each game.
Available for Android and iPhone, the Solitaire Bliss Collection provides you with daily challenges to ensure you always have a reason to return. There are also unlimited hints and undos in case you get stuck in a game and don’t want to restart. To make completion easier, rounds will autocomplete once you’ve unlocked the required stacks.
Spades
Another classic game you can easily find for mobile and PC is Spades. Much like hearts, the app deals 13 cards to each player, whether there are two or four. Should it be the latter, the player opposite you becomes your teammate. The ultimate goal is to become the team or player that reaches a score of 500.
You play games over rounds until the winning score is reached, with the highest cards or Spades winning a trick. First, you’ll place a bid for how many tricks you feel you’ll take in a round. If the final amount exceeds your bid, you gain points, while the opposite loses points. These scores are tallied over the rounds until someone wins. On the mobile versions of Spades, you may also have other gameplay options.
Uno!
If you’ve ever gone on a camping trip with your family or buddies, chances are that you’ve taken a pack of Uno with you. With Uno! now available on mobile, this card game app broadens your horizons in terms of opponents. The colors and visuals are fantastic; you’ll get a thrill out of winning your matches against beginners and veterans.
One fun feature is the ability to call out text or emojis while playing. Besides standard gameplay, you have various modes to explore, including one where you investigate cities or long roads with different challenges. If you want to be the best, make sure you check out the app leaderboard.
Slay the Spire
It’s time to combine role-playing games’ action elements with cards’ deck-building aspects. Slay the Spire presents quests and exciting storylines to complete as you rise into the tower filled with creatures, mayhem, and choices. When you enter a floor, you can choose which attack and power cards to take.
However, each time you climb the spire, the layout changes. You’ll grow more powerful as your card deck increases, but you’ll also face more challenging bosses. It comes down to strategy and learning which is the best way to play. If you enjoy action role-playing card games, you should also check out Cross Blitz.
Gwent: The Witcher Card Game
Those of you familiar with The Witcher from the titular video game will recall the in-game deck-building game. You can also play Gwent on mobile or download it as an app to your PC, challenging players from around the world. The visuals are crisp and beautiful, and you’ll collect cards and create sets from different races and classes.
When it comes to gameplay, you have several rows to place your creatures or soldiers. With numerous rounds at play, the one with the highest score at the end of each one wins. You’ll have to use your wit to determine which cards are the best to play and ramp up those points for the ultimate victory.
Magic: The Gathering Arena
This card game app is a personal favorite, stemming from the physical card game collection. Magic: The Gathering Arena is a digital downloadable version, presenting many sets, packs, and classes. Unlike Gwent, you’ll want to reduce your opponent’s health instead of gaining points, defeating them when it reaches zero.
However, it’s not that easy. Each player stacks decks on the table with creatures and abilities to protect them. In some cases, you can attack your opponent directly, but most instances call for defeating their creatures or armies first. It calls for strategy as you outlast your enemies and rise in the ranks to become the ultimate deckmaster.
What makes MTGA exciting is the frequent new events taking place. They present new packs over time, giving you a reason to return to the card game continuously. For example, Bethesda recently joined forces with the platform’s developers to bring their popular Fallout franchise to the deckbuilding game, adding a new dimension of gameplay and visuals.
Hearthstone
Made by the developers who brought us Diablo IV, here’s another deck-building game that requires you to get your opponent’s health down to zero. You’ll find solo adventures and PvP battles, while you also have a detailed ranking system with exciting rewards. It’s a long-term journey that will give you months, if not years, of enjoyment.
As with other deckbuilding card game apps, you must plan which creatures or spells to use at the right time. You can even join your friends in epic 8-player battles to determine which of you is the ultimate Hearthstone master. It’s an exhilarating ride as you climb the leaderboards and unlock new packs and sets.
