Board games with cards

Cards break that open. You draw something you did not expect and your plan shifts. In good games of this genre that is not bad luck but the whole point: you build towards something without ever knowing exactly what is coming, and that is exactly what makes every game a different story.

There is a price, and it is only fair to mention it. These games often last longer, and explaining them takes more time than a card game you can grasp in a minute. If you are after something quick in between, this is usually not the place.

Deck-builders: your deck is the game

The purest form of this genre. You start with a handful of weak cards and buy better ones as you play. By the end you are playing with a deck you put together yourself, and your opponent's looks completely different.

Slay the Spire: The Board Game is the best-known example, based on the video game. One to four players, ages 12 and up, and a good hour per game. World Order does something similar, but with a fight for power in a changing world, for two to four players aged 14 and up.

Want to play on your own? Then Final Girl stands out: explicitly a game for one player, ages 14 and up, around an hour, with horror films as its starting point.

Cards that build your board

A second form works the other way round. The cards are not weapons but building blocks: you lay them out in front of you and together they form the engine that earns you points.

Wingspan is the most played example. You attract birds to your nature reserve, and every bird you play makes your next turn a little stronger. One to five players, ages 10 and up. For two, Everdell Duo works better: one to two players, ages 10 and up, and designed specifically for that player count rather than adapted to it.

Short and fierce

Not everything in this genre takes an evening. Unmatched: Bruce Lee vs Mohammed Ali is a duel for exactly two players, ages 9 and up, and it is over in half an hour. Each hero has their own deck with their own play style, and the board decides where you stand and who you can hit.

Looking for something with a few more people at the table? Then The Old King's Crown sits somewhere in between: one to four players, ages 14 and up, with bluffing, area control and factions that all play differently.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is a board game with cards? A game that needs both a game board and a deck of cards. Take the cards away and the game falls apart; take the board away and the same happens. That sets it apart from a card game with a little scoreboard, and from a board game where the cards only announce an event.

What is the difference between this and a deck-builder? A deck-builder is one kind of board game with cards: the kind where you build your own deck during the game. All deck-builders belong in this category, but not every game here is a deck-builder. We explain what the other terms mean in our overview of types of board games.

Are these games good for beginners? Some are. Unmatched and Everdell Duo can be explained in a quarter of an hour. The campaign games in this category are not: they take an evening of preparation and a willingness to look up rules. New to the hobby? Then have a look at our fun board games first.

Can I play them solo? More often than in other genres. Because the cards provide the unpredictability that would normally come from an opponent, solo play works well here. Final Girl is even made for one player only, and Slay the Spire, Wingspan and The Old King's Crown also list one player on the box.