Dexterity, precision, and even recklessness are rewarded in video games; but when luck appears no complaints from anyone. And, although the coincidence factor has been integrated into all kinds of games in various ways, it must be recognized that it is in the mini-card games where you take control of the game. Above all when these are well planned.
From time to time the mini-card games They have begun to receive very special treatment. They are secondary activities, of course, but we can also find cases of games created for the occasion and designed with the same ambition as the classic card games of a lifetime or collectible decks. That is, those we see on the shelves.
Some of them – let it be said – even deserving of having their own video game. And, for sample we have el propio Gwent, The Witcher III card game that ended up making the great leap to Gwent: The Witcher Card Game and, not long after, Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, an RPG completely based on its mechanics and rules.
On iGamesNews we have prepared a selection of card games that can be played from other video games. Alternative experiences capable of dramatically increasing the number of hours of play and, at times, taking us away from adventures, absorbing open worlds and the very salvation of entire civilizations.
Without further ado, below you will find 13 mini-games and card challenges played within video games. Some of them round up the value of essentials and others, possibly, you already know them from being in your favorite games.
Caravan
The obsession of caravan guards and travelers has its own name: Caravan. In essence, and within the history of Fallout, This is a collectible card game whose rules were created on the fly by recovering single cards scattered throughout the Mojave Wasteland. Obviously, getting all the card collections is part of the experience.
Yes OK, it is possible to play blackjack With the same cards in the game, the rules of Caravan are not much more complicated: it is about forming three piles (or caravans) of numbered cards whose value is greater than that of the rival but with an essential nuance: the sum of the cards It cannot be less than 21 or exceed 26.
Gwent
As it is described to us in the adventures of Geralt de Rivia, the Gwent is a card game invented by dwarves and perfected over centuries on tavern tables. The basic premise is simple: two armies face off on a battlefield divided into lanes, but it is in the very variety of collectible cards that take part in the battle that layers of depth are added to the game.
As with Caravan, getting better cards is part of the experience of The Witcher 3. Of course, Gwent continued to grow beyond the RPG and with the help of CD Projekt Red through Gwent: The Witcher Card Game, a free-to-play game that was born to position itself frontally with Hearthstone and Magic: The Gathering.
B+D
Once we have completed the mission A little game, the world of Bravely Default II You’ll be filled with characters with card icons wanting to put the continent’s most popular game of Excillant to the test: the B + D. The objective of this can be summarized in occupying a board divided into 25 squares (5×5) through the cards that we have in our hand.
Now, these cards not only represent a specific space and are accompanied by very special illustrations: they also have special effects and we can even steal territories. In the end, the player with the most spaces controlled will have won the game.
Triple Triad
The great Squaresoft classic contains, in turn, another classic of the collectible card games in video games: Triple Triad. In fact, one of the most interesting aspects is that, beyond the collector aspect of the game, as we travel throughout Final fantasy VIII we will know variations and different rules in different regions of your world.
The idea is to defeat the cards in play by placing other cards that exceed one of the four marked figures, taking into account the placement of both. If it has a 3 to the left we can overcome it with another card with a 4. However, there are nuances that give more variety to the games, such as elemental effects. Of course, the illustrations are amazing.
Easter food
The Easter food is a card game that, by the way, exists both in the old Star Wars expanded universe and in the official canon from LucasArts and the movies. What’s more, it is possible to see a game fleetingly in The Last Jedi. However, where fans were able to play it for the first time was at Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Playing is optional, of course, but it is a good resource to get a few extra credits.
For practical purposes, the objective of Easter food It is very similar to Blackjack with a competitive nuance: two players must put cards on a board and they have a preset value. In any case, the sum cannot exceed 20 points. Now, what makes Pazaak different is that depending on the type of card we can increase the amount in play, reduce it or apply special rules.
Skystones Overdrive
While the universe Skylanders made the total leap to collectible cards (and integrated into the game) with Battlecast, The truth is that from its best stage Activision rounded the value of its game with the mini-card game Skystones
The rules are a very simplified version of Hearthstone, of course. Two opponents use all kinds of cards with their own attack and resistance values. The ultimate goal of abmos is to subtract 30 health points from his opponent. Its design is intended for all audiences and the extra point of fun, of course, is to collect your own cards by defeating all the Skystone players scattered throughout the game.
Bonus phase: the card games of Super Mario Bros.
It is impossible to talk about mini-card games in video games and not dedicate Super Mario 3 at least one bonus phase. After all, it is a bonus in itself: when you collect 80,000 points in a game, a panel will appear on the map in which we are with the symbol of a deck.
Once we enter it, a curious memory game with cards will be displayed in which each time we turn over a pair of identical cards we will unlock the prize shown on them. From Coins to valuable lives, to Power-Ups.
Additional mention of Luigi’s Poker mini game from Super Mario 64 DS Already departure with Luigi in New Super Mario Bros. Two classic casino experiences with a subtle nasty twist that add extra multiplayer variety to each of the titles.
Rockstar Style Poker and Blackjack
So far we have talked about card-based mini-games that have been tailor-made for all types of games, but our review would be incomplete if we did not consider the most traditional card games What the poker or the Blackjack. And although these can be found without difficulty in most video games, it must be recognized that Rockstar has managed to integrate them in a very special way in its blockbusters.
To begin with, the card games in Red Dead Redemption and its sequel are more than just a mini-game: they are a full-fledged poker game set in the Wild West.
Now, the playful experience got out of hand in GTA Online with the arrival of The Diamond Casino & Resort and the introduction of all kinds of games of chance. A full-fledged online casino
Tetra Master
Originally known as Quad crap in the Japanese version of Final Fantasy XI (the location of the game itself was a serious matter) Tetra Master is a totally optional mini-collectible card game, although we will have to play at least one game for the development of the story.
Rules are learned quickly by playing: two players spread out different types of cards on a 16-square mat, each card having its own attributes and, of course, thematic illustrations. These cards, by the way, can be obtained from other characters or as rewards.
If a player places one of his cards in a square adjacent to that of his rival, a battle will start between the two that will be resolved according to the characteristics of each one, taking into account that the arrows on the edges establish the direction in which they can attack.
As an added curiosity, Square Enix launched an online version in 2003 of Tetra Master that was active for almost seven years.
Dragon Ball Card Warriors
There are an awful lot of card games Dragon Ball, both with real cards and in video games. From the classic NES and SNES RPGs to Super Dragon Ball Heroes, but the case of Dragon Ball Card Warriors, included in Dragon Ball: Kakarot, is exceptional as it is a complete and competitive focused experience within a single player ARPG.
Dragon Ball Card Warriors is a collectible card game in which we must create and play with two decks of cards based on the characters (with their own strength and defense values) and Dragon World elements to defeat another opponent in informal or ranking online battles. And beware, that Bandai Namco also organizes events.
MesuKing
The saga Yakuza it’s packed with original, traditional mini-games and some of them are really quirky. definitely, MesuKing which we can find in the SEGA Club of Yakuza Kiwami, belongs to the latter group.
Shamelessly based on the Mushiking: The King of BeetlesWe will have to plan picturesque battles with female fighters disguised as beetles based on attack cards, taking into account the characteristics of our character and a rock, paper and scissors preference system. Crazy.
Bola Extra: FIFA Ultimate Team
We close our review with what is possibly the most popular and profitable card game in the current video game industry: FIFA Ultimate Team. The general idea, as its name indicates, is to achieve the definitive team: by playing we will obtain player cards and game items with which we can compete in all kinds of sub-modes created for the occasion. In addition to being able to obtain new cards, we will be able to bid (or sell) the football superstars.
Is FIFA Ultimate Team a card game? The answer is found in ways like the Template Building Challenge, in which we will have to create and organize teams with the cards that we have following a series of patterns and requirements. In DCP, you don’t have to go out and play on the field, but to create a team with the players we already have, although sooner or later we will have to appear in the Transfer Market.
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