“All Bets Are On: Our 2024 Adventure into Card Game Mania”

Typically, I stumble out of bed each morning, pick up my phone, and open several Pokemon card packs. Throughout the past month, I’ve immersed myself in the habit of launching Pokemon TCG Pocket, a mobile version of the well-loved card game, and—similar to the encouragement from the video games and show—catching them all. I’ve gone through countless booster packs now in pursuit of the excitement of augmenting my digital collection with rare holographic and full-art cards. I’m well aware that I’m not the only one captivated by this phenomenon. My group chats are abundant with friends showcasing their booster pack winnings, and my social media feeds are often filled with various screenshots of someone’s collection. And that’s just part of what I’ve noticed.

This year, wherever I turned, some form of card game was thriving and leading discussions and thoughts. Balatro captivated gamers early in the year and has never truly let go. My preferred moment in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth wasn’t taking Tifa out on a rendezvous or observing Nomura and his team continue their reinterpretation of FF7’s lore; it was pausing from the expansive open world to dive into games of Queen’s Blood, a territory-based card game within the vast RPG, and I certainly wasn’t the only one who became enamored with it. Anyone I know is now playing Magic: The Gathering, and after numerous enticing collaborations and invitations from friends, I joined in as well. By year’s end, Pokemon TCG Pocket had woven itself into our everyday lives, allowing us to pursue the exhilarating experience of filling a digital library with some of our cherished creatures.

The crux of the matter is: In 2024, we metaphorically placed significant bets on card games. We went all in, so to speak, and it’s intriguing to ponder why this trend has gained such momentum in recent years. These games differ in sophistication and mechanics, but are there fundamental characteristics that unify all these instances and explain the remarkable year they have enjoyed?

Firstly, I believe many of us have simply been yearning for something more straightforward, and most of the previously mentioned games certainly fulfill that need. Balatro is, as its slogan implies, Solitaire mixed with Poker, a fusion of one of the oldest genres and one of the most universally played games throughout history. Eliminate the multipliers, the catchy tunes, and the booster packs (which are acquired using in-game currency, not microtransactions), and it presents a deceptively basic idea: create winning hands like straights and flushes while satisfying increasingly absurd demands and score targets. Clearly, there are mechanical and visual enhancements that complicate things, like the introduction of game-altering jokers and a roguelike structure that seems to allow for limitless play, but it truly is a game that one can idly enjoy for hours because, when broken down, it is as simple as 1, 2, 3.

To some extent, you can engage with a lot of these games, which predominantly feature easy-to-grasp rules and formats, on auto-pilot. I can identify a flush and swiftly conclude a round of Balatro without much contemplation in a busy airport. Pokemon TCG Pocket even includes an auto-battle function, in case you’re primarily interested in the little guys rather than the combat. Queen’s Blood ultimately develops into a much more intricate experience if you follow its questline to the finish, but otherwise it’s generally a clear-cut game of territorial conquest and scoring. It’s refreshing to escape from world-ending narratives, endless menus, and critical decisions to return to something more soothing, which is precisely what these card games have often been. This has held true for Triple Triad and Gwent, as well as numerous modern examples, and the enduring popularity of this trend indicates that players certainly have a hunger for them.

In situations where there exists a notable level of complexity, like with Magic: The Gathering and even high-level play of the previously mentioned games, there’s an entirely different element that appears to draw players in, and I can certainly attest to that.

There’s a communal element to card games that should not be overlooked. The primary reason I’ve recently become drawn to them is that everyone around me is participating in some way. Many of my nearest friends have been purchasing Pokemon booster packs and amassing collections for several months or even years. My roommate has started inviting friends over to engage in matches of Magic: The Gathering’s Commander format around our dining table for extended periods. For months, I’ve observed from a distance as others fell passionately in love with Balatro’s integration of poker and roguelike elements, dedicated to runs filled with ludicrous power-ups and multipliers, and even issuing challenges to one another.

As someone who usually engages with games in solitude, or at least with a very limited group, I observed my peers and friends embracing these card games and establishing new traditions among themselves, and I wanted to become part of the community they were cultivating. I desired to share in the excitement of discovering new rare card art with others. I wanted to experiment with something novel in environments filled with individuals I trusted. I wished to be amidst the crowd, and if that involved gathering around a table in person and deciphering the intricate rules of new games, then so be it. Indeed, even this very experience I’m recounting was adapted to a game called TCG Card Shop Simulator, and that game flourished, demonstrating to me that I am not alone in seeking these communal settings that card games so effectively nurture.

My affection for card games was cultivated during middle-school lunches. In my youth, I collected many cards, yet I never took the time to learn their rules and functions. It was ongoing matches of Yu-Gi-Oh during lunchtime that initially sparked a genuine desire for card games within me. That along with a childhood spent playing Solitaire. At that time, they provided a respite from conversations about Call of Duty, Assassin’s Creed, or whatever large-scale RPG was popular at that moment. They even allowed for real connections with people. Years later, I’m revisiting them for so many of the same reasons, and it makes me ponder if others are experiencing the same as well?

What’s most thrilling is that this card game enthusiasm shows no signs of dwindling. Slay the Spire 2 is on the horizon, and if the first installment is any indication, it will be a major hit in 2025. Balatro has spent the year incorporating card collections themed around other titles, branding these collaborations “Friends of Jimbo,” and I’m certain there are many more on the way. Riot Games recently revealed it is extending its League of Legends transmedia initiative into the domain of trading cards, and I’m sure even more is in the pipeline. Whether it exists digitally or physically, it’s clear that card games have experienced tremendous success this year, and it appears well-positioned to spill over into the next.

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