An in-game TCG is essentially a card-based mini-game. For example, in The Witcher 3, you can explore the world, as well as sit down and play some Gwent. This leaves us wondering; should other games have an in-game TCG? If you, somehow, have this same thought, you are in luck.
Here, we are going to look at some games that deserve an in-game TCG. It's important to note that we love all the games on this list. Although they currently don't have a card mini-game, we don't think any less of them; overall, it's fun to imagine these games with a TCG. Now, let's take a look at the first game on our list.
5 Skyrim
At this point, it's more surprising to know that Skyrim doesn't have a card game. Like The Witcher, Skyrim is a vast world, filled with unique cities that each have their own inn. These inns would be a great location to have a card-based mini-game.
Imagine this; you head to The Bannered Mane in Whiterun and find the local card player. Upon sitting at their table, you will start to play a game with them. There are endless possibilities for the card game's main focus, from domination to exploration. With a new skill called ‘slight-of-hand’, you can even become skilled at cheating.
As you go from town to town, you can even collect more cards to use in your games. Like everything in Skyrim, your actions have consequences; if you win against the wrong person, they may even flip the table and attack you.
4 Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 is a popular MMORPG that takes you through Tyria, where you will encounter dangerous and powerful Elder Dragons. Although the world of Guild Wars 2 is quite vast, there has yet to be a TCG that you can play. We can picture a collection-based card game in this MMO, where the cards focus on the Elder Dragons and their minions.
For example, one of the first dragons that you come across is Zhaitan. This is the Elder Dragon of Shadow and Death, so its cards could deal Decay damage. Like Pokemon, this damage type can be weak against certain enemies, and strong against others. Mordremoth, the Elder Dragon of Plant and Mind, could be weak against Zhaitan and cards that deal decay damage. Overall, the goal is to conquer the world with the Elder Dragon of your choice!
There are already tons of mini-games in Guild Wars 2, setting a precedent for a card game!
3 Octopath Traveler
With the upcoming release of Octopath Traveler 2, we’ve got this JRPG on our minds. If you have ever played Bravely Default 2, then you know of the game Bind and Divide, or B’n’ D. This card game can be played in a Gambling Hall, and is quite complex.
Overall, the game is similar to Triple Triad, which is another card game from the Final Fantasy series. A similar style card game would fit right into the Octopath Traveler world. In Bravely Default, this mini-game is key to unlocking an optional job. This could be applied to Octopath Traveler as well; reaching a certain win streak or goal could unlock a new job that you can assign to your party.
2 Pokemon
Pokemon already as a TCG, but hear us out. Within the games, you will come across Pokemon fan clubs. For example, in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl, you can find the Pokemon Fan Club building in Hearthome City. Inside, there are NPCs who discuss their love of Pokemon, but there is not much that you can do inside the building. On occasion, you can learn moves or check your friendship status but overall, you probably won't spend a lot of time inside.
What if you could play a card game inside the clubhouse? It would be quite interesting if you could play the actual Pokemon card game with members of the club, and climb the ranks. In real life, Pokemon TCG has hundreds of cards; within the game, the cards can be trimmed down to Pokemon that appear in the game. As you encounter members of the club in the wild, they may have the chance to give you a new card, as well as some Pokedollars.
1 Marvel's Midnight Suns
Lastly, we have Midnight Suns. This is a new Marvel game that focuses on the Hunter. The main gameplay of this game utilizes card mechanics, but we could take that one step further and have a card mini-game. For example, when you aren’t fighting, you can play a card game in the Abbey. After returning from a stressful battle, imagine sitting down with Illyana and playing a game of cards while getting to know her better.
To push it even further, the outcome of the game could affect your friendship. For example, if you win against Tony Stark, he could be impressed, which boosts your friendship. On the other hand, winning against other characters could make them frustrated. The card game could be based on other Marvel characters (similar to Marvel Snap), but it could also just be a simple game meant to play while hanging out with your friends.