While card game video games still exist they almost exclusively exist in 2 categories. Category 1: Live Service Matchmaking, games like Hearthstone, Runeterra, MTGA. Category 2: Roguelikes, games like Slay the Spire, and Across the Obelisk.

What I’m talking about are games where you play as a character in a world were people play the card game, and you freely move around talking to and battling NPC in the game. You slowly build your collection. No online matchmaking, no metagaming, no micro transactions on purchasing packs, its all earned in game for the single player story.

I know some big name anime IPs tackle this genre to a degree but they come with the downside of 1000s of card bloat and card design that favors more often than not for epic anime moments not interesting gameplay.

I feel like as big as the indie scene is that someone would have created a game like this, and maybe one does exist that I’m blind to for some reason. I just think there is so much room for growth in this dormant genre. Imagine a modern take on this genre with deeper NPCs that slowly build and adapt their collection around your play experience, a game that really captures the magic of getting into a new card game and slowly seeing it grow in popularity at various game stores.

So this brings me to my questions for discussion. What do you think happened to the genre? Do you think it could be revived? What would you do to adapt/modernize this genre?