Summary
Card gameshave been played for centuries, so it’s no surprise that they remain popular today despite the rise of video games over the past few decades. Traditional games like Poker and Solitaire are mainstays, but people have gotten even more inventive as time has gone on. Today, there are hundreds of different card games with complex rules and mechanics likeYu-Gi-Oh,Pokemon, andMagic: The Gathering.
Creating a new card game is incredibly labor-intensive and expensive, but developing one as a video game is significantly less costly. That’s why there’s been a rise in card games available for consoles like the Nintendo Switch in recent years, with some of them being among the best there are.
Updated July 09, 2025 by Stephen LaGioia:Card video games have maintained a sort of cult following since their inception — with their rewarding gameplay that can be tricky despite its simple exterior. Though with the rising prominence of mobile gaming and the Steam Deck gathering steam, which befits the genre, these types of games have been able to thrive more of late.
The portability and touch-screen features of these platforms prove a perfect fit for these virtual card games, adding to their appeal. And while it remains a fairly overlooked genre on Switch, several great ones have quietly been released for the hybrid console. Even absent hits likeHearthstoneandThe Witcher 3’s Gwent(for now), the library has grown more impressive on this front.
17Cultist Simulator: Initiate Edition
Metacritic Score: 64
Overlayed with a dark 1920s fantasy setting,Cultist Simulatorbrings a unique situational card game experience; and this extends beyond its themes. It interweaves detailed gameplay with a compelling narrative of gods, rituals, and dark lore shrouded in mystery.
It also uses a roguelike survival structure to add to its difficulty and keep gamers coming back for more. The game cleverly has the player chart their own path and assemble a plot depending on the cards they choose. There are many nuances, and the game has a learning curve that demands trial and error as players toy with ambiguous effect cards, but it’s worth the investment.
The core experience of this Lovecraftian-themed card title offers plenty of alluring gameplay on its own. Yet theInitiate Editionalso brings the first trio of DLCs, which yield new characters as well as added mechanics and endings.
16Card Shark
Metacritic Score: 80
InCard Shark,players can take in the atmosphere and motif of 18th-century France as they master the art of deceit and sleight of hand. Veering from the typical card game formula (despite the usage of a standard card deck), the game rewards trickery and cheating to win games rather than skill.
Players will have to be discreet and get away with cheating while switching decks, flinging cards, false deals/shuffles, and other tactics, all while being victorious and remaining unnoticed. While this may sound intimidating, much of this boils down to memorization and hitting timed button prompts while one’s avatar does the rest.
This is all fleshed out with some stylized graphics, fun story-telling, and steady progression to earn a seat at the King’s Table.
15UNO
Metacritic Score: 69
Long making a name for itself as a fun pastime among friends — and a great way to make enemies —UNOreminds gamers why it’s so timeless with Ubisoft’s “Ultimate” rendition on Switch. The game features the fun, familiar gameplay that makesUNOappealing, as players scramble to whittle down their deck by matching numbers and/or colors with three other players.
But to keep things fresh and interesting, a few new concepts are sprinkled into the mix, including new gameplay variants like unpredictable “UNO Flip”, and new action cards like “Draw Five”. There are even theme cards, most notably theImmortals Fenyx Risingdeck, which comes via a quasi-story mode.
Players can choose to tinker with house rules, face-off online with added video chat, or go back to basics with Classic Play.
14Shovel Knight: King Of Cards
Metacritic Score: 83
While some card games can flourish on their own merit, this prequel to the hit retro-style action rompShovel Knightentices gamers with classic platforming stages as its core. Yacht Club Games delivers a fun narrative, colorful medieval themes, and a mesh of sidescrolling and card-battling gameplay to round out this eight-hour experience.
The card portions, tagged “Joustus”, bring a refreshing detour to the experience, as players can tinker with over 130 distinct cards and clash with various challengers to earn the title of champion.
The goal is to push out foes and occupy as many gem-holding spaces as possible. While the action-platforming and strategic card bouts couldn’t seem more different at first, they share a commonality of overwhelming and out-muscling opponents to claim dominance on a shifting battlefield.
13Iris And The Giant
Metacritic Score: N/A
A stylistic fusion of Roguelike, RPG, and card-battling traits,Iris and the Gianthas become something ofa hidden gem of 2020. The game was inspired by the designer Louis Rigaud’s experience in making interactive papercraft books for children — as illustrated by the distinctly cute, colorful aesthetic.
The game runs with an adventure narrative wrought with thematic elements of depression and anxiety a laCeleste, though its card-based combat is more akin toPaper Mario: Color Splash. On the grid-laden battlefield, players can take out foes using things like bows and swords — as well as abilities such as thunder that wipes out each baddie of the same species.
Though it’s a stretch to tag this fantasy trip as a card game in the strictest sense,Iris and the Giantsimilarly stresses the tactical use of one’s deck to gain an edge in battle.
Roguebookis a roguelike deck-builder that is closely linked to another card game developed by Abrakam:Faeria. That experience in developing card games really shines through, and fans of the genre may be familiar with how well their first release played.
Beginners playingRoguebookmight feel a little overwhelmed with how unforgiving the game can be from time to time but like most card games, it’s just a matter of learning how to work with the game mechanics. The initial choice of which heroes to use alone makes a huge difference in how best to approach each challenge.
11Yu-Gi-Oh Legacy Of The Duelist: Link Evolution
Metacritic Score: 79
Given its nature as a monster-fighting franchise and trading card game, thePokemon-esqueYu-Gi-Ohwould seem to make a fitting backdrop for a card-battler. And this 2016 spinoff from Other Ocean Interactive reinforces that notion. InLegacy of the Duelist, players can take on the role of over 90 characters and assemble custom decks from a whopping10,000 cardsrepresenting their favorite Yu-Gi-Oh.
Beyond the sheer selection and fun tactical gameplay, the studio crafts much aroundthe card fighting to bring traditional game elements. These include a full narrative spanning much of theYu-Gi-Ohtimeline, an expansive campaign, and gripping online play.
Metacritic Score: 82
Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics
Play and discover 51 board games, tabletop games, and more all in one package—Clubhouse Games™: 51 Worldwide Classics. This diverse collection includes games from all over the world across multiple genres, from familiar favorites like Chess to international hits like Mancala that have been around for 100s of years!Play on the go, on the TV, with friends in-person or online, with one Joy-Con™ controller per player or sharing the touch screen, and even across the screens of multiple Nintendo Switch systems with Mosaic Mode! In this mode you can build dozens of Slot Cars racetracks or turn a pond into a river for more fishing fun.Competitive players and board game enthusiasts who want to improve their skills can challenge multiple difficulty levels of CPU opponents, collectors can unlock trivia facts about each game, and beginners and game masters alike can go for a personal best! Get a taste of some of the games included in the Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics game by downloading the Clubhouse Games Guest Pass for free by clicking on the “Download Demo” button on the right side of the screen—you can even play all Local Play-supported games if you connect with someone who has the full game!
Even more than its Nintendo DS predecessor, thischarming party game collectionbombards players with a vast, diverse lineup of cards, sports, and other minigames, even a reworked take on the maddening board gameSorry!
While there are bound to be some duds for most who cycle through this compilation, even the most jaded gamers will likely find some enjoyable romps here.Clubhouse Gamesparticularly excels when it comes to its card games, which make up roughly a third of the lineup. Titles include threeversions of the classic Solitare, the highly fun online Poker, Blackjack, and others.
A standout is the underrated (four-player) Sevens — which has players scramble to empty their hand by dropping cards in sequential order by suit. With simple mechanics, intuitive touch controls, and snappy online play for many titles, this may be the best way to play traditional card games on Switch. This is especially true with the bigger, brighter OLED model screen, which proves solid for the game’s tabletop offerings.
9Monster Train: First Class
Metacritic Score: 85
Monster Train: First Classis a roguelike deck-builder that sees the player take control of the forces of evil, fighting against enemies who attempt to reach the end of the train. Players can use one of two types of cards, either to summon monsters or use special actions to put a stop to their opponents.
The game has solid combat mechanics and does a great job of putting players under pressure as they fight against wave after wave of enemies, allowing for hundreds of hours of entertainment.
8Nowhere Prophet
Metacritic Score: 81
Nowhere Prophetpresents an interesting take on the roguelike deck-building genre, with players controlling a prophet who leads a group of people around a hostile planet. Players expand their deck, gather more followers, and equip new gear as they travel through the planet Soma.
The aim of the game is for the prophet to eventually find a haven for his followers — but doing so isn’t straightforward and there are hours of content within that goal.Nowhere Prophetis visually appealing and has a unique soundtrack, but the core game itself is also very well-made.
