Busting Trading Card Game myths

Magic the Gathering’s Dr Richard Garfield on the misconceptions about trading card games

When many people think about trading card games (TCGs) they conjure images of expensive collections, hyper-competitive play, and tightly controlled formats dictated by publishers. To outsiders – and even to some who’ve only dabbled – TCGs can feel inaccessible, time-consuming, or simply not worth the investment unless you’re “all in”. But much of this perception is built on assumptions rather than reality.

In truth, TCGs are far more flexible, social, and self-directed than they’re often given credit for. They can be as casual or as competitive as you want, as affordable or as lavish as you choose, and as structured or as experimental as your playgroup allows.

Misconception #1: You need your own deck to play a TCG

For most board games, one person can purchase the game and they have all they need for their group of friends. One of the challenges facing a new trading card game is that it can feel like you need to convince your friends to purchase the game as well, something that a lot of people will shy away from. This can lead to players not trying new trading card games which might otherwise interest them; or if they do try them – feeling like they have to find a new community outside their friend group. This is entirely a cultural phenomenon, what a player generally gets when making entry level purchases in a trading card game is plenty for two players and sometimes more.

When I am interested in playing some of the trading card games I have at a game night I can pull out a bunch of decks and divvy them up, or a stack of cards that players can draft. Just like many board games this can lead to a few entertaining evenings, or the game might become a classic we return to often – with none of my friends feeling compelled to invest money or time outside our play sessions.

There is a lot of exciting potential for these games when players do adopt them independently and construct their own decks. But to avoid a trading card game because you don’t have friends already invested is like avoiding chess because you don’t have enough players to run a decent tournament.

Misconception #2: TCGs need expansions

One of the most amazing things about games is how they can get better and better as one plays them more. In this regard, they are more analogous to music and less to books or movies. Sometimes people think that TCGs are special in that they need an influx of new cards to make them enduring. This is simply not true. The most vivid demonstration I have of this is the way the original playtesters of Magic played the game. For two years they played the original set of the game, long after the game stopped being developed in any meaningful way. This wasn’t the only option for them – the playtesters were by and large devoted game players before being exposed to magic, but during this period they played Magic endlessly. When Magic was published, it was essentially the same game they had been playing for two years already, and they immediately started playing that.

As the game started expanding about six months later, they approached the expansions with caution – would the game they loved be improved or not? Over time they all learned to love the variety this introduced, the shifts in game play – but it wasn’t because they felt the new cards were necessary. I can still play the original set – or most environments of cards endlessly without being bored.

This means that as a player you aren’t compelled to buy every expansion. Your purchase, if it is a good game, is likely to remain fresh and fun indefinitely. It also means that TCGs that have been discontinued are not ‘dead’ any more than any other board or card game that is not being expanded continually. Expansion can be marvellous for players who are seeking novelty and variety, but it is not necessary, and can even interfere with getting a deep sense of familiarity and mastery which some folk want to get in their games.

This is an abridged version of Dr Richard Garfield’s article. To read the full version, join our membership and download the first issue for free. Scroll to the bottom of the page to enter your details.