Glossary Entry: Collectible Card Game

Sometimes known as a Trading Card Game and often abbreviated to CCG or TCG, this is a type of multiplayer card game.

Each CCG follows its own rules and unique style of play, but the general formula is the same:

• Different cards have unique abilities. This makes some cards more valuable than others. To compensate, more powerful cards are also more difficult to find or have restrictions on how they can be used.
• Players use the cards they have to create "decks", which are groups of cards they can use in a game. Each player uses their own deck, allowing them to use their cards to create unique strategies.
• Gameplay involves two or more players using their cards to "battle" each other.

Unlike traditional card games, CCGs don't use the traditional playing card deck. Each CCG uses its own series of cards, and it's up to each player to collect the cards they use. This can become expensive quickly, as booster packs usually contain only a few cards, and starter packs are often pretty expensive on their own.

On the plus side, finding booster packs for popular CCGs is usually pretty easy. Most retail stores carry them alongside baseball cards and other small trinkets at the register. However, it's been my experience that starter packs are much harder to find and may require a trip to a specialized gaming store.

Also, if it's not already obvious, most CCGs are not video games. They are played with actual playing cards in real life. Video game CCGs are typically adaptations of the genre, much like the video game version of a board game.

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