Today I want to take a step back and enjoy collectible card games in general. This post is based on a talk I gave several years ago about the subject for a church event. We were limited to five powerpoint slides and five minutes.
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Tabletop games are an excellent hobby for many reasons: mental exercise, social interaction, teamwork, imagination, and just plain fun. But my very favorite type of game is called a collectible card game, or CCG. In a nutshell, this is a game where each player builds a deck of cards and uses it to battle opponents to the stated victory condition.
CCGs differ from traditional games in two ways: distribution model and preparation.
Distribution: You can't pick up the complete game in a self-contained package. Instead, players obtain cards by purchasing randomized packs, with varying rarities. New sets of cards (called expansions) are released regularly, adding to the available card pool.
Preparation: Players must build a deck before any play happens. Often, they invest a considerable amount of time learning cards, testing interactions, and constructing their decks. Most players spend more time preparing for games than playing them.
CCGs burst on the scene in 1993, when mathematician Richard Garfield wanted a compact filler game to pass time between games at board game conventions. He invented Magic: the Gathering, and its phenomenal success would see a predictable boom in the industry by 1995. Anything and everything had a CCG. There were encyclopedias and magazines dedicated to the hobby. There were even three Christian-themed games. But the bubble burst as quickly as it had formed. There were later successes- like Pokemon and Yu-gi-oh, but the golden age had passed.
That said, the hobby enjoys a steady following today: there are over 20 million Magic: the Gathering players in the world, with tournaments occasionally appearing on TV.
Sometimes, we’re drawn to hobbies- consciously or otherwise- because they point to truths greater than themselves. I believe CCGs have several unique characteristics that reflect our reality more than typical tabletop offerings. Just a few:
- (top left picture in above slide) The joy of creating: your deck is a personal creation you nurture to reach its potential, which echoes of the Genesis cultural mandate and our responsibilities to do the same for creation as stewards of the Earth
- (bottom right) Diversity & Vastness: with over 15,000 unique magic cards, the possibilities are nearly infinite. Like the world, it’s too big to experience it all- though maybe you can reach .002%.
- (bottom left) Progressive revelation: the games are a living, unfolding drama. You know there’s a plan, but never know what’s coming. Cards which seem to have no purpose can become valuable when paired with later releases. We can experience this in our lives, at times being unsure where we fit. But as life progresses, our purpose can become evident. Additionally, as new expansions release, which cards are important changes, reflecting our changing roles in society as we age and pass the torch to the next generation.
- (top right) The need for synergy/community. New players often make the mistake of packing their decks with expensive and powerful cards. But the best decks are ones that synergize well, where each card plays a role and some of the most important cards can be commons. It reflects the Christian Church as a whole, as discussed in 1 Corinthians 12 and elsewhere. There are many members, gifts, and functions the body requires- and the most important is not always visible.
- (also top right) Need to focus and develop. Individual decks must have internal synergy, but even then, no deck does all things well or wins in all conditions. This reflects our finite capacities and need to nurture specific gifts to fulfill our calling. No community is perfect, and each is geared to thrive in certain scenarios.
For these and other reasons, CCGs have a special place in my heart. I’d be happy to demonstrate them sometime; see me if interested. And I encourage you to look at your hobbies and determine the greater truths behind them- for the Lord’s invisible attributes have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made (from Romans 1).
Distribution: You can't pick up the complete game in a self-contained package. Instead, players obtain cards by purchasing randomized packs, with varying rarities. New sets of cards (called expansions) are released regularly, adding to the available card pool.
Preparation: Players must build a deck before any play happens. Often, they invest a considerable amount of time learning cards, testing interactions, and constructing their decks. Most players spend more time preparing for games than playing them.
CCGs burst on the scene in 1993, when mathematician Richard Garfield wanted a compact filler game to pass time between games at board game conventions. He invented Magic: the Gathering, and its phenomenal success would see a predictable boom in the industry by 1995. Anything and everything had a CCG. There were encyclopedias and magazines dedicated to the hobby. There were even three Christian-themed games. But the bubble burst as quickly as it had formed. There were later successes- like Pokemon and Yu-gi-oh, but the golden age had passed.
That said, the hobby enjoys a steady following today: there are over 20 million Magic: the Gathering players in the world, with tournaments occasionally appearing on TV.
Sometimes, we’re drawn to hobbies- consciously or otherwise- because they point to truths greater than themselves. I believe CCGs have several unique characteristics that reflect our reality more than typical tabletop offerings. Just a few:
- (top left picture in above slide) The joy of creating: your deck is a personal creation you nurture to reach its potential, which echoes of the Genesis cultural mandate and our responsibilities to do the same for creation as stewards of the Earth
- (bottom right) Diversity & Vastness: with over 15,000 unique magic cards, the possibilities are nearly infinite. Like the world, it’s too big to experience it all- though maybe you can reach .002%.
- (bottom left) Progressive revelation: the games are a living, unfolding drama. You know there’s a plan, but never know what’s coming. Cards which seem to have no purpose can become valuable when paired with later releases. We can experience this in our lives, at times being unsure where we fit. But as life progresses, our purpose can become evident. Additionally, as new expansions release, which cards are important changes, reflecting our changing roles in society as we age and pass the torch to the next generation.
- (top right) The need for synergy/community. New players often make the mistake of packing their decks with expensive and powerful cards. But the best decks are ones that synergize well, where each card plays a role and some of the most important cards can be commons. It reflects the Christian Church as a whole, as discussed in 1 Corinthians 12 and elsewhere. There are many members, gifts, and functions the body requires- and the most important is not always visible.
- (also top right) Need to focus and develop. Individual decks must have internal synergy, but even then, no deck does all things well or wins in all conditions. This reflects our finite capacities and need to nurture specific gifts to fulfill our calling. No community is perfect, and each is geared to thrive in certain scenarios.
For these and other reasons, CCGs have a special place in my heart. I’d be happy to demonstrate them sometime; see me if interested. And I encourage you to look at your hobbies and determine the greater truths behind them- for the Lord’s invisible attributes have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made (from Romans 1).
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