Collectible card games (CCGs), also called trading card games (TCGs) or customizable card games (CCGs), are played using specially designed sets of cards. While trading cards have been around for longer, CCGs combine the appeal of collecting with strategic gameplay.

The first collectible card game was The Base Ball Card Game produced by The Allegheny Card Co. and registered on April 5 1904. The modern concept of CCG games was first presented in Magic: The Gathering, designed by Richard Garfield and published by Wizards of the Coast in 1993.

Gameplay

Most CCGs are designed around a resource system by which the pace of each game is controlled. Frequently, the cards which comprise a player's deck are considered a resource, with the frequency of cards moving from the deck to the play area or player's hand being tightly-controlled. Relative card strength is often balanced by the number or type of basic resources needed in order to play the card, and pacing after that may be determined by the flow of cards moving in and out of play. Resources may be specific cards themselves, or represented by other means (e.g., tokens in various resource pools, symbols on cards, etc.).

Players select which cards will compose their deck from the available pool of cards; unlike traditional card games such as poker or UNO where the deck's content is limited and pre-determined. This allows a CCG player to strategically customize their deck to take advantage of favorable card interactions, combinations and statistics.

During a game, players usually take turns playing cards and performing game-related actions. The order and titles of these steps vary between different game systems, but the following are typical:

• Restore - Make all in-play cards ready for the upcoming turn.
• Draw card(s) - Necessary in order to circulate cards in players' hands.
• Play card(s) - Use the cards in hand to interact with the game.
• Conflict - The primary method for victory in most games (combat is a very popular theme).
• Discard card(s) - Discard to a maximum hand size, or need to refresh for next turn.

Internet play

In addition to actual physical card games, collectible card games have also been developed that are played over the Internet. Instead of receiving physical cards, a player establishes a virtual collection that exists only as a set of data stored on a server. Such cards can be purchased (using real money) or traded within this environment. Titles include online versions of games that originated as physical CCGs (e.g., Magic: The Gathering Online), as well as games that exist solely online. The first online CCGs were Sanctum and Chron X, both developed in 1997. Both still exist, producing new expansions over a decade later. Chron X was developed by Genetic Anomalies, Inc, which later developed other online collectible card-style games based on licensed content.