If you’ve heard the latest news about Blizzard, Hearthstone, and Hong Kong, you might be in the market for an alternative digital card game to play. Here are some of the best digital CCGs to play instead of Hearthstone. All of them can be played on PC and two of them can also be played on mobile, but they can all be played completely free (although there are of course in-game economies involving real money).
SkyWeaver
SkyWeaver is a new digital CCG on the Ethereum blockchain. The main advantage of this is that you actually own your cards and they’re trackable in the same way that physical cards are, which will eventually allow for trading among users. In other words, SkyWeaver has the potential to eventually be the best digital CCG out there. Unfortunately, you have to sign up to get a private beta key, which could take some time, but you might as well do that now and then try one of the other great options listed here while you wait for your invitation.
Sign up for the SkyWeaver private beta, then play SkyWeaver in your browser or download it for iPhone or Android (unfortunately, you need a private beta key to play at the time of this writing)
Magic the Gathering: Arena
Magic the Gathering: Arena is currently the best way to play Magic digitally without spending any money. Magic the Gathering: Arena is an attempt to make the game play like Hearthstone, which itself was of course a simplification of Magic in the first place. Anyways, if you want to play the most storied CCG out there, Arena is the choice for you.
Download Magic the Gathering: Arena for your computer
GWENT: The Witcher Card Game
If you’re looking for something a little different, you might want to check out GWENT: The Witcher Card Game. GWENT originally began as a card game within the universe of The Witcher, and was even expanded upon as a single player game with Thronebreaker. Anyways, if you’re a fan of The Witcher and want to try something a little different, you can try GWENT for free.
Download GWENT: The Witcher Card Game for your computer
Animation Throwdown
Finally, if you want something even more streamlined than Hearthstone, Animation Throwdown is your game. Combining the worlds of American Dad, Bob’s Burgers, Family Guy, Futurama, and King of the Hill, Animation Throwdown is a cartoon fan’s dream. Sadly, the game does feel pretty pay-to-win at certain points, but you can also have a lot of fun without spending a dime.
Play Animation Throwdown in your browser or download it for iPhone or Android
It can be hard to transition to a new game after playing a different one for a long time, but jumping from Hearthstone to any of these games should be as painless as possible. Since they’re all free, you have nothing to lose by giving one a try. I hope you find your new digital card obsession!
