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Cards & Tankards is a super addictive collectable card game on Quest 2 and Steam VR

by: Eric -
More On: Cards & Tankards

So, you wanna hang out with some buddies, down a few beers, and play some cards? Well, you can do so without leaving the comfort of your own dank bedroom, because Cards & Tankards has arrived on Quest 2.

Cards & Tankards is a collectable card/deck building game, currently free-to-play on Steam and Applab. In it, players hang out in a cozy medieval tavern, swapping stories, drinking fake tankards of ale, and playing the amazingly cool card game that makes up the core of the experience. First time you enter the game, you are greeted by a guy that teaches you the game, and then you can play against the AI as much as you like before jumping into a game.

My video only has in-game audio, but I think I pantomime the basics pretty well.

But don't be nervous about entering a tavern and playing against real people. I've found the community to be very welcoming, with several kind players showing me the ropes. I've also found that I'm somewhat competitive against other low-level players with my starter deck (though maybe they are just being kind). The word on the street is that the mods on the game put up with very little nonsense, so all of the players I've encountered in the game seem to be there to have a good time as opposed to making everyone miserable. Even the kids are nice.

Cards & Tankards would be a wash if the card game wasn't good, but it turns out that it is excellent. The gameplay revolves around three "factions", which is Cards & Tankards' term for the three starter decks. I chose a less-common deck that has me accruing and spending coins each turn to strengthen my cards as I play them. It is a very cool mechanic that I've not seen in a game before, and I'm looking forward to building it out with new cards as I earn them. 

Cards & Tankards is now in Early Access, and there is no word on when the game will go full release, but it already feels pretty complete. Monetization is for cosmetics, and a battle pass exists to help players earn gold (which can be exchanged for card packs) at a faster rate. All in all, the entire thing feels pretty fair and balanced.

I'm fairly certain that I'll have more on Cards & Tankards in the weeks ahead. But in the meantime, check it out. It's one of the best social games I've played on Quest.