The best games where you can construct your deck of cards before the game starts 2024
Looking for a really good game where you can create your deck of cards before the game? Then we have just the thing for you: the list of the best deck construction games 2024.
What are Deck Construction games?
In the games from this best list, each player creates the deck they will use in the first step or before the game starts.
Examples of games where you can create your deck before the game:
A good example of a deck construction game is Magic: The Gathering or the games of the Smash Up series.
list of the best deck-construction games 2024
Marvel Champions: The Card Game
In the immortal words of Stan Lee, "With great power, there must also come great responsibility." Enter the thrilling world of Marvel Champions: The Card Game, where Iron Man and Black Panther unite to thwart Rhino's rampage through New York, and Captain Marvel teams up with Spider-Man to face the looming threat of Ultron and global annihilation. Do you possess the mettle to stand alongside these legendary heroes and emerge as a true champion?
Nominated for 11 awards and won 2.
More details for Marvel Champions: The Card Game- 1 - 4 Players
- 45 - 90 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Video reviews for Marvel Champions: The Card Game
Star Wars: Unlimited
- 2 - 4 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Summoner Wars (Second Edition)
Summoner Wars (Second Edition) revitalizes the classic tactical dueling card game with new art, streamlined rules, and an expandable game system. Players take on the roles of summoners, commanding unique factions in a strategic battle to dominate the war-torn planet of Itharia. This edition not only updates fan-favorite factions but also introduces new ones to the fray, ensuring fresh and engaging gameplay for newcomers and veterans alike.
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Summoner Wars (Second Edition)- 2 Players
- 40 - 60 Minutes
- 9+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Challengers!
Challengers! offers a fresh and dynamic deck-management experience, where 1-8 players engage in a tournament-style battle that lasts around 45 minutes, regardless of the number of players. This game stands out by allowing players to encounter a new opponent in each round, pushing the excitement and strategic planning to new heights with every match.
Nominated for 11 awards and won 5.
⭐️ Kennerspiel des Jahres 2023
🔥 Deal: 12% cheaper than the best Geizhals deal, likely for a short time only!
More details for Challengers!- 1 - 8 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Easy to learn
🔥 Great price!Check for best price now at*Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is a standalone adventure game that serves as a prequel to the highly acclaimed Gloomhaven. It's designed to be more accessible to a broader audience, with streamlined rules and an integrated tutorial.
Nominated for 13 awards and won 5.
More details for Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion- 1 - 4 Players
- 30 - 120 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Hard to learn
Gloomhaven
Gloomhaven is a Euro-inspired tactical combat game set in a persistent and evolving world. Players assume the roles of adventurers, each with unique skills and motives, as they explore dungeons, ruins, and engage in cooperative battles against automated monsters.
Nominated for 22 awards and won 10.
More details for Gloomhaven- 1 - 4 Players
- 60 - 120 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Hard to learn
Video reviews for Gloomhaven
Summoner Wars: Master Set
Summoner Wars: Master Set is a tactical card game that combines elements of strategy and fantasy. Players take on the roles of powerful Summoners, each harnessing the power of mysterious stones to lead their factions to victory in the war-torn world of Itharia.
Nominated for 3 awards.
More details for Summoner Wars: Master Set- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 9+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Arkham Horror: The Card Game
Arkham Horror: The Card Game is a Lovecraftian horror card game that blends role-playing and card game elements. Set in the eerie town of Arkham, players face mysterious, monstrous, and maddening challenges.
Nominated for 13 awards and won 4.
More details for Arkham Horror: The Card Game- 1 - 2 Players
- 60 - 120 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Hard to learn
Video reviews for Arkham Horror: The Card Game
Summer Camp
Nominated for 1 award.
🔥 Deal: 40% cheaper than the best Geizhals deal, likely for a short time only!
More details for Summer Camp- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 - 45 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Easy to learn
🔥 Great price!Check for best price now at*Stellar Conflict
- 2 - 4 Players
- 10 Minutes
- 10+ years old
- Immediately playable
Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire
Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire stands as a distinctive tactical arena combat game set within the rich universe of Warhammer Age of Sigmar. Designed for both quick play and depth of strategy, this game caters to a wide audience, from newcomers to seasoned players looking for a competitive experience. The game emphasizes balanced, small-scale tactical battles that can be completed in less than 45 minutes, making it ideal for both casual sessions and competitive tournament play.
Nominated for 2 awards and won 1.
More details for Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire- 2 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Android: Netrunner
Android: Netrunner is an asymmetrical Living Card Game for two players, set in a cyberpunk future. It involves strategic card play, where one player controls a megacorporation and the other plays as a lone runner.
Nominated for 6 awards and won 3.
More details for Android: Netrunner- 2 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Kodachi
- 2 - 4 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Easy to learn
Pagan: Fate of Roanoke
Nominated for 2 awards.
More details for Pagan: Fate of Roanoke- 2 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Medium difficulty
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game is a cooperative adventure game that immerses players in the world of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. The game challenges players to complete scenarios using heroes, allies, and a deck of event and attachment cards.
Nominated for 7 awards.
More details for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game- 1 - 2 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Video reviews for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
Blue Moon Legends
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Blue Moon Legends- 2 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Easy to learn
Smash Up
Smash Up is a unique and engaging "shufflebuilding" game where players combine two distinct factions, each with a 20-card deck, into a single 40-card deck. The game is known for its quirky and diverse factions, each with its own unique mechanics and gameplay style.
Nominated for 3 awards and won 1.
More details for Smash Up- 2 - 4 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Smash Up: Cease and Desist
- 2 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Wiz-War (Eighth Edition)
More details for Wiz-War (Eighth Edition)Wiz-War (Eighth Edition), a reimagining of Tom Jolly's 1983 classic, is a chaotic and humorous board game for 2-4 players, where wizards duel in an underground labyrinth. This edition, enhanced by Kevin Wilson and Tom Jolly, focuses on faster gameplay and clearer card effects, staying true to the original's spirit.
- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 - 60 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Easy to learn
Arkham Horror: The Card Game (Revised Edition)
- 1 - 4 Players
- 45 - 180 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Hard to learn
The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game – Revised Core Set
Nominated for 4 awards and won 2.
More details for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game – Revised Core Set- 1 - 4 Players
- 30 - 90 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Hard to learn
Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is a highly influential collectible card game (CCG) that has shaped the genre since its inception. Players take on the roles of planeswalkers, powerful wizards engaging in strategic duels.
Nominated for 9 awards and won 6.
More details for Magic: The Gathering- 2 Players
- 20 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Frosthaven
- 1 - 4 Players
- 90 - 180 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Hard to learn
👍 Good price!Check for best price now at*Smash Up: What Were We Thinking?
- 2 - 4 Players
- 45 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Easy to learn
Aristeia!
- 2 Players
- 60 - 90 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Blue Moon
More details for Blue MoonBlue Moon is a unique card game for two players, designed by Reiner Knizia, which stands out in the realm of strategy card games for its distinctive mechanics and setting. It differs significantly from games like Magic: The Gathering, primarily in that it is not a collectible card game (CCG) but rather a precursor to what is now known as a Living Card Game (LCG), with no random cards in its expansions.
- 2 Players
- 30 Minutes
- 12+ years old
- Easy to learn
Video reviews for Blue Moon
Romans Go Home!
- 1 - 4 Players
- 15 Minutes
- 13+ years old
- Immediately playable
Allegra
Nominated for 1 award.
More details for Allegra- 2 - 6 Players
- 30 - 40 Minutes
- 8+ years old
- Immediately playable
Aventuria: Adventure Card Game
- 1 - 4 Players
- 45 - 180 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Ashes Reborn: Rise of the Phoenixborn
Ashes Reborn: Rise of the Phoenixborn is an expandable card game set in a world where players assume the roles of Phoenixborns – demi-gods and saviors of human civilizations. These powerful beings once liberated humanity from monstrous creatures like chimeras, but now face a new challenge. A prophecy has sparked the War of Ashes, pitting Phoenixborns against each other in a struggle for ultimate power and godhood. Players engage in this conflict, determining the fate of these mighty heroes.
Nominated for 5 awards.
More details for Ashes Reborn: Rise of the Phoenixborn- 2 - 4 Players
- 30 - 120 Minutes
- 14+ years old
- Medium difficulty
Didn't find the game you were looking for?
We're positive that you'll find it in one of our other lists! To make the search easier for you, we split our website into different categories. The following board game categories will help you find the right list: