Keeper of the Cards

We've always been a big fan of trading card games. Being able to customize your deck based on what kind of strategy you prefer and what kind of style you like is something that has always appealed to us, and trading card games are a fantastic outlet for that.

In fact, we love trading card games so much that we always thought it would be very cool to make our own cards. Unfortunately, that's not an option in most games; after all, how can you allow players to make their own cards and prevent them from playing low-cost cards that just say "you win the game when this spell is cast"?

Well, we found a way to make this dream a reality in this game, Keeper of the Cards. Here's how: instead of making effects, powers, and costs of cards arbitrary, as they are in most trading card games, Keeper of the Cards defines a set of rules for how all cards are to be constructed, and what it should cost to play them. So it's a bit like a jigsaw puzzle; you have a set number of "pieces" to choose from, but you can configure them basically in any way you want to create virtually any kind of card within those limitations.

But what good is that if the game is no good? That's why Keeper of the Cards is also designed to be a very fun game, incorporating ideas from several other trading card games. Its particular influences are the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game and the Duel Masters Trading Card Game, plus a small amount of influence from another libre trading card game, Arcmage. In short, the rules are designed to minimize luck-based victories, keep the rules relatively simple, and create an engaging, dynamic, and tense play experience.

Interested? Download the Starter Set to get started! You can review the Rulebook for how to play the game, and the Card Building Guide for how to create your own cards.

If you like this game, please let us know on the GitHub Discussions page! We would also love to see any cards or decks you have come up with.