The Discard Pile: A Fresh Look At "Dead" CCGs

In the summer of 1993, Wizards of the Coast released Magic: The Gathering. Two years later, the CCG market was flooded, as everyone and his dog sought to cash in with their own game. A lot of these games didn't catch on, and the companies stopped making them. You've seen these "dead games" gathering dust on dealers' shelves, or sitting around in online auctions, and not given them another thought. Many of them probably deserved to go, but better games may have slipped through the cracks before they had the chance to build a following. This article is about finding the better games, and giving them a second chance.

You might say, "Even if I do find a decent game, it's not being supported anymore, so why bother?" One reason is financial. For the price of two or three starter decks of Magic, you can buy a whole BOX of cards. If a few friends go in with you, the cost becomes negligible. You'll have enough cards at your disposal to keep you going for some time. If you find that you don't like the game, it's only a small loss. If you do like it, any additional cards you buy are just as affordable.

What about the lack of support? Expansion sets are fun because they offer new possibilities to play with, but let's not forget that the vast majority of games are non-collectible. Monopoly is still thriving, even though Parker Brothers hasn't released new Chance cards every six months. If a CCG is good, a continuous flow of new cards shouldn't be vital to enjoying it. Some games did manage to release at least one expansion, so new possibilities may already be available.

Recently, I've taken a second look at On The Edge by Atlas Games, which is based on their terrific RPG, Over The Edge. It's a game of conspiracies, violence and major-league weirdness. How weird? Aliens, mutants and sorcery are only the tip of the iceberg. The game mechanics include elements of Magic: The Gathering and INWO. Three expansion sets were released: Cloaks (focusing on intrigue), Arcana (focusing on magic) and The Cut-Ups Project (focusing on reality-bending wackiness). I was at a game convention in Sept '99, where I played in an On The Edge tournament. At least 25 players showed up; not bad for a "dead" CCG. It seems I'm not the only one who finds merit in this whole idea.

So let's say you decide to take me up on my suggestion, and try one of these games. How do you know which ones are worth playing? Gaming magazines have columns for reviews; try looking for some back issues. Some reviews are archived on the Web, and there are even fan sites with more info. Lots of demonstrations have been run at conventions. Perhaps some gamers you know played in these demos, and could give you their opinions. If all else fails, you could choose a game that looks interesting, and take a chance.

There are gamers who avoid CCGs altogether. Continuously spending gobs of money, and keeping up with new releases, isn't their idea of fun. A "dead" game doesn't have these pressures. It combines the best features of CCGs and more traditional games, which could broaden its appeal for all gamers.