Top 10 Multi-Use Card Games

[@gregbauer6638]

I always love the decisions created by multi-use cards. One of my favorite games is Evolution: Climate. Cards can be used to add traits to species, increase the size and population of those species, and determine the amount of food available each round.

[@juliemoore5395]

I know Dice Tower doesn’t really review Gamecrafter games, but A Universal Truth is THE MOST AMAZING multiuse card game. We love it!

[@CK-mi3sd]

One can argue that Dune Imperium is a multi-use card game. The worker placement ability and the reveal ability.

[@Jootie_de_Kop]

Chris and Wendy are on fire in this one. Very enjoyable!

[@0OH_NO0]

Pixel tactics is the king of this

[@johnpiegors2560]

I was a little surprised Race for the Galaxy didn't make the list. It's a pretty well-known game that uses cards for everything except points.

[@DT_Wendy]

I picked San Juan because I'm more familiar with it, but I mentioned Race for the Galaxy.

[@alexanderbrady5486]

For me, RftG is more of a "marginal" multi-use card game because the cards are all generic *except* for what you can build them as. So as payment for development or settling, or as a good on a world, all of the cards are the same. It is only when you build them that the cards are differentiated. So, where the differences between the cards actually matter they are effectively only single use.

[@joeferreti9442]

Using cards as resource tokens or to pay costs (no matter what's on the card) is technically not multi-use cards. Multi-Use cards is when the cards themselves have multiple uses printed on their front side.

[@johnpiegors2560]

@@joeferreti9442 I have to admit that definition seems narrow to me. As a rebuttal, I'd note that having to choose between playing, pitching, or tucking a card would definitionally be choosing between various uses. Additionally, in the top 10 list we're replying to not every game even had text at all on the card, let alone multiple effects. Don't get me wrong, I'd include what you propose as a subset of multi-use cards, but it seems unnecessarily strict to say that only such cards are multi-use. Lastly, it is worth noting that your stance appears to disagree with the community at large, as board game geek's race for the galaxy entry lists multi-use cards as a mechanism for the game.

[@CK-mi3sd]

RftG is too difficult to learn. Those symbols...

[@xCNapo]

For Multi-Use you shouldve definitely included A.I.Pokalypse. :)

[@foyoGames]

Do you have your copy in?

[@The.FrozenGamer]

When I hear multi-use cards my brain immediately goes to Bruges. It is done so amazingly with that game. Glad to see it representing on the video.

[@pepagacy]

Heavy side: Lisboa by Vital Lacerda, where you play a card either to your board to gain resources, or to the main board to take actions of one of the three personalities in the game. Light side: Bohnanza by Uwe Rosenberg. Cards are either beans face-up or money face down.

[@DT_Wendy]

I did think if Lisboa, but it didn't quite make my personal list.

[@wookiebarista]

Some more honorable mentions: 51st State and Scythe Expeditions

[@ReflectingTheCreator]

-Forest Shuffle is probably my favorite. -Ezra & Nehemiah is also up there -A.R.T. project -Legacy of Yu Earth is another I could see because of the different ways you can use the card. Ability, scoring, plus composting.

[@juliemoore5395]

Forest Shuffle is awesome multiuse

[@gravecac9522]

The very first game that came to my mind was Forest Shuffle.

[@daniellebackus819]

I recently got City of Iron (2nd edition) as part of my crowdfunding of Creature Caravan from Red Raven Games. I was delighted to find out it was a deck-builder, and the cards have multiple uses. Do you use it to attack a town, explore a new land, build a building? If you use it for its expert action, you don’t get any of the symbols (attack, travel, or build) and need to use other cards with the symbols required to complete the expert action on the first card you played. But that means you can’t use those other cards again until you draw them! The game has so much strategy about when and how to purchase, draw, and use your two decks you’re building. Really awesome game!

[@ddcc5860]

Bloody Inn is great at this

[@mikemudrow]

Great list! Some of my favorites include Raptor, Race for the Galaxy, and Res Arcana.

[@IndianaGeologist]

Lot's of questionable picks that don't fit the mechanism as I'd think of it...and it seems many ppl share that opinion. Would have liked to have Zee in this video as he would probably bring in some unique perspectives and I think I recall him saying he's a big fan of the mechanism

[@levenzaha]

I feel like you all may have somewhat missed a bucket of games, particularly around tableau builders, where a card can be resources now or a part of your engine later. It’s a wonderful world, res arcana come to mind. That, plus cards as currency is just such a great , simple but tense mechanic. I think Concordia would’ve been a better pick than mandala in cards that act and control scoring very differently. Forest shuffle is a clear one in that cards do soooo much : each have two powers, each also are currency, their tag may trigger other bonuses, AND you can plant every card as a sapling.

[@kyneanderson5851]

I was thinking that too. But imo, when cards are used as resources, it’s typically a simple “one card = one resource” or something. For me, each chard has to be used in different ways to count. Like if individual cards only give specific resources so you have to specifically choose which card to give up. Then it fits the idea more imo.

[@thedicetower]

I'd have to enjoy Res Arcana to put it on the list, but it is a good point. And I know I'm in the minority of not liking it much! Concordia is another great pick, but Mandala is still super clever in how it uses cards with only a single feature in so many ways!

[@Dreadnote-pf7of]

IDK about Res Arcana, while its a good game that I've enjoy a lot and it has many clever ideas its multi-use-y nature is just a small part of its cleverness so while its there I don't feel that it feel that impactful. But Forest Shuffle is a good one, exactly as you said - each card is two effects, two "colors" for bonus activations, a basic resource and, one that often get forgot - you could even plant any card as a "default sapling". So you definetly use cards in multiple ways and while there are many games that use "card as a resource", but this strongly use that its a "colored" resource (even two-colored). For example Marvel Champions use this system too but there you only sometimes think about resource types, depends on a hero, villain and tactic of your deck, but in FS you almost always monitoring this, because most of the cards has colored-bonuses

[@levenzaha]

@@Dreadnote-pf7of yes all fair. It’s A Wonderful World is a better example , but similar enough. You’re very unlikely to go through a game of res where you aren’t going to discard some cards for resources and often the choice is quite tough on if you try and hold out and keep that card you really need despite not being able to afford it

[@Diceonahill]

I dig Apiary's seed cards! Having the ability to toss it for any basic resource, play for an effect or use it for end game scoring is great!

[@TorIverWilhelmsen]

Carl Chudyk: the list.

[@thedicetower]

Ha! Basically, yeah. I got a quick demo of his new game, Panda Spin, and that could potentially make the list when I play it more.

[@zacharymartin1477]

Yep. GtR gold.

[@dougwarr9459]

Chris, thank you for including La Granja!! I love that game. I also would include Forest Shuffle on my list.

[@cmicha8303]

The season can’t go by without highlighting another strong game with multi-use cards as the centerpiece. Campaign Trail is an awesome game with agonizing decisions about how to best use each of your cards in hand. Every card has four possible uses!

[@Pacers03343]

Beer and bread is a fabulous game! Hard to teach but great game! Love it!

[@STOpandthink]

Wow, your chemistry today is on point. Well done!

[@zfire911]

Chudyk fans rise up! Mottainai is just as confusing as Glory to Rome but plays much faster and is perfect 2 players.

[@scyldscefing3913]

Forrest Shuffle is a great example. Great list. Multi-use cards are awesome.

[@darbyl3872]

I was expecting a mention of Mottainai, but Glory To Rome is close enough. Another great little game with multi-use cards is Spaceshipped. It's only 18 cards, but what a neat game, and there's at least four expansions. Technically, Rove, Naturopolis, and At The Helm have multi-use cards as well. Button Shy is a master of this category.

[@DrowsyKaiju]

Disagree that several of these picks are multi-use cards. If you can use any card to discard, tuck, etc then its not a multi-use card, it's just a cost of an action. The multiple uses of a card needs to be tied to the specific card. Otherwise poker features multi- use cards (you can use them for scoring or discard them to get more cards)

[@eVanDiesel]

I'll allow it

[@rudyjansen4242]

Yes, some games where pulled in by there hairs to fill the 10 spots.

[@yarondavidson6434]

Yes. I like multi-use cards a lot. But pretty much all cases where it doesn't matter what the individual card is, because the alternate use is the same for all cards, I don't consider to really be multi-use. Using cards as money/payment is the most obvious case. That's indeed just the cost of an action. Otherwise so many games automatically become multi-use that it's meaningless. If you have more than one card and choose which one to play, is that multi-use because for this round you chose to play some cards but chose to not-play the others, since for each card you can either use it to play or use it to not play so that you can play other cards? No, of course not. But, I'd still include as not multi-use any other potential usages of cards where the individual card doesn't matter, even if the uses are more interesting/complex or more varied (e.g. use a card for what's on it, or to get two different resources, or to get three of different resources, or to progress a track, etc...) . You can indeed use the cards for multiple different uses, sure. But it's just an action selection mechanism where there are multiple actions of "use any card to do X". The card doesn't matter, so it's not multi-use. Games where the money/resources are cards aren't automatically multi-use card games even though you can use the money/resources for multiple things. Worker placement games where the workers are cards aren't automatically multi-use because you can play the cards on multiple different worker actions. And so on. Basically, as long as a use is dependent on just a card being a card, and not specific for what's printed on a individual card, it's not a use for the purpose of deciding if these are multi-use cards.

[@grog3514]

I agree. Many of these were not really multi use. Like mandala? Yeah you can put the card in different spots but the card itself is just representing a color set. Do you consider marvel champions to be multi use?

[@JerzyMuller]

@@grog3514Chris mentioned MC in the video when discussing Wendy’s #6.

[@roguemyst3750]

Looked through all the comments and didn’t see anyone mention Cryo! Every card has four possibilities: play it as a permanent upgrade, set it aside as a personal end game scoring mission, launch it as a vehicle, or scrap it for resources. All the options always feel good, so it makes it a delightfully painful process of choosing which way you’ll play the cards!

[@rudyjansen4242]

Wow, great topic, I do like Resist and Radlands. I would definitely add Knightfall and One deck dungeon, not great games but fantastic multi-use cards. Even 7 wonders duel has multi-use cards (money, building a wonder or add to the city with chaining possibilities) to my list. Also Lux aeterna a great little solo game (with great card art) Really would like to hear Zee's top 10 multi-used card games. Are more DT influencers make this list?

[@sidetracksbgc]

When I think of multiuse cards my first thought is always the trekking games - Trekking the National Parks and Trekking the World. I love these games for teaching people who aren’t really gamers the concept of multiuse cards.

[@phantomcyrano]

Twilight Struggle holding the top spot on BGG for an eternity yet not even being mentioned on this list is nasty work.... 🤦

[@doggosplosion]

Chris brought up 2 of my favorites. Beer and Bread (solid choice) and Glory to Rome. Twilight Struggle also has where you can play the card as its operational value or an Event card. But the multi use card is more a mechanic and not the main point of the game. I am also surprised there was no 7 wonders Duel. Cards can be used for Buildings, Turn in for Coins, oruse for Wonders.

[@AgentKuo]

Here's some of my choices: •Radlands •Lost Ruins of Arnak •7 Wonders •It's a Wonderful World •Imperial Settlers •Root

[@GaryFromLiberty]

A newer title, Leviathan Wilds, has multi-use cards I really like. Using them as either action points (and defense) for the turn or as powers but using them as powers makes you loose your climbing grip faster and the ones with better powers tend to give higher action points so if you use them as AP, you're losing the option to use the strong power or vise-versa, getting a strong ability at the expense of having more AP for the turn. Very fun card play and decision spaces there

[@FelipeRodrigues-vj1zb]

Do Arnak e Dune Imperium count? I love this so much about them.

[@justineld4905]

Lost Ruins of Arnak was the first game I thought of.

[@JerzyMuller]

It would, both can use a card for action or as a resource, but not both.

[@joeferreti9442]

slightly

[@arthurwohlwill3837]

My favorite mutliuse card game is Arboretum. Do you place a card or use it to make sure you can score cards of that type?

[@waltlock8805]

Bioshock Infinite: Siege of Columbia. Votes for first player, sell some for cash for permanent upgrades, then use what's left for the combat.

[@mike_howes]

Ive realised this is one of my favourite mechanisms in games. I'd add Spirit island for its card having an effect and contributing elements to "innate" powers. Adds real interestinf choices to drafting cards as you get the cards printed effect and it can possibly unlock another power. I'd also add in Arkham Horror LCG. Each card has a use. Play a baseball bat and you now have a weapon to attack with. But whilst not played you can "commit" the card to a skill test. Its great to have cards have a primary function but that can contribute to the game state in another way. It is a fantastic way of not having dead cards in hand.

[@thedicetower]

Ohhh snap, I didn't think of that. Arkham Horror TCG is a very good pick as well!

[@VaultBoy13]

I'd put Spirit Island into multi-effect cards. They're not multi-use, they just have the written effect and a symbol effect.

[@VaultBoy13]

Cool call on AH:LCG.

[@RicardoMorenoAlmeida]

So I was ALMOST right when I read the title. I thought one of you would mention Mottainai, but Chris just gave us the earlier version of it. According to BGG Mottainai reimplements Glory to Rome

[@thedicetower]

Mottainai is good but I far prefer the original unfortunately. I almost feel bad recommending it, but it is clearly the stand-out of this genre for me!

[@zfire911]

@@thedicetower There are plenty of PnP versions of Glory to Rome on BGG, seems like the game has moved unofficially into a grey zone/abandon ware type of thing where the now defunct publisher is not asserting copyright(and thus taking down PnP files). Up to each individual if they think it's ethical to make personal copies.

[@jimalexander687]

Twilight Struggle, also.

[@aaronclark7687]

Lots of good ones on the list, but Lost Ruins of Arnak and 51st State are at the top of my list. Apparently I need to check out Forrest Shuffle!

[@MarkStamp-o6p]

Wendy's wrong in saying you can't turn bread into beer. There's a brewery near me that uses waste Naan from the indian restaurant down to road to make their bread.

[@DT_Wendy]

I meant in the game lol, but also that's a cool way using waste!

[@DarknessProphet]

Twilight Struggle would definitely make my list.

[@phmag2001]

I was waiting and expecting Western Legends to appear in this list.

[@orangetoucan148]

I would have picked Starshipped, Count of the nine estates, Dragons of Etchinstone, Earthborne Rangers and many others. We all have different tastes :)

[@monomundo]

Thank you guys! You are so cute ❤

[@bushibayushi]

For me it would definitely be Mottainai and Bruges ;)

[@joeferreti9442]

Using cards as resource tokens or to pay costs (no matter what's on the card) is technically not multi-use cards. Multi-Use cards is when the cards themselves have multiple uses printed on their front side.

[@thedicetower]

It's not really defined. In fact, in Queen Games rework of Bruges, Hamburg, they don't even have the alternate uses printed on the cards! That wouldn't turn it from a multi-use card game not into one.

[@kevinbhieey9188]

BGG says: The cards can be used in several different ways, and you have to choose one: eg use it as a resource or as an action. It literally says "as a resource". It also lists a bunch of games, many of which do not have multiple uses printed on their front side, like Pandemic and Brass: Birmingham.

[@RvLeshrac]

Salton Sea's cards-as-both-actions-and-money is probably the most interesting one to me.

[@James-sq7hr]

Siege Storm (Siege Mode) is one of my favorite multi-use card games.

[@justineld4905]

Two games that popped in my head that I would add to this list are Lost Ruins of Arnak and Apiary.

[@Gokkus87]

Ah yes, la Granja is a perfect pick! It is a fun game and every card has 4 possible uses. All of which are on the card and different from another.

[@jasonsmith1133]

Covert would be one of my picks. Each card can be used in three ways.

[@BlueGiantMedia]

No 51st State Master Set or Imperial Settlers?! I would also have Wayfarers of the South Tigris and Maracaibo up there.

[@ronaldbharvey]

I love how multi can mean dual

[@SoundsLikeZach]

I’d put Hadrian’s Wall in this list as well

[@kenstanford6423]

La Granja is the heat!

[@Cranilla13]

My favorite is the sadly shortly lived G.I. Joe TCG. Cards are used as troops/vehicles, shots, and boosts!

[@aerotokritou]

My favourite one is Dale of Merchants. Really great deck builder game with high replayability and tons of fun.

[@garyfaust6769]

I would pick Root and Friday!

[@DaleKeefer]

Others that would be on the list for me: Dune Imperium Lost Ruins of Arnak Concordia Deus Reef Sabika (poems) Big Sur 7 Wonders could also be considered multi-use, even though it's just an alternative action.

[@DT_Wendy]

Ooo, I didn't even think. of Reef. Love that game!

[@JasonKolodziej-l3x]

Yep Twilight struggle I don’t thing Wendy likes anything to do with this type of game knowing her other picks. I think Tom would have needed to be on this.list for TS to be there

[@thedicetower]

I was debating on including an operational points war game or similar. Twilight Struggle isn't one of my favorites, but The Hunt by Salt and Pepper was close. -Chris

[@DeltaDemon1]

I find multi-use cards in games difficult to play because there's too many options. Doesn't mean I don't like it but it is not my favorite. That being said, I love Pandemic but never thought of it as multi-use cards...It is but it's rarely a difficult decision how to use them for me.

[@joeferreti9442]

Brass and Pandemic are not multi-use card games. Just because you generically pay cards for something doesn't make the cards multi-use.

[@atonaltensor]

I would agree Brass doesn’t have multiuse cards but Pandemic does. The “city” could be city you’re flying to, city you’re flying away from, city you’re building research center in, and the color could be part of cure. The primary tension in the game is discarding a city card to fly somewhere and solve an emergency while sacrificing/delaying the set collection to discover cure and win the game.

[@TheSlussDogg]

Love this mechanism. A few other examples that come to mind: Cryo, Lacrimosa, Dune: Imperium, Concordia, Inis Cryo- 4 different uses for each card: vehicle, upgrade, objective, scrap Lacrimosa- have to play one card for its action and one card for next round's resources each turn Dune: Imperium- use your cards for your worker placement actions, but the leftover ones in your hand give you influence or swords Concordia- each card is an action and end game scoring Inis- you play your green cards for actions, or discard them during clashes instead of clans

[@brianstever2146]

My favorite is Maracaibo

[@foyoGames]

I vote Innovation 💡

[@sybmike]

Battlestar Galactica would have been on my list.

[@gamera2351]

The very first game I thought of was Reavers of Midgard. I predict the Yis will not mention it. Let’s see if I’m right.

[@gamera2351]

I knew it. 😂

[@thedicetower]

Haven't played it, though I'm open to it. But there are also SO many games ti catch up on!

[@Cameronwatt]

Some games I like Watergate, Isle of trains and Friday.

[@thedicetower]

Isle of Trains could have made my list. I haven't tried Watergate and only found Friday to be okay. But yeah, Isle of Trains is a fantastic example.

[@Cameronwatt]

@@thedicetower Friday wasn’t love at first sight with me but I often struggle with FF rule books and he often has a weird shape to his games. I played the heck out of it during Covid though.

[@FYCxxLeoxx]

No button shy games?!

[@joeferreti9442]

They were too button-shy.

[@arthurwohlwill3837]

Do any of the Buttonshy games use Multiuse cards well? (or other 18 cards games?) It seems that would be a natural thing to do, but I have only played a few of those games.

[@darbyl3872]

Spaceshipped, Rove, At The Helm, Naturopolis.....

[@MarkStamp-o6p]

I like how Port Royal uses the deck as coins

[@joeferreti9442]

You mean resource tokens. That is pathetic, impractical and definitively not multi-use cards.

[@ConeDefense]

Bloody Inn!!

[@knightsofrespawn]

One deck dungeon

[@Tommy.Kerbow]

Pfister pfanatics pforever!

[@bangazboom9925]

I see the title and exclaim, “If Radlands is not on this list then I call BS!”

[@aylife4557]

What are Multi-Use Cards? 😅

[@mabos555]

Superhot the card game, And spaceshiped for solo And.... Of course they won't be in this list 🤦🤦🤦🤦

[@iinventedadrian]

Mandala???

[@DT_Wendy]

Did you like the explanation?

[@iinventedadrian]

​@DT_Wendy yes, I understand the logic behind it earning a spot on the list. Still seems like a stretch to me but maybe just because it's such an unconventional choice.

[@DT_Wendy]

@@iinventedadrian I wanted to highlight a variety of different multi-use card mechanisms, and I find Mandala to be very clever. I could have had them all be cards that have 2 actions written on them, but where's the fun in that.

[@JimGDawg]

No Dune Imperium?

[@thedicetower]

This one was one I forgot, and could have made my list! But ultimately it's so hard because there's still only 10 slots. -Chris

[@grantfraser5430]

The first game (not on your lists) that came to mind was Match Of The Century. After some thought, how about Concordia? I also thought about London but I don't think it should qualify for the same reason that Pandemic is a weak choice. Cards being used as payment is a bit sketchy to be considered multi-use. I haven't played Mandala but sounded like it stretched the definition of multi-use a bit far also.

[@denizkandemir9744]

Also two games that where not mentioned that also use this are Wildlands and Bloodstones (but with tiles 😊)

[@darbyl3872]

That's what I liked about Wildlands.

[@jesseklei4074]

Shipwrights of the North Sea and to a lesser extent Scholars of the South Tigris, come to mind.

[@daniellebackus819]

I recently got City of Iron (2nd edition) as part of my crowdfunding of Creature Caravan from Red Raven Games. I was delighted to find out it was a deck-builder, and the cards have multiple uses. Do you use it to attack a town, explore a new land, build a building? If you use it for its expert action, you don’t get any of the symbols (attack, travel, or build) and need to use other cards with the symbols required to complete the expert action on the first card you played. But that means you can’t use those other cards again until you draw them! The game has so much strategy about when and how to purchase, draw, and use your two decks you’re building. Really awesome game!

[@thedicetower]

That sounds great! I've been meaning to get several of the Ryan Laukat games I'cmve missed to the table so this one sounds up my alley. -Chris

[@daniellebackus819]

@@thedicetoweryeah, I was really surprised at how good it is! I watched Tom’s review of the first edition, and he really liked it at the time. I think this second edition incorporated some ideas that came with an expansion for the first, one of them being unique cards/abilities for each faction. That change also makes the game more interesting.