From Cardboard to Crypto: The Evolution of Collectible Card Games and Berserk’s Bold Move

Berserk
6 min readSep 16, 2024

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Ta-da gamers! Are you ready to embark on an epic journey? A journey that takes you back to the old days when ‘deck-building’ wasn’t just a buzzword, but a sort of sacred ritual? Welcome to the saga of collectible card games — those delectably addictive pieces of cardboard (now digital pixels) that have been ensnaring players for decades.

From the mythological tales of yore to the crypto-infused fantasies of today, let’s explore how these trading card games came to life and where they are going now. Spoiler alert: it involves crypto, NFTs, mythologies, gods, monsters, and much more. Get, set, and shuffle — here we go!

The Dawn of Collectible Card Games: Where It All Began

History states that someone, somewhere, with neon on the body and grunge in the ears, thought of a radical idea in the early 1990s. The idea was: what if we took the thrill of trading baseball cards and mixed it in with fantasy battles? Thus, the CCG was born!

We are talking about Richard Garfield — the man behind the invention of the first ever collectible card game — Magic: The Gathering. This was the very first time the world saw customizable card decks where one can buy randomized packs of cards, build their own deck, and duel it out with various creatures, spells, and artifacts.

Magic: The Gathering (MTG) was an instant hit not because it was cool, but because something really deep down inside of us just wanted to hoard all those pretty things and simply totally annihilate our buddies in combat. Fast-forward to today, MTG is still a juggernaut with millions of players worldwide. However, it was just the beginning of something bigger and better.

The Boom of the 90s: Collect ’Em All!

Magic: The Gathering began a collectible card game explosion through the 1990s. If you weren’t collecting, trading, or battling, were you even living? That was the vibe of gamers back in those days! Here are some of the highlights from that time period:

  • Pokémon Trading Card Game: Based on the amazingly successful Pokémon franchise, this CCG had players take up the role of trainers, pitting their Pokémon against other players. The urge to collect such ultra-rare cards was almost as huge as collecting rare artifacts.
  • Yu-Gi-Oh!: It is an original series that actually aired in 1999 and practically yelled at you, saying, ‘You need this!’ By combining quite a number of monsters, spells, and traps, the game calls forward behemoths like Blue-Eyes White Dragon to completely annihilate others.
  • Duel Masters: This was the answer to Japanese successes Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon. With CCG mechanics combined with a creature battle-oriented game, Duel Masters became popular in Japan. This game enjoyed a fair-sized following in America too, during its peak in popularity.

Enter the Digital Age: CCGs Go Online Now!

By the 2010s, everyone was plugged into their computers and smartphones. So, the next natural development for the collectible and trading card games was the digital frontier. I mean, why would anyone like to lug around physical cards when they could summon dragons with a click of a button? The digital age of collectible card games includes:

  • Hearthstone: The Blizzard Entertainment catapulted a collectible card adventure into full-on eSport. Hearthstone introduced a Warcraft theme with a light sense of whimsy, easy-to-pick-up rules, and competitive ranking.
  • Gwent: Crowdfunded as a minigame in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the standalone card game Gwent came to life. It cleverly takes into consideration the tactical positioning and bluffing of cards. For those who love playing cards against medieval soldiers and monsters, Gwent was a big thing!
  • Eternal Card Game: Developed by Dire Wolf Digital, Eternal combined different elements of Magic: The Gathering with Hearthstone. This collectible card game offers a deep and strategic duel experience backed by card trading.

The Rise of NFT CCGs: Berserk and the Blockchain Revolution

This brings us to the bright new future of NFT collectible card games that are now taking over the $7.6 billion market by storm. And the biggest addition to the market is Berserk, a play-to-earn crypto game that not only throws fun gameplay into the mix, but also non-fungible tokens. Crypto, cards, and chaos — that’s Berserk for you!

Set in the ancient world of VulcanVerse, a land born from Greco-Roman mythology, comes Berserk! It’s a next-generation trading card game that lets its players get hands on 144+ NFT cards. You are not just gathering cards here, but also collecting digital assets that you can trade, sell, or rent online. What sets this apart from other modern CCGs? Crypto rewards, baby!

Yes, players are rewarded with LAVA tokens, simply for playing and winning duels. Slay monsters, acquire new lands, and stack up on your crypto while you’re at it. Ever thought that beating up monsters in card battles could be so lucrative?

Why Gamers Love Berserk (And Why You Should Too)?

Because in Berserk, you get true ownership of your digital assets. Your most valuable cards do not sit in some shoebox; the NFTs of Berserk mean that you own your cards, actually. They’re yours, like a hoard of treasure to show off or trade online.

Equally exciting is its Greco-Roman-inspired theme. Think of the ability to summon the mighty Minotaur or unleash the wrath of Medusa. Berserk cards don’t just win games but also tell stories. And in a world like VulcanVerse, where mythology is everything, each and every duel feels like an epic battle worthy of legend. What’s more?

  • NFTs-Collectibles: Over 144 existing NFT cards to be traded, collected, and used for battle in Berserk. Each card is a unique digital asset with 6 different levels of rarities and varying Lava costs and prices.
  • Play-to-Earn Model: Why just play when you can coin a few in Berserk? Crypto rewards are definitely sure to be won whether through dueling with others or participating in various tournaments online.
  • Robust Community: Join the already thriving community of card players on Instagram, Facebook, X, and Discord, brought together by common interests in mythology and strategy.

The Future of Collectible Card Games: What’s Next?

Well, it is only going to get bigger, better, and crazier with the integration of new technologies. The mishmash of blockchain technology, augmented reality, and cross-platform play is making CCGs something else altogether: a multiverse experience. I mean, just imagine playing a physical card game with real-world augmented reality monsters popping out of your deck. Isn’t that just surreal?

The vision is clear: a cross-platform system in which a card collection coexists physically and digitally. Further, a future in which prizes you win don’t give you bragging rights but, in fact, actual financial rewards backed by crypto.

With innovative collectible card games like Berserk, the imagination is taking real shapes. These play-to-earn crypto games are no longer just about gamers and players; they now belong to investors, strategists, and even entrepreneurs. In short, trading and collecting cards have entered new dimensions, and there’s no turning back.

To Wrap Up: The Next Hand is Yours!

From the days of MTG and Pokémon, collectible card games have come a long way. As we enter the world of blockchain, NFT cards, and crypto rewards, the future looks brighter than ever for best collectible card games. And games like Berserk? Well, they are leading the charge, blending mythology, strategy, and digital ownership in a way that feels both ancient and futuristic. So, why wait?

Prepare yourself for the biggest CCG of the year! Download Berserk for FREE on iOS, Android, and PC. Be it building a pantheon of gods or strategizing with mythical beasts, it is your playground full of ancient wonder and tactical warfare. Oh, and by the way, you get to earn crypto while at it? Well, that’s what 21st-century gamers dream of!

Happy dueling, and may the gods be ever in your favor!

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