How to Make a Card Game on the Web

Dozens of games are based on the standard playing card deck.

Online gaming is the second most popular online activity amongst Americans, after social networking. Online gaming takes many forms, from online platform videogames to online card games. Online card games are among the easiest games to design because they have relatively simple graphics and gameplay. You can make online card games using simple game design platforms. All you need to design a card game online is a game idea. No programming skill is required.

Things You'll Need

• Pen and paper

Instructions

1. Write the list of rules for your game on paper. Include rules for hands (how many cards per player per turn); points (how many points per card); turns (how it is decided whose turn it is to play a hand); and victory (how it is decided who won the game). If you plan to design unique cards for your game, write the information for each card on this sheet as well.

2. Pick a site where you can design your game. If you want to design your own cards, do so with Lackey CCG (see References). If you want a high level of customization, go with Byond. If you want to design games that can be played by multiple players on line, go with Card Game Forge.

3. Register with the site you want to use. Click on signup, then enter your name, e-mail address, mailing address and username/password.

4. Specify which cards will be used in your game. If you want to design your own cards, import the images and text into the design module in Lackey CCG. If you want to use the cards in the Anglo-American card deck, use Byond and CardGameForge and select the names of the cards you want to use.

5. Enter the parameters for the rules you developed in Step 1. From the "player" options in the design interface, specify how many players can play the game, how many cards each player gets, and how the players' cards are handed out. From the "rule" options, set the numbers for how many points each card is worth, how many points it takes to win the game, and how many points it takes to get kicked out of a game.

6. Play the game and make notes on how it functions. If it does not function the way you wanted it to, or if certain aspects of the game don't work at all, go back to the player and gameplay parameters and change the inputs so that no two inputs contradict each other.

References

• NielsenWire; What Americans Do Online: Social Media And Games Dominate Activity; August 2010
• LackeyCCG: FAQ
• Byond: About Byond
• Card Game Forge