Choose Magic: The Gathering Arena
Choose Magic: The Gathering Arena if you want a Free To Play experience. On Steam, it's free to play, so the barrier to trying it is zero. 20,278 Steam reviews back the pick.
Magic: The Gathering Arena vs Relics - The Card Game
Magic: The Gathering Arena and Relics - The Card Game both land in Strategy on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are Strategy games on Steam. Magic: The Gathering Arena is free; Relics - The Card Game is paid (Price unknown). Magic: The Gathering Arena is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Relics - The Card Game has no Deck rating yet. No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Relics - The Card Game
Choose Relics - The Card Game if you want an Indie and Casual game with Custom Volume Controls, Playable without Timed Input, and Mouse Only Option.
Both Magic: The Gathering Arena and Relics - The Card Game sit in Strategy on Steam and both list Multi-player, Online PvP, and PvP, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Magic: The Gathering Arena |  Relics - The Card Game | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | — |
| Genres | Strategy, Free To Play | Strategy, Indie, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Unrated |
| Price | Free to play | Price unknown |
| Steam reviews | 58.9% positive (20,278 reviews) | — |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | Wizards of the Coast LLC | Double EXP |
Side by side
- Both are Strategy games on Steam.
- Magic: The Gathering Arena is free; Relics - The Card Game is paid (Price unknown).
- Magic: The Gathering Arena is Deck Playable on Steam Deck; Relics - The Card Game has no Deck rating yet.
Magic: The Gathering Arena vs Relics - The Card Game — FAQ
- Are Magic: The Gathering Arena and Relics - The Card Game similar?
- They overlap on Strategy on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.
- Is Magic: The Gathering Arena free?
- Yes — Magic: The Gathering Arena is a free-to-play Steam title. Relics - The Card Game is paid (Price unknown).
- Does Magic: The Gathering Arena run on Steam Deck?
- Yes — Magic: The Gathering Arena is rated Deck Playable by Valve. Relics - The Card Game doesn't have a Deck rating yet, so its Deck behaviour is currently unverified.