Choose Magic: The Gathering Arena
Choose Magic: The Gathering Arena if it matches what drew you to this matchup. 20,278 Steam reviews back the pick.
Magic: The Gathering Arena vs Cards, the Universe and Everything
Magic: The Gathering Arena and Cards, the Universe and Everything both land in Strategy, Free To Play 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 share Strategy, Free To Play on Steam. Magic: The Gathering Arena (2023) is 2 years older than Cards, the Universe and Everything (2025). Cards, the Universe and Everything scores higher on Steam reviews (77.4% positive) than Magic: The Gathering Arena (58.9% positive). 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 Cards, the Universe and Everything
Choose Cards, the Universe and Everything if you want a Casual experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 77.4% positive across 164 reviews.
Both Magic: The Gathering Arena and Cards, the Universe and Everything sit in Strategy and Free To Play 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 |  Cards, the Universe and Everything | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2023 | 2025 |
| Genres | Strategy, Free To Play | Strategy, Free To Play, Casual |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Playable | Deck Playable |
| Price | Free to play | Free to play |
| Steam reviews | 58.9% positive (20,278 reviews) | 77.4% positive (164 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer | Multi-player, Cross-Platform Multiplayer |
| Developers | Wizards of the Coast LLC | Avid Games, Exient |
Side by side
- Both share Strategy, Free To Play on Steam.
- Magic: The Gathering Arena (2023) is 2 years older than Cards, the Universe and Everything (2025).
- Cards, the Universe and Everything scores higher on Steam reviews (77.4% positive) than Magic: The Gathering Arena (58.9% positive).
- Both are free to play.
- Both are Deck Playable.
Magic: The Gathering Arena vs Cards, the Universe and Everything — FAQ
- Which is better, Magic: The Gathering Arena or Cards, the Universe and Everything?
- On Steam reviews Cards, the Universe and Everything scores higher (77.4% positive) than Magic: The Gathering Arena (58.9% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Cards, the Universe and Everything is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Magic: The Gathering Arena or Cards, the Universe and Everything first?
- If you want chronology, Magic: The Gathering Arena (2023) came out before Cards, the Universe and Everything (2025). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Magic: The Gathering Arena and Cards, the Universe and Everything similar?
- They overlap on Strategy, Free To Play 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.