History Main / TradingCardLame

->''"It's really more of a 'trading card activity,' or 'trading card goings-on.' Because the word 'game' implies fun and enjoyment."''
-->--'''Strong Bad''', ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner''

A merchandising trope, this applies to the fact that long-lasting franchises of popular shows, movies, comics etc. will sooner or later end up creating and selling a TradingCardGame based on it. Usually, these games fail in contrast to those trading card games that are made for the trading card game's sake. Often tied to works of fiction of Japanese origins.

Not all [=TCGs=] based on existing franchises are 'lame' though - a number of them are quite fun to play.

A related trope is the phenomenon, prior to TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983, wherein many non-videogame companies had a Gaming division. TheProblemWithLicensedGames applies very well to both. May be exacerbated due to CCGImportanceDissonance.
----
!!Examples

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Based on Anime & Manga]]
* The ''Manga/DragonBall'' franchise has been in '''four''' completely different [=TCGs=].
** The first was in a set of the Ani-Mayhem game, which used material from several Pioneer-licensed anime. As mentioned below, the overpowered brokenness of the Manga/DragonBall Z set might be responsible for that game's failure.
** Score Entertainment then made a Manga/DragonBall Z game - and later a compatible DragonBallGT game - that enjoyed solid success for several years, in spite of poor game balance that tried to reflect the story ''too'' closely.
** After going through the whole anime series, Score started over with a similar yet ''completely incompatible'' game, while immediately abandoning all support for the previous one, rendering the collections of their faithful customers worthless. Critics reluctantly admitted it was a better game, but everybody was so burned by the company that the new game completely failed.
** Currently Bandai is making one, using shared rules with the Naruto game. [[UltimateShowdownOfUltimateDestiny So theoretically...]]
* ''Manga/InuYasha''
* ''OnePiece''
* The [[LongRunners long-running]] ''{{Gundam}}'' franchise has had two [=CCGs=] in its time. At the height of its popularity in the West, Bandai made ''Gundam MS War'', which died quickly due to poorly thought-out mechanics and limited scope (only really covering [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam the original series]] and ''[[GundamWing Wing]]''). A few years later they tried again, this time taking the pre-existing (not to mention better-designed and much more successful) Japanese game ''Gundam War'' and translating the cards into English. Unfortunately, by that point the franchise was on its last legs in the West and Bandai [[TheyJustDidntCare Just Didn't Care]], releasing cards with terrible translations and {{Engrish}}, eventually pulling support after only two expansion sets despite the fact that the game had a cult following.
** As an aside, Bandai took the "engine" from ''Gundam War'' and modified it into the Crusade System Card Series, producing such titles as ''[[{{Sunrise}} Sunrise Crusade]]'', ''[[{{Macross}} Macross Crusade]]'', ''[[VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsOriginalGeneration OG Crusade]]'', ''[[GoNagai Dynamic Crusade]]'', and ''[[StudioBONES BONES Crusade]]''. [[MassiveMultiplayerCrossover Since these all operate off of the same system...]]
* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''
* ''FullmetalAlchemist''
* ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' has [[http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v106/jonathanyuac/loot3.jpg Bankett!]].
* ''Manga/SailorMoon''
* ''FruitsBasket''
* ''Manga/{{Bleach}} [=TCG=]''
* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}'' had 3 [=TCGs=] in America, and has had at least four in Japan - the newest two of which are currently being produced ''at the same time''. The first of the Japanese [=TCGs=] became a CanonImmigrant in ''Anime/DigimonTamers'', which was intended to come from a more 'real-world' perspective where Digimon is a media franchise.
* Even ''{{Berserk}}'' got this treatment. Which the Abridged Series mocks.
* ''Manga/DetectiveConan''
* ''ShamanKing''
* ''Ani-Mayhem'' was one of the first anime-themed card games, as well as one of the first multi-license card games (predating Vs System and others). The base set included ''RanmaOneHalf'', ''TenchiMuyo'', ''ElHazard'', and ''BubblegumCrisis'' (the original). The first expansion had ''ProjectAKo'', ''PhantomQuestCorp'', ''ArmitageIII'', ''DominionTankPolice'', and a couple from ''Manga/AhMyGoddess''. The second and final expansion focused entirely on ''Manga/DragonBall Z'', and is often credited with sinking the game by destroying any sense of balance.
* ''InitialD'' had a short-lived card game in the US, made by AEG, the company that handled the CityOfHeroes CCG.
* ''Manga/DeathNote'' has one exclusive to Japan.
* ''{{Beyblade}}'' - That's right, in case you couldn't play with cheap, spinning tops, you can play a slow and incredibly expensive card game!
* ''Anime/YuGiOh'', which is actually quite popular (more precisely, the most popular TCG in the world) and [[GuiltyPleasures pretty fun to play]].
** With ''TabletopGame/YuGiOh'', it helps that the original source material is about a [=TCG=] based on ''MagicTheGathering''. The primary differences between the two are that in the show it's called Duel Monsters and ScrewTheRulesIHavePlot is the order of the day.
** Likewise, ''TabletopGame/DuelMasters'', sadly no longer going outside of Japan. Starting with the first expansion, the flavor text of the cards began receiving the same sort of GagDub treatment as the show, which made opening up a booster pack especially satisfying.
* ZatchBell has one. Perhaps the most interesting thing about it is that there is no randomness: instead of a deck, you put your cards in a special miniature binder modeled after the SpellBooks found in the show. You could only use the card that was on the current page.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Based on Comic Books]]
* The VS System, a [=TCG=] built around comic books, primarily those of Marvel and DC, that was reasonably successful for a while.
** There were at least two earlier attempts to make a comic book [=TCG=]: Overpower (Marvel, then DC) and [=ReCharge=] (Marvel only).
*** Make it three, with the Edutainment card game Genio involving Marvel superheroes.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Based on Film]]
* Both ''Film/HarryPotter'' and ''Film/LordOfTheRings'' got one when the movies came out.
* ''Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail'' had a [[http://www.ctlsoftware.co.uk/Python/HGCCG/HGCCG_Main.htm Collectible Card Game]], put out by Kenzer and Company.
** This game is remembered even among non-fans for the presence of the "Get On With It!" card. When played, it obligates another player to stop wasting time thinking and actually make a play. More games should have this card. '''All''' games should have this card.
* ''Film/{{Highlander}}''
** Which was actually a pretty good game; it mostly died because Thunder Castle's release speed for new cards was positively ''glacial''.
** Funny enough, the ''Kingdom Hearts'' CCG mentioned above has an optional rule set named this, where you can only have one copy of any level card (IE, one Level 1 DonaldDuck, one Level 2 Donald Duck, etc) aside from Traverse Town.
*** This optional rule set exists in MANY games, and [[OlderThanTheyThink originated with]] ''MagicTheGathering''. It is called "bicycle" in [[{{Deadlands}} Doomtown]].
** There is a new edition of the Highlander CCG, although distribution is limited.
* ''StarWars'' franchise has - bear it with me - no less than ''eight'' [=TCGs=] in various state of life to date:
** The first one, Decipher's StarWarsCustomizableCardGame, was active between 1995-2001 and consistently ranked #2 in popularity, behind only MagicTheGathering. Definitely not "lame", it was notable for complex game mechanics and various fun Easter Eggs inserted on the cards, as well as featuring some ExpandedUniverse characters in later years. It still has a substantiational fanbase and the original stuff still sells, despite being over a decade out of print. It has a cult following so great some of the "best sets" can sell booster and deck packs for at least the $80-100 they would have cost in their day.
** Before losing their license in 2001, Decipher cashed in and made some lame spinoffs, [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jedi_Knights_Trading_Card_Game Jedi Knights]] and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Jedi_Collectible_Card_Game Young Jedi]]. The first one, based on the Original Trilogy, lasted for only three sets and used computer-generated imagery instead of movie stills. The second one was based on ThePhantomMenace and had even more simplistic game mechanics. Both were aimed at the younger audience.
** In 2002 ''LucasArts'' took the license away from Decipher and gave it to WizardsOfTheCoast, which created a TCG for Episode II as a Revenue Enhancing Device. It barely made it to Episode III, but still retains some of its followers today. Probably the second-known ''StarWars'' card game.
** Then there was the Star Wars Pocketmodel Game from WizKids, which utilized both collectible cards and cardboard starship miniatures. It wasn't ''that'' lame, but it never made it into StarWarsTheCloneWars expansions, ending in 2008.
** StarWarsGalaxies TradingCardGame was an interesting example. Apart from being the first ''StarWars'' card game online, it was different from its predecessors in using artwork by world-class artists instead of movie stills and being focused almost entirely on Franchise/StarWarsExpandedUniverse material, which previous games only touched at best. Unfortunately, being tied to the StarWarsGalaxies didn't do it justice: the MMO was already in decline and restricting the game to current and former SWG subscribers limited the potential player base to several hundred people at its best. Nevertheless, the game survived thanks to MMO players buying virtual boosters while hunting rare loot items and spawned 8 sets with thousand of beautiful artworks, until it got shot down along with the MMO that gave birth to it in late 2011.
** ''StarWarsCloneWars Adventures'' is a casual "''VideoGame/FreeRealms''-style" MMO based on StarWarsTheCloneWars TV series. It added its first CCG, Card Commander, shortly after the launch in 2010 - a game with incredibly simplistic gameplay , aimed at the very young audience. In 2012, it added a second came called Card Assault. Despite still being pretty lame compared to some of the aforelisted games, it is nevertheless a step up, actually including Deckbuilding and Strategies, while the Card Commander is mostly luck-based and has no deckbuilding to speak of at all. These two are the only game officially supported by Lucasfilm to date, though fans of both Decipher and WOTC games still keep them alive, releasing unlicensed virtual expansions.
* ''AustinPowers'' [=CCG=]. Really.
** Decipher and WotC have both jumped on as many Intellectual Properties as they could. Wizards had a ''WCW'' game once, for heaven's sake.
* There's an ''ArmyOfDarkness'' card game. There was something seriously wrong with it, as it was way too easy to win without really doing anything. It doesn't help that the instructions are written the way Ash talks.
* Decipher released a MassiveMultiplayerCrossover CCG called Fight Klub based on one-on-one fights between famous movie characters. [[{{Saw}} Jigsaw]] versus [[SilenceOfTheLambs Hannibal Lecter]], [[ReservoirDogs Mr Blond]] versus [[EvilDead Ash]], [[Franchise/{{Rambo}} John Rambo]] versus RoboCop, [[Film/{{Crank}} Chev Chelios]] versus [[ChuckNorris Scott McCoy]], TankGirl versus [[Film/{{Species}} Sil]], and more. How could this be anything but awesome? Complicated rules obfuscating simplistic gameplay, online-only distribution, and pyramid-scheme-style enticement bonuses, that's how.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Based on Literature]]
* A successful Middle-Earth [=CCG=] came out long before the ''Film/TheLordOfTheRings'' movies.
* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' has a spinoff card game, called Game Of Thrones. When first released, it was a fairly traditional [=CCG=], with base decks augmented by booster packs. Starting in 2007, though, it converted to what the makers call a [="LCG"=], or Living Card Game. A $40 starter set will get use the starting decks for four main Houses, with additional sets for players wanting to play as other Houses or with expanded options for one of the 'core' Houses (Stark, Banatheron, Lannister, and Targaryen). Since then, though, the makers have released monthly "chapter" packs: Basically 60-card booster packs with identical contents to eliminate random collections, arrayed in six chapter arcs built around a general theme or region, much like [=M:tG's=] card block system. One of the longest lasting card games on the market aside from [=M:tG=], Yu-gi-oh and the Pokemon [=CCG=], in continuous production since 2002.
* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', using the same engine and mechanics as ''Series/BabylonFive''.
* ''Hyborian Gates'', based off Creator/RobertEHoward's writings, features 100% recycled Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell art.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Based on Live Action TV]]
* ''Series/DoctorWho'' has now had three; one released in 1996 which only made it to one set, and two kiddie-orientated new series tie-ins.
* ''Wrestling/{{WWE}} Raw Deal''.
** ''{{WCW}} Nitro'' came out at pretty much the same time, but was doomed by the fact that it released shortly before the death of the WCW.
* ''[[Series/TwentyFour 24]]'' has one, of all things. Doomed by an odd premier release (Starters first, boosters two months later) and released during the [[WritersStrike '07-'08 WGA Strike]], the only season skipped in [[Series/TwentyFour 24's]] 8-season run.
* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer''
* ''TheXFiles''
** Both ironically and appropriately, the basic mechanics of the ''X-Files'' CCG were also used for a ''ScoobyDoo'' CCG.
* In Japan, there's a ''SuperSentai'' trading card game called "Rangers Strike", which eventually expanded out and added ''KamenRider'' and ''MetalHeroes''.
** ''PowerRangers'' has had two trading card games, the "Collectible Card Game" that was made in 2008 (using art from Rangers Strike) and the "Action Card Game" that started in 2012 as a tie in to ''Series/PowerRangersMegaforce'' using card art from ''VideoGame/SuperSentaiBattleDiceO''.
* ''Franchise/StarTrek'' has had two, the more notable one by Decipher (which was itself split into two editions, where the 2nd edition barely resembled the first).
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Based on Tabletop Non-Card Games]]
* The ''BattleTech'' [=CCG=] made by MagicTheGathering creator, Richard Garfield, maybe? It saw about half a dozen expansion sets and a revamp of the main set (Commander's Edition) before folding. By [=CCG=] standards, that's fairly respectable.
** Even then, its folding was caused by FASA's buyout by Decipher, a rival to Wizards of the Coast who were releasing the CCG.
* A [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_collectible_card_games list of collectible card games]] on TheOtherWiki has many more examples, including ''AliensVsPredator'', ''[[Series/BabylonFive Babylon 5]]'' and Literature/TheWheelOfTime (listed together because they actually used the same engine, so you could pit Sheridan against Rand al'Thor), JamesBond and ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration''.
** The aforementioned ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' card game, incidentally, eventually branched out to the rest of the franchise. It was made by the same people as the StarWars game and was also fairly popular.
* There were three Trading Card games based on ''TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness'' table-top [=RPGs=].
** First ''Jyhad'', which was canceled and revived as ''Vampire: The Eternal Struggle'', which is still going (but largely only available through White Wolf's website). This is based on ''TabletopGame/VampireTheMasquerade''.
** Then an entirely separate game, ''Rage'', based on ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheApocalypse''. This was published by two separate companies with two separate rulesets, one of which continues to receive fan expansions.
** Lastly, there was ''Arcadia'', based on ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming''.
* ''{{Deadlands}}'' had the ''Doomtown'' CCG, which had a decidedly niche fandom. The plot and setting were unique, and later [[CanonImmigrant ported over to Weird West canon]]. Perhaps best of all, every card in the CCG had a rank and suit--just like playing cards--so they could also be used for poker, or with the tabletop game as the mystical [[CardSharp Huckster's]] spellslinging or a general [[ActionInitiative initiative]] deck.
* ''{{Netrunner}}'' ''technically'' falls into this category, since its background drew upon R. Talsorian Games's ''Cyberpunk 2020'' role-playing setting (despite the game itself being produced by Wizards of the Coast). Of course, even at the time that was arguably a fairly obscure property... (The game itself was pretty solidly designed, by the way, just sadly short-lived.)
* ''{{Rifts}}'' had a short-lived game, but when they came out with their new "half-edition", they actually took a lot of the original artwork and blew it up into quarter- to full-page spreads in the new rulebook.
** Acknowledging its failure, Palladium would later have a joke contest; what to do with 50,000 Rifts CCG cards. Which was how many the company had in storage after the CCG failed.
* ''SpellFire'', a hastily put together CCG based on DungeonsAndDragons and mostly reused art, created by TSR to cash in on the Magic fad while it lasted. Three years later, TSR went ''bankrupt'' and was bought by WOTC, the creators of Magic... but not before being reduced to using photos of TSR employees in extremely crude costumes as card "art."
* ''QueensBlade'' was originally a fighting-book game using the Lost Worlds game books, but of course featured sexy fantasy women. This spawned a CCG, two PS games, and an anime series. Of course, the CCG was [[NoExportForYou only released in Japan]].
* Steve Jackson Games' ''IlluminatiNewWorldOrder'' was a collectible version of their previous classic ''{{Illuminati}}''. Unfortunately, they borrowed many mechanics and cards from the non-collectible version without thinking about how deckbuilding would allow them to be exploited, and most games of ''INWO'' were immediately won by whichever player went first.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Based on Video Games]]
* ''KingdomHearts'' had its own GBA game [[CardBattleGame which incorporated cards]]. Huh.
** And then SquareEnix saw fit to remake this game for the PlayStation2 as part of one of its Japanese rerelease packages, and even exported said remake as a standalone release in North America.
** It also had a very short lived TCG, while the translators, Fantasy Flight Games, teased of the fifth set, which would have been Japan's Sixth and Seventh Set, including whatever promos respective to that set. Which is very irritating to some people who wanted a ''Halloween Town'' themed deck, which was worthless without the Japanese cards, and the only ''Oogie Boogie'' card in the English series discarded ''Jack Skellington'', the entire premise of the deck, from play.
* There was also a ''VideoGame/SimCity'' [=CCG=].
** In the same genre, later versions of VideoGame/{{Civilization}} IV came bundled with their self-made [=CCG=].
* Beloved fighting game VideoGame/KillerInstinct also had one, published by Topps. It [[OnlyInItForTheMoney wasn't]] [[RockPaperScissors that good]].
* ''[[DotHack .hack]]'' also had one.
** ''[[DotHackGU .hack//GU]]'' had an in-universe one, Crimson VS, that was made into an out-of-universe one, .hack//GU The Card Battle, which had different rules but could also be played as if it were Crimson VS.
* ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' has a [=TCG=] with rules loosely inspired by ''MagicTheGathering''. Interestingly, even people who hate the MMO enjoy the TCG, and it has a strong following.
* ''CityOfHeroes'' developed one, and released initial card sets, through the project got dropped well before it could be called complete (the player base has continued development somewhat). It did have one noteworthy feature, a website app and proxying rule which allowed players to generate and print tournament-legal cards representing their characters.
* The ''MegaManBattleNetwork'' series had a [=TCG=], made by Decipher, which lasted less than a year.
** It really didn't help that a card game based on a license which involved the combatants attacking each other with digital weaponry had only one way to win the game... by decking your opponent.
* ''FinalFantasy'', of course, has a card game based on its series; ''Lord of Vermillion'' uses iconic monsters from the series, and marries traditional card gameplay with a video game interface (similar to Sony's ''The Eye of Judgment.'') The sequel also includes characters from VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV, [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX IX]], and RomancingSaga, along with {{guest fighter}}s from MagicTheGathering, BlazBlue, TheKingofFighters, and [[{{Sega}} Sangokushi Taisen]].
** They also produced a paper version of the Triple Triad game played within ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII''.
** In another [[NoExportForYou brilliant]] marketing move, [[SquareEnix Square]] finally published an 'all-13' card game for the series in 2011. Info is [[http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_Trading_Card_Game here]].
* ''VisualNovel/{{Yarudora}} series vol.3: VisualNovel/{{Sampaguita}}'' has a [[http://tradingcardsfan.conceptbb.com/t1458-sampaguita-trading-collection Trading Card Collection]] set. [[CuttingOffTheBranches It uses the Good End 2 route as the canon storyline]], with Good End 3, Normal End 2, Bad End 1, and Bad End 9 as Parallel Stories.
* ''FireEmblem'' had a [=TCG=] Japan, covering from ''[[FireEmblemAkaneia Monsho no Nazo]]'' through to ''[[FireEmblemJugdral Thracia 776]]''.
* ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' has one. In true ''Touhou'' fashion, it's actually named ''Rumbling Spell Orchestra''.
** There's also the more recent ''Touhou Ginfuritsu'', from the company that make ''Lycee TCG''.
* Even ''Videogame/WingCommander'' had one, made by MargaretWeis, who also took the opportunity to make a CCG of her own [=IP=], ''Star of the Guardians''. Outside of a few "hardcore" fans neither was received well.
* ''VideoGame/MaddenNFL'' has "Ultimate Team" mode, which is a TCG within the game (but for real money of course).
* Deserving special mention are ''KamenRider Battle: Ganbaride'' and ''SuperSentai Battle: Dice-O'', games based off of two legendary {{Toku}} franchises that are played using arcade machines. In fact, each franchise has a series (''KamenRiderDecade'' and ''TensouSentaiGoseiger'' respectively) that really carry the MerchandiseDriven aspect to the endzone: in both shows, the protagonists' [[TransformationTrinket Transformation Trinkets]] run off of modified versions of the game cards; Decade's Trinket is modeled off of part of the game console (which was changed to match up with ''KamenRiderOOO''), while the Goseiger have a ''Dice-O'' arcade cabinet that turns into a RobotBuddy '''and''' HumongousMecha.
* The online card game Tyrant was based of the Facebook game War Metal.
* ''{{Pokemon}}'', [[CashCowFranchise of course]]. The Pokemon card game was popular enough to inspire a ([[NoExportForYou two]] actually) video game based on the card game... [[RecursiveAdaptation based on the video game]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Based on Western Animation]]

* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' and ''PiratesOfTheCaribbean'' each had one, and they were based on the ''[=QuickStrike=]'' system. So you could face, say, Katara against Will Turner...
* ''{{Neopets}}''
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Ben 10}} [=CCG=]''
* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans [=TCG=]''
* ''WesternAnimation/XiaolinShowdown [=TCG=]''
* [[WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic Geek]] [[WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd Fight]].
* Goes beyond shows, movies and games: A company called Cactus Game Design produces the card game ''Redemption'' - based off of the Bible. Also an example of TheMoralSubstitute.
* ''DragonBooster''. Like pretty much everything associated with that show, it was poorly distributed.
* ''SpongeBobSquarePants'' had one in 2001, based on the first season. The goal was to get customers to the Krusty Krab.
* There is a ''MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' card game, but its rules tend to make little sense. The designers seem to fail to appreciate that resource systems are more about time than actual resources.
* ''{{Transformers}}'' had at least two, both primarily based on the [[Film/{{Transformers}} live-action movies]]. The first was a "3D Battle-Card Game" that fell squarely into this trope: characters were represented as punch-out buildable cards that could either be built as vehicles/animals or out-of-proportion OffModel robots ([[http://tfwiki.net/w2/images2/thumb/1/10/3DBattleCard_OptimusPrime.jpg/300px-3DBattleCard_OptimusPrime.jpg here's Optimus, for those interested]]), and the game could easily be played without the card models. Only two sets were released. The second is a more traditional TCG, currently exclusive to Japan; time will tell whether it'll be more successful.
* The {{Cosplay}} website "American Cosplay Paradise" parodies this phenomenon with its "American Cosplay Duel" game, originally intended as an April Fool's joke. The game represents [[MundaneMadeAwesome making/wearing costumes and entering them in masquerades]], and can ''technically'' be considered a multi-license game, except [[Anime/CodeGeass Lelouch]] isn't the real Lelouch, and [[TheMelancholyOfHaruhiSuzumiya Haruhi]] isn't the real Haruhi, and... well, you get the picture...
* Making TCG out of existing works is one half of {{Bushiroad}}'s business, the other half is making anime, which then may or may not be made into TCG. Derivative TCG from Bushiroad includes:
** ''WeissSchwarz'', which pits [[RuleOfCool Cool]] anime characters versus [[RuleOfCute Cute]] anime characters. {{Averted}} NoExportForYou, so far this seems to be the most successful amongst Bushiroad's non-original TCG. Cool characters come from series such as ''Franchise/BlackRockShooter'' and ''FateZero'', while Cute characters come from series such as ''LuckyStar'' and ''LightNovel/ZeroNoTsukaima''.
** ''Sunday vs. Magazine TCG'', which pits characters from manga serialized in Weekly Shounen Sunday versus character from manga serialized in Weekly Shounen Magazine. ''Manga/DetectiveConan'' versus ''SayonaraZetsubouSensei'', anyone?
** ''Victory Spark'', which pits attractive female characters against each others. Has characters from ''MayoiNekoOverrun'', ''ToLoveRu'', and ''HanasakuIroha''; the full list is somewhat long.
** ''†ALICE†''[[note]]''Alice Cross''[[/note]], which is the same thing except with {{Bishounen}} series. Female characters are on the "Queen" side, male characters are on the "Joker" side. Has characters from ''{{Hakuouki}}'', ''VisualNovel/TogainuNoChi'', and ''JunjouRomantica'', for example.
** ''Chaos TCG'', which seems to be focused on VisualNovel. Include characters from VN companies such as NitroPlus and VisualArts, but also {{Anime}} such as ''StrikeWitches'' and ''{{Ikkitousen}}''.
** Bushiroad also make non-gaming Trading Card for several series, this includes ''VisualNovel/{{Clannad}}'' and ''PersonaTrinitySoul''.
* ''TheSimpsons'' TCG, made by Wizards of the Coast. The goal here is not combat, but to create a setting with characters suited for that location. Despite everything about the premise suggesting it would fall on its face, those who've played it say it's very fun.
* ''WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends'': In-universe, Coco creates a trading card game based on all the imaginary friends. Bloo becomes set out on collecting them all.
[[/folder]]
----

* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' has a spinoff card game, called Game Of Thrones. When first released, it was a fairly traditional [=CCG=], with base decks augmented by booster packs. Starting in 2007, though, it converted to what the makers call a [="LCG"=], or Living Card Game. A $40 starter set will get use the starting decks for four main Houses, with additional sets for players wanting to play as other Houses or with expanded options for one of the 'core' Houses (Stark, Banatheron, Lannister, and Targaryen). Since then, though, the makers have released monthly "chapter" packs: Basically 60-card booster packs with identical contents to eliminate random collections, arrayed in six chapter arcs built around a general theme or region, much like [=M:tG's=] card block system. One of the longest lasting card games on the market aside from [=M:tG=] and the Pokemon [=CCG=], in continuous production since 2002.

* ''Anime/YuGiOh'', which is actually quite popular and [[GuiltyPleasures pretty fun to play]].

* WesternAnimation/FostersHomeForImaginaryFriends: In-universe, Coco creates a trading card game based on all the imaginary friends. Bloo becomes set out on collecting them all.

* ''StarTrek'' has had two, the more notable one by Decipher (which was itself split into two editions, where the 2nd edition barely resembled the first).