My Card Is Better Than Your Card! Review (PC)

It feels as if I’m back in ‘04, tearing open a booster pack of Pokémon trading cards in the hopes that the next pull will reveal something special, something spectacularly shiny. I’m sitting with bated breath, wondering which of the two-hundred stickers will be revealed next, and I’m living for the anticipation. It isn’t as if I’m emotionally invested in the game itself; it’s more the case that a small part of me—the young kid at heart who loved opening up those fresh packs—simply wants to complete the collection and unlock a wealth of fresh synergies to toy around with. Frankly, it doesn’t matter if it’s a monster or a sticker that sits within the deck, because if there is even the slightest chance that I can proudly say that “My Card Is Better Than Your Card!” to the person adjacent to the board, then I’ll be happy.

There’s something awfully satisfying about opening up a booster pack, isn’t there? It’s the anticipation that binds us—no, compels us to reach for another pack and unlock its next set. It doesn’t always go our way, but it weirdly leads us to believe that, true to the nature of collect-a-thon gacha games, if we invest just enough time and effort into turning the dial or ripping apart the stickers from their envelopes, then we’ll amount to great, great things. And I suppose that’s what My Card Is Better Than Your Card! does: it gives you a scoot in the right direction and informs you that, if you collect enough stickers, then you will ultimately possess the keys to infinite synergies and modes of play. In any other case, I probably wouldn’t buy it. Yet, annoyingly, these stickers are just too darn enticing to pass up. Hello, childhood.

No Swaps!

My Card Is Better Than Your Card! plays out like your traditional deck-building turn-based battler. Here, however, you don’t go about collecting all-powerful creatures to train or evolve, but rather, stickers that bear their own unique abilities. The idea from here is simple: you collect stickers, and with them, formulate original synergies with the cards you have in your deck. For example, if you have three stickers, all of which have a different trait, then you can compile them together to create a card that’s both unique to you and, if thought about correctly, capable of deflecting whatever obstacles you might encounter during a battle.

To add to the above, My Card Is Better Than Your Card! is all about stacking, as well as exploiting your opponent’s weaknesses by creating unique synergies that counter your opponent’s strengths. And with over 200 stickers to choose from, you essentially have your work cut out for you when it comes to beating the odds or, in this instance, the kid at the playground.

The good news here is that, unlike your unforgiving deck-building battler, My Card Is Better Than Your Card! is a lot easier to navigate and, to some extent, master. It’s a beginner-friendly game, if anything, which means that if you do have little to no experience with deck-building games, then you needn’t fret about making swift progress in this adorable little sandbox. But more on that shortly.

A World of Stickers and Synergies

Battling and stacking stickers is, of course, the core gameplay element here. Yet, there’s more to this IP than a few booster packs and stickers. In addition to the hundred-plus synergies and abilities that you can obtain and shuffle to create your perfect deck, you also have a variety of activities to work through, which includes conversing with NPCs, exploring the yards and other neighboring boroughs within the town, and even onboard new stickers through scavenger hunts and gacha-like shopping systems. Granted, it doesn’t do all of these things perfectly, and it still leaves a lot to be desired. Yet, it peppers just enough diversity over its foundation to create a lasting experience that’s both addicting and satisfying.

Let it be said that, while the collection process is a great deal of fun in itself, it’s the bubblegum art style and eccentric characteristics that make My Card Is Better Than Your Card! the absolute joy fest that it is. I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t a feast for the eyes, but weirdly, that’s sort of what makes it all the more appealing to the naked eye. It’s chaotic, and it does overcompensate for its lack of original deck-building features with a souped-up composition of candy-popping aesthetics and sugar-coated personalities. But maybe that’s why I feel so drawn to it. Maybe the world needs fewer complex deck-building systems and more simplified iterations of the timeless blueprint. Or maybe, just maybe, the world needs a little extra color. To that I’d say My Card Is Better Than Your Card! has the whole darn rainbow in its hand.

Verdict

My Card Is Better Than Your Card! summons an easy-to-navigate deck-building battler that feels both lovingly reminiscent of your favorite childhood school game and, more importantly, incredibly satisfying to play around with. It’s a little on the lighter side as far as deck-building games go, and it certainly lacks the depth of a bottomless world of cards and rarities. That said, for an entry-level system, it definitely gets the job done, and what’s more, it makes the process of developing a custom deck surprisingly engaging and rewarding. That, to me, is everything you need and more to scratch a certain itch.

With its generous addition of a few schoolyard games and side activities, NPC interactions and custom layer of moldable synergies, My Card Is Better Than Your Card! does manage to slot itself a little above the average deck-building kin. Again, it isn’t equipped with the breadth of a full-fledged collect-a-thon, and it does miss the mark in some areas, though, to give credit where it’s due, it does remediate its one or two minor shortcomings with a pleasantly satisfying gameplay experience that accommodates even the most inexperienced players. For that, I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.

To cut a long story short, yes, you ought to take some time to peel back the cards and jump into the sticker haven that is My Card Is Better Than Your Card! It’s cute, engaging, and above all, an absolute blast from the past for fledgling card collectors of old.