Trading Card Games as a Social Learning Tool

A philosophical meditation is presented in essay form on the trading card game as an analogue relic in a digital age. Its origins in the role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons are explored and the pastime’s subsequent rise to cult status in contemporary entertainment culture is delineated. Threats to the ongoing sustainability of the phenomenon are also contemplated. An outline of the operational mechanics of a generic trading card game is delivered, using Magic: The Gathering as a specific example. The positive societal impact of habitual game interactions and associated customs are encapsulated, with respect to pedagogic and other related matters.