Deck Building LitRPG novels as they are called are a relatively small sub-genre, so you might be having trouble finding more. If so, look no further! Below there is info and links to all the big ones I’ve found, read, or have been recommended to me.
For this list, I’ll be dividing the stories into two categories:
– Cards as Skills = basically, tradable skills, spells, and abilities that usually have different rarities and sometimes even sets you can collect for additional power ups.
– Card Battlers = this is more akin to your standard card game (like Magic the Gathering or Hearthstone), where someone has a deck of creatures, spells, etc. they can summon and do battle with. Randomness is a factor, like in regular card games, and so too is the strategy of what to play, when to play, managing resources, etc.
Quick final note: while many, if not most, stories have humorous moments, I’ve put the humor tag next to ones I’ve read that put a larger focus on this element.
Card Battlers
Card Apocalypse – Royal Road
- Same world as Demon Card Enforcer below.
Card Mage (2 books, ongoing) – Amazon
- City focused fantasy setting. Poor main character. Cast of friends. Looser system.
Demon Card Enforcer (ongoing) – Amazon & Royal Road
- Noir setting. Adult main character. System heavy.
Dungeon Crawler Carl (Book 6 only) – Amazon
- System apocalypse setting. Humor.
Goblin Summoner (6 books, ongoing) – Amazon; Wake the Dead (1 book) – Amazon
- Isekai main character into fantasy setting. Humor. Found family.
Shadow Card Guardian (ongoing) – Royal Road
- Same world as Demon Card Enforcer above. Female lead.
Source & Soul (ongoing) – Royal Road
- City focused fantasy setting. Dual POV main characters. System heavy.
Cards as Skills
The Alchemist (5 books, complete) – Amazon
All the Skills (4 books, ongoing) – Amazon & Royal Road
- Fantasy setting akin to epic fantasy farm boy stories. Found family. Dragons.
Butler to a Core Lord (complete) – Amazon & Royal Road
- Fantasy setting. Cards take a day to refresh. Time magic.
Caravan of Blades (ongoing) – Royal Road
- Fantasy zombie apocalypse, too many Isekai-ed heroes, dragons, dwarves, adult characters.
Casteless (1 book, ongoing) – Amazon
The Celestial Trials (ongoing) – Royal Road
Cursed (ongoing) – Royal Road
Deck of Destiny (4 books, ongoing?) – Amazon
- Urban setting. Cards include summonable creatures. Some humor and a hint of spice.
The First Circle (ongoing) – Royal Road
- Cards as tarot with hard and soft rules. Apocalypse. Cute animal companion.
Jake’s Magical Market (3 books, complete) – Amazon
- System apocalypse setting. Cards are not the only type of magic.
Irwin’s Journey (ongoing) – Amazon & Royal Road
- Fantasy setting into school setting.
Magic Card Apocalypse (ongoing) – Royal Road
- Post apocalyptic. Low system.
Reborn Assassin: Battledeck Academy – Amazon & Royal Road
- Fantasy school setting. Humor.
Renalia’s Tale – Royal Road
A Summoner Awakens (2 books, ongoing) – Amazon
Theft of Decks (1 Book, ongoing) – Amazon
- Fantasy setting. Poor main character. Cast of friends. Humor.
There’s Absolutely No Problem with the Magic Cards I Made (ongoing) – NovelUpdates
Tower of Cards (2 books, complete) – Amazon
- Variation on system apocalypse where the system is more a boon to explore. Cast of friends.
???
Arcane Cultivator (2 books, ongoing) – Amazon
Card Mage: Academy Rebels (3 books, ongoing?) – Amazon
Nero Zero (hiatus) – Royal Road
Psycho Duel Revelations (incomplete due to author death) – Royal Road
Snap Craft (ongoing) – Royal Road
Legendary Fool (1 book, ongoing?) – Royal Road
Shuffle of Fate (hiatus) – Royal Road
Card Battlers on Hiatus
Deckmaster (hiatus) – Royal Road
Deck of Dogs (hiatus) – Royal Road
- Humor.
The Draw of the Unknown (long hiatus) – Royal Road
Runicka: Tournament of Monsters (hiatus) – Royal Road
Cards as Skills on Hiatus
Forgotten Lands – Royal Road
Plus a book I enjoyed back in the day
Arena: Magic the Gathering – Amazon