4 best card games to play on the Apple iPad Mini 2024

Jack of all…

The iPad Mini is undoubtedly the most lovable Apple product amongst my peers. However, it’s the sort of product that you will buy only if you know what you want from it. For some it’s a stretched-out iPhone with Apple Intelligence and for others it’s a Kindle on steroids but for me, it’s my bedtime gaming console.

That A17 Pro chip is a neat lil’ wizard that can hold up well against all games on the App Store — barring the triple-A titles better suited on the M series chip. That said, the iPad Mini’s 8.3-inch display scales incredibly well for gaming, especially card games that don't require aggressive button tapping but thoughtful swipes. So here’s a list of the top four card games that we at Stuff HQ are hopelessly addicted to.

1) Pokémon TCG Pocket

Remember those Pokemon cards you collected back in the day? Which your mum threw away as you reached college? Yeah, that was a game that folks never played but just collected the cards. This is that card game and you can play with the cards finally!

Pokemon TCG Pocket is like a nostalgia trip for all Pokemon fans. You get to open one pack of cards every 12 hours but you can expedite that process by using an in-game currency which the game generously awards you when you do missions and complete other tasks. It has elements of pay-to-win but it’s never forced and the whole experience is fairly balanced right now.

After opening packs and collecting cards like you do with physical cards from back in the day, you can create your own deck and fight other people or your friends. This is where the game absolutely gets addictive. The decking-building and fighting aspect of Pokemon TCG Pocket has to be the most compelling thing about it. The fights are genuinely great and this feels like the best Pokemon game I’ve played since Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire.

It’s available for free on iOS, iPadOS and Android as well.

You can download it from here.

2) Balatro+

Balatro is a solid offline game that is included in your Apple Arcade subscription. It’s basically Solitaire meets Poker where you create Poker hands with your deck to beat the score called Blind. It’s also like a mini-roguelite where you must keep winning and move to the next Blind as the stakes get higher but your deck also gets stronger with multipliers and special cards that give you an edge.

Most importantly you also have to assign special Joker cards on the top of the table which add unique modifiers to your hand. Say you have a Joker which gives all Clubs a 2x multiplier and another Joker which triggers the points twice if you play a face card, then tweaking your deck after every round to suit these two Joker cards is a solid way to rake in points quickly and keep moving up and finish the game.

Balatro+ is available on Apple devices with Apple Arcade subscription

You can download it from here.

3) Slay the Spire+

Another roguelite game which has moved from the consoles to the iPad. Slay the Spire+ is included, again, in your Apple Arcade subscription. This deck builder requires you to move up the Spire and cut through anything that comes your way. With 350+ cards, 200+ different items, 50+ unique combat encounters, and 50+ mysterious events that can help or harm you, Slay the Spire remains a tough but addictive deckbuilder.

There are three different characters for different game styles and you have the option to navigate the branching paths as per your choice. Your character can attack and defend against some of the most bizarre creatures I’ve seen in video games but there’s a sense of underlying story and progression which only surfaces to the most hardened players who sit through the gruelling grind of its roguelite nature.

The second part of this game is slated to launch next year on consoles and PC.

Slay the Spire+ is available on Apple devices with Apple Arcade subscription

You can download it from here.

4) Marvel Snap

Arguably the most appealing game on this list is this. This fast-paced, strategic game throws you into the action with 3-minute matches that are packed with excitement. You can build your deck of iconic Marvel heroes and villains, each with unique powers and abilities, and outsmart your opponents.

You can use the "SNAP" to raise the stakes and make sure you take home more points. This Marvel deck builder requires you to win two of the three sections on the table, each with a unique modifier. Besides Pokemon, Marvel Snap also has a constantly growing collection of stunning card art variants and endless replayability.

It’s available for free on iOS, iPadOS and Android as well.

You can download it from here.