Evolving from the standard deck of playing cards, the best card games bring fresh imagination, artistry, and excitement to the tabletop genre.

Among the world of tabletop games, card games are some of the most universal. A deck of cards has often been a readily available item people rely on to bring entertainment in an otherwise stagnant situation. Nearly everyone owns a deck of playing cards.

RELATED: 10 Cheap Board Games To Play If You're On A Budget

As card games evolved over time, they moved on from the standard deck of playing cards to creating their own. This allowed for more complex rules, nuanced mechanics, and intriguing artistry to make their way to the world's card tables. Before long, some card games clearly stood above the rest in both quality and renown.

Uno may not be every board game enthusiast's favorite pastime, but it's still an established card game that's seen broad-spectrum success and become a household name. Its rules are easy to explain to new players, and it is endlessly replayable, making it a delight various generations can share.

Despite its simplicity, Uno has sparked hilarity and competitive shenanigans for thousands of players over its lifespan. To this day, it remains an easy compromise between gaming enthusiasts and casual players when trying to decide what card game to bring to the table.

In a unique combination of typical card game mechanics and assuming a role, Marry Mr. Darcy is a competitive retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Throughout, the players must work to increase their Heroine's stats and attract available Suitors.

RELATED: The 10 Best Board Games To Play On Valentine's Day

The game has two stages: Courtship and Proposal. The Heroine with the best score in the Courtship phase gains the advantage of being the first to enter the Proposal stage later on. Among many other card games, Marrying Mr. Darcy employs an uncommon integration of roleplay.

For fans of a good dungeon crawl, Boss Monster challenges players to create the perfect dungeon. Players must ensure their dungeon strikes the perfect balance between enticing and dangerous in order to complete their goal and collect Souls.

This elusive prize appears when an adventurer has perished to the dungeon's dastardly traps and tricks. Unlike most games in the dungeon-crawl and dungeon-adjacent game genres, Boss Monster puts the players in the monster's shoes rather than those of the intrepid adventurer, offering a new perspective on a classic fan-favorite theme.

Among card games that come highly recommended by fans of the medium, Marvel Champions is a bit of a breakout star. This 2019 hit is a Living Card Game that has players take on the roles of their favorite Marvel heroes fighting and save the day from iconic villains.

Marvel regularly releases new heroes and scenarios for Marvel Champions, keeping the game new and fresh for interested players. Marvel Champions' cooperative nature makes it inviting to new players as they can learn from and keep up with their more seasoned companions.

Anyone familiar with the world of competitive card games has heard of Magic: The Gathering. Started in 1993 by Wizards of the Coast, Magic took the gaming world by storm and continues to maintain its place as one of the biggest names in collectible card gaming.

Constant new additions mean the game is always evolving and changing, even seeing trends in cards and play style come and go throughout its career. Devoted fans are always fighting to obtain the rarest and strongest cards, sealing Magic's mark on popular culture in the process.

Codenames has received widespread success since its publication in 2015, to the point where gamers would be hard-pressed to find a fan of board games who hasn't tried it out at least once. This spy-themed take on coded communication has players attempting to guess the words in the grid based on cryptic clues from their teammates.

RELATED: The 10 Most Popular Modern Board Games

However, players must be careful with their guesses. The other team might be trying to trip them up or lead them to the dreaded Assassin card, which triggers instant loss for the team that uncovers it.

One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a card game for those who wish to know how they'd fare if one of their friends suddenly became a murderous beast. Based on the classic social deduction game Mafia, One Night Ultimate Werewolf uses secret roles and a day-and-night cycle to pit players against one another.

The game's plot revolves around the hunt for the werewolf who's been terrorizing the village. The wolf, or wolves, must avoid detection, and can accuse innocents to do so. Meanwhile, the villagers and other assigned roles seek to oust the werewolf and have them executed for their grisly murders.

In Jaipur, the two players are cast as rival merchants in the markets of Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. Each merchant wishes to be the most powerful trader in the land, and must develop a cunning strategy to conquer their opponent.

Each turn is a blend of risk and luck as players buy and sell various goods for changing prices throughout the game. Not only must they watch each other's exchanges in the market, but they must keep a close eye on their own camel herds, as the camels are a necessary component of their businesses.

One of the most popular card games of the last ten years, Love Letter focuses on leveraging courtship to gain status in the kingdom and eliminating political opponents. Players vie for the affections of the kingdom's princess, who has the ultimate power over their fate, by passing messages through the hands of other palace residents and staff.

RELATED: 10 Best Tiny Board Games, Ranked

Love Letter is a densely packed game of deduction, card-counting, and expulsion with a competitive streak to mirror real-life court politics. Players must use their cards wisely to determine who may have the princess in their pocket and how to steal her away.

Sushi Go! has been wildly popular among fans of tabletop games ever since its release in 2013, and for good reason. The combination of clearly-explained rules, repeating procedures, and adorable art makes it an accessible title for players of all ages.

Each player passes their hand around the circle like the conveyor belt at a sushi restaurant, claiming and keeping the best cards from each pile as it passes them by. Each delectably cute sushi dish is worth different points and requires a different number of cards, forcing players to make their claims as strategically as possible.

NEXT: The 10 Best Board Games From The 2000s, Ranked

Rebekah Krum is an avid fan of both video and tabletop games; she takes great interest in their history and cultural value as storytelling mediums. They enjoy a good story, regardless of the method by which it is told. She grew up in Northeastern Nevada before moving to Ashland, Oregon for college in 2014 and subsequently settling down just outside of Portland, Oregon in 2019. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Southern Oregon University.

Subscribe to the CBR newsletter for exclusive comics, TV & movie news, reviews, interviews & much more!