FFA CARDS | CN

FFA CARDS | KR

FFA CARDS | RU

A card strategy game with collectible elements and fresh mechanics, where iconic heroes from myths, literature, and pop culture clash in a six-player battle.

• Segment: Midcore
• Genre: Card Strategy / TСG
• Format: Online FFA PvP — 6 players Free-For-All
• Playtime: ~25 minutes
• Distribution: F2P
• Platforms: Mobile / PC / Consoles

€240,000 required for development — Vertical Slice / Alpha Build

Projected Revenue Map (2026–2027):

*Users — unique annual users (millions); ARPU — average revenue per user.

Current Status:

• Playable prototype available on PC (Steam) and Android. (Google Play)
• 2-year content roadmap planned
• Core analytics in place: DAU, retention, session time
• Marketing strategy developed
• Early community forming organically

Players use a shared deck consisting of two types of unit cards:

• Legends (purple) — have special abilities
• Faction Cards (colored) — boost heroes of matching color

To start playing, it's enough to read the description of 8 heroes that players draft at the start of each round.

After choosing a Hero, each turn consists of three phases:

• Draw a card or coins
• Activate Hero ability
• Hire a unit, with cost equal to victory points

The game ends on Round 9 or when someone hires their 7th unit. Final ranking is based on Victory Points.

Why Players Love It

• Easy to learn, hard to master

You can learn the rules in a few games, but the gameplay is engaging — you’ll want to try new tactics to get stronger with every match.

• Think ahead — control the outcome

Every action affects others — mechanics push you to calculate opponents' moves.

• Competitive spirit

Well-designed balance makes winning a matter of strategy and adaptation. Victory feels earned — as a direct result of decisions and skill.

• Mechanics are proven

FFA CARDS is based on Citadels — one of the world’s most popular board games, with prestigious awards and nominations in Europe and the US.

The board game has been translated into more than 25 languages and sold millions of copies, becoming a true classic.

We are creating a new subgenre of card games, combining the best of board and digital formats.

1. Innovative gameplay

• Start without barriers

Jump into the game without building a deck or adjusting to the meta.

• Fresh mechanics

New, never-before-seen in digital form — they give players what was missing: control over the outcome through skill, not luck.

• More players — more emotions

FFA CARDS offers a 6-player format instead of standard duels. Playing against several opponents feels more meaningful, and winning — more rewarding.

• Genre reimagined

We addressed key genre issues: entry barrier, power creep, pay-to-win, and too much randomness. This let us build a balanced game and an attractive alternative.

2. P2P Market

• Owning your collection

Collecting becomes meaningful when players can manage their items. We're building a trading system via Steam, where players can freely buy and sell items.

• A living player economy

Players influence prices, which boosts engagement, turns the market into gameplay, and attracts trader-type players.

3. Recognizable characters

• Emotional resonance

FFA CARDS uses famous characters familiar to a broad audience. In the CCG genre, this is crucial — such icons instantly attract attention and make the game meaningful from the very first contact.

• No licenses — lower costs

Public domain characters require no licensing, simplifying launch and cutting costs, speeding up content creation.

• Open to collaborations Without being tied to a single IP, the game is open to integrations — just like Fortnite.

4. 4. Social integration and clans

• Community formation

Clans bring players together and create lasting social ties. This boosts retention — players have people to return to, play with, and talk to.

• Team progress and competition

Players compete in team modes and tournaments, climb regional rankings, and find like-minded players. Community becomes part of the gameplay.

5. Game editor

• Sandbox for card games

Lets players create their own modes and scenarios — turning FFA CARDS into a UGC platform, enabling entirely new games within the ecosystem.

• Support for modders

Increases replay value and game longevity — as proven by Dota 2 and Fortnite.

Our strategy for their engagement and growth is not only more effective, but also more reliable.

Player loyalty — the driver of revenue: Interested players pay more often and stay longer. (Forbes)

Target metrics for 2026 (Early Access stage):

Monetization methods

1. P2P Market

Steam earns over $1 billion per year from in-game trading fees. Comparable turnover occurs on gray and black markets.

Since 2012, in-game items on Steam have become a digital currency — long before NFTs and crypto. Even outside of game development, this market is highly valued. (Bloomberg)

FFA CARDS uses a P2P model: trading will be available both via Steam (for the core audience) and through alternative channels — for mobile and casual players.

The clicker Banana generated $430K+ per month from Steam trading alone. (Forbes)

We will implement a sustainable P2P economy without pressure on players — monetization will come from their interest and activity.

2. Selling customization and collectibles

Players customize heroes, units, interface, and effects — like in a sandbox. Self-expression and collection become an organic source of monetization.

3. Cross-brand collaborations

The game will feature characters, skins, items, and events from popular IPs — TV shows, films, games, comics, and books.

These collaborations:

• Expand the audience through fan bases of other brands;
• Stimulate microtransactions — users eagerly buy premium content from favorite franchises;
• Create events that revive the community and increase engagement.

The model proven in Fortnite, Genshin Impact, Brawl Stars fits the collectible card genre perfectly.

4. Plus Subscription with AI Assistant

A paid subscription gives access to an AI assistant that suggests moves in real time, analyzes opponent style, helps adjust strategy, and tracks progress.

The system saves the player’s style, allows battles against "AI ghosts", and finishes games automatically in case of disconnect. It’s not just statistics — it’s a learning tool like Dota Plus, adapted for CCGs.

5. Season Pass

Each season players get a special pass with visual and social rewards. This increases engagement through a reward system.

6. PvE modes

We will implement additional paid PvE modes to attract new users and allow offline play.

7. In-game tournaments with entry fees

Players create tournaments with buy-ins — the prize pool is formed by the community, and the game earns from commission. This stimulates engagement and monetization via competition.

8. Esports support (eSport Boost)

The game will include support for esports tournaments, similar to Dota 2’s Compendium. Players will be able to contribute to prize pools and support favorite esports players — strengthening the link between the game and its community.

9. User-generated content monetization

We will provide tools for mod creators to monetize their modes via our platform. Content will be moderated, IP rights remain with us, and top creators may join our team.

Return of interest in the genre and trend cycles

The card game genre developed in waves:

• Desktop peak — mid-2010s (Hearthstone, Gwent, MTG)
• Esports peak — 2017–2019
• Then — decline due to sameness and high entry barrier

Today we see a new phase of interest:

• Mobile is at its popularity peak and fits the card format well
• The game segment returns to strategic games with depth
• Successful hybrids are appearing
• Mobile market shows steady demand for midcore content

FFA CARDS appears at the peak of this new wave, when the genre is becoming relevant again — but with new expectations.

Mobile platform market analysis

We regularly analyze the card genre to understand trends. According to Q1 2025 data:

• High RpD is more important than number of installs

CCGs with RpD > $10 can generate $2M+/month with <200K installs (Yu-Gi-Oh!, MTG, Hearthstone)

• East Asia = highest margin region

Average RpD in Japan and China is $19.7, twice as high as the $10.0 of US and Europe

• Midcore audience ensures stable revenue

Average RpD: midcore = $12.8, casual = $7–9

These players give higher LTV and retention via gameplay engagement, not ads

• Original IP can perform as well as licensed ones

Black Deck, Universe & Everything, KARDS proved success without expensive IPs

In contrast, IP-heavy games like LoR or Gwent failed despite licenses

Why choose this genre

1. Expertise in the genre

We understand card games — as players, developers, analysts. Our experience includes system design, balance, audience needs, and metagame building.

2. Market potential

The card strategy market remains less saturated than other midcore genres — giving FFA CARDS room to grow without strong competition.

3. Large dormant audience

There are many players who left the genre due to poor decisions from market leaders. We talk to them in communities and see demand for alternatives.

4. Adult, paying audience

Competitive gamers have grown up: they now have money and want deep strategy games. As reflexes fade, thoughtful analysis becomes more important — making card games perfect.

5. Demand for new experiences

Players seek fresh mechanics and visuals beyond familiar IPs. FFA CARDS is designed for this niche.

6. Esports potential

2017–2019 were peak years for CCG esports — Hearthstone, MTG drew massive crowds and prize pools. Today, esports continues to grow steadily, and the genre can return in a new format.

This creates a strong foundation for FFA CARDS to enter the esports scene.

Esports events reach niche audiences that traditional marketing can't.

They attract influencers, expand reach, open new ad formats, and increase trust in the project as a long-term product.

This direction doesn’t need big investment — just esports functionality. Sponsors will come to engaged audiences.

Success factors of genre leaders

The key to success for past leaders was smart adaptation of board mechanics to digital formats.

FFA CARDS builds on this, adding its own identity.

Metrics of top mobile CCGs

• Leaders are losing momentum: Hearthstone and Marvel SNAP see declining activity — opening space for new formats.
• Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel shows extremely efficient monetization in Asia, where depth + recognition convert to high RpD.

Minimum benchmark: indie case studies

Independent midcore games show that it’s possible to sustain success in the genre without licenses, well-known IPs, or large marketing budgets.

These set a realistic lower boundary for commercial success.

FFA CARDS outperforms these games in gameplay, monetization, and scalability.

TopDeck Studio Team

Passion for games / Respect for players

Our dev team consists of skilled professionals with deep industry knowledge. Team members have worked at leading global companies.

Funding and milestones

Creating FFA CARDS will require:

• €240,000 — to launch the studio and create a Vertical Slice / Alpha Build
• €380,000 — to ensure quality, stability, and development pace from Alpha to Beta / Early Access At this stage, we plan to return investments through first monetization waves and user engagement.

Budget distribution considers team competencies and required development expenses:

https://FFA.cards/

Contacts:

Email: team@topdeck.studio

Telegram: @TopDeck