Think card games are all the same? We bring you three games from indie developers that put a twist on what you think you can do with a deck of cards. Pull up a chair and enjoy.

Magic Aces
Developer: Purple Patch Studios

An innovative card game that is too flawed to be really great, but original enough to get our attention: this is one of those games you really, really, want to like, but walk away from unsatisfied. Yet, I feel I must mention it, because they are at least trying something completely new, and that buys a lot of street cred around here.

Basically, you are given cards and must quickly form them into the best 3, 4, and 5 card hands you can, competing against a computer opponent. In addition to doling out the cards in an unnecessarily complex manner, you must constantly pound on the pause button to start and stop the game, which gets very annoying, very quickly. The graphics are so-so, the music is forgettable, and the user help is incredibly intrusive and frustrating. But even with all of this going against it, you can see there is a good idea in there somewhere, struggling to get out. Here is hoping that the developers can do better next time around, because this is the kind of innovation we really would like to support.

Fashion Solitaire
Developer: Large Animal Games

Though barely an “Indie company” by the “garage studio” definition, Large Animal has this habit of turning out really original titles that have a very original, indie, flair to them. Fashion Solitaire is a perfect example of such a game. In a bizarre cross between JoJo’s Fashion Show and Solitaire, you sort through a deck of clothes and accessories to deck out your models (pun intended) and compete in fashion shows. There are literally hundreds of fashions, and the gameplay is substantially more deep and involved than it sounds. In a world of 1001 “me-too!” fashion games, this stands out as something both original and fun. Go give it a go, and remember that Large Animal was a little indie studio once. Then they got bigger and better. That’s no reason to stop loving them.

5 Realms of Cards
Developer: Sugar Games

A story-driven card game with beautiful graphics and a somewhat new and interesting mechanic. Solitaire in name only, this is more of a matching game where you drag-match long chains of cards, going up and down the deck. Sounds simple, and it is, but it’s also very relaxing and somewhat addictive. The graphics are strong, and the sound as well. This is one of those games that is well done, original, and fun, but which sort of “slipped through the cracks” – go check it out and see for yourself.