About

Where It Started

I grew up playing Yu-Gi-Oh. I'd trade cards with friends at school, build decks from whatever I pulled from packs, and spend hours figuring out combos. It was magic. There was nothing like the thrill of putting down a card that your opponent didn't see coming.

As an adult, I fell in love with poker. The betting. The bluffing. The way every chip you push into the pot is a decision with real weight behind it. Poker has something most card games don't: risk. Every hand matters because you have something on the line.

The Problem with Modern Card Games

I tried getting into the big competitive card games. Magic: The Gathering is incredible in terms of depth, but it's also become absurdly complicated and expensive. Keeping up with a competitive deck costs hundreds of dollars, and the learning curve is a wall. Hearthstone was fun at first, but after a while it became clear: to stay competitive, you need to either grind endlessly or spend real money. The deckbuilding metagame becomes a second job.

Then there's Balatro, which nails the poker-meets-card-game vibe brilliantly — but it's single player only. No friends, no opponents, no bluffing. Half the fun of cards is the person sitting across from you.

Every competitive card game I found had the same problem: they sell power. Better cards cost more money. Bigger collections win more games. Skill matters, but wallet matters more.

What I Wanted to Build

I wanted a game with the risky betting of poker but the approachability of a simpler game. Something anyone can pick up in a few minutes, but that rewards you for thinking ahead, reading your opponent, and making smart decisions under pressure.

I wanted matches that fit into your life — 5 minutes, in and out. Not hour-long slogs where you're trapped in a game you're already losing. Quick rounds, meaningful bets, real consequences.

And most importantly: no pay-to-win. Every player has access to the same creatures. You earn your deck through gameplay. The only things you can buy are cosmetics — card skins, battlefield themes, emotes. Your wallet never decides who wins.

What Creature Poker Is

Creature Poker is a poker-meets-battle card game. You assemble a hand of creatures, place bets like you would in Texas Hold'em, then your creatures fight based on their stats, types, and abilities. Type advantages, ability combos, and bluffing all matter. But at its core, it's simple: pick your best creatures, bet on them, and see who comes out on top.

The competitive scene I'm building won't require you to spend a dime. Ranked tiers, seasonal resets, leaderboards — all free. Skill expression without the paywall.

Solo Dev, No Funding

Creature Poker is built by one person. No studio, no publisher, no Kickstarter. Just a developer who loves card games and thinks the genre deserves better. Every creature, every mechanic, every line of code — all from a place of genuine passion for what card games can be.