There are tons of new things players are eagerly expecting in The Elder Scrolls 6. New storylines, characters, and mechanics only mark the tip of the iceberg in this case. But something to be considered by both Bethesda and the player base is the addition of a collectible board game.
Franchises like Horizon and The Witcher have included collectible-oriented games as a side activity players can explore at their leisure. These collectible mini-games typically come with their own unique mechanics and themes that stem from the in-game universe, embedding them in immersive lore. Based on it being a fun trend for open-world games, The Elder Scrolls 6 should certainly see this type of interesting content coming to the game.
The Elder Scrolls 6 Needs Its Own Deck-Builder or Collectible Mini-Game
Funnily enough, this wouldn't be the first time a collectible card game would come to The Elder Scrolls franchise. The Elder Scrolls Online's Tales of Tribute is the most recent example of this, having arrived in the MMORPG back in 2022. But even before that, fans could play The Elder Scrolls: Legends. This wasn't an in-universe card game, but rather a virtual, collectible card game itself.
The franchise has a pretty apparent history of tying in card games, with Tales of Tribute essentially canonizing their existence in the in-game universe. In that sense, The Elder Scrolls 6 has the grounds to not only continue with the card game theme, but help deepen its lore further. With their canonization through Tales of Tribute, The Elder Scrolls 6 could help establish its history with a leisurely mini-game of its own. While it is unlikely that a collectible card game would survive from the 2nd era all the way into the 4th, it is more likely that it has inspired offshoots that survived the test of time.
This is an idea that applies to many real-world card games; for example, the widely beloved Yu-Gi-Oh! card game was actually loosely based on the Magic: The Gathering card game. The Elder Scrolls 6 could work to flesh out the history of its own card game, making nods to the ones of the past. This would only add to The Elder Scrolls' extensive lore.
This would also provide a plethora of new items for the player to collect all over the game world. Players may remember the dreadful experience that was collecting Skyrim's stones of Barenziah, but playing cards could offer something entirely different. In contrast, they would serve the more meaningful purpose of giving the player new advantages during card games. Considering their immediate benefits, players would be more encouraged to search every nook and cranny of the game world for cards. This would only add to the game's sense of discovery, while also further rewarding the player for their inquisitiveness.
Most importantly, a card game for The Elder Scrolls 6 could provide something even better: time to sit back and relax. The Elder Scrolls' franchise is known for its monster-slaying and dungeon-delving, but the addition of a card game would provide much-needed downtime between those activities. This would give the game a good sense of variety in terms of activities, adding to the overall experience. It would be a nice change of pace from a player's typical adventure, adding to the relaxing nature of The Elder Scrolls games.
Fans will just have to wait for The Elder Scrolls 6's release date to see if Bethesda takes this approach. Considering the recent addition of a card game to The Elder Scrolls Online, as well as the popularity of Horizon's Machine Strike and The Witcher's Gwent, there's a possibility that it is at least being considered.
The Elder Scrolls 6 is currently in development.