With over six million players in dozens of countries around the globe, it is safe to assume that Magic: The Gathering is—and probably always will be—the most popular card game of its genre. No one is entirely sure why battling via a deck of cards has caught on like wildfire, but it has caught on nevertheless.

The battles, the fantasy, the pwnage, a combination of it all – anyone’s guess is good as to why MTG has such a strong following. At the end of the day, however, it seems fairly clear that card games are just winners, bound to pick up an audience. Whether we’re speaking about playing Texas hold’em via one of the many internet casinos or jumping in the way-back machine and trading Garbage Pail Kids cards, there’s just something about that printed paper that lures us in.

For Magic in particular, we’re speaking about much more than a dumbed-down time-killer. Created by mathematics professor Richard Garfield and released in 1993, MTG instantly caught on as a sophisticated fantasy role-playing game, far more intense than D&D and other competitors, and has since earned a slew of achievements, including a Mensa Select Award, an Origins Award, and many more.

A big part of the game’s immense popularity is its willingness to change and grow. A player’s imagination will always be the trump card in the deck, but various, ever-changing designs, international tournaments, and even a large trade market has helped spread the word about MTG to every corner of the globe.

When you boil it down to basics, people simply love to play games. Some find their thrills ticking away at an online blackjack game. Others might appreciate the true-to-life 3D graphics of PC and seventh-generation console games. And others leave their mind to do the work, foregoing the bells and whistles and seeking an intellectual alternative to everyday gaming.

Any way you slice it, MTG’s run as the top game in its genre is very impressive. And with new decks still being released and more people catching on every year, Magic may never lose its top spot in the genus of role-playing fantasy card games.