The X-Files Collectible Card Game (XF:CCG or X-Files CCG) is a collectible card game

Collectible card game

thumb|Players and their decksA collectible card game , also called a trading card game or customizable card game, is a game played using specially designed sets of playing cards...

 based on the X-Files fictional universe

Fictional universe

A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....

. It was created by the US Playing Card Company (USPCC).

History

The Premier Set was first released in 1996

1996 in games

This page lists board and card games, wargames, miniatures games, and table-top role-playing games published in 1996. For video and console games, see 1996 in video gaming.-Game awards given in 1996:*Origins Awards :...

. Over the next year, USPCC would create the first expansion, 101361, a 2nd edition set known as The Truth Is Out There, and a number of promotional cards. The second expansion, 22364 was apparently finished, and ready to be produced, when the game was terminated in 1997.

Full expansion sets

The following full sets were created by USPCC:

• Premier (1996) – This was the first set for the X-Files CCG, sold in both 60 card starter decks and 15 card booster packs. The set contained 354 distinct cards. Card images and concepts were taken from the first two seasons of the X-Files.
  • The starter decks came with both Basic and Advanced rule booklets, with some cards being marked with a green "X" in the upper left corner indicating they were intended for Advanced games only. Each starter deck came with one of five 50-card banded packs, plus 10 random common, uncommon and rare cards. Only the basic agents could be found in the starter decks.
  • Booster packs contained 15 random cards. Ultra-rare cards could be found only in booster packs, randomly replacing one of the rares in the pack. Ultra-rare cards included photo variants of Agents Fox Mulder
    Fox Mulder
    FBI Special Agent Fox William Mulder is a fictional character and protagonist in the American Fox television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence. Mulder's peers consider his theories on...
    
    , Dana Scully
    Dana Scully
    FBI Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully, M.D. is a fictional character and protagonist on the Fox television series The X-Files , played by Gillian Anderson. She also appeared in two theatrical films based on the series...
    
    , Alex Krycek
    Alex Krycek
    Alex Krycek is a fictional character in the long-running American science fiction show, The X-Files portrayed by Nicholas Lea. Initially introduced in the second season as a partner for main character Fox Mulder in the absence of his previous partner, Dana Scully, Krycek grew to become one of the...
    
     and Assistant Director Walter Skinner
    Walter Skinner
    FBI Assistant Director Walter Sergei Skinner is a fictional character in the American FOX television shows The X-Files and The Lone Gunmen, two science fiction shows about a government conspiracy to hide or deny the truth of Alien existence...
    
    , as well as cards for Deep Throat, X, the Lone Gunmen
    The Lone Gunmen
    The Lone Gunmen are a trio of fictional characters, Richard "Ringo" Langly, Melvin Frohike and John Fitzgerald Byers, who have recurring roles on the American television series The X-Files. They also starred in a short-lived spin-off, also called The Lone Gunmen. The name was derived from the lone...
    
    , and pivotal events in the first two seasons.

• 101361 (1997) – This 125-card set, named after Fox Mulder's birthday, contained images and concepts from the third season of the X-Files. The set included five ultra-rare cards, and was notable for including no Combat or X-File cards.

• The Truth Is Out There (1997) – This 354-card set, named after the tagline from the show, is the 2nd edition of the core set. Thirty cards were removed from the Premier list, including all ultra-rares and some problematic rares, and replaced with a new set of rare and ultra-rare cards.
  • To correct collation problems, and general complaints about the Premier starters and boosters, a number of changes were made. First, X-File cards were only available in the starter decks. This cut down on collectors pulling an unnecessary amount of X-Files from booster packs. In addition, the 50-card banded packs were better organized, and each starter deck box had a hole in the back, revealing a number 1 through 5, letting the buyer know which starter they were purchasing.
  • Also, to make collecting more attractive, and to make some harder-to-find cards more available, the rarity of a number of cards (most notably the Sites) had their rarity changed from rare to uncommon, or vice versa.

Promotional items

The following promotional cards were created by USPC Games:

• The Gen Con Deck (1996) – At Gen Con
  Gen Con
  Gen Con is one of the largest and most prominent annual gaming conventions in North America. It features traditional pen-and-paper, board, and card-style games, including role-playing games, miniatures wargames, board games, live action role-playing games, collectible card games, non-collectible...
  
  '96, these decks were used to demo the game to potential players. After the demonstrations were done, these decks were supposed to be destroyed, but it is apparent that a number of them were not. There are two versions of the deck, one that was banded together, and the other that came in a white box labelled "Top Secret/Classified". There are a number of unique features that make both versions of the deck highly sought after.
  • Cards feature early layout designs, and rough-looking Conspiracy and Resource Point images.
  • Two future promotional cards, "Alien Technology" and "Fighter Interceptor", are included in the deck.
  • A number of cards have alternate names or alternate images.
  • Includes "Scully's Dream, Georgetown, MD", not included in any other sets.
  • Backs of the cards read "For Demonstration Purposes Only".
  • Each card is individually numbered, in the format "XF96-00XX GCon".

Prototype items

Cards and items that were designed, but never saw official release, are discussed below:

• Pewter Agents Mulder and Scully (1997?) – Little information is known about these cards. According to one source, these cards were intended to be sold as a special promotion or collector set, and orders were already being taken, when the game was canceled. A prototype card apparently appeared on eBay somewhere between December 2004 and January 2005, and one viewer mentioned "the asking price had too many zeros".