Top Trumps
Encyclopedia
Top Trumps is a card game
. Each card contains a list of numerical data, and the aim of the game is to compare these values in order to try to trump
and win an opponent's card. A wide variety of different packs of Top Trumps have been published.
All the cards are dealt among the players. There must be at least two players, and at least one card for each player. The starting player (normally the player sitting on the dealer's left) selects a category from his or her topmost card and reads out its value. Each other player then reads out the value of the same category from their cards. The best (usually the largest; in the case of a sports car's weight or a sprinter's 100m time, for instance, lower is considered better) value wins the "trick", and the winner takes all the cards of the trick and places them at the bottom of his or her pile. That player then looks at their new topmost card, and chooses the category for the next round.
In the event of a draw, the cards are placed in the center and a new category is chosen from the next card by the same person as in the previous round. The winner of that round obtains all of the cards in the center as well as the top card from each player.
Players are eliminated when they lose their last card, and the winner is the player who obtains the whole pack. Some variants of the rules allow 'three card pick', whereby a player who has only three cards remaining is allowed to choose any of their three cards to play with. Typically, this lengthens the game considerably.
The original Top Trumps were launched in 1977, with eleven different packs published by a company named Dubreq, also known for the Stylophone. Dubreq was taken over by Waddingtons
in 1982, and they continued manufacturing packs until the early 1990s. The packs from this period are now collectible.
, who relaunched the game. The topics covered are more diverse, and include:
In these new packs a description or biography of the item on each card is included, as well as the statistics and numerical data. The cards may deliver camouflaged learning, or learning through play, as reading about the facts on the cards, and enhancing memory and maths skills through the use of comparing the data, adds an educational benefit.
Many of the packs are, like their predecessors, becoming collectible, especially those sold for limited times (such as those associated with films), or which were specially commissioned as promotional packs.
Winning Moves split their packs into categories based on licenses and the age range they are aimed at. The categories used include Classics (packs not requiring a license and those before Winning Moves started categorizing their packs) Specials, (sold for more for reasons such as needing a license), Juniors (aimed at a younger audience. These only had 24 cards instead of the normal 30 and the cases are a different shape to normal (right)) and Limited Editions (packs which have a limited stock and are 'For Big Kids'). They have also introduced a new range called Very Specials which has had two packs so far, the Royal Wedding pack and the upcoming Festivals pack.
Winning Moves have also released some Collectors Edition packs including multiple packs in a set. The Collectors Editions include "The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Gift Set" including the three Lord of the Rings decks and nine exclusive Super Top Trumps cards. A "Doctor Who 45 Years Of Time Travel" pack has also been released.
A "Wedding Pack" created for the director of Winning Moves, Tom Liddel, was distributed at his wedding. A very small number was produced, and the sentimental value to the limited owners renders the Wedding Pack the rarest pack.
There are multiple football packs released each year. Every year, Manchester United
, Arsenal
, Chelsea
and Liverpool
are released. These are just slightly updated packs from the last one and are usually released with another club pack. In 2005, it was Newcastle United
, in 2006 it was Tottenham Hotspur
- To Dare Is To Do, 2008 it is Hull City
and Everton
and in 2009, Aston Villa
.
Winning Moves also released two Politicos packs. One in 2007 and one in 2008. These were given out at political party conferences. They have such Politicians as Tony Blair
and Gordon Brown
in.
There have been two Ultimate Packs released by Winning Moves. These are the Red and the Black packs. The red one is older than the black and is now out of print. These were not available in shops and were only available by winning the Monthly Prize Draw on the Top Trumps Website.
Many of the newer packs (late 2008 onwards) have a Summit
Challenge game on the reverse of the bar code card. These cards have questions with boxes to put your answers in on the information about the pack.
A special 'Cool Christmas' pack was given out to members of the Top Trumps forums. This had 19 playing cards and a 10% discount for cultandcool.com inside as well as a message from Top Trumps.
pack.
English speaking countries have sold some of their packs through the online Top Trumps shop and were unavailable elsewhere. These are the All Blacks
pack, only available in New Zealand and the Cricket
Australia pack, only available in Australia. Only 500 of each were imported and sold in the shop.
These 2 packs were exclusive to the USA until they proved to be quite popular so they were sold in the UK. There are some variations to the cards in the packs between the American ones and the English ones.
There were 300 of the USA Wildlife
in Danger pack imported and sold in the PTT Shop. The American Sealife pack was never sold in the shop. An English version of the pack was printed and sold, along with the Wildlife in Danger pack.
. These are sold through vending machines, as are most Japanese cards. They come in Booster Packs from the vending machines, or you can buy boxes of the cards.
The packs are:
These cards are unique as some of them are horizontal and some vertical. There are also 55 cards in each set instead of the normal 30. These cards are co-owned by Carddas
.
releases.
which is a Scottish newspaper. The packs so far are: Scottish Football The Club Collection (2007), Heroes of Scottish Football (2008), Max Speed Supercars (2009) and Marvel Ultimate Villains (2010). There are 39 cards given away as well as a tuck box in the first giveaway and a 'How To Play' card. Four cards were given away each time.The Marvel Ultimate Villains only had 40 cards to collect.
", "Mysteries", "Bronx Zoo
" and "Oakland Zoo
". These were sold in eight-card booster packs, with a front title card. The two zoo packs were released in limited numbers as promotional materials for their namesake zoos. Another US exclusive was the "New York
" pack. They also had two Soccer packs, Soccer Stars and Soccer Stadiums.
's Top Trumps. They have an exclusive FC Barcelona
pack.
has released a pack based on the animated TV series Freej
. This was only available in the UK through an occasional free gift. They are distributed by Pluto Games but are still Winning Moves packs.
. This came with a special Smart Santa collector card which didn't have stats on and was not a Top Trumps card. There is also a promotion with the pack for the first person who gets all cards in the pack signed by the people on each card to win 6 free flights, courtesy of Air Malta
to any European destination.
make Top Trumps for are: Canada, France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Spain
, Switzerland
, Italy, Denmark
, Holland, Norway
, Sweden
, Turkey
, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Many countries only sell packs online and not in shops. A common place to buy these packs online is Amazon. A few countries have got Top Trumps shops online. These countries are: USA which delivers to Canada as well, France which delivers to Belgium and Germany as well, and also New Zealand.
Many countries have different cards in the packs that are also available in England. For example, in the US edition of horses, Morgan, Crillo and Mustang replace the cards Exmoor, Paso Fino and Unicorn in the UK edition. The US horses pack also has a totally different style compared to the UK pack. Also, front covers of packs are different. The Skyscraper
s pack has a different cover in Germany, USA and the UK.
A number of Top Trumps packs have Super Top Trump (STT) cards issued for them, also known as Supercards in the United States. These cards are not available with the original pack, but are found in related merchandise, events or promotions, and sometimes made available in booster packs of 2-10 cards. For example, the popular US television series 24
has a Top Trumps pack available, but its STT card is only available with the purchase of special-stickered season 4 of 24 DVDs. STT cards for the Doctor Who
deck were only available with the purchase of season 2, 3 and 4 DVDs. One other Doctor Who Super Top Trump card was released with a very special edition of the Beano
magazine. A number of STT cards were made available free of charge to members of the Top Trumps club through its website, prior to 2006.
Some STT cards are rarer than others. Most of the STT cards made available via the web tend to be relatively common, although some earlier ones from popular pack titles, such as the Nazgûl
(from the Lord of the Rings series) can attract relatively high prices. Cards made available in other promotional ways can be exceptionally rare. An example is the "Grandmamma" STT card for the Roald Dahl pack. It was given out, free, to Scouts
at a charity sleepover event in 2004. Very few of these are in circulation and they are difficult to obtain even through online auctions.
, Motorbikes, Fighter Aircraft
, Cars
, Doctor Who
(Series 1 and 2 together, and Series 3 & 4), Dinosaur
s, Airliners, Marvel Heroes
, Animal
s, Tank
s, Transformers and Football.
, Skyscraper
s, ODI Stars (Unavailable as packs), World Football Stars, NBA
2K9, Shark
s and Star Wars
, Armchair General
(Unavailable as packs) and Bratz
.
Two LIVE games appeared on other websites. Nascar
appeared on the Nascar website and The Boat That Rocked
appeared on Facebook
. Both are not available as packs. You have to log into both websites to play though.
There is also a German Star Wars: Clone Wars
game and upcoming Sealife in Danger and Wildlife in Danger.
, Gumball 3000
and Moto GP and Doctor Who
.
. Some of the packs that have been turned into games are "Horror
", "Predators
, "Dogs
", "Dinosaurs
and "Doctor Who". This series is also known as Top Trumps Console.
and Ashley Hames
.
have released other Top Trumps related items. These include:
to show the cards to. This brings a 3D image of the image on the card. You answer questions to show the 3D image. There are a number of packs coming out like this, the first was Bugs
released in May 2009.
There are many things you can do with the 3D image that include making it move. You could make the 3D tarantula from Bugs move, dance, slide on ice, hunt and other things. For the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
, you could drive Optimus Prime
in truck mode and transform him to robot mode.
There are various Top Trumps Showcase cards released with the Hamleys
3D announcement event that can show you images. These include the spider (non moveable) Optimus prime (robot mode only, non moveable) and Wrestling arena with a fist coming through it (WWE). These can be used with the downloadable Hamleys Showcase content from the main site.
Winning Moves has been often criticized for releasing the pack but not releasing the 3D content for weeks after the release of the pack. This has led to outrage from buyers of the pack as they would expect the 3D content to be out the same time as the pack.
Another common feature for the 3D feature of cards is to feature video clips. For example, the Marvel Ultimate Villains pack, released with the Daily Mirror and the Daily Record
, has previews of Iron Man 2
in.
Winning Moves originally had it so that you had to download a different programme for each 3D pack. However, in 2010, they made a 3D hub which would update when they updated it with new packs. A version for Apple MACs is coming soon.
There is also a Star Wars
version of this featuring all of the Star Wars packs created by Winning Moves up until the point of release. This is available at HMV
only until January 2010. It has, however, appeared on play.com as well, whether Winning moves allowed this or not is unknown. The Star Wars Tournament also comes with a new Star Wars pack, Star Wars: 30 Greatest Moments with a card for each greatest moment in the films.
A FIFA
World Cup tournament was also released in May 2010 and a Marvel
tournament is also scheduled for release in 2011, featuring 6 exclusive packs each.
There are also exclusive cards given out in special circumstances for the original tournament games. A list can be seen here.
. A Ben 10
version was released February 2010, available for download off the App Store.
Six new football Mini Top Trumps packs are to be released, available in the Top Trumps online shop and an X Factor pack were also released. These contain Predict and Win cards instead of the bonus Tournament cards that the original Mini pack had. These allowed the winner to either see a football team of their choice or, in the case of the X Factor pack, see the X Factor Live show. TheX Factor finalists pack has also been released.
There is also a Super Mini Top Trumps of Disney Pixar, Cars, SpongeBob SquarePants, Star Wars and Baby Animals. These are exclusive to Poundland
. The cards are similar to the main decks but there are only 20 cards, 14 of which are playable, 1 instruction card, 4 advert/trivia cards and a title card. The cards also have one less stat than the main pack.
web site has Top Trumps variants with themes of snooker
, Buffy, Doctor Who
and EastEnders
. Citadel Combat Cards were a similar card game from early 1990s with photographs of various Games Workshop
models. Originally based on Warhammer Fantasy Battle
models, later included Warhammer 40K
cards as well. A top trumps style card game called "Outrage" was also included in The Mighty Boosh
Future Sailors Tour Deluxe DVD set.
There are also at least three educational variations of the game: Cell Trumps from Centre of the Cell, Tree Trumps from Forestry Commission (as an interactive exhibit in the Glenmore Visitor Centre and as a card game available in some Forestry Commission Scotland giftshops) and Timber Trumps from Napier University. Timber Trumps was, for the first few days, originally called Tree Trumps and is currently listed under this name on Channel4's Games website.
Other variations include card games that include data about specific topics. Safari Pals
packs include animal data on each card so that trump style games can be played in addition to other traditional game variations included Rummy
, Quartets (card game)
and Go Fish
. The Royal Society of Chemistry has produced a pack of Visual Elements Trumps, using element data for play.
There have been lots of other packs before Winning Moves took over. These have been made by Waddingtons
, Dubreq, Ace
and many other companies up until 1999. These packs are usually rarer than the newer Winning Moves packs as they are much older.
Companies sometimes create their own decks of cards based on their areas of expertise using the same style as Top Trumps. This is often used as promotional material or free gifts.
Card game
A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games...
. Each card contains a list of numerical data, and the aim of the game is to compare these values in order to try to trump
Trump
A trump is a type of card in some card games.Trump may also refer to:* Trump * Trump * Trumps * The Trump * HMS Trump , a British submarine* The Trump Organization, a business conglomerate...
and win an opponent's card. A wide variety of different packs of Top Trumps have been published.
Gameplay
Each pack of Top Trumps is based on a theme, such as cars, aircraft, dinosaurs or characters from a popular film or television series. Each card in the pack shows a list of numerical data about the item. For example, in a pack based on cars, each card shows a different model of car, and the stats and data may include its engine size, its weight, its length, and its top speed. If the theme is about a TV series or film, the cards include characters and the data varying from things like strength and bravery to fashion and looks, depending on the criteria.All the cards are dealt among the players. There must be at least two players, and at least one card for each player. The starting player (normally the player sitting on the dealer's left) selects a category from his or her topmost card and reads out its value. Each other player then reads out the value of the same category from their cards. The best (usually the largest; in the case of a sports car's weight or a sprinter's 100m time, for instance, lower is considered better) value wins the "trick", and the winner takes all the cards of the trick and places them at the bottom of his or her pile. That player then looks at their new topmost card, and chooses the category for the next round.
In the event of a draw, the cards are placed in the center and a new category is chosen from the next card by the same person as in the previous round. The winner of that round obtains all of the cards in the center as well as the top card from each player.
Players are eliminated when they lose their last card, and the winner is the player who obtains the whole pack. Some variants of the rules allow 'three card pick', whereby a player who has only three cards remaining is allowed to choose any of their three cards to play with. Typically, this lengthens the game considerably.
Original games
Top Trumps was a popular children's card game in the United Kingdom in the 1970s and 1980s, especially amongst boys, for whom it was a popular playground pastime. The topics tended to reflect this, and included military hardware, modes of transport and racing cars. The packs tended to be priced so that children could collect new packs by saving pocket money for a few weeks.The original Top Trumps were launched in 1977, with eleven different packs published by a company named Dubreq, also known for the Stylophone. Dubreq was taken over by Waddingtons
Waddingtons
Waddingtons was a publisher of card and board games in the United Kingdom. The company was founded by John Waddington of Leeds, England and Wilson Barratt, under the name Waddingtons Limited...
in 1982, and they continued manufacturing packs until the early 1990s. The packs from this period are now collectible.
Winning Moves
Modern relaunch
In 1999 the rights to the game were purchased by Winning MovesWinning Moves
Winning Moves Games is a maker of classic card games and board games, puzzles, action games and adult party games.-History:Winning Moves Games was founded in 1995 by four game industry professionals: Tom Kremer , Philip Orbanes , Mike...
, who relaunched the game. The topics covered are more diverse, and include:
- Vehicles: (SupercarSupercarSupercar is a term used most often to describe an expensive high end car. It has been defined specifically as "a very expensive, fast or powerful car"...
s, Racing Trucks, Motorbikes and Scooters) - Military Hardware: (WarshipWarshipA warship is a ship that is built and primarily intended for combat. Warships are usually built in a completely different way from merchant ships. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster and more maneuvrable than merchant ships...
s, Ultimate Military Jets) - Scientific: (Space Phenomena, DinosaurDinosaurDinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s) - Engineering: (SkyscraperSkyscraperA skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s) - Wildlife: (Predators, SharkSharkSharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
s, Wildlife/Sealife in Danger) - Pets: (The DogDogThe domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
) - Sports: (Football, CricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, RugbyRugby footballRugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
, WWE Wrestling, NBANational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
) - Entertainment: (MovieFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Stars, PunctuationPunctuationPunctuation marks are symbols that indicate the structure and organization of written language, as well as intonation and pauses to be observed when reading aloud.In written English, punctuation is vital to disambiguate the meaning of sentences...
, Smash Hits PopPop musicPop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
Stars (x3), The X FactorThe X Factor (UK)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
) - Book Characters: (The World of Roald DahlRoald DahlRoald Dahl was a British novelist, short story writer, fighter pilot and screenwriter.Born in Wales to Norwegian parents, he served in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, in which he became a flying ace and intelligence agent, rising to the rank of Wing Commander...
: Goodies and Baddies, Jacqueline WilsonJacqueline WilsonDame Jacqueline Wilson, DBE, FRSL is an award-winning English author, known for her vast and diverse work in children's literature. Her novels have been adapted numerous times for television, and commonly deal with such challenging themes as adoption, divorce and mental illness...
) - Comics: (The BeanoThe BeanoThe Beano is a British children's comic, published by D.C. Thomson & Co and is arguably their most successful.The comic first appeared on 30 July 1938, and was published weekly. During the Second World War,The Beano and The Dandy were published on alternating weeks because of paper and ink...
, Marvel Comic HeroesMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
(x5), DC Super HeroesDC ComicsDC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
(x2)) - Television Series: (The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
(x4), 24, Top GearTop Gear (current format)Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
, Little BritainLittle BritainLittle Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
, Buffy, AngelAngel (TV series)Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
, Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
(x4), Star Wars: Clone WarsClone Wars (Star Wars)The Clone Wars are a series of fictional intragalactic battles in George Lucas's science fiction saga Star Wars. The conflict is first mentioned in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , but no details are given , and the wars themselves are not featured until the series' fifth and sixth...
, Power RangersPower RangersPower Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
(x4)), MerlinMerlinMerlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures... - Films: (The Lord of the RingsThe Lord of the Rings film trilogyThe Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
(x3), Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
(x5), Chronicles of Narnia, Harry PotterHarry PotterHarry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
(x4), Transformers (x2), Disney PixarPixarPixar Animation Studios, pronounced , is an American computer animation film studio based in Emeryville, California. The studio has earned 26 Academy Awards, seven Golden Globes, and three Grammy Awards, among many other awards and acknowledgments. Its films have made over $6.3 billion worldwide...
) - Themed: (Horror, HalloweenHalloweenHallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
)
In these new packs a description or biography of the item on each card is included, as well as the statistics and numerical data. The cards may deliver camouflaged learning, or learning through play, as reading about the facts on the cards, and enhancing memory and maths skills through the use of comparing the data, adds an educational benefit.
Many of the packs are, like their predecessors, becoming collectible, especially those sold for limited times (such as those associated with films), or which were specially commissioned as promotional packs.
Winning Moves split their packs into categories based on licenses and the age range they are aimed at. The categories used include Classics (packs not requiring a license and those before Winning Moves started categorizing their packs) Specials, (sold for more for reasons such as needing a license), Juniors (aimed at a younger audience. These only had 24 cards instead of the normal 30 and the cases are a different shape to normal (right)) and Limited Editions (packs which have a limited stock and are 'For Big Kids'). They have also introduced a new range called Very Specials which has had two packs so far, the Royal Wedding pack and the upcoming Festivals pack.
Winning Moves have also released some Collectors Edition packs including multiple packs in a set. The Collectors Editions include "The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy Gift Set" including the three Lord of the Rings decks and nine exclusive Super Top Trumps cards. A "Doctor Who 45 Years Of Time Travel" pack has also been released.
A "Wedding Pack" created for the director of Winning Moves, Tom Liddel, was distributed at his wedding. A very small number was produced, and the sentimental value to the limited owners renders the Wedding Pack the rarest pack.
There are multiple football packs released each year. Every year, Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
, Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
are released. These are just slightly updated packs from the last one and are usually released with another club pack. In 2005, it was Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
, in 2006 it was Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
- To Dare Is To Do, 2008 it is Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
and Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
and in 2009, Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
.
Winning Moves also released two Politicos packs. One in 2007 and one in 2008. These were given out at political party conferences. They have such Politicians as Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
and Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
in.
There have been two Ultimate Packs released by Winning Moves. These are the Red and the Black packs. The red one is older than the black and is now out of print. These were not available in shops and were only available by winning the Monthly Prize Draw on the Top Trumps Website.
Many of the newer packs (late 2008 onwards) have a Summit
Summit (puzzle)
Summit is a word puzzle and scoring system developed by Winning Moves UK in 2008, and is published in Take A Break and Puzzler Magazines, and appears every Friday in The Evening Standard, and Monday to Friday in the Daily Mail, in the puzzle pages....
Challenge game on the reverse of the bar code card. These cards have questions with boxes to put your answers in on the information about the pack.
A special 'Cool Christmas' pack was given out to members of the Top Trumps forums. This had 19 playing cards and a 10% discount for cultandcool.com inside as well as a message from Top Trumps.
Exclusives
Different countries sometimes make exclusive packs for that country or others that speak the same language. Some of these are for TV shows or other things exclusive to that country although there are some packs that would be popular elsewhere, such as the French Scooby Doo and French, German, Italian and Belgian AsterixAsterix
Asterix or The Adventures of Asterix is a series of French comic books written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Albert Uderzo . The series first appeared in French in the magazine Pilote on October 29, 1959...
pack.
English speaking countries have sold some of their packs through the online Top Trumps shop and were unavailable elsewhere. These are the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
pack, only available in New Zealand and the Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
Australia pack, only available in Australia. Only 500 of each were imported and sold in the shop.
These 2 packs were exclusive to the USA until they proved to be quite popular so they were sold in the UK. There are some variations to the cards in the packs between the American ones and the English ones.
- Sealife in Danger available in USA.
- WildlifeWildlifeWildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
in Danger available in USA.
There were 300 of the USA Wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
in Danger pack imported and sold in the PTT Shop. The American Sealife pack was never sold in the shop. An English version of the pack was printed and sold, along with the Wildlife in Danger pack.
Japan
A number of packs have now been released in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. These are sold through vending machines, as are most Japanese cards. They come in Booster Packs from the vending machines, or you can buy boxes of the cards.
The packs are:
- The Masked RiderKamen Rider, is a weekly science fiction story created by Japanese manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. It debuted as a tokusatsu television series on April 3, 1971 and ran until February 10, 1973, airing on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET TV . A manga adaptation was also featured in Shōnen Magazine...
- Disney All Stars
- Power RangersPower RangersPower Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
- TrainTrainA train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s - UltramanUltramanis Japanese television series that first aired in 1966. Ultraman, the first and best-known of the "Ultra-Crusaders," made his debut in the tokusatsu SF/kaiju/superhero TV series, , a follow-up to the television series Ultra Q...
These cards are unique as some of them are horizontal and some vertical. There are also 55 cards in each set instead of the normal 30. These cards are co-owned by Carddas
Carddas
is a name given to Bandai's card vending machines and, thus, a generic term given to the cards sold by these machines. The name comes from AMeDAS , a system in Japan used for gathering weather data. The aim behind this naming is to make Carddas an information source for kids...
.
Iceland
Iceland's Top Trumps are owned by Nordic Games which is the sales department within Iceland. These packs are the same as the Winning MovesWinning Moves
Winning Moves Games is a maker of classic card games and board games, puzzles, action games and adult party games.-History:Winning Moves Games was founded in 1995 by four game industry professionals: Tom Kremer , Philip Orbanes , Mike...
releases.
Scotland
The Scottish packs are exactly the same as the UK packs. There have been some promotional packs given out in the Daily RecordDaily Record (Scotland)
The Daily Record is a Scottish tabloid newspaper based in Glasgow. It had been the best-selling daily paper in Scotland for many years with a paid circulation in August 2011 of 307,794 . It is now outsold by its arch-rival the Scottish Sun which in September 2010 had a circulation of 339,586 in...
which is a Scottish newspaper. The packs so far are: Scottish Football The Club Collection (2007), Heroes of Scottish Football (2008), Max Speed Supercars (2009) and Marvel Ultimate Villains (2010). There are 39 cards given away as well as a tuck box in the first giveaway and a 'How To Play' card. Four cards were given away each time.The Marvel Ultimate Villains only had 40 cards to collect.
United States
Two formerly exclusive packs were printed in the United States, which later became available around the world: "Wildlife in Danger" and "Sealife in Danger". Several booster packs of cards have been exclusively released in the United States, including two "Bugs" packs, which are due to become a standalone pack, "Incredible InstrumentsMusical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
", "Mysteries", "Bronx Zoo
Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo is located in the Bronx borough of New York City, within Bronx Park. It is the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States, comprising of park lands and naturalistic habitats, through which the Bronx River flows....
" and "Oakland Zoo
Oakland Zoo
Oakland Zoo, in the past known as the Knowland Zoo, is a zoo located in southeastern Oakland, California, United States. Oakland Zoo is relatively small for a city of its size, but it contains modern exhibits. Most of its animals are kept in relatively "natural" habitats, and expanded natural...
". These were sold in eight-card booster packs, with a front title card. The two zoo packs were released in limited numbers as promotional materials for their namesake zoos. Another US exclusive was the "New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
" pack. They also had two Soccer packs, Soccer Stars and Soccer Stadiums.
Spain
Goliath Games produce SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
's Top Trumps. They have an exclusive FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
pack.
United Arab Emirates
United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
has released a pack based on the animated TV series Freej
Freej
Freej is an Emirati three-dimensional, computer animated television series for children and adults alike.The show was produced by Mohammed Saeed Harib, who also directed the fifteen standalone episodes of fifteen minutes each. It is the tale of four old Emirati women living in a secluded...
. This was only available in the UK through an occasional free gift. They are distributed by Pluto Games but are still Winning Moves packs.
Malta
Malta Winning moves had made a pack on Politics from MaltaMalta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. This came with a special Smart Santa collector card which didn't have stats on and was not a Top Trumps card. There is also a promotion with the pack for the first person who gets all cards in the pack signed by the people on each card to win 6 free flights, courtesy of Air Malta
Air Malta
Air Malta plc is the national airline of Malta, headquartered in Luqa. It operates services to 36 destinations in Europe, Middle East and North Africa. The airline's hub and base is at Malta International Airport.- History :...
to any European destination.
Other Countries
Other Countries that Winning MovesWinning Moves
Winning Moves Games is a maker of classic card games and board games, puzzles, action games and adult party games.-History:Winning Moves Games was founded in 1995 by four game industry professionals: Tom Kremer , Philip Orbanes , Mike...
make Top Trumps for are: Canada, France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, Italy, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Holland, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Many countries only sell packs online and not in shops. A common place to buy these packs online is Amazon. A few countries have got Top Trumps shops online. These countries are: USA which delivers to Canada as well, France which delivers to Belgium and Germany as well, and also New Zealand.
Many countries have different cards in the packs that are also available in England. For example, in the US edition of horses, Morgan, Crillo and Mustang replace the cards Exmoor, Paso Fino and Unicorn in the UK edition. The US horses pack also has a totally different style compared to the UK pack. Also, front covers of packs are different. The Skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s pack has a different cover in Germany, USA and the UK.
Super Top Trump Cards
24 (TV series)
24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
has a Top Trumps pack available, but its STT card is only available with the purchase of special-stickered season 4 of 24 DVDs. STT cards for the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
deck were only available with the purchase of season 2, 3 and 4 DVDs. One other Doctor Who Super Top Trump card was released with a very special edition of the Beano
The Beano
The Beano is a British children's comic, published by D.C. Thomson & Co and is arguably their most successful.The comic first appeared on 30 July 1938, and was published weekly. During the Second World War,The Beano and The Dandy were published on alternating weeks because of paper and ink...
magazine. A number of STT cards were made available free of charge to members of the Top Trumps club through its website, prior to 2006.
Some STT cards are rarer than others. Most of the STT cards made available via the web tend to be relatively common, although some earlier ones from popular pack titles, such as the Nazgûl
Nazgûl
The Nazgûl are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium...
(from the Lord of the Rings series) can attract relatively high prices. Cards made available in other promotional ways can be exceptionally rare. An example is the "Grandmamma" STT card for the Roald Dahl pack. It was given out, free, to Scouts
Scouting
Scouting, also known as the Scout Movement, is a worldwide youth movement with the stated aim of supporting young people in their physical, mental and spiritual development, that they may play constructive roles in society....
at a charity sleepover event in 2004. Very few of these are in circulation and they are difficult to obtain even through online auctions.
Top Trump Books
In 2006, and working in conjunction with the Haynes publishing group, Winning Moves launched a line of books under the Top Trumps brand, based around the design and concept of the card game. The Books are often written by experts in their appropriate field. Subjects included Sharks, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Racing CarsRacing Cars
Racing Cars are a Welsh pop band, formed in the Rhondda Valley, Wales in 1973.-Career:They were signed to one of the biggest British record labels of the time, Chrysalis Records. Racing Cars's debut album yielded their only hit single with "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"...
, Motorbikes, Fighter Aircraft
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
, Cars
CARS
Cars, or automobiles, motor cars, are wheeled motor vehicles used for transporting passengers.Cars or CARS may also refer to:-Entertainment:* Cars , a Disney/Pixar film series...
, Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
(Series 1 and 2 together, and Series 3 & 4), Dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
s, Airliners, Marvel Heroes
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
, Animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s, Tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s, Transformers and Football.
Top Trumps LIVE
A number of card sets can be played online against a computer opponent at the Winning Moves web sites, including two sets which is unavailable in shops. Games made include: HorrorHorror fiction
Horror fiction also Horror fantasy is a philosophy of literature, which is intended to, or has the capacity to frighten its readers, inducing feelings of horror and terror. It creates an eerie atmosphere. Horror can be either supernatural or non-supernatural...
, Skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s, ODI Stars (Unavailable as packs), World Football Stars, NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
2K9, Shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
s and Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
, Armchair General
Armchair General Magazine
Armchair General Magazine covers first and foremost military history but defines itself by putting the emphasis on involving the reader and features tactical situations which can be resolved by sending solutions to the magazine's staff...
(Unavailable as packs) and Bratz
Bratz
Bratz is an American line of fashion dolls and merchandise manufactured by MGA Entertainment. Four original 10" dolls were released in 2001 - Cloe, Jade, Sasha and Yasmin...
.
Two LIVE games appeared on other websites. Nascar
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
appeared on the Nascar website and The Boat That Rocked
The Boat That Rocked
The Boat That Rocked is a 2009 British comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis, with pirate radio in the United Kingdom during the 1960s as its setting. The film has an ensemble cast featuring Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy, Rhys Ifans, Nick Frost, and Kenneth Branagh...
appeared on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
. Both are not available as packs. You have to log into both websites to play though.
There is also a German Star Wars: Clone Wars
Clone Wars (Star Wars)
The Clone Wars are a series of fictional intragalactic battles in George Lucas's science fiction saga Star Wars. The conflict is first mentioned in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , but no details are given , and the wars themselves are not featured until the series' fifth and sixth...
game and upcoming Sealife in Danger and Wildlife in Danger.
Mobile Top Trumps
Top Trumps is available through a mobile gaming service, in which users can play single player against the computer, compete against up to three friends on one mobile, or with a single opponent via a bluetooth connection. Games made include: Football Legends, Star WarsStar Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
, Gumball 3000
Gumball 3000
The Gumball 3000 is an annual international road rally which takes place on public roads, with a different route around the world each year. Founded in 1999 by Maximillion Cooper, it sees an annual entry of 120 cars, which are mostly exotic and powerful sports cars. However, more unusual entries ...
and Moto GP and Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
.
Top Trumps Adventures
A series of Top Trumps video games were released in 2007, under the title Top Trumps AdventuresTop Trumps Adventures
Top Trumps Adventures is a compilation video game for the Wii console, developed and published by Ubisoft. Based on the popular Top Trumps card games by Winning Moves, it contains the four packs from the original two Top Trumps Adventures games, Dogs and Dinosaurs and Horror and Predators.-See...
. Some of the packs that have been turned into games are "Horror
Top Trumps Adventures: Horror and Predators
Top Trumps Adventures: Horror and Predators is a video game for the DS, PC and PlayStation 2 consoles, based on the popular Top Trumps card game. It was published by Ubisoft...
", "Predators
Top Trumps Adventures: Horror and Predators
Top Trumps Adventures: Horror and Predators is a video game for the DS, PC and PlayStation 2 consoles, based on the popular Top Trumps card game. It was published by Ubisoft...
, "Dogs
Top Trumps Adventures: Dogs and Dinosaurs
Top Trumps Adventures: Dogs and Dinosaurs is a video game for the DS, PC and PlayStation 2 consoles, based on the popular Top Trumps card game. It was published by Ubisoft...
", "Dinosaurs
Top Trumps Adventures: Dogs and Dinosaurs
Top Trumps Adventures: Dogs and Dinosaurs is a video game for the DS, PC and PlayStation 2 consoles, based on the popular Top Trumps card game. It was published by Ubisoft...
and "Doctor Who". This series is also known as Top Trumps Console.
Top Trumps TV
Top Trumps TV is a UK television programme based on Top Trumps, shown on Five in late 2008. It is hosted by Robert LlewellynRobert Llewellyn
Robert Llewellyn is an English actor, presenter, and writer. He is best known as the mechanoid Kryten in the hit sitcom Red Dwarf, and for his role as presenter of Scrapheap Challenge.-Early career:...
and Ashley Hames
Ashley Hames
Ashley Martyn Hames is an English television presenter, director and writer.-Presenting & Direction:...
.
Other Top Trumps merchandise
Winning MovesWinning Moves
Winning Moves Games is a maker of classic card games and board games, puzzles, action games and adult party games.-History:Winning Moves Games was founded in 1995 by four game industry professionals: Tom Kremer , Philip Orbanes , Mike...
have released other Top Trumps related items. These include:
- Top Trumps Displayers which can display up to ten packs. These came in a choice of four colours: purple green grey and clear
- Top Trumps Ultimate Football Challenge DVD game which contains two packs; Football Legends 1 and World Football Stars as playable packs on the DVD. The DVD game comes with two video pack, trivia quizzes, a video countdown and a football Managers Top Trumps game. This last item proved to be a popular pack, and Winning Moves released it as a standalone deck.
- Lunar JimLunar JimLunar Jim is a preschool-oriented stop-motion television show produced in Canada by Halifax Film and Alliance Atlantis, and aired in the USA as well on Discovery Channel and V-Me. The show is based on an original concept created by Alexander Bar, and was script-edited in Season one by Peter Sauder....
Top Trumps cover card released for the Space and Space Phenomenan decks which was given away at the Alliance Atlantis/BBC Worldwide Lunar Jim themed promotion, 2007. - Gunmetal Holder which is a metal Top Trumps case only available to club members who win the monthly prize draw.
- 24 Gunmetal Hoder. 24 of these 2424 (TV series)24 is an American television series produced for the Fox Network and syndicated worldwide, starring Kiefer Sutherland as Counter Terrorist Unit agent Jack Bauer. Each 24-episode season covers 24 hours in the life of Bauer, using the real time method of narration...
Gunmetal Holders were given out in a competition on the main website. These had the inscriptions 24 and a number out of 24 (e.g. 1/24) on the back. Only 24 of these were made. - A Top Trumps Pen was made. It had the words Top Trumps and the old website, www.playaday.com written on it.
- A Top Trumps Mug was also made that was yellow and had the words 'Top Trumps' written in red on it. A new mug was released with the World Football Top Trumps promotional pack.
Pack exclusives
A few exclusive items came with packs. These are:- TARDISTARDISThe TARDISGenerally, TARDIS is written in all upper case letters—this convention was popularised by the Target novelisations of the 1970s...
case which came with the Doctor WhoDoctor WhoDoctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
45 Years Of Time Travel pack. - Reversible title card which came with the original Star Wars: Clone WarsClone Wars (Star Wars)The Clone Wars are a series of fictional intragalactic battles in George Lucas's science fiction saga Star Wars. The conflict is first mentioned in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , but no details are given , and the wars themselves are not featured until the series' fifth and sixth...
pack. On one side was JediJediThe Jedi are characters in the Star Wars universe and the series's main protagonists. The Jedi use a power called the Force and weapons called lightsabers, which emit a controlled energy flow in the shape of a sword, in order to serve and protect the Republic and the galaxy at large from conflict...
and the other side was SithSith-Sith:The Sith is a name applied to certain characters in the Star Wars universe. In the films they are the central antagonists. They are capable of using the dark side of the Force.-The Invention of the Sith:...
. - Glow-In-The-Dark cases which came with: The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
Horror, Horror and Star Wars Clone WarsClone Wars (Star Wars)The Clone Wars are a series of fictional intragalactic battles in George Lucas's science fiction saga Star Wars. The conflict is first mentioned in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , but no details are given , and the wars themselves are not featured until the series' fifth and sixth...
. - Glow-In-The-Dark writing and images on the actual cards, in the Ben 10Ben 10The Omnitrix was originally created by a Galvan named Azmuth. The Omnitrix was intended to allow beings to experience life as other species in order to bring understanding and foster peace in the universe....
, Horror, Star Wars: Clone WarsClone Wars (Star Wars)The Clone Wars are a series of fictional intragalactic battles in George Lucas's science fiction saga Star Wars. The conflict is first mentioned in the film Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , but no details are given , and the wars themselves are not featured until the series' fifth and sixth...
and The SimpsonsThe SimpsonsThe Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
Horror packs. - In many packs the backs of the cards can be put together as a puzzle. Some examples of this are in the Skyscrapers, SpaceSpaceSpace is the boundless, three-dimensional extent in which objects and events occur and have relative position and direction. Physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless four-dimensional continuum...
, Wonders of the WorldWonders of the WorldVarious lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled from antiquity to the present day, to catalogue the world's most spectacular natural wonders and manmade structures....
, and many sports pack. These can form pictures of football stadiums, landmarks, maps, sports teams and a scale between different objects (such as skyscrapers, and planets, in the Space pack). - Some of the card backs give extra information about subjects in the pack. For example the All BlacksAll BlacksThe New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
pack has information about the history of the team and the HakaHaka of the All BlacksThe Haka is a traditional Maori war dance from New Zealand. There are thousands of Haka that are performed by various tribes and cultural groups throughout New Zealand. The best known Haka of them all is called "Ka Mate". It has been performed by countless New Zealand teams both locally and...
, while the Skyscrapers pack gives information about French 'Spiderman' Alain RobertAlain RobertAlain Robert , is a French rock and urban climber, from Digoin, Saône-et-Loire, Bourgogne, France...
. - In The X FactorThe X Factor (UK)The X Factor is a British television music competition to find new singing talent. Created by Simon Cowell, it began in September 2004 and is contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions. It is the originator of the international X Factor franchise. The seven series of the show to date...
pack, there are eight cards (Alexandra BurkeAlexandra BurkeAlexandra Imelda Cecelia Ewen Burke is a British R&B and pop recording artist who rose to fame after winning the fifth series of British television series The X Factor in 2008...
, Austin Drage, Daniel Evans, Diana VickersDiana VickersDiana Vickers is an English singer-songwriter, stage actress and fashion designer who initially came to public attention as a semi-finalist on the fifth series of British talent show The X Factor in 2008...
, Eoghan QuiggEoghan QuiggEoghan Quigg is an Irish pop singer and occasional actor from Dungiven in Northern Ireland, who finished third in the fifth series of the British television music talent contest The X Factor in 2008...
, JLSJack the Lad SwingJLS , are an English boyband, previously called UFO, consisting of members Aston Merrygold, Oritsé Williams, Jonathan Benjamin "JB" Gill and Marvin Humes...
, Laura White, Rachel Hylton, Ruth LorenzoRuth LorenzoRuth Lorenzo) is a Spanish singer notable for coming fifth in the fifth series of the British TV talent show The X Factor in 2008.Lorenzo's debut Single "Burn" entered the Spanish Singles Charts at number 16 when she released the single on the 27th of June 2011 in Spain...
and Scott Bruton) that have white discs in their X Factor score category that allow you to fill in what you think their score should be. - The Prince of PersiaPrince of PersiaPrince of Persia is a platform game, originally developed by Jordan Mechner and released in 1989 for the Apple II, that represented a great leap forward in the quality of animation seen in video games....
pack came with two bonus cards for the Top Trumps Tournament. Alice in Wonderland and Prince of Persia.
Top Trumps 3D
At a toy fair, Winning Moves revealed that they had started to make a Top Trumps 3D in which the pictures on the cards became 3D. A number of titles have been scheduled for release like this. You have to download the software and then use a WebcamWebcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
to show the cards to. This brings a 3D image of the image on the card. You answer questions to show the 3D image. There are a number of packs coming out like this, the first was Bugs
Arthropod
An arthropod is an invertebrate animal having an exoskeleton , a segmented body, and jointed appendages. Arthropods are members of the phylum Arthropoda , and include the insects, arachnids, crustaceans, and others...
released in May 2009.
There are many things you can do with the 3D image that include making it move. You could make the 3D tarantula from Bugs move, dance, slide on ice, hunt and other things. For the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a 2009 American science fiction-action film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the sequel to the 2007 film Transformers and the second installment in the live-action Transformers series...
, you could drive Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime
Optimus Prime is a fictional character from the Transformers franchise. Prime is the leader of the autobots, a faction of transforming robots from the planet Cybertron. The autobots are constantly waging war against a rival faction of transforming robots called Decepticons...
in truck mode and transform him to robot mode.
There are various Top Trumps Showcase cards released with the Hamleys
Hamleys
Hamleys is one of the world's largest toy shops. Its flagship store is in Regent Street, London. Major stores worldwide are in Dublin, Dubai, Amman, Glasgow, Mumbai and Chennai....
3D announcement event that can show you images. These include the spider (non moveable) Optimus prime (robot mode only, non moveable) and Wrestling arena with a fist coming through it (WWE). These can be used with the downloadable Hamleys Showcase content from the main site.
Winning Moves has been often criticized for releasing the pack but not releasing the 3D content for weeks after the release of the pack. This has led to outrage from buyers of the pack as they would expect the 3D content to be out the same time as the pack.
Another common feature for the 3D feature of cards is to feature video clips. For example, the Marvel Ultimate Villains pack, released with the Daily Mirror and the Daily Record
Daily Record (Scotland)
The Daily Record is a Scottish tabloid newspaper based in Glasgow. It had been the best-selling daily paper in Scotland for many years with a paid circulation in August 2011 of 307,794 . It is now outsold by its arch-rival the Scottish Sun which in September 2010 had a circulation of 339,586 in...
, has previews of Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2
Iron Man 2 is a 2010 American superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's Iron Man, the second film in a planned trilogy and is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Directed by Jon...
in.
Winning Moves originally had it so that you had to download a different programme for each 3D pack. However, in 2010, they made a 3D hub which would update when they updated it with new packs. A version for Apple MACs is coming soon.
Activity Packs
Activity packs are another version of Top Trumps that have now replaced the old Juniors range. They have 24 cards, two of each, with one with stats and one with information. There are differences between the two pictures to play spot-the-difference with. There are also word searches, mazes and other activities based on the pack. They come in a tuck box instead of the plastic cases. They are based on things that young children would like to play with as young children is the primary market for these products.Top Trumps Tournament
Top Trumps Tournament is a new type of Top Trumps that comes with 6 new Classics packs and a spinner to choose the pack to play. You put 6 packs of your choice into it and spin the spinner to decide which pack to play. The packs are: Movies, TV, Pop Stars, Top Toys, Sporting Heroes and WOW. The WOW pack is wonders of the world. All of the packs come in tuck boxes instead of plastic cases. It was released in October 2009.There is also a Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
version of this featuring all of the Star Wars packs created by Winning Moves up until the point of release. This is available at HMV
HMV
His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
only until January 2010. It has, however, appeared on play.com as well, whether Winning moves allowed this or not is unknown. The Star Wars Tournament also comes with a new Star Wars pack, Star Wars: 30 Greatest Moments with a card for each greatest moment in the films.
A FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
World Cup tournament was also released in May 2010 and a Marvel
Marvel Entertainment
Marvel Entertainment, LLC , formerly Marvel Enterprises and Toy Biz, Inc., is an American entertainment company formed from the merger of Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc. and Toy Biz, Inc....
tournament is also scheduled for release in 2011, featuring 6 exclusive packs each.
There are also exclusive cards given out in special circumstances for the original tournament games. A list can be seen here.
iPhone Top Trumps
Mid 2009, it was announced that Winning Moves have been in discussions with parties to try and create a version of Top Trumps for the iPhoneIPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
. A Ben 10
Ben 10
The Omnitrix was originally created by a Galvan named Azmuth. The Omnitrix was intended to allow beings to experience life as other species in order to bring understanding and foster peace in the universe....
version was released February 2010, available for download off the App Store.
Mini Top Trumps
Mini Top Trumps were packs of football cards sold at newsagents. They contained 18 playable cards for the packs and 2 extra bonus cards for the Top Trumps Tournaments. There were 8 different cards in these packsSix new football Mini Top Trumps packs are to be released, available in the Top Trumps online shop and an X Factor pack were also released. These contain Predict and Win cards instead of the bonus Tournament cards that the original Mini pack had. These allowed the winner to either see a football team of their choice or, in the case of the X Factor pack, see the X Factor Live show. TheX Factor finalists pack has also been released.
There is also a Super Mini Top Trumps of Disney Pixar, Cars, SpongeBob SquarePants, Star Wars and Baby Animals. These are exclusive to Poundland
Poundland
Poundland is a British-based variety store chain which sells every item in its stores for £1. Established in April 1990 by Dave Dodd and Stephen Smith, Poundland stock a variety of around 3,000 home and kitchen-ware, gifts, healthcare and other products, across 16 categories many of which are brand...
. The cards are similar to the main decks but there are only 20 cards, 14 of which are playable, 1 instruction card, 4 advert/trivia cards and a title card. The cards also have one less stat than the main pack.
Shop Exclusive Packs
There are some packs that are only exclusive to one shop. These are:- CarsCars (film)Cars is a 2006 American animated family film produced by Pixar and directed by John Lasseter and co-directed by Joe Ranft. It is the seventh Disney·Pixar feature film, and Pixar's final, independently-produced motion picture before its purchase by Disney...
only available in the Disney StoreDisney StoreDisney Store is an international chain of specialty stores selling only Disney related items, many of them exclusive. Disney Store is a business unit of Disney Consumer Products. James Fielding serves as the President....
. This is a full deck compared to the other Activity Pack by Winning Moves. - Michael JacksonMichael JacksonMichael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
only available at HMVHMVHis Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
. - Top Trumps Tournament Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
edition only available at HMVHMVHis Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
until January 1, 2010. - British Wildlife only available at National TrustNational Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural BeautyThe National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
shops or on the online National Trust shop. - 30 Great Days Out only available at National Trust shops or on the online National Trust shop.
Royal Wedding 2011
For the 2011 Royal Wedding, Winning Moves produced a new pack of Top Trumps based on the Royal Family and guests coming to the wedding. This pack was classed as a "Very Specials" pack, the only one of its kind. This also led to a few promotions including giving a couple getting married a chance to get into their own wedding pack and a special WOW card was made to be played with the Top Trumps Tournament was in the packs of Top Trumps. They were also giving out giant Top Trumps cards to people who were camping out to see the wedding and giving out free packs of Royal Wedding Top Trumps to those caught on TV showing the giant cards. A special commemorative card was also handed out at the wedding itself.Non-Winning Moves Packs
Several unofficial copies of the game have been made, both as commercial card games and online gaming sites. The BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
web site has Top Trumps variants with themes of snooker
Snooker
Snooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
, Buffy, Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
and EastEnders
EastEnders
EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
. Citadel Combat Cards were a similar card game from early 1990s with photographs of various Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
models. Originally based on Warhammer Fantasy Battle
Warhammer Fantasy Battle
Warhammer: The Game of Fantasy Battles is a tabletop wargame created by Games Workshop. It is the origin of the Warhammer Fantasy setting....
models, later included Warhammer 40K
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
cards as well. A top trumps style card game called "Outrage" was also included in The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh
The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six episode radio series, it has since spawned a total of twenty television episodes for BBC Three and two live tours of the UK, as well as two live shows in the...
Future Sailors Tour Deluxe DVD set.
There are also at least three educational variations of the game: Cell Trumps from Centre of the Cell, Tree Trumps from Forestry Commission (as an interactive exhibit in the Glenmore Visitor Centre and as a card game available in some Forestry Commission Scotland giftshops) and Timber Trumps from Napier University. Timber Trumps was, for the first few days, originally called Tree Trumps and is currently listed under this name on Channel4's Games website.
Other variations include card games that include data about specific topics. Safari Pals
Safari Pals
Safari Pals is a range of card games that have similarities to both Top Trumps and traditional Playing Cards. Like traditional playing cards or Quartets , the cards are arranged into sets of 4. Like Top Trump packs, each card describes a particular entity with numerical data...
packs include animal data on each card so that trump style games can be played in addition to other traditional game variations included Rummy
Rummy
Rummy is a group of card games notable for gameplay based on the matching of similar playing cards. The Mexican game of Conquian is considered by David Parlett to be ancestral to all rummy games, which itself is derived from a Chinese game called Khanhoo and, going even further back,...
, Quartets (card game)
Quartets (card game)
Quartets is a card game, similar to Go Fish, which was the start of Top Trumps. They were originally created by Austrian card game company Piatnik during the 1960s., but later began being released by Dubreq, Ace, Waddingtons and other companies...
and Go Fish
Go Fish
- Basic game :Using a standard 52-card deck, five cards are dealt to each player, or seven if there are four or fewer. The remaining card pack is shared between the players, usually sprawled out in a non-orderly pile referenced as the "ocean" or "pool"....
. The Royal Society of Chemistry has produced a pack of Visual Elements Trumps, using element data for play.
There have been lots of other packs before Winning Moves took over. These have been made by Waddingtons
Waddingtons
Waddingtons was a publisher of card and board games in the United Kingdom. The company was founded by John Waddington of Leeds, England and Wilson Barratt, under the name Waddingtons Limited...
, Dubreq, Ace
Ace Trumps
Ace Trumps is an early version of the popular card game Top Trumps, released from 1976-1984, by German company Altenburg-Stralsunder. Before releasing Ace Trumps, Ace also released many Quartet games. These packs had 32 cards in each as opposed to Winning Moves' Top Trumps which usually had 30...
and many other companies up until 1999. These packs are usually rarer than the newer Winning Moves packs as they are much older.
Companies sometimes create their own decks of cards based on their areas of expertise using the same style as Top Trumps. This is often used as promotional material or free gifts.