Which trading card game influenced Plants vs. Zombies seed packets?

Magic: The Gathering influenced the seed-packet system in Plants vs. Zombies.

George Fan had played Magic: The Gathering and drew on its deck-building ideas while designing Plants vs. Zombies. The connection was especially important during an early version of the game, when plants were treated more like cards drawn from a deck and delivered randomly on a conveyor belt.

That first idea changed. Instead of receiving an unpredictable plant at intervals, players choose a limited loadout of seed packets before each level. The system preserves the strategic tension of building a deck: every selected plant can matter, but taking one option means leaving another behind. Players must consider the zombies expected in the level and assemble a balanced group of attackers, producers, blockers, and specialized counters.

Magic was an influence rather than the game’s only source. Warcraft III tower-defense maps helped inspire the defensive format, and Insaniquarium shaped the pacing and staged introduction of new units. The seed packets are therefore not collectible cards, but their selection-and-customization logic reflects Fan’s experience with trading-card-game deck construction.