Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket (Japanese: Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket(ポケモントレーディングカードゲームポケット)), abbreviated as Pokémon TCG Pocket (Japanese: ポケポケ Poképocke), is a free-to-play digital adaptation of the Pokémon Trading Card Game. It was released for iOS, iPadOS, and Android worldwide on October 30, 2024, with a soft launch in New Zealand prior to the global release on September 26, 2024. The app supports Japanese, English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Korean, and Traditional Chinese.

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket logo.png
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket logo
Basic info
Platform: iOS, iPadOS, Android
Category: Card game
Players: 1
Connectivity: N/A
Developer: Creatures, Inc., DeNA Co., Ltd.
Publisher: The Pokémon Company
Part of: Generation IX spin-off
Ratings
CERO: N/A
ESRB: E
ACB: G
OFLC: N/A
PEGI: 3
GRAC: ALL
GSRR: N/A
Release dates
Japan: October 30, 2024
North America: October 30, 2024
Australia: October 30, 2024
Europe: October 30, 2024
South Korea: October 30, 2024
Hong Kong: October 30, 2024
Taiwan: October 30, 2024
Websites
Japanese: Official website
English: Official website
Pokémon.com

The game was announced worldwide on Pokémon Day 2024 (February 27) at 14:00 UTC in an edition of Pokémon Presents. A limited demo was available to all attendees at the 2024 Pokémon World Championships.[1]

Gameplay

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket features app-exclusive card sets from which players can collect digital Pokémon cards, which may feature either new artwork or illustrations previously used in the physical Pokémon Trading Card Game. Two booster packs can be opened for free each day, with more available via in-game purchases. Players can participate in quick battles using a simplified version of the traditional card game's rules.

Pokémon TCG Pocket includes Pokémon ex as seen in the Scarlet & Violet Series of the card game, but with a stylized gold ex graphic instead of the silver ex graphic seen in the physical game. Due to the absence of Prize cards in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket, players who Knock Out a Pokémon ex receive two points instead of taking two Prize cards.

Pokémon TCG Pocket uses the typing structure that was introduced in the Sword & Shield expansion, which categorizes Fairy-type Pokémon as Psychic-type cards, and Poison-type Pokémon as Darkness-type cards.

Differences from the TCG

To achieve simpler rules and a faster game pace, this game abandons certain Pokémon TCG concepts and introduces new ones:

  • Decks are made of 20 cards. No more than two cards with the same name can be included in a deck.
  • Energy cards are replaced by an "Energy Zone" which generates one Energy each turn to attach to a Pokémon.
  • At the start of the game, each player draws five cards. The player that goes first cannot manually attach Energy, but can use Supporter cards, including those that attach Energy.
    • If enough Energy is attached using a Supporter, they may also attack on the first turn, unlike in the physical game.
  • Players do not take mulligans, as their starting hand will always contain at least one Basic Pokémon.
  • Each player may have up to 10 cards in their hand, whereas the physical game has no limit.
  • Prize cards are replaced by points; players win by obtaining three points.
  • Unlike in the physical game, players unable to draw a card at the start of their turn do not lose the battle.
  • Unlike in the physical game, players have a 30 total turn limit before the game ends in a draw (or 50 in solo play).
  • In addition to an Active Pokémon slot, each player has a bench with three additional slots (rather than five).
  • Pokémon cards have no Resistance and have a Weakness modifier of +20 instead of ×2.
  • Effects of cards are generally simpler. No Pokémon, except Pokémon ex, has two attacks, though some Pokémon have an Ability and one attack.

Card design

Back of a card in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket

Card rarity is indicated either by between one and four TCG Pocket Rarity Diamond.png symbols (roughly equivalent to the TCG's common, uncommon, rare, and double rare rarities) or between one and three TCG Pocket Rarity Star.png symbols. Cards with a TCG Pocket Rarity Star.png rarity are rarer than cards with a TCG Pocket Rarity Diamond.png rarity and generally equate to secret cards in the TCG: cards with one TCG Pocket Rarity Star.png are usually illustration rare cards; cards with two TCG Pocket Rarity Star.png symbols are the equivalent of ultra rare and special illustration rare cards; and cards with three TCG Pocket Rarity Star.png symbols are immersive cards, which players can touch to experience the world inside the card's illustration. The rarest cards have a TCG Pocket Rarity Crown.png rarity and are equivalent to hyper rare cards in the TCG. Promo cards do not have rarity indicated on the card.

Card numbers are not featured on the cards themselves, although each expansion has its own card list, confirming each card's number as well as the total number or regular and secret cards within the expansion. Some cards use new artwork, while others reuse artwork from the physical game, such as from Base Set Pikachu and Sun & Moon Psyduck; however, the digital cards do not necessarily reflect their physical counterparts.

Cards feature a layout inspired by several eras of the Pokémon Trading Card Game:

  • Most elements of the layout closest resemble the one used in the Sun & Moon Series.
  • White outlines on Energy symbols were used in the Sword & Shield Series.
  • Trainer cards' subtype placement in the top-left corner of the cards was first seen in the Scarlet & Violet Series.
  • Silver card borders, which have first been featured in the ADV Era in Japan, and later adopted in international sets in the Scarlet & Violet Series.
  • Double Rare prints of Pokémon ex use a frame reminiscent of Pokémon-EX, meaning only a part of the Pokémon is shown, the rest is hidden behind the opaque card background. The golden color of the ex icon is also inspired by the EX icon. The diagonal sides of the Rule Box are inspired by Pokémon-GX.


Expansions

Set no. Symbol Expansion logo Expansion name Booster packs No. of cards Release date
SetSymbolPromo-A.png PA Set Logo EN.png Promo-A (promotional set) Ongoing September 26, 2024 (New Zealand)
October 30, 2024 (worldwide)
1 SetSymbolGenetic Apex.png A1 Set Logo EN.png Genetic Apex Charizard
Pikachu
Mewtwo
226 regular cards
60 secret cards
September 26, 2024 (New Zealand)
October 30, 2024 (worldwide)

Premium Pass and Poké gold

Pokémon TCG Pocket includes in-game purchases, with both a Premium Pass (Japanese: プレミアムパス Premium Pass) and a virtual currency called Poké gold (Japanese: ポケゴールド Poké gold).

English Japanese Cost
Premium Pass プレミアムパス
Premium Pass
$9.99 $13.99 $199 $49.90 €9.99 £7.99 $14.99 $19.99 ¥980 ₩9,900 $78 $300 ฿399
Release Poké gold (paid) x50 リリース記念 お得なポケゴールド(有償)×50
Release Commemoration Value Poké gold (paid) ×50
$9.99 $13.99 $199 $49.90 €9.99 £7.99 $14.99 $19.99 ¥1,400 ₩13,000 $78 $300 ฿399
Release Poké gold (paid) x15 リリース記念 お得なポケゴールド(有償)×15
Release Commemoration Value Poké gold (paid) ×15
$2.99 $3.99 $69 $14.90 €2.99 £2.39 $4.49 $4.99 ¥420 ₩3,900 $24 $90 ฿99
Release Poké gold (paid) x5 リリース記念 お得なポケゴールド(有償)×5
Release Commemoration Value Poké gold (paid) ×5
$0.99 $1.39 $19 $4.90 €0.99 £0.79 $1.49 $1.99 ¥140 ₩1,300 $8 $30 ฿29
Poké gold (paid) ×500 ポケゴールド(有償)×500
Poké gold (paid) ×500
$99.99 $139.99 $1,999 $499.90 €99.99 £79.99 $159.99 $199.99 ¥14,000 ₩130,000 $788 $3,000 ฿3,990
Poké gold (paid) + Accessories 周辺グッズ「サーナイト」つきポケゴールド
Poké gold + Gardevoir Accessories
$22.99 $31.99 $499 $119.90 €22.99 £18.49 $35.99 $39.99 ¥3,200 ₩29,900 $178 $690 ฿799
Poké gold (paid) ×200 ポケゴールド(有償)×200
Poké gold (paid) ×200
$39.99 $54.99 $899 $199.90 €39.99 £31.99 $62.99 $69.99 ¥5,600 ₩52,000 $318 $1,200 ฿1,490
Poké gold (paid) ×100 ポケゴールド(有償)×100
Poké gold (paid) ×100
$19.99 $27.99 $399 $99.90 €19.99 £15.99 $30.99 $39.99 ¥2,800 ₩26,000 $158 $600 ฿699
Poké gold (paid) ×50 ポケゴールド(有償)×50
Poké gold (paid) ×50
$9.99 $13.99 $199 $49.90 €9.99 £7.99 $14.99 $19.99 ¥1,400 ₩13,000 $78 $300 ฿399
Poké gold (paid) ×25 ポケゴールド(有償)×25
Poké gold (paid) ×25
$4.99 $6.99 $99 $24.90 €4.99 £3.99 $7.99 $9.99 ¥700 ₩6,500 $38 $150 ฿199

Reception

On October 17, 2024, 13 days to its global launch, over 6 million people worldwide had preregistered the game.[2][3] In its first 48 hours after launch, the game had surpassed 10 million downloads.[4][5] By November 8, 2024, it had surpassed 30 million downloads worldwide.[6][7]

Accolades

Year Award Category Result Ref
2024 The Game Awards 2024 Best Mobile Game Pending [8]

Staff

Main article: Staff of Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket

Version history

Version Release date Official note More information
1.0.0 iOS: August 18, 2024
Android: August 18, 2024
N/A -
1.0.2 iOS: August 26, 2024
Android: September 26, 2024
iOS: Bug Fixes
Android: N/A
Soft launch
1.0.3 iOS: October 15, 2024
Android: October 16, 2024
Bug Fixes -
1.0.5 iOS: October 23, 2024
Android: October 24, 2024
Bug Fixes Global launch
1.0.6 iOS: November 3, 2024
Android: November 3, 2024
Bug Fixes The team fixed an issue where the app would not start for some using iOS devices and other minor problems.[9][10][11]
1.0.7 iOS: November 11, 2024
Android: November 11, 2024
Bug Fixes Fixed a bug where you could open more booster packs for free than the daily ones.[citation needed]
1.0.8 iOS: November 25, 2024
Android: November 25, 2024
Bug Fixes To help address screen flashing issues for some people.[12]
1.0.9 iOS: December 2, 2024
Android: December 2, 2024
Bug Fixes Fixed a bug relating to certain models.[13]

Compatibility

The game can be played on:[14]

  • iOS and iPadOS devices: iOS 13/iPadOS 13 or later, 2GB of RAM or more.
  • Android devices: Android Nougat (7.0) or later, support for Vulkan, 64-bit, 3GB of RAM or more, installed GPU is Snapdragon 845 or later, or one of similar performance.

Release

Pokémon TCG Pocket was made available for pre-order on the App Store and pre-registration on Google Play beginning August 18, 2024. It has been listed for release in all countries with access to the App Store or Google Play Store except Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Cameroon, mainland China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Georgia, Gibraltar, Iraq, Kenya, Kosovo, Libya, the Maldives, Mali, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Myanmar, Nauru, the Netherlands, Russia, San Marino, Senegal, Tonga, Tunisia, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.

Date Locations
September 26, 2024 New Zealand
October 30, 2024 Albania, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Estonia, Eswatini, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, São Tomé and Principe, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Zambia

Gallery

Logos

Icons

In other languages

Language Title
Japan Flag.png Japanese Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
Chinese Cantonese Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
Mandarin Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
France Flag.png French Jeu de Cartes à Collectionner Pokémon Pocket
Germany Flag.png German Pokémon‑Sammelkartenspiel‑Pocket
Italy Flag.png Italian Gioco di Carte Collezionabili Pokémon Pocket
South Korea Flag.png Korean 포켓몬 카드 게임 Pocket Pokémon Card Game Pocket
Brazil Flag.png Brazilian Portuguese Pokémon Estampas Ilustradas Pocket
Spain Flag.png Spanish Juego de Cartas Coleccionables Pokémon Pocket

References

External links

Pikachu series: Hey You, Pikachu!ChannelDash
TCG: Game Boy TCG series: Trading Card GameTrading Card Game 2: The Invasion of Team GR!
Play It! series: Play It!Play It! Version 2
TCG Client series: Card Game OnlineTrading Card Game OnlineTrading Card Game Live
Misc. TCG: Say Tap?Card Game: How to Play DSCard Game Entry Battle
Card Game GachaTCG Card DexDigital Raid Battle Assistant
Trading Card Game Pocket
Super Smash Bros. series: Super Smash Bros.MeleeBrawlfor Nintendo 3DS/Wii UUltimate
Snap series: SnapNew Pokémon Snap
Picross: Picross NP Vol. 1Picross (GBC) (canceled)Picross (3DS)
Pinball series: PinballPinball: RS
Puzzle series: Puzzle LeaguePuzzle Challenge
Trozei series: Trozei!Battle Trozei
Mystery Dungeon
series
:
Red Rescue Team & Blue Rescue Team
Explorers of Time & Explorers of DarknessExplorers of Sky
Blazing, Stormy & Light Adventure Squad
Gates to InfinitySuper Mystery DungeonRescue Team DX
Ranger series: RangerShadows of AlmiaGuardian Signs
Puck series: BattrioTretta (Tretta Lab) • Ga-OléMezastarFrienda
Rumble series: RumbleRumble BlastRumble URumble WorldRumble Rush
PokéPark series: PokéPark WiiPokéPark 2: Wonders Beyond
Detective Pikachu series: Detective PikachuDetective Pikachu Returns
Playground: Pokémon Detective Pikachu
Pokémon game templates
Project Sidegames logo.png This article is part of both Project Sidegames and Project TCG, Bulbapedia projects that, together, aim to write comprehensive articles on video games about the TCG. Project TCG logo.png