Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket
Released 30 October 2024 Developer DeNA and Creatures Inc. Publisher The Pokémon Company
A free phone card-collecting game based on the Pokémon Trading Card Game. You open digital booster packs, build decks from the cards and play short, simplified battles against other players, with extras such as trading and card display. New card sets are released roughly every month.
Money health
HarmfulChance, compulsion or exploitation
Addictive design
Very high5 of 5 — counts the hooks designed in
Average price
Freefree to download
Spending ceiling
No ceilingRepeat purchases, no limit
How it makes money
Harmful: chance, compulsion or exploitation
The game is free and gives you two booster packs a day at no cost, but the wait between packs is the main thing you can pay to shorten. Poké Gold, the paid currency, is sold in packs from A$1.49 to A$159.99 on the Australian App Store (the page lists only ten items), and an optional Premium Pass (A$14.99 on the App Store, a monthly subscription) adds an extra daily pack and extra missions. Because every pack is a random draw and new card sets arrive about monthly, there is no point at which the collection is finished. Some promotional cards can only be obtained by spending money, and reviewers have criticised the waiting times and the number of different currencies.
How you pay
- Gacha
Cards come from random booster packs. Apple lists the app as containing loot boxes, and reviewers describe the loop as gacha.
- Free-to-play
Free to download with optional purchases. Poké Gold packs on the Australian App Store run from A$1.49 (5) to A$159.99 (500).
- Battle pass
The optional Premium Pass (A$14.99 on the App Store) is a monthly subscription that adds an extra daily pack and Premium Missions rather than a seasonal reward track.
minor part of the game
Techniques it uses to keep you paying or playing
- Wait or pay
A pack can be opened about every 12 hours (two free packs a day), and Pack Hourglasses shorten the wait. Trading also uses a stamina limit.
- Game currency
Paid Poké Gold sits alongside other in-game currencies and items such as Pack Hourglasses and Shinedust, which Nintendo Life's reviewer found hard to keep track of.
- Pity timer
Pack Points earned from opening packs can be traded for chosen individual cards in the shop, which gives a guaranteed route to a specific card.
minor part of the game - Held back
Some promotional cards can only be obtained by spending money.
minor part of the game - Daily pressure
Two free packs a day and daily missions reward returning every day.
- Collect all
A new expansion arrives roughly monthly, so there are always more cards to chase.
Fairer alternatives
Similar games with a healthier money model
What it costs
Free to start, then A$1.49–A$159.99 a purchase
| What | Where | Price | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poké Gold x5 Smallest Poké Gold pack |
Apple App Store (AU) · iOS | A$1.49 | Oct 2026 |
| Poké Gold x500 Largest Poké Gold pack shown; the page lists only ten items |
Apple App Store (AU) · iOS | A$159.99 | Oct 2026 |
| Premium Pass Optional subscription pass with an extra daily pack and Premium Missions |
Apple App Store (AU) · iOS | A$14.99 | Oct 2026 |
Store prices change often and sales are common; we record the regular price on the date shown.
Reviews from across the web
What the critics said
-
4/ 5
Eurogamer
Liked how generous and player-friendly the rewards feel for a free game.
-
7/ 10
Nintendo Life
Enjoyed the pack opening and card art but found the heavy monetisation and number of currencies off-putting.
-
3.5/ 5
PCMag
Praised the pack-opening experience but found the battling less engaging.
-
6/ 10
Shacknews
Found the pack opening satisfying but argued that the game leans on players' urge to keep spending and that the early meta was narrow.
Scores belong to the outlets that published them; follow the links to read the full reviews. Summaries are ours.
Age ratings & content
What's in it
Classification
No classification recorded yet.
Safety & parental controls
Who can talk to your child, and what can they buy?
- Preset messages only
- Players can interact with strangers
- No user-made content
- Account: not recorded
There is no open text chat listed on the App Store page. Trading is limited to friends added by friend ID, and a message feature was added to trades in 2025 (we could not confirm whether it is preset text). Ranked online battles match you with other players, and Wonder Pick shows cards from packs other players opened. The App Store lists the app as 16+ because it contains loot boxes. Spending is controlled through the App Store or Google Play, so set a purchase password or Ask to Buy there.
Who makes it
The companies behind it, and their track record
No track-record badges yet.
- Competition law
Competition-law action
Japan Fair Trade Commission, 2011: cease-and-desist order for pressuring game makers not to supply rival platform GREE.
Latest on the record
- Investigation
Inquiry found DeNA's health and lifestyle websites may have breached copyright and medical laws
DeNA - Regulator action
Japan banned 'complete gacha' paid random-item sets used on DeNA's platform
GamesIndustry.biz - Good practice
DeNA introduced spending limits for young users
GamesIndustry.biz
No track-record badges yet.
Latest on the record
A company's history doesn't change this game's money verdict, which rates only how the game itself makes money. About company track records
Platforms & release
Where you can play it
| Platform | Released | Store |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone and iPad | 30 October 2024 | Store page |
| Android phones and tablets | 30 October 2024 | Store page |
Further reading
- Official website
- Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket on Wikipedia
- Pokémon TCG Pocket official site
- Nintendo Life: one year on, every positive update still comes with a catch (2025)
- Wikipedia
Facts last checked 22 October 2026. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, apps.apple.com, tcgpocket.pokemon.com, www.metacritic.com, www.metacritic.com, www.nintendolife.com, www.shacknews.com, press-start.com.au. Spotted something wrong? Send a correction.