Pocketpair is expanding the Palworld universe beyond its digital origins with the upcoming Palworld OFFICIAL CARD GAME, scheduled to launch on July 30, 2026. Developed in collaboration with tabletop specialists Bushiroad, the card game aims to replicate the core experiences of the video game, including strategic Pal battles, base building, and gear management.
The Palworld OFFICIAL CARD GAME will feature a 50-card deck composed of five distinct card types: Pals, Gears, Structures, Events, and Souls. Pals are the primary units for combat and actions, while Souls are essential for deploying them and other cards onto the player's base. Players begin by shuffling their main deck and a separate soul deck, then drawing five cards from their main deck. A single mulligan is permitted to redraw the starting hand.
Gameplay commences with a rock-paper-scissors decision for who goes first. The second player draws one soul card, while the first player draws two to start their Soul Phase. Each subsequent turn grants two additional souls, up to a maximum of ten. The number of souls required to deploy a card is indicated in the top-left corner; for instance, early-game Pals like Cattiva or Lamball, costing two souls, can be played on the first turn.
Once deployed, cards can perform actions. A Pal can attack an opposing Pal or structure, strike the opponent's life counter, or remain idle (stand) to defend against incoming attacks. After an action, the card enters a 'rest' state. Combat involves comparing Pal power values, with the difference in power representing damage dealt. Pal health and power reset at the end of each turn, and defeated cards move to the graveyard. Attacking the life counter directly involves flipping cards from the deck; if a card without a lucky symbol is revealed, the opponent loses life points equal to the strike value. Players can also use Quick cards from their hand during the opponent's turn to counter attacks or battles.
At the start of a player's turn, all rested cards are stood, a card is drawn from the main deck, and two more souls are added to the soul area. Structures can be deployed and assigned a Pal to activate their unique abilities, such as the Primitive Furnace which allows an extra card draw when a Pal is assigned to it. Structures have durability and can be destroyed. Gear cards offer significant combat advantages; for example, the Single-Shot Rifle can deal 1,000 damage to an opposing Pal upon deployment, though it cannot directly reduce the opponent's life counter. Event cards provide one-time effects for the duration of a turn, serving as strategic surprises like the Reckless Charge, which boosts a Pal's power temporarily.
The game concludes when a player's life counter, starting at ten, is reduced to zero. To ease new players into the game, two trial decks will be available on release day. One deck features red and blue cards, while the other uses purple and green. A booster pack, Dawn of Palpagos, will also be released simultaneously, allowing players to customize their decks or collect Pals.