Pokemonis introducing a new card game calledPokemon Taruka. The title is a play on a classic Japanese card game, and fans of thePokemonfranchise can get a look at what the card game consists of and how it’s played.
Pokemoncard games are extraordinarily popular among the franchise’s fanbase. ThePokemon Trading Card Gamehas been wildly successful since its introduction in the 1990s, and it’s since spawned mobile takes, likePokemon Trading Card Game LiveandPokemon Trading Card Game Pocket. This new card game, however, is strictly physical for now, and is quite unlike thestandardPokemon TCG.
Pokemonis introducing its newPokemon Tarukagame, which is a variant of a classicJapanese card game calledKaruta.Pokemon Tarukais, in essence, a matching game that’s played competitively. Three people are necessary for a match. One person has their own set of cards, referred to as a reading deck, while the standard cards are spread out on a table or floor in front of the two competitors. The dealer reads their own card, which the two players must then use to identify the card they need to grab from the collection in front of them. Whoever grabs the correct card first is the winner of that round.
Pokemon Taruka’s Uniqueness and Release Date
Pokemon Taruka, as the name might imply, changes up the formula from the standardKarutagame. The title is spelled backwards in the Japanese writing system from the standard card game, going from Ka-ru-ta to Ta-ru-ka. It’s not just a naming convention, as the reader of the cards needs to read the cards backward, making it more difficult for the players and the dealer. The cards even cutely show the illustrations of the associated Pokemon dropped on their heads, with some of them looking quite uncomfortable and grumpy at their orientation. The Pokemon Company has shared a video demonstrating how it’s played, albeit in Japanese.
Pokemon Tarukawill start appearing in Pokemon Center stores on July 07, 2025. As the cards are written entirely in Japanese, and thePokemon names are also their Japanese versions, it’s highly unlikely that these cards will be available in Pokemon Center stores outside of Japan. Those who aren’t fluent in the language would need a translated version, and givenKarutaisn’t extremely popular or well-known outside of Japan, that seems unlikely. Players who want them to play or collect will likely either need to go to Japan or purchase them from a reseller.
