Thought that no Pokémon game can get close to the success of Pokémon Go?
Pokémon TCG Pocket is doing that as we speak.
In less than a month on the market, this game has topped both download and revenue charts and quickly became the talk of the mobile gaming industry.
The game was developed by Creatures Inc., the original creators of Pokémon TCG, and DeNA Co., Ltd, and released by The Pokémon Company. Inspired by the classic Pokémon Trading Card Game from the 1990s Game Boy era, this mobile game brings a new experience of collecting and battling cards.
Pokémon TCG Pocket: Numbers
Pokémon TCG (Trading Card Game) Pocket is dominating almost all November mobile game charts.
Launched on October 30th, the game earned $33.7 million in its first week and hit the $100 million milestone after just 17 days on the market. As reported by Pocket Gamer and AppMagic, the game averages $6.4 million in daily player spending.
Pokémon TCG Pocket vs Pokémon GO & Other IP Games
How do the Pokémon TCG Pocket launch numbers compare to those of Pokémon GO?
With these launch numbers, Pokémon TCG Pocket became the second most successful release of the Pokémon company. Pokémon GO had an even stronger launch, hitting $206.5 million in its first month.
Other games with the Pokémon IP never came close to these numbers.
The previous second place holder was Pokémon Masters EX which earned $243 million in all-time revenue in almost five years. Interestingly, this game was developed by the co-creator of Pokémon TGC Pocket—DeNa. Since the new game will likely hit this number very soon, it seems like this developer learned some valuable monetization lessons from its first Pokémon game.
Top GEOs
Japan, the birthplace of Pokémon, accounts for 42% of Pokémon TCG Pocket’s revenue, followed by the US at 28%.
When you compare this to downloads by country, this is where things get really interesting.
The leading country by downloads is the US at 29%, next is Brazil at 10% and Japan is third with only 6%.
In other words, Japanese players spend far more per download than the average. While the global revenue per download averages at $3.76, the Tier 1 East average is $17.73, driven primarily by the Japanese audience.
*The data in this section was gathered using the premium version of the AppMagic tool.
Pokémon TCG Pocket Overview
Let’s go over the main characteristics of Pokémon TCG Pocket, from gameplay to its monetization setup and UA strategies.
Core Gameplay
Pokémon TCG Pocket is a collectible card and battler game that simplifies and modernizes the classic Pokémon Trading Card Game.
The game revolves around collecting new cards to build powerful decks. Players can obtain new cards by opening booster packs, and they can do this twice a day free of charge.
The cards are stored in the player’s card collection and are used to create customized decks which players can then use in the game’s battle mode.
Structured Tutorial
A key feature of the Pokémon TCG Pocket experience is its well-designed tutorial.
The tutorial provides a structured, step-by-step guide that teaches players the basics, but also introduces them to the game’s unique features and strategies. Once the basic tutorial officially ends, the game continues to share useful tips and information about more advanced features.
With so many currencies and items, this kind of tutorial is a must-have to keep things clear and easy to understand.
UX
Opening booster packs doesn’t sound like a super thrilling experience, right?
The creators of Pokémon TCG Pocket have made sure that the process of opening packs is worthy of being the center of the game.
The players choose between a number of sealed packs, which creates an illusion of control. As players anticipate the results, realistic and satisfying animations make the pack opening process extra appealing.
By combining the elements of luck, satisfaction, and excitement, opening packs becomes a highly addictive process.
It’s not just about what’s in the packs—it’s also about the experience.
The cards themselves aren’t dull either. Once they obtain a card, players can interact with them by turning them around and observing them from different angles.
The game also features special, immersive cards that contain tap-and-hold animations, creating a cinematic experience. These are also the game’s rarest and most exclusive cards (there are only four of them).
Battle Mode
Once players reach level 3, they can enter the game’s battle mode.
Through a step-by-step tutorial, players learn how to create strong decks by combining different card types and abilities, and how to engage in battles. They can build their 20-card decks manually or use the game’s auto-build feature.
Players can engage in solo battles or different types of multiplayer battles (random, private, event). In these turn-based battles, players need to think strategically, planning how to attack, defend, and use special abilities.
Another key aspect of the battle experience is the UI/UX design.
While most card games use a landscape view due to their complexity, this game uses a portrait orientation. This design choice makes things more convenient to play on the go with one hand, making it more suitable for casual players. This design also lets players enjoy the card artwork, as the vertical cards stand out more on their screens.
Engagement Features
Now that we have taken a glance at the core features of Pokémon TCG Pocket, here’s an overview of some other features that help make the game extra engaging and fun.
- Wonder Pick. A feature that allows players to pull a random card from a booster pack opened by another player. It combines social elements with luck-based mechanics to boost player engagement.
- Missions. The game drives player progression with a variety of missions split into categories like daily, beginner, deck, dex, event, and premium missions.
- Social Hub. A place to connect and showcase card collections using custom display boards and obtained accessories. There is also a currently inactive “Trade” feature marked as “coming soon”.
- Events. The game hosts different time-limited events that encourage players to engage in different challenges and battles where they can win exclusive rewards like promo cards.
Pokémon TCG Pocket Monetization Strategy
Pokémon TCG Pocket provides an ad-free experience that offers players in-app purchase and subscription options.
Currencies & IAPs
The foundation of the game’s monetization strategy is its currency system. The game has many currencies, but the two main ones are Poké Gold and Pack Hourglass.
Poké Gold is the premium purchasable currency that can be used to reduce the time to recover booster pack stamina or to exchange for items from the game’s shop. Pack Hourglass is used to reduce the time to get pack stamina by one hour.
In other words, everything revolves around opening booster packs faster.
The game follows the classic IAP playbook, offering six premium currency packs, as well as popular conversion strategies like discounts, daily gifts, bundles, etc.
Timing
The game doesn’t wait too long to introduce players to its shop.
The shop appears right after the tutorial, before the players emerge on their first battle. While this might seem a bit forward, it works because players naturally want to collect more cards before going into battle.
The shop offers a lot of content from the start, but it doesn’t feel overwhelming. The game achieves this through a step-by-step introduction, starting with the basic Poke Gold section and adding the Main and Event sections later.
Subscription
The first thing the game promotes in its shop is its battle pass option—Premium Pass. With it, players can open one extra pack per day, and complete premium missions to win special items.
To lure players in, the game offers first-time subscribers a free two-week trial, which is quite uncommon in mobile gaming.
Judging by the numbers, this strategy is working—the battle pass is the best-selling IAP of the game (AppMagic). Although priced above average for mobile games, $9.99 players obviously see enough value in this offer to make it worth spending.
User Acquisition Strategy
Pokémon TCG Pocket has a pretty straightforward UA strategy that focuses on its core gameplay—opening booster packs.
The majority of these ads follow the vibe of the game, with a minimalistic look and soothing background music. Some ads include AI voiceovers that guide players through the game, while others feature UGC creators showcasing ad openings, sharing tips and tricks, etc.
However, the quality of the ads varies. Some of the ads are simply not great, using basic stock footage which feels quite staged and cheap.
The general impression?
There is definitely room for improving the game’s ad creative strategy. Besides booster pack openings, it might benefit from producing more narrative/cinematic content and exploring nostalgia-driven themes.
The game advertises heavily on YouTube but is also present on Meta, AppLovin, Mintegral, and even Twitter. It is clearly aiming for a worldwide audience, as it produces localized ad creatives for different markets like Japan, France, Germany, Brazil, etc.
Community
Thanks to the strong franchise backing it, Pokémon TCG Pocket was able to benefit from the massive existing fanbase of the Pokémon universe and quickly attracted large player communities.
The game currently has 176k members on Reddit and 121k Facebook group members who share all sorts of content, from pack openings, and collection bragging to of course—memes.
Besides driving conversations and engagement, these communities can also serve as a valuable source of ideas for the game’s ad creative strategy.
Pokémon TCG Pocket: Final Thoughts
When the game hits the market with such amazing numbers as Pokémon TCG Pocket, everyone naturally wonders what the future holds for this title.
The game definitely has long-term success potential.
Thanks to its unique blend of nostalgia and fresh gameplay, the game is appealing to both newcomers and longtime Pokémon fans.
The game’s future will depend on how well it continues to innovate the gameplay and refine its advertising strategies. For example, the addition of the trading system set for January might significantly impact player engagement and shape the game’s next phase.
