How to Play Online Pokémon Trading Card Game
Playing Pokémon TCG games online is incredibly easy. Unlike some other scenes where simulator support is limited or lacking from an official source, Pokemon is ready to go!
Pokemon Card Booster Packs contain an additional card with a code for use with the former “Pokemon TCG Online.” As the name suggests, this was the official online TCG simulator of Pokemon. It was discontinued on June 5, 2023, removed from app stores and replaced with Pokemon TCG Live. As before, the client was available as a desktop client and as an app on Android and iOS. These can be downloaded from the Pokemon TCG Live website. Due to cross-platform support, Pokemon Live players can play against each other on all platforms.
Source: Pokemon Live
Pokemon Live Service
Due to the support of the online format, most players gather on its servers. Because this simulator is linked to the Pokemon product that players have opened, it uses the QR codes included in the card packs. You will not receive the exact cards you opened.
The purchased packages will instead be converted into packages that can be opened in the simulator. However, this means that for people who don’t actively collect or open cards, the effort involved in creating cards is a little longer. Tournament stamps and alt tickets from games at your local game store or other offline events are present in the engine. They have a QR code for online redemption.
How to play Pokemon Live
- Go to and download your device
- Open the game and select your language
- Create and activate an account
- Create your trainer
- Complete the tutorials
- Click Play to play online!
Unofficial Ways to Play Pokémon TCG Online
As with most TCGs, Tabletop Simulator (TTS) and Untap.in are the go-to places for unofficial Pokemon TCG play.
As always, TTS requires the use of community supported workshop mods in order to play. Untap.in, originally developed for Magic the Gathering, also works quite well with Pokémon. Pokemon players who want to test online without using the official simulator often resort to Untap.in’s browser client. Compared to TTS, it is not only free, but the fact that it can be played in the browser also makes work easier on the go. The other reason to play through Untap is the support for other formats.
In addition to access to all maps in the game, the more table-based approach to play allows players to play the expanded format or community-created formats such as Gym Leader Challenge (GLC). Notably, Pokemon Live only uses the standard format, which works for many as it is the main competitive format at events. For players who want to try the game for free or try out the alternative formats, environments like Untap.in can prove valuable, but at the expense of automation and refinement, as well as the flexibility of the formats.
