What is Pokémon TCG Pocket, and why the world is going crazy over it

It almost feels like yesterday when Pokémon Go went live for smartphones and days later, had the entire world pointing their phones at random trees, alleys and fountains. Eight whole years later, the Pokémon franchise has a new game that’s doing the rounds online. However, instead of Augmented Reality powered mechanics, the game hits on a different childhood nostalgia – trading cards.

Meet ‘Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket’, also known as Pokémon TCG Pocket, a Pokémon game that went live last week, and is already reportedly earning upwards of $3 million each day, thanks to some premium purchases and passes. But what is the game about? How is it different from Pokémon Go? Here’s a few quick answers to all your questions.

What is Pokémon TCG Pocket?

Pokémon Pocket is the popular trading card game from the early 2000s, but in a digital avatar. Instead of collecting the titular Pokémon beasts, as you would in Pokémon Go, this game has you collecting trading cards.

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Unlike the traditional physical cards, the digital cards also come with several new illustrations and animations, which bring a whole new dimension to popular characters from the anime, from Pikachu to Mewtwo.

Players can open new packs every day to get new cards, and collect cards every day. Meanwhile, in-game display boards let you showcase your collection to your friends. Players can also enjoy casual battles either solo or with friends to put their Pokémon to the test.

How to get Pokémon TCG Pocket

Pokémon TCG Pocket is available on both the Apple App Store for iPhones, as well as the Google Play Store for Android phones. The game is free to download and install, but follows a freemium model, which means you can expect to find several in-app purchases, should you want to spend some actual cash on these digital monsters.

What remains to be seen is how the trading card game will manage to get some sustained interest. Pokémon Go went big thanks to several of its social aspects that would make you want to go on a hunt with friends, or gather a larger party for a proper Poké-walk. Whether Pokémon TCG Pocket will have such elements, will determine if the game lives up to the reputation set by its predecessor.