Pokémon TCG Pocket Needs More Reasons To Play, & Here’s Why

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has amassed millions of downloads since its release in October 2024, but significant improvements still need to be made. Though the game offers solid mechanics and some fun gameplay, the rewards and incentives should be reworked to create a more engaging experience. For free-to-play players, receiving only two packs every 24 hours and 15 XP per battle feels insufficient. Although the promotional events are welcome additions, the game lacks motivating factors to keep players returning for more.

This is definitely an area that can be improved easily, with several simple changes that would keep players engaged, especially for those who are free-to-play. As it stands, however, the game lacks rewards and incentives to have players come back more than twice a day. Simply opening packs may become tedious, and there is no reason to use the cards acquired.

Lack of Incentives and Engagement

Daily Missions and Battle Incentives Are Missed Opportunities

The first feature that needs a revamp is the daily missions. These can be completed too easily, with the reward being obtainable without even battling. After completing three missions, the player is rewarded with four Pack Hourglasses. Players can earn this by doing the bare minimum, opening packs, and even just logging in. These tasks can be uninteresting, especially since this feature has so much potential to be far more interesting.

Furthermore, while promo events are not active, there is a lack of incentives to keep battling. The reward for winning a versus battle is just 15 XP. This reward barely amounts to anything if players are grinding to level up to gain a single pack to open. Even when the Genetic Apex Emblem Event was on, the rewards were somewhat dull. For this game to have players returning more frequently, battles need to be worth more than just the gameplay.

What Could Be Improved For Player Motivation?

Strategies Could be Implemented to Keep Players Hooked Outside of Events

There are plenty of ways to improve the games engagement outside of event periods, giving players more reasons to log into the game. Firstly, there could be a broader range of rewards that could cater to different players. Different deck types and rarities could be highlighted through different daily rewards. Players could play different decks in battles to complete the missions. For instance, a daily mission could challenge players to win five battles using a Water-type deck. This could vary the number of decks used competitively. These missions could also be unique to different players, ensuring that battles aren’t saturated.

Related

10 Missing Pokémon TCG Features That TCG Pocket Was Smart To Cut

Pokémon TCG Pocket made some smart changes to how the Pokémon trading card game worked in order to streamline the rules and make games faster.

In addition, battle rewards could be revamped to make the experience feel more worthwhile. 15 XP for a battle win seems too low and should be increased. Other rewards, such as Pack Hourglasses and Wonder Hourglasses, could also be up for grabs from winning battles. This would significantly increase the incentive to battle more regularly. However, these rewards can’t be too high, as this would risk the game becoming too easy.

Overall, there are not currently enough reasons to play the mobile game, especially outside of events. This requires some change to stop Pokémon TCG Pocket from losing players over the long term.

Systems

Released

October 30, 2024

Developer(s)

DeNA , Creatures Inc.

Publisher(s)

The Pokemon Company

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer

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