Whether you grew up with Pokémon or are coming to the hobby as an adult looking for some wholesome fun, the Pokémon Trading Card Game (Pokémon TCG) has tons to offer. Not only can you collect and enjoy the cards, aspiring Pokémon Trainers can also forge friendships playing and battling together.
And while you can easily look up the official rules to the Pokémon TCG, there’s something about hosting your friends at home for a night of battling that’s simply the best. But, if you’ve never played host to a Pokémon TCG night, you might be at a loss for what to do.
Fear not, Pokémon Trainers, Complex has done the research and is here to offer you the best tips on hosting the ultimate Pokémon TCG party for grownups. Depending on your skill level and other factors, you can follow all or just some of these tips, but either way, be sure to read on to set yourself up for an excellent Pokémon TCG party for grownups.
Set Your Party’s Skill Level
Like other great games that provide a lifetime of entertainment, Pokémon TCG is easy to learn but can become increasingly challenging as players become more skilled. That’s why it’s important to set your party’s skill level in advance. We recommend assessing where you’re at with your Pokémon TCG abilities and inviting your guests accordingly. Everyone’s skill level will also influence exactly what you decide to do at your Pokémon TCG party.
Basically, there are three skill levels to be aware of here:
- Beginner
There’s Pokémon TCG Battle Academy for beginners. The Battle Academy follows a board game setup and is designed to help beginner players through their first games with step-by-step instructions. If you and your party guests are brand new to the Pokémon TCG, start here.
- Intermediate
If you’re an intermediate Pokémon TCG player, there are preconstructed Build & Battle Boxes and ex Battle Decks. Build & Battle Boxes come with 40-card decks containing one of four exclusive foil promo cards, as well as four booster packs. The deck inside every Build & Battle Box comes ready to play, and each player can enhance it with cards from the booster packs. ex Battle Decks include 60 cards. Each ex Battle Deck is led by a powerful Pokémon ex, and also includes three reference cards, a rules booklet, a strategy sheet, a deck box, and more. That’s everything you need to play right away. To host a party for intermediate players, these are your best bets. You can ask guests to bring their own Build & Battle Boxes or ex Battle Decks, but if you’re an extremely generous host, you can even buy some for all.
- Advanced
If you’re an advanced Pokémon TCG player and you plan on inviting similarly skilled guests, you should throw a BYOD party, which stands for Bring Your Own Deck, of course. As you know, you and your friends who are playing the Pokémon TCG at this high level have likely spent years building your decks and stocking them with rare, powerful cards. After all, once you get into the game, tracking down the best cards is a big part of the fun.
Ready Your Home
When your goal is to host the ultimate Pokémon TCG party for grownups, you’re going to want to set your home up right. You might consider seating your guest Pokémon Trainers around your dining room or kitchen tables so they can trade and display their cards or battle without hunching over a low coffee table. It’s also easier and more comfortable to play across from one another than side-by-side, so a big, high table like those found in your dining room or kitchen make the most sense. If you’re serving drinks, which is a good idea, you’ll want to use coasters to keep condensation from ruining people’s cards. If you don’t have your own, these Pikachu Pokémon Home Accents Coasters (4-Pack; $19.99) are a festive choice that will enhance your party’s mood.
Prepare the Proper Food
The right food can make a party. It’s that important. And for a Pokémon TCG party, that goes double. That’s because certain foods like oily or dusty chips can ruin cards. Something like kimbap rolls which can be eaten with chopsticks work well. If you really want to have finger foods, try grilled chicken satay skewers, which guests can eat without getting their digits greasy. Pair these appetizers with mugicha barley tea for something unique, but also be sure to stock up on soda, seltzer, and plain water to make sure everyone has something to sip on.
Select a Main Event
Because Pokémon TCG can be enjoyed in multiple ways at multiple skill levels, it’s also important to decide exactly what you want your party to revolve around. Depending on time commitments and how intense you want the party to be, you have multiple options here.
- Trade, Display, and Crack Some Packs
This is a relaxed BYOD Pokémon TCG party option that can be enjoyed by advanced, intermediate, and beginner Trainers. Advanced and intermediate players will have extensive Pokémon card collections to display and may be looking to trade cards with other collectors. Viewing an impressive collection can be enjoyed by players of every skill level, so this is a good option if you want to invite guests with a wide range of Pokémon TCG experience. Observing more advanced Pokémon TCG Trainers display and trade their collections can also be educational for newer players. But, you’ll also want to make sure your beginner guests have a chance to enjoy some cards of their own. Cracking open some Pokémon TCG booster packs can give them that experience. And hey, intermediate and advanced players are always going to have fun cracking new packs too. At just under $4 for the most basic booster packs, hosts can provide lots of fun for guests at a low cost. One can even consider having protective card sleeves on hand for the rare and valuable. This is also a good option if you’re looking to host a shorter party.
- Take a Test Run
If you have a bit more time for your party, but still want to keep things casual and involve a wide range of guests, building and testing decks with input from other partygoers is a great option. Testing decks in casual, low-stakes matches among a mix of skill levels can help new and intermediate players learn about the pluses and minuses of the decks they’ve built, giving them a chance to improve and setting themselves up to play in an actual Pokémon TCG tournament when they’re ready to try one.
- Tournament Time
If you have a full evening to devote to your Pokémon TCG party, a tournament is the ultimate event. The tournament option works best for advanced Trainers, especially using the BYOD party method mentioned earlier in this article. But if you’re an adventurous beginner hosting similar guests, it can be fun to break out the Pokémon TCG Battle Academy boards and decks and just go for it. Either way, it’ll be fun.
To host a proper Pokémon TCG tournament, set up a bracket and let your guests unleash their best against one another. To add some stakes to the fun, reward the winner with a prize. An Elite Trainer Box is perfect for this. There are plenty of cool ones, but we’re partial to the Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet-Stellar Crown Pokémon Center Elite Trainer Box ($59.99). Prizes aside, if you and your guests enjoy this Pokémon TCG tournament, look into joining a local Pokémon TCG League too.
Wind Down With a Watch
Whether you go for the trading, testing, or tournament options at your Pokémon TCG party, you can wind the night down by watching an episode from a Pokémon animated series. Complex likes the recently launched Pokémon Horizons: The Series, which follows dual protagonists Liko and Roy and their respective partner Pokémon Sprigatito and Fuecoco, on new adventures across the Pokémon world. Enjoy!