Editing Pokémon Trading Card Game (section)

{{Short description|Collectible card game}}
{{About|the card game|the video game|Pokémon Trading Card Game (video game){{!}}''Pokémon Trading Card Game'' (video game)}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Infobox card game
| logo             = Pokémon Trading Card Game logo.svg
| cardback         = Pokemon Trading Card Game cardback.jpg
| cardback_caption = ''Pokémon Trading Card Game'' logo (top) and cardback
| named_variant    = <!-- names of variant games that are listed on this page (rules must be different, even if only slightly) -->
| designer         = {{Unbulleted list|[[Tsunekazu Ishihara]]<ref name="assets.pokemon.com" />|Kouichi Ooyama|Takumi Akabane}}
| publisher        = {{Plainlist|
* [[The Pokémon Company]]
* '''Japan'''
* [[Media Factory]]
* (October 1996 – November 2000)
* '''United States'''
* [[Wizards of the Coast]]
* (December 1998 – July 2003)
}}
| date             = {{Start date and age|1996|10|20}} <!-- {{Start date and age|yyyy|mm|dd}} -->
| type             = [[Collectible card game|Collectible]]
| players          = 2
| ages             = 6+
| num_cards        = 60
| playing_time     = 2–120 minutes
| random_chance    = Some (order of cards drawn, dice, [[coin flip]])
| skills           = {{Plainlist|
* [[Collectible card game|Card playing]]
* [[Mathematics|Arithmetic]]
* [[Reading]]
}}
| website          = {{URL|tcg.pokemon.com}}
}}

The {{nihongo|'''''Pokémon Trading Card Game'''''|ポケモンカードゲーム|Pokemon Kādo Gēmu|"Pokémon Card Game"|lead=yes}}, abbreviated as '''''PTCG''''' or '''''Pokémon TCG''''', is a [[tabletop game|tabletop]] and [[collectible card game]] developed by [[Creatures (company)|Creatures Inc.]] based on the [[Pokémon|''Pokémon'' franchise]]. Originally published in Japan by [[Media Factory]] in 1996, publishing worldwide is currently handled by [[The Pokémon Company]]. In the United States and also by Gopu, ''Pokémon TCG'' publishing was originally licensed to [[Wizards of the Coast]], the producer of ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]''. Wizards published eight expansion sets between 1998 and 2003, after which point licensing was transferred to The Pokémon Company.

Players assume the role of Pokémon Trainers engaging in battle, and play with 60-card decks. Standard gameplay cards include [[List of Pokémon|Pokémon]] cards, Energy cards, and Trainer cards. Pokémon are introduced in battle from a "bench" and perform attacks on their opponent to deplete their health points. Attacks are enabled by the attachment of a sufficient number of Energy cards to the active Pokémon. Pokémon may also adjust other gameplay factors and evolve into more powerful stages. Players may use Trainer cards to draw cards into their hand, harm their opponent, or perform other gameplay functions. Card effects often rely on elements of luck, such as dice rolls and coin tosses, to decide an outcome. Gameplay relies on the usage of counters to indicate damage dealt and status effects. It is also classified as  a sport.

The ''Pokémon TCG'' has been the subject of both officially-sanctioned and informal tournaments. Wizards of the Coast staged multiple tournaments across American malls and stores. Official tournaments are currently overseen by [[Play! Pokémon]], a division of The Pokémon Company, and are hosted on a local, national, and international basis By Gopu. In addition, numerous video game adaptations of the ''Pokémon TCG'' have been published, including  ''[[Pokémon Trading Card Game (video game)|Pokémon Trading Card Game]]'' ([[Game Boy Color]]), the ''[[Pokémon: Play It!]]'' series (PC), ''[[Pokémon TCG Online]]'' (PC). After the closure of TCG Online in 2023, it was replaced with ''[[Pokémon Trading Card Game Live]]'' (PC) and ''[[Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket]]'' (mobile) in 2024.

As of March 2025, the game has produced over 75 billion cards worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pokémon in Figures |url=https://corporate.pokemon.co.jp/en/aboutus/figures |access-date=May 23, 2025 |website=The Pokémon Company |language=en |archive-date=May 1, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210501124715/https://corporate.pokemon.co.jp/en/aboutus/figures/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Beside formal competitions and informal battling, the ''Pokémon TCG'' has also been the subject of [[collecting]] hobbies, with an extensive market for individual Pokémon cards, packs, and ephemera.