Tetramon TCG Rules (TCG Card Shop Simulator 1.0)
The playable Tetramon TCG shipped with version 1.0 on 14 September 2026. It is the headline feature of the update and the one thing the older community wikis have no page for.
Quick facts
| Match length | 3 to 5 minutes |
|---|---|
| Opponents | NPC customers only. The developer confirmed in the 1.0 FAQ that there are no multiplayer plans in the near future. |
| Where you play | Any play table with a lone customer already seated |
| How you start one | Walk up and press RMB, or the right face button on a controller |
| Does the shop pause? | No. Customers keep shopping and checking out while you duel. |
| Rulebook | Readable in full at the Workbench |
A turn, step by step
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Choose turn order | You pick whether to go first or second before the opening hand is dealt. |
| 2. Mulligan | You get one look at the opening hand and may throw it back. A hand with no Basic is the main reason to. |
| 3. Place and evolve | Play Basics from hand; stack an evolution on top of its matching Basic on a later turn. Evolving fires the new card's Play Effect and grants its bonus that turn. |
| 4. End turn to attack | Damage resolves on ending the turn, and the interface shows the damage for each element before you commit. |
| 5. Rewards | Beating a customer awards a gift pack. Win rate feeds the TCG Arcade achievement (50 duel wins). |
Things the tutorial does not tell you
- Right-click a card during a match to read its full text — the tooltip is small and this is the only way to see the whole effect.
- The elemental power row is per element, not a single attack value. The strongest number is usually, but not always, the card's own element.
- Play Effects that fire on placement are one-shot: swapping cards in and out is often stronger than leaving a board static.
Why bother duelling at all
Three reasons, in order of how much they matter to the shop. First, gift packs: every win hands you cards you would otherwise have paid for, which feed the binder, the shelves or the Workbench bulk boxes. Second, the play tables are already generating rent whether you sit down or not, so a match costs you nothing but attention. Third, once you host a tournament, entering your own bracket is how you recover the prize pool.
Achievement
| Achievement | Requirement | Share of owners |
|---|---|---|
| TCG Arcade | Win 50 Tetramon duels against customers | 0.1% |
At 0.1% this is currently the rarest achievement in the game — the feature is only days old, so the number says "new", not "hard".
Frequently asked questions
How do you start a card game in TCG Card Shop Simulator?
Approach a play table where one customer is already seated and waiting, then press RMB or the controller right face button. If two customers are already playing each other, you cannot join that table.
Can you play the Tetramon TCG against other players?
No. The developer confirmed in the official 1.0 FAQ that duels are built against NPC opponents only, with no multiplayer planned in the near future.
Does the shop keep running during a match?
Yes. Customers keep browsing, buying and queueing while you duel, which is why matches were designed to run 3 to 5 minutes.
What do you get for winning?
A gift pack of cards. Build 1.02 raised the chance of an Ascension gift pack from duel wins at lower shop levels.
Rules checked: