Pokémon cards have accompanied generations of fans for years. But how do the iconic cards actually come about? We got a glimpse at “Creatures.”
When you enter the Creatures headquarters in Tokyo, you feel a little like you’ve entered the hallowed Pokémon Halls – and to a certain extent, that’s true. Not only are games, models and animations for Pokémon created here, this is also where the trading card game is created, which has been thrilling children and adults for many years.
With Creatures, the topic of “Pokémon” jumps out at you. The entire entrance area consists of white, bright blank card templates – with a few energy cards hidden in between. There are also huge images of a classic Turtle and Charizard card, as well as the iconic Poké Ball.
Together with a few other media representatives we visited the Creatures headquarters. Here, as part of the Pokémon World Championships in Yokohama in summer 2023, we were able to speak to some people who are directly involved in the creation process of the card game.
How are new sets created? According to director Atsushi Nagashima, Creatures’ goal is to create something “that everyone can enjoy and that only we can create.”
The team starts planning a new set of cards about a year in advance. In a set like this, five departments interlock:
These departments have to mesh perfectly, because Pokémon is a topic for different generations and therefore different age groups: You want to create a game for children that also excites adults. That’s why the goal is to implement a simple game principle, but with a lot of depth.
Collect and play
There are numerous loops and considerations before a set is committed. For example:
The developers emphasize that variation is extremely important, especially when it comes to the images on the cards. Creatures currently works with around 240 illustrators, all of whom bring different styles and ideas. You will receive an initial briefing and will then be asked to develop ideas as freely as possible.
We spoke to, among others, artist Yuka Mori, who makes clay models of Pokémon for her cards and then incorporates them into the card image: “I should bring in my own creativity,” she emphasizes. In a small workshop she demonstrated how this worked and let us as a group try to do the same:
For many of the illustrators, working for Creatures is a long-held dream. Artist “Gidora” also emphasizes: “I am a long-term fan and am living my dream.” He needs about two days for a new illustration.
The large number of illustrators create a wide variety of images.
Here you can see a map by Gidora (left) and a model map by Yuka Mori (right)
And you really shouldn’t underestimate the importance of the pictures – after all, many fans like to collect the cards without even playing the game. Today, collectors sometimes pay huge sums for the rarest cards.
Play 7 hours a day, 4 matches per hour
Unlike a video game, it’s difficult to patch cards once they’ve been released. That’s why the quality control department is extremely important: it is responsible for ensuring that the cards ultimately work in the game and are well balanced.
Kohei Kobayashi (Game Director Development) and Satoru Inoue (Manager Game Design) told us how it works.
They pay particular attention to three things in their job:
In order to test these aspects, the card is placed in various test decks and then put through its paces.
Most recently, Pokémon released the DLC for Crimson & Crimson
More videos
Creatures currently has 18 full-time testers who basically spend all day working on Pokémon. On average, according to the developers, the testers spend around 7 hours a day on testing, sometimes more. They play around 4 matches per hour. In addition to the TCG, other Pokémon products, such as board games, are also tested there.
On top of that, there’s a real treasure hidden in the Creatures offices: a huge cabinet containing copies of pretty much every card that exists in the Pokémon Trading Card Game. But that’s necessary because you ultimately need a lot of resources to test new cards.
The new cards are tested using a wide variety of test decks that simulate different scenarios: New cards are tested with both championship and casual decks. “We don’t want to develop super-Pokémon,” explain Kobayashi and Inoue. Everything should always be as balanced as possible.
However, it’s not that easy: “We spend months with the cards, but still can’t find all the possible combinations. “Sometimes there are surprising developments,” the two explain: “We actually think about Pokémon 24/7.”
How do you become a tester? For many Pokémon card fans, spending the whole day testing is probably a dream job. To become a tester, according to the developers, you need two things above all: passion and knowledge. The latter in particular should not be underestimated, because you should know as many cards and details of the game as possible.
But at least you don’t have to be a proven TCG world champion: new testers are never scouted at championships, according to the developers. They don’t particularly value bringing in game professionals as testers. Instead, regular advertisements are placed online and in magazines that you can easily apply for.
Once you’ve made it to the position, learning doesn’t stop: “You have to keep learning,” they both emphasize. Logical: After all, new cards are constantly being created.
There is always new content in Pokémon GO. Next up is the second part of the Halloween event.