Here’s what to know about Disney Lorcana, now available in stores

Over the past year or so, you may have heard the phrase “Disney Lorcana” mentioned among gamers, collectors, Disney fans and in the national news. Disney Lorcana is a new trading card game that officially launched Aug. 18, and it’s making headlines for its beautiful design, major collectibility factor and already-skyrocketing demand — not to mention a lawsuit that’s in the works.

Gamers got a preview of Disney Lorcana at Gen Con early in August, with fans waiting in long lines for hours to get a chance to be the first to purchase and play Lorcana. Sellers are already asking for huge amounts to buy sets on eBay, although hopefully prices will even out in a couple of weeks when Lorcana products debut at major retailers.

But what in the world is it, you ask? Here’s an explainer.

Game Overview

Disney Lorcana is a collectible trading card game by Ravensburger intended for two or more players ages 8 and up. The first collection of Disney Lorcana products to be released is called Disney Lorcana: The First Chapter, and it features more than 200 original pieces of Disney art. You might be familiar with other well-known games of the type: Pokémon or Magic: The Gathering.

Set in the mythical realm of Lorcana, players are “Illumineers,” sorcerers who have the power to wield magic ink to summon Disney characters and items known as “glimmers” from “The Great Illuminary,” a collection of all of the Disney songs and stories in existence. With the help of your glimmers, you will race across Lorcana to locate and collect missing “lore” (essentially points). The first player to collect 20 lore wins the game.

Here’s a trailer for the game, released over social media on launch day:

Before a game of Disney Lorcana starts, each player will assemble their own deck of 60 cards, which can have a mix of three types of cards: Characters, Items, and Actions. Characters embark on quests and challenges and have special abilities; Items give you special abilities during the game; and Actions give you one-time advantages then must be discarded.

To build a deck, players can begin with a 60-card, ready-to-play starter deck, or assemble their own by switching out cards in an existing starter deck with cards from other starter and booster sets.

Players will play these cards from their hand and choose whether to “quest” for lore or challenge opponents. A two-person game takes about 20 minutes. For detailed instructions on how to play, visit disneylorcana.com.

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What Products Do I Need to Begin Playing?

At launch, the first wave of Disney Lorcana products available for sale from “Disney Lorcana: The First Chapter” included four types of products: starter and booster packs plus two additional collectible sets.

Each player will need at least a 60-card starter deck to play. Starter decks are $16.99 and also include a lore counter, game tokens, a booster pack and quick start rules. Three different starter sets will be available at launch. New Disney Lorcana sets will be released four times per year.

You can enhance your collection of cards and swap out cards within your starter pack by buying additional booster packs. Booster sets are $5.99 and include 12 randomized game cards, including one foil card and two cards that may be rare, super rare, or legendary.

Two additional add-on sets are for sale as part of the The First Chapter collection. The $29.99 gift set includes two collectible oversized foil cards and two playable foil game cards, plus game tokens and four booster packs. The $49.99 Illumineer’s Trove includes a full-art storage box, two full-art deck boxes, eight booster packs, a premium player’s guide and damage counters.

Please note that with all the demand the game has seen so far, you may have a harder time finding Disney Lorcana products at the manufacturer’s suggested retail price right now. However, as with other collectible card games, the rarest cards will fetch a premium price.

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Where and When Can I Buy Disney Lorcana TCG?

On Aug. 18, Disney Lorcana: The First Chapter became available at local game stores, Disney Store Times Square, Disney Store Oxford Street in London and Disneyland Paris.

Beginning Sept. 1, Disney Lorcana will be sold at Target, Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop, Barnes & Noble, FYE, Hot Topic, shopDisney.com and Disney Store Times Square in the U.S. It’ll be at Toys R Us, Walmart, Mastermind, Indigo and GameStop stores in Canada.

Although fans were expecting to see Disney Lorcana products at Disney World and Disneyland over the weekend, this didn’t actually happen, disappointing some. The official X (formerly Twitter) account notes that it will be available at Disney Parks “coming soon.”

Do I Need The Disney Lorcana Companion App?

An official Disney Lorcana companion app launched on July 25, and while it’s not required to play the game, both new and experienced TCG players will likely find it helpful. Available in the Apple App and Google Play Stores, the app includes a complete card catalog players can use to track their existing collection as well as build a “wish list” cards they hope to acquire.

A deckbuilding feature allows players to assemble and manage a custom deck from their phone, ensuring that it includes the correct mix of cards for gameplay.

The app also includes informational instructions and videos, a lore points counter tool and ongoing news updates.

If you’re ready to jump on the Disney Lorcana bandwagon, now’s the time!