RULES PREVIEWThe game is in development. Rules tagged Proposed may change.

How to play

Learn in five minutes.
Look up anything.

Play through a turn step by step, meet the four card types, then ask the Codex whenever you are not sure.

I want to…

01 — Your first match

A match in five moves.

Pick a step to see where it happens in the Arena.

  1. Shuffle your 20-card deck and draw five. You always get a Basic Companion. Place it as your Active and put up to three more on your Bench.

    Once per match
  2. Take the top card of your deck into your hand.

    Every turn
  3. Attach this turn’s energy, play Basics to your Bench, evolve, and play Items, a Support or Tools, in any order.

    In any order
  4. Optional. Pay the retreat cost to swap your Active with a Companion from your Bench.

    Once per turn · optional
  5. If your Active has the energy an attack needs, attack. A KO scores the defeated card’s rarity. Attacking ends your turn.

    Ends your turn
Arena
Arena diagram. The highlighted zones are used in step 3 of 5: Prepare.

02 — Card types

Four kinds of card.

Companions fight. Items, Supports and Tools help them. Every type answers the same three questions.

Companion

Your fighters. One Active, up to three on the Bench.

Play
Basics from your hand. Evolutions on top of their Companion.
Limit
1 Active + 3 on the Bench.
After
On a KO it is discarded and your rival scores its rarity.

Item

Quick help: heal, search your deck, ease a retreat.

Play
From your hand. Apply the effect.
Limit
No limit per turn.
After
Discarded.

Support

Your Tamer steps in: draw cards, reorganise your hand.

Play
From your hand. Apply the effect.
Limit
One per turn.
After
Discarded.

Tool

Gear that stays with a Companion.

Play
Attach to one of your Companions.
Limit
One per Companion.
After
Stays when it evolves. Discarded on a KO.

03 — The Codex

Every rule, one search away.

Short answers you can link to. Search from the top of the page or browse by topic.

25 entries
Basics

What is Tamers Online?

A card game where you battle with Companions, evolve them and back them up with Items, Supports and Tools. You decide what to play; your Active Companion does the attacking.

Basics

The Arena, Active and Bench

The Arena is where matches happen. Each player has one Active Companion and a Bench for up to three more. Bench Companions can receive energy and evolve.

RelatedHow do I swap my Active Companion?

Basics

Which elements are there?

Proposed

The first set is planned around five: Water, Fire, Electric, Plant and Earth. How elements beat each other is still being designed.

Your turn

How does a match start?

Shuffle your 20-card deck and draw five, with a Basic Companion guaranteed. Place your Active and up to three on the Bench. A random draw decides who goes first.

Your turn

How does a turn work?

Four moves, in this order:

  1. Draw a card.
  2. Prepare: attach energy, play Companions, evolve and play action cards, in any order.
  3. Retreat your Active if you want to.
  4. Attack or pass. Attacking ends your turn.

RelatedWhere does energy come from?How do I attack?How do I swap my Active Companion?

Your turn

What if my deck runs out?

Proposed

You keep playing without drawing.

Energy

Where does energy come from?

The Energy Zone gives you one energy every turn, except the very first turn of the player who goes first. Attach it to your Active or to a Bench Companion. Energy is not a card and needs no NFT.

RelatedDo I lose energy when I attack?How does energy work in mixed decks?

Energy

Do I lose energy when I attack?

No. Energy stays attached unless the attack says to discard it. It also stays when you evolve or retreat.

Energy

How does energy work in mixed decks?

Proposed

A mixed deck generates energy from the elements chosen when you built it, and you see the next one before it arrives.

Combat

How do I attack?

Your Active Companion needs the energy shown next to the attack. Deal the damage, apply its effects and check for KOs. Attacking ends your turn.

RelatedWhat happens after a KO?

Combat

How do I heal or protect a Companion?

There is no block phase. Items, Supports, Tools and abilities are how you heal or protect.

RelatedItemsTools

Combat

How do I swap my Active Companion?

Retreat: once per turn, pay its retreat cost to swap your Active with one from your Bench. It keeps its damage, remaining energy and Tool. The new Active can attack this turn.

RelatedWhat happens after a KO?

Combat

What happens after a KO?

The defeated Companion, its evolution stack and attached cards go to the discard pile. Your rival scores points for its rarity. You move a new Companion to Active for free.

RelatedHow do I win?

Evolution

How do I evolve a Companion?

Proposed

Play the card that says “Evolves from” on top of that Companion, either Active or on the Bench.

  1. One stage per Companion per turn.
  2. Not on your first turn.
  3. Not on the turn that Companion entered the Arena.

RelatedWhat carries over when I evolve?Basic, Stage 1 and Stage 2

Evolution

What carries over when I evolve?

Damage, energy and its Tool stay. HP, attacks, costs and retreat change to the new card. Old attacks do not stack.

Evolution

Basic, Stage 1 and Stage 2

Basics are played straight from your hand. Stage 1 goes on its Basic, Stage 2 on its Stage 1. Stage and rarity are separate: a Stage 2 can still be Common.

Action cards

Items

Play from your hand, apply the effect, then discard it. No limit per turn.

Action cards

Supports

One per turn. Apply the effect, then discard it. Think of it as your Tamer stepping in.

Action cards

Tools

Attach to one of your Companions, one Tool each. It stays when the Companion evolves and is discarded if it is KO’d.

RelatedWhat carries over when I evolve?

Winning

How do I win?

Proposed

Reach 3 points, or leave your rival with no Companions in the Arena. Each KO scores the defeated card’s rarity: Common 1, Rare 2, Epic 3.

RelatedWhat happens after a KO?Rarity vs Full Art

Decks

What goes in a deck?

Exactly 20 cards with at least one Basic Companion. Include every card your evolutions need. There is no limit on Rares.

RelatedHow many copies of a card can I use?

Decks

How many copies of a card can I use?

Proposed

Up to two copies of the same card. Normal and Full Art editions count together.

Decks

Can I play for free?

Yes. Friendly matches let you use an assigned deck at no cost. Ranked matches need a valid deck of 20 cards you own.

RelatedWhat goes in a deck?Does evolving or discarding burn my NFT?

Collection

Rarity vs Full Art

Rarity (Common, Rare, Epic) sets the frame and the KO points. Full Art only changes the artwork: same card, same rules.

Collection

Does evolving or discarding burn my NFT?

No. Evolving and discarding only happen inside the match. Your cards stay in your collection.