Godzilla Board Games: trading card game

Godzilla Card Game (Bushiroad): How to Play the Kaiju TCG

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The Godzilla Card Game is a two-player trading card game from Toho, sold by Bushiroad and launched in July 2025. Each player sends a growing monster toward the other side, while battle cards try to slow the opposing monster down.

  • 2025
  • 2 players
  • trading card game
  • Toho and Bushiroad

Grow your monster, block its rival, and race across the board to win.

Godzilla Card Game ratings

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Time to explainabout 20 min
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You don't need to know every film, though knowing which monsters share traits can help you build a deck that replaces its own monster.

The Godzilla Card Game is a two-sided race: your monster advances toward your opponent while your battle cards try to hold theirs back. Each turn has the same four phases, so the steps below follow the order you play them. The broader Godzilla board games page explains how this card game fits alongside the board games.

Each rage point adds 5,000 to threat level, then resets next turn.

Quick guide: one turn of the Godzilla Card Game

Each turn has four phases: start, main, counter and end. You’ll make most of your choices in the main phase, taking actions before the rest of the turn plays out.

A battle card's rank must match the zone your opponent has reached.

  1. Step 1:

    Start phase: Draw cards equal to the rank of your opponent’s monster. Discard your strategy cards from earlier turns, and reset your monster’s rage to 0.

  2. Step 2:

    Main phase: Take actions in any order, or stop whenever you want. Your five options are to play a battle card, activate a strategy card, gain rage, play a monster card or invade.

  3. Step 3:

    Play a battle card: Choose a card from your hand with a rank no higher than the zone number your opponent’s monster has reached, then place it on a zone.

  4. Step 4:

    Activate a strategy card: Its rank must be no higher than your monster’s zone number, and one of your two strategy zones must be free.

  5. Step 5:

    Gain rage: Discard a monster card from your hand to give your monster 1 rage. Each point of rage adds 5,000 to its threat level.

  6. Step 6:

    Play a monster card: If it matches your current monster’s rank and shares one of its traits, it becomes your new monster and gains 1 rage.

  7. 7Step 7:

    Invade: Once per turn, discard a card and advance your monster by the number of zones shown by the discarded card’s invasion number.

  8. 8Step 8:

    Counter phase: Add up your battle cards’ counter power. If the total equals or beats your opponent’s monster threat level, you counter that monster.

  9. 9Step 9:

    End phase: If your monster is in zone 7 or lower, advance it one zone. Then draw until you have 5 cards in hand.

The turn summary skips deck building, the opening setup and how rage affects a monster’s toughness. Those details can decide close games, so here they are in order. If you know the older Bandai release, Godzilla Card Game (Bandai), expect a different set of rules.

How to play the Godzilla Card Game, step by step

Setup

  1. Each player needs a 4-card monster deck, with one monster of each rank from I to IV, plus a main deck of exactly 50 cards.

  2. Build both decks with white cards and cards that include the color of your rank I monster. Across both decks, you can have up to 4 cards with the same card number. Tokens aren’t allowed.

  3. Your main deck can have no more than 10 cards with an invasion icon showing 2.

  4. Show your decks to your opponent. Place the monster deck face down, then shuffle the main deck.

  5. Randomly choose the first player, then each player draws 5 cards.

  6. Put your rank I monster in the invading monster zone, set it to zone 1 and give it 0 rage. Keep rage cards handy to track its rage.

Turn by turn

  • Start phase

    Draw cards equal to your opponent's monster rank. A rank IV monster, for example, lets you draw four. Then discard strategy cards played before this turn and reset your monster's rage to 0.

  • Main phase

    Keep taking actions until you pass. You can play battle cards, activate strategy cards, discard monster cards for rage, play your next monster of the same rank, and invade once. Each action has its own rank or trait limit.

  • Counter phase

    Add the counter power of all your battle cards in play. Monster cards don't count. If the total meets or beats your opponent's monster threat level, you counter it.

  • What happens after a counter

    A countered monster in zone 6, 7 or 8 gets pushed back one zone. Its owner must replace it with the next-rank monster from their monster deck that shares a trait with the old one.

  • End phase

    If your monster is in zone 7 or lower, it advances one zone. Then draw until you have 5 cards.

End of the game and scoring

There are no points. You win by invasion: advance a monster from zone 8 while your opponent has no battle card in their zone 8. You can also win by countering. Each counter moves the loser up one rank, so the fourth counter, or a counter with no matching replacement, ends the game.

Key rules

  • Rage and threat level

    Each rage point adds 5,000 to your monster's threat level. Higher threat makes your monster harder to counter, but rage resets to 0 at the start of your turn.

  • Battle card ranks

    You can play a battle card only if its rank is no higher than the zone your opponent's monster occupies. Stronger blockers unlock as the monster gets closer.

  • Crush and destroy

    If a battle card shares a zone with an invading monster, it is destroyed. Each zone holds just one battle card, so a newly played card destroys the one already there.

  • Monster ranks and traits

    To play a new monster from your hand, it must match your current monster's rank and share a trait. A counter moves you up a rank instead.

Tips for your first game

  • Count your invasion numbers before building. A deck full of 2s can have only 10, so plan the rest around 1s.
  • Keep a few monster cards in hand. They're your only source of rage and your path to the next monster.
  • Hold on to high-rank blockers until your opponent's monster reaches the zones that unlock them.
  • Your monster advances on its own during the end phase, so the game clock keeps ticking even if you never invade.
  • Make sure your rank II to IV monsters share a trait with the one before. If a counter leaves you without a valid replacement, you lose.

Only one battle card fits in a zone. A newer one replaces it.

The rules explain how to play, but not why a Heisei starter deck differs from a Godzilla Minus One deck. Next, we cover who runs the game, which films inspired the cards and how the products have rolled out since 2025. We also point out what the official sources leave unanswered.

Background: the card game and the Godzilla movies behind it

You draw cards equal to your opponent monster's rank.

The game

  • Design and release

    Official materials say Toho plans and releases the game, while Bushiroad sells it. No individual designer is named. The first starter decks and Booster Set #1 appeared on July 5, 2025. Cards measure 63 mm by 88 mm.

  • Tournament pace

    No official source lists a casual play time or age rating. Bushiroad's tournament floor rules recommend 30 minutes per match. That's a guideline for organized play, not an estimate for a game at home.

The film or series it covers

The Godzilla film series, from the 1954 original through Godzilla Minus One, along with animated productions.

Cards feature monsters, weapons and movie posters, making the game a tour of the series rather than a retelling of one film. Products focus on themes such as Godzilla Minus One, the Heisei era, and Shin Godzilla in later boosters.

Scenes and story beats in the game

  • 1

    The Heisei Series starter deck covers seven films, from The Return of Godzilla (1984) to Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995). Godzilla, Mothra and Destoroyah all make the cards.

  • 2

    Booster Set #1, Godzilla vs. Godzilla, features poster art from 1954's Godzilla through Godzilla Minus One.

  • 3

    Booster Set #2 brings in Shin Godzilla and cards from Chibi Godzilla Raids Again.

  • 4

    Booster Set #4, Endless Wars, focuses on Godzilla Final Wars and features poster art from 11 productions, including animated works.

What comes in a Godzilla Card Game starter deck

  • Starter deck: a fixed 60-card deck with 50 main deck cards, 4 monster cards and 6 rage cards
  • A rule sheet and paper playmat
  • One Booster Set #1 card pack in each of the first two starter decks
  • Booster Set #1: 80 base card types plus rage cards, sold in packs

Godzilla Card Game starter decks and booster sets

  • Starter Deck Godzilla Minus One 2025

    A ready-to-play 60-card deck themed on the 2023 film, with a rule sheet, paper playmat and one Booster Set #1 pack.

  • Starter Deck Heisei Series 2025

    A ready-to-play deck featuring seven Heisei-era films, from The Return of Godzilla (1984) to Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995), in the same 60-card format.

  • Booster Set #1: Godzilla vs. Godzilla 2025

    The first booster set has 80 base card types plus rage cards: 30 common, 22 uncommon, 18 rare and 10 super rare. It shipped with randomly inserted autograph cards, limited to 100.

  • Booster Set #2: G: Monsters Raid Again 2025

    Released October 25, 2025, with 84 base card types, including Shin Godzilla and Chibi Godzilla Raids Again cards.

  • Booster Set #3: Resonance of Rivals 2026

    The third booster set, released January 31, 2026.

  • Starter Deck Set 2026

    Two foiled 60-card decks, one Godzilla Minus One and one Heisei Series, with two double-sided rule sheet playmats and no booster pack. It released February 21, 2026.

  • Booster Set #4: Endless Wars 2026

    Listed for May 23, 2026, centered on Godzilla Final Wars with poster art from 11 productions.

Godzilla Card Game FAQ

How do you play the Godzilla Card Game?

Each turn has a start, main, counter and end phase. Play battle cards to block, build rage, replace your monster and invade. You win by advancing past zone 8 or countering a monster that can't be replaced.

How many cards go in a Godzilla Card Game deck?

A deck has a 50-card main deck and a 4-card monster deck, with one monster each of rank I to IV. Starter decks add 6 rage cards, for 60 cards in the box.

What does rage do in the Godzilla Card Game?

Each rage point adds 5,000 to your monster's threat level, making it harder to counter. Gain rage by discarding a monster card or playing a new monster. It resets to 0 at the start of your turn.

What comes in the Godzilla Card Game starter decks?

There are two: Godzilla Minus One and Heisei Series. Each is a fixed 60-card deck with a rule sheet, paper playmat and, in the original releases, one Booster Set #1 pack.

How many players can play the Godzilla Card Game?

Two. The official rules cover only two-player games, and Bushiroad recommends 30 minutes per tournament match.

Can I mix colors in a Godzilla Card Game deck?

Only one color, plus white. Every card must be white or include the color of your rank I monster. You can use up to 4 cards with the same card number.

Each rage point adds 5,000 to threat level, then resets next turn.

A battle card's rank must match the zone your opponent has reached.

Sources

  1. Godzilla Card Game Comprehensive Rules v1.2 (official PDF) en.godzilla-cardgame.com
  2. Godzilla Card Game: Booster Set #1 (official site) en.godzilla-cardgame.com
  3. Bushiroad: Trading Card Games bushiroad.co.jp
  4. Godzilla.com: Godzilla Card Game godzilla.com