Beginner’s Guide to Cookie Run TCG – How to Play – Millennium Games

From Mobile Game to Trading Card Game

Cookie Run has charmed millions of fans with its mobile adventures, and now those crunchy, colorful characters are battling it out on the tabletop. The Cookie Run: Braverse Trading Card Game (TCG) transforms GingerBrave, Dark Choco, and Sea Fairy into playable cards with unique powers, letting you build decks, unleash strategies, and collect rare treasures.

Whether you’re new to TCGs or a veteran of Pokémon, Magic, or Lorcana, Cookie Run TCG offers a fresh experience. This guide will walk you through the rules straight from the official “How to Play” video, showing you how to set up, take turns, and win your first match.

Card Types in Cookie Run TCG

There are four main card types in Cookie Run TCG:

Cookie Cards – Your main fighters, placed in the Battle Area. Cookies have HP, attacks, and abilities that shape your strategy.

Item Cards – Tools you can play during your turn to power up your Cookies or swing momentum.

Trap Cards – Special defenses that activate when you’re under attack. Limited but powerful.

Stage Cards – Cards that remain in play, providing ongoing effects each turn once revealed.

These four categories create a balance of offense, defense, and long-term strategy, giving you plenty of options in deck construction and gameplay.

Building a Deck

A deck must contain 60 cards.
You may include up to four copies of a card with the same name, effect, and color.
Decks can include up to 16 Flip Cards, which are hidden in your HP counters and can trigger surprise effects when revealed.

This makes Cookie Run decks both customizable and consistent, allowing players to mix fan-favorite characters with tactical traps and items.

How to Win

The win condition is straightforward but strategic:

When Cookies on the field reach 0 HP, they are moved to the Break Area.
If the total level of Cookies in your opponent’s Break Area reaches 10 or more, you win the game.

This means you don’t just want to KO Cookies—you want to focus on taking down higher-level ones when possible.

Setting Up the Game

Shuffle your deck and place it in the Deck Area.
Decide who goes first with Rock-Paper-Scissors.
The starting player cannot draw or attack on the first turn.
Both players draw six cards for their opening hand.
Choose one Cookie Card from your hand and place it face-down in the Battle Area.
Reveal your starting Cookies at the same time.
For each Cookie, take cards from the top of your deck equal to its HP value and place them face-down beneath it. These form its HP counter.

Now you’re ready to begin!

Turn Structure in Cookie Run TCG

Every turn follows the same phases, giving players a rhythm to follow.

1. Active Phase

All cards in Rest Mode (turned sideways) return to Active Mode (upright).
Cards in Active Mode are ready for use.

2. Draw Phase

Draw two cards from your deck into your hand.
Exception: the starting player skips their first draw phase.

3. Support Phase

Once per turn, you may place one card from your hand into the Support Area.
Support cards can later be turned sideways (Rest Mode) to pay costs.

4. Main Phase

During the Main Phase, you can take several types of actions in any order:

a) Place Cookies & Activate Skills

Play a Cookie from your hand into the Battle Area (up to 2 Cookies).
Assign HP cards from your deck equal to its printed HP.
Activate Cookie skills by paying their costs with Support cards.

b) Activate Items & Traps

Use Item cards on your turn by paying their costs.
Traps can only be used when your opponent attacks. (Limit: one trap per attack.)

c) Play Stage Cards

Reveal a Stage card by paying its cost with Support cards.
Stage cards stay in play and provide effects each turn.

d) Battle

Attack with an Active Cookie against one of your opponent’s Cookies.
To attack, pay the cost shown on your Cookie card using Support cards.
Damage: flip HP cards equal to the damage dealt from beneath the Cookie.
If a Flip Card is revealed, its effect may be activated immediately.
If a Cookie’s HP reaches 0, it is moved to the Break Area.
Important Rule: The starting player cannot attack on their first turn.

5. End Phase

End your turn and pass to your opponent.

What Happens When You Run Out of Cookies?

As soon as your Battle Area is empty, you must immediately reveal a new Cookie from your hand, even if it’s your opponent’s turn.

If you can't, you lose the game.

This keeps the game fast-paced and ensures you’re always on the edge of running out of resources.

Key Mechanics: Rest Mode & Costs

Active Mode (upright): Card is ready to use.
Rest Mode (sideways): Card has been used for an action or as a cost.
Paying Costs: Many effects require flipping Support cards into Rest Mode. For example, “Red 2” means you must rest two red Support cards.

Managing your Support Area effectively is one of the biggest keys to victory.

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting the Support Limit: You can only place one Support card per turn. Don’t waste it!
Neglecting Flip Cards: These surprise effects can turn the tide of battle.
Overcommitting Cookies: Play too many Cookies too quickly, and you’ll run out of hand resources.

Starter Decks: The Best Place to Begin

The Brave Beginnings set introduced four starter decks, each focused on a different playstyle:

GingerBrave Deck – Simple, fast, great for learning.

Dark Choco Deck – Aggressive and hard-hitting.

Sea Fairy Deck – Tricksy and control-oriented.

Pure Vanilla Deck – Healing and defensive play.

Starter decks give you a balanced introduction, and once you understand the flow, you can customize them with booster packs or singles.

Why You Should Give The Cookie Run TCG A Try

Cookie Run TCG is more than just another card game. It captures the energy of the mobile game, combines it with competitive mechanics, and offers a visually stunning collectible experience. Whether you’re collecting, competing, or both, the game has something for you.

At Millennium Games, we’re proud to host Cookie Run events, sell singles, and help new players discover this crispy, crunchy adventure.

Ready to Join the Battle?

Now you know the rules—from deck building to phases, from Cookie knockouts to the Break Area. The only thing left is to play!

Grab a starter deck, join an event, and start your journey in the Cookie Run TCG today.

👉 Shop Cookie Run TCG at Millennium Games

Beginner’s Guide to Cookie Run TCG – How to Play