Core rules in five minutes

You deploy Pals, pay costs, attack, and manage a small hand. The official rulebook is the authority; this is the mental model that makes it click.

Updated for the current Palworld patch

Key takeaways

The board

Pal cards occupy positions on the field. Position and how many Pals you can support each turn shape almost every decision.

Deploying and activating cards has a cost. Curving out — spending your capacity efficiently every turn — beats holding a perfect hand.

Attacks resolve against the opposing board and player. Trading favourably on board is usually better than racing face first.

Support cards modify your Pals or the field. Soul cards and counters add reactive plays that punish overcommitting.

Games end when a player can no longer hold the board or absorb damage. Tempo, not card advantage alone, is the primary axis.

Official sources

Publisher of the Palworld card game.