If you’ve been to a Target, Walmart, or other large store lately, you might have seen some Disney Lorcana card packs next to all the Pokémon and Magic cards. Maybe you’ve thought about playing it, but didn’t know where to start. Well, luckily for you, Lorcana might be the easiest and cheapest card game to get into in 2025.
Since launching in August 2023, Disney Lorcana has quickly become a popular trading card game with multiple expansions, hundreds of cards, and a lively tournament scene. The card game features many famous and obscure Disney characters from movies like Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Snow White, and more. I’ve been playing since last year and have had a great time with it. But I also know that getting into Lorcana can seem overwhelming and confusing at first.
However, there’s actually a really simple, cheap, and easy way to get into Disney’s hit card game. All you need to do is buy the Lorcana Gateway kit. That’s it.
Buy A Lorcana Gateway Kit!
No, seriously, if you and a friend, spouse, or sibling want to start learning and playing Lorcana, just buy the Gateway kit. That’s all you need! This starter kit contains two decks, four booster packs, a playing mat, damage tokens, a handy rule book, and a guide that walks both players through learning Lorcana.
While the retail price of this kit is $25 or more, its regularly marked down for half that or less at places like Walmart and Best Buy. I found a copy at Target recently for $12 and that deal is available online as of this writing. At that price, the Gateway kit is one of the best deals in card games.
Just make sure you buy a Gateway kit specifically, and not a Treasure Trove or Starter Deck box. These can sometimes cost around the same price and offer some of what’s found in the Gateway box, but they aren’t the same.
The Lorcana Gateway kit’s cover has Mickey Mouse, Elsa, Maleficent, and Stitch on the front and features a big gold sticker that says “Learn to Play!” It also says “Gateway” on the bottom of the front of the box. That’s the one you want to buy!
I’ve played a lot of card games, both physical and digital, and learning them can be a hassle. And my wife has far less experience with card games than I do. But in just a few hours, we were both playing the game without looking up rules or making mistakes. And more importantly, we were having fun.
The Gateway kit is the perfect way to learn Lorcana
The key is that Lorcana’s Gateway Kit isn’t just a bunch of cards, but instead a fully developed system that slowly builds up each player’s deck and options over time.
You start with just 30 cards each containing simple, basic characters. You then play a few matches and work together to complete challenges laid out in the guidebook. These tasks are usually simple, but make you engage with the game’s mechanics. So you might have to both play five high-cost cards, or challenge and defeat seven characters, things like that.
Once you’ve completed all the challenges and feel comfortable with the rules and cards so far, you unlock new cards via reward pack boosters. In here you’ll find specific new cards that add a few more rules and options to your deck. Then you complete more challenges and repeat until you’ve unlocked all the rewards. At that point, you’ll each have a full Lorcana deck of over 60 cards and you’ll completely understand how the game works.
This is the best way to learn a card game in my opinion. It’s fun, cooperative, and super effective. And you can reset the Gateway kit using a guide found inside and teach other players using the same box. Nifty!
What to do after you learn Lorcana
Okay, so after learning how to play Lorcana using the Gateway kit, you might want to keep playing and collect more cards. Now what? Personally, I recommend picking up a few starter decks. These contain 60 cards and a booster pack and let you quickly get your hands on a pre-built deck with some solid synergy options.
You can also start buying boosters online or in card shops. I’d avoid some retailers that sell them at full price (or more!) and instead look for places selling these 12-card packs at a discount.
If you do start to buy booster packs and starter decks, you might also want to invest in a few deck boxes, some card sleeves, and something to hold your excess cards in when they aren’t in a deck.
There are official Lorcana-branded products if you want to go that route, but these tend to be a bit pricey. You can also find solid card box options and sleeves on Amazon, for less.
If you have a card shop near you, they probably sell all of this stuff and you can help out a local business. They might also have weekly tournaments and Lorcana events where you can trade cards, play against other people, and learn more about the game. Just remember to have fun and don’t spend more than you can afford.
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