From an upcoming RPG inspired by Japanese mythology to a booth packed with Palworld trading cards, merchandise, and interactive attractions, Tokyo Game Show 2026 offered plenty to explore. I take a closer look at RYUGU NATION TOTTORI REALM, a fantasy adventure rooted in Tottori’s culture, and Pocketpair’s growing Palworld universe, including the collectibles and experiences that caught my attention at the show.
At Tokyo Game Show 2026, I attended a presentation for RYUGU NATION TOTTORI REALM, an upcoming RPG that draws inspiration from the mythology, history, and culture of Tottori Prefecture.
The developers explained how AI-generated images helped bring their initial ideas for Ryugu-koku, a Japanese-inspired fantasy world, to life. Artists are then developing those concepts further, shaping the characters, landscapes, and atmosphere into a distinctive setting.
The creative team includes Shoji Kawamori, known for the Macross franchise, and Risa Ebata, a character designer for Macross Frontier. The presentation showcased concepts for Tottori Castle and the enormous Tottori Majin, a demon-god statue that the team hopes to bring to life in the game.
By drawing on Tottori’s real history and mythology, the project aims to blend regional culture with larger-than-life fantasy.
One of the game’s most unusual mechanics involves cooking monsters. Defeating enemies isn’t the only step toward becoming stronger. You also have to cook and eat them!
The presentation showed monsters being defeated, turned into ingredients, and prepared as meals. The developers also plan to incorporate Tottori’s food culture, connecting the game’s fantastical creatures with the region’s real cuisine.
It’s an interesting twist on familiar RPG mechanics that could make exploration about more than simply finding the next enemy to defeat.
Beyond its gameplay, RYUGU NATION TOTTORI REALM aims to connect its fantasy setting with real locations in Tottori. The team introduced “Ryugujin,” a concept intended to let people experience the alternate world of Ryugu-koku from the real world, although further details have yet to be revealed.
The idea is intriguing: players could discover a legend, landscape, or local dish in the game and become curious enough to experience its real-world inspiration.
As someone who has played Pokémon GO since launch, I enjoy games that encourage people to leave the house, travel, and discover places they might otherwise overlook. That same connection between gaming and real-world exploration is what makes this concept appealing to me.
Imagine discovering a location through a fantasy adventure and then visiting the place that inspired it. If the developers can bring that idea to life, the experience could extend well beyond the screen.
With a planned Steam release in 2027, there’s still plenty to learn about RYUGU NATION TOTTORI REALM. Its combination of Japanese mythology, monster-cooking mechanics, and regional culture has certainly caught my attention, and I’m interested to see how the project develops.
But this wasn’t the only game that stood out at Tokyo Game Show. Another major attraction took a very different approach to bringing its world to life: Pocketpair’s Palworld.
When Palworld first exploded in popularity, it offered a different take on creature-collecting games. Rather than focusing solely on catching and battling creatures, it combined collecting with base building, crafting, open-world exploration, and combat alongside your Pals.
That blend of survival gameplay and creature collecting helped Palworld establish its own identity. Since its initial release, Pocketpair has continued developing the game while expanding the franchise into merchandise and other experiences.
The game has also faced legal challenges over alleged patent infringement, but the dispute hasn’t stopped Pocketpair from continuing to develop the Palworld universe.
Palworld’s similarities to Pokémon attracted considerable attention, but the legal dispute involves more than creature designs. Nintendo and The Pokémon Company sued Pocketpair in September 2024 over alleged patent infringement.
During the case, Pocketpair changed certain gameplay mechanics, including aspects of how Pals are summoned and how players glide. As of October 2026, the dispute remains an important part of the game’s ongoing story.
Despite the legal uncertainty, Pocketpair has continued expanding the franchise, including its move into trading cards and other collectible merchandise.
One of the things I most wanted to check out at Tokyo Game Show was the Palworld Official Card Game.
With its large roster of creatures, each with its own design and personality, Palworld seems well suited to trading cards. Fans can collect their favorite Pals while discovering new designs through booster packs and starter decks.
The card game launched in Japanese, English, and Simplified Chinese in July 2026. By October, its publisher had announced that worldwide booster pack sales were projected to exceed 11 million by early November.
At TGS, Pocketpair’s booth featured card products in all three languages alongside other merchandise. I managed to get two English starter decks, a promotional card, and some 3D bubble stickers.
The English booster boxes, however, had already sold out by the time I checked back roughly two and a half to three hours after the event opened. The demand was hard to miss.Luckily some TCG stores throughout Japan do offer English boosters at this time.
As a collector, I can understand the appeal. Opening packs, hunting for favorite Pals, and building a collection all offer something for fans beyond the video game itself. Between the reported sales projections and what I witnessed at the show, the card game appears to have made a promising start.
The trading cards were only part of the experience. Pocketpair’s booth featured activities, elaborate displays, and plenty of opportunities for visitors to interact with the world of Palworld.
One of my favorite surprises was getting to ride in little cars featuring Chillet and Cattiva. Visitors could take a short trip around a small course. The ride lasted only a few minutes, but it was an unexpectedly fun way to bring the game’s characters into the real world.
There were also life-size Pal statues, inflatable displays, and numerous photo opportunities. One particularly memorable sight was an ice sculpture of Cattiva. When I saw it toward the end of the day, staff were dismantling it with a chainsaw. It was an unusual behind-the-scenes moment that I wasn’t expecting to witness.
Other attractions included UFO crane games where visitors could try to win prizes and a cage-themed photo opportunity where people could take pictures and receive facial tissues.
Cosplayers portraying Palworld characters added to the atmosphere, making the booth feel like more than a traditional merchandise display.
What impressed me most about Pocketpair’s booth was the variety of things to see and do. Visitors could browse collectibles, try activities, pose for photos, and get a closer look at the characters beyond their appearances in the game.
For me, the combination of trading cards, merchandise, and interactive attractions made Palworld one of the most memorable stops at Tokyo Game Show 2026. I arrived wanting to see what was new and left with cards, collectibles, and plenty of photos and videos.
Pocketpair has built an experience that extends beyond the original game, giving fans additional ways to engage with the franchise. The trading card game is particularly interesting because it opens the door to a different kind of collecting and gameplay.
After seeing the booth firsthand, I’m curious to see how the Palworld universe develops next. Tokyo Game Show offered a glimpse of how a game can grow into something fans can collect, interact with, and experience together, both on and off the screen.
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