The Trading Card Game
The Touring Band Simulator TCG
Build your band, book the tour, and outlast everyone else. 5 shows. Every card matters. Only one band makes it out on top.
The basics
Each game is a 5-show tour. Build your band, manage your money, and come out ahead when the last show ends.
Assemble 1–6 Band Member cards. Pick your genre, name your band, and build a 60-card Show Deck with exactly 10 of each card type. Start with $100 in your band fund and a Morale score equal to your number of members.
Players alternate who flips a Venue and Crowd card — their effects apply to all bands at the table. Then each band plays the top 3 Show Deck cards. Smaller bands get bonus card plays: one extra per member under 6, with the option to ignore one extra card's effect.
Merch sales are calculated from your total Performance + Charisma scores, then modified by card and venue effects. Collect your Venue payout too. If total earnings fall under $100, flip a coin per member — tails gives that member +1 Fatigue, reducing their Performance by 1.
After 5 shows, multiply your final Morale score by your total Charisma score. That's your Hype Bonus — add it to your band fund. Highest total wins. Watch out: −$1,000 debt, zero members, or Morale below 0 removes you from the tour early.
Your arsenal
Nine card types. Each one changes how a show plays out — for better or worse.
Your performers. Every decision starts here — their Performance, Charisma, and Skills define what your band can do.
Sets the stage for the show. Modifies payout, rules, and risks — and it affects every band at the table.
Affects merch sales, activates genre synergies, and can swing momentum in your favor — or someone else's.
Attach to band members to boost performance. But gear can be damaged, lost, or stolen during a rough show.
Band traits that give you a leg up — a tight live set, a strong social following, a knack for self-promotion.
Wild cards. A viral moment, a surprise sponsorship, something you couldn't plan for. Unpredictable but powerful.
Things go wrong on tour. Real, unfortunate show-night disasters that force you to adapt fast.
Modify payout, crowd dynamics, and show structure. A good promoter can make a bad venue survivable.
Off-stage issues that follow band members through the tour. Ignore them and they compound.
Your sound
Your genre isn't just flavor — it synergizes with Venue, Crowd, and Show cards throughout the tour. Choose strategically.
Designer's note: diversifying across genre synergies is a strong competitive strategy.
What's in the box
The starter set is balanced for out-of-the-box play. No deck building required — just open it up and hit the road.
Get the starter setLog every show, watch your band fund grow, and calculate your Hype Bonus at the end.
Open band tracker