House of Mouse is Grouse: Disney Lorcana Launching in AU + NZ in 2024

We just flew in from Toy Fair in Melbourne and boy are our arms tired… ok. I had the one chance to make that joke so I did. But I digress, let’s talk about what you REALLY want to talk about… DISNEY LORCANA.

The Disney-themed Trading Card Game from Ravensburger is finally hitting the Australia and New Zealand shores this year! That’s right. We got a little sneak peek presentation by Ravensburger while we were down in Melbourne and we are excited to let you know that Disney Lorcana is releasing in our region with the release of Set 5 in August this year.

Before you get too hyped, let’s answer a few questions…

What is Disney Lorcana?

Disney Lorcana is a trading card game that was released in America and parts of Europe last year with their first set ‘The First chapter’. The game is designed by Ryan Miller and Steve Warner, and features a cool “race to your goal” requirement rather than a combative “defeat your opponent” style of play.

You take on the role of an Imagineer, competing against your opponents to collect a total of 20 lore by penning various Disney characters to life on your pages as glimmers, able to quest for lore, sing songs for effects, or challenge your opponent’s glimmers. Each turn, you're able to add a card from your hand to your ‘Inkwell’ that is used to write the glimmers into existence but they won’t be able to act on the turn you create them as their ink is still drying.

Characters from across the Disney universe are available to play and can be found in various different forms and identities, meaning if you wanted to build a dedicated Aladdin deck, you can.

If you’ve played any form of trading card game, a lot of what Disney Lorcana is putting down will not be new to you. It feels like a cross between Fantasy Flight Games’ Keyforge, and  Wizards of the Coast’s Magic: the Gathering. 

How does Deck-Building work?

The cards in Disney Lorcana fall into one of six different colours: Amber (Yellow), Amethyst (Purple), Emerald (Green), Ruby (Red), Sapphire (Blue), and Steel (Grey). When you build a deck, you select up to two colours, and your deck can include any cards matching that colour.

Also, your deck must have at least 60 cards, and no more than four copies of a single card. This restriction follows the full name of a card though, so you can have four copies of Elsa - Snow Queen in your deck as well as four copies of Elsa - Queen Regent.

Have you played it?

Yes. The other owners and I were able to get our hands on a few starter decks from overseas and it’s certainly a game with some serious strategic potential. I wouldn’t be surprised to find the community splitting into a casual arm and a competitive arm, similar to how Pokemon has become in recent years.

It’s releasing here in Set 5. What about Sets 1 to 4?

It’s a great question and one we brought up with the exclusive supplier and organised play co-ordinator of Disney Lorcana here in Australia and New Zealand when we met with them during Toy Fair. I’m not sure how much I am allowed to say publicly, but I can say that the organised play team have a plan in place and we should be able to share that info in the near future closer to release.

Enough about the game! How can I get my hands on that sweet sweet cardboard?

Ok. Calm down there you ravenous beast of a tcg player. We’ve been told that the overwhelming demand for supply will continue for the first few sets here in Australia while Ravensburger spins up more printing capacity worldwide. We are expecting to offer the Starter Deck products for sale once they release, but will likely have to restrict booster sales to ensure enough product exists to cover any and all events we run for the game here in store.

As always, this is something we’ll get a clearer picture of once we get closer to release.

How much is it going to cost?

We don’t know yet. Again, it’s something we’ll know once we get closer to release so, if you want to be one of the first to know, make sure you join our dedicated Disney Lorcana mailing list at https://www.subscribepage.com/lorcana

Can I have a go at the game?

Soon. Once we have our hands on some starter decks we’re comfortable letting people try out, we’ll announce it on our Facebook Pages (Brisbane City Store and Clayfield Store) or on our community Discord server (which already has a dedicated Lorcana category ready and waiting for you to join).

Where can I find more info?

Firstly, make sure you sign up to our mailing list to get any info about Disney Lorcana as it pertains to our events and products as soon as it becomes available. Next, check out the quickstart rules on the Disney Lorcana website, and finally, you can see a full card gallery of all available cards at lorcania.com.