If you've been watching Phase Connect streams and heard chat go wild about a card game — or if you're a TCG player who keeps seeing "VTuber TCG" pop up and wants to know whether it's the real deal — you're in exactly the right place. Oshi Push is the officially licensed Phase Connect trading card game, and it is very much the real deal.
This guide covers everything you need to start playing: what the game is, how to win, how turns work, and which cards to buy first. No prior VTuber knowledge required (though it helps if you already know who Pippa is).
What is Oshi Push?
Oshi Push is a competitive trading card game built around VTuber culture. You play as a VTuber — your favorite Phase Connect talent, for example — competing against opponents to grow the biggest online fanbase. In VTuber fan vocabulary, your "oshi" is the creator you support the hardest, and "oshi push" is the act of hyping them up. The game lives up to the name.
The publisher is Japanime Games, known for anime-adjacent tabletop titles. The designer is Justin Gary — the mind behind Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer and SolForge, and a former Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour and World Champion. When Justin Gary designs a card game, mechanics tend to be tight.
The game is officially licensed with Phase Connect, the English-Japanese VTuber agency based in Vancouver. It launched via Kickstarter in May 2024 and raised $503,738 against a $50,000 goal — that's 1,007% funded with 2,101 backers. Set 1 hit retail in summer 2025, and the game has been growing fast ever since.
What you need to play
Oshi Push is a two-player game at its core (there are Battle Royale and 2v2 Collab modes too). Each player builds and brings their own decks:
- 1 Persona card — your VTuber character, played separately from your deck. Think of it like a Commander in Magic: it defines your identity and sits in front of you all game.
- A 40-card main deck — your Content, Action, and Upgrade cards.
- A 5-card Platform deck — the internet platforms (streaming sites, social channels, etc.) you'll fight over.
You'll also need tokens to track Bits (currency) and Popularity on Platforms. Booster boxes come with cardboard Oshi Markers that do the job perfectly — acrylic upgrade sets are sold separately for the premium experience.
The official rules PDF (currently version 0.9) is a free download at oshipush.com/how-to-play/. It's the authoritative reference for any specific rulings.
How you win
The goal is simple to state: be the first player to reach 1,000,000 Subscribers.
You earn Subscribers by capturing Platform cards. Every Platform has a printed Subscriber value — capturing a Streaming platform might be worth 400,000 Subscribers, for example. To capture a Platform, you need to win a certain number of Clashes on it, tracked by a stat called the Popularity Threshold printed on the card. Win enough Clashes on one Platform and it's yours; its Subscriber count gets added to your total.
There's a second way to win (or lose): if your draw deck runs out and you can't draw a card during the Refresh Phase, you lose the game. This "deck-out" condition is a real strategic threat — it rewards careful resource management and opens a secondary path for aggressive control players to end the game.
How a round works
Each round of Oshi Push has three phases. Rounds repeat until someone hits 1,000,000 Subscribers.
Phase 1: Content Phase
This is your main deployment window. Both players secretly choose which of the three active Platforms they want to send their Persona to, then reveal simultaneously. Then, starting with the first player, you alternate taking single actions — one action per player, back and forth — until both players pass in a row.
Actions in this phase include: moving your Persona to a different Platform, playing a Content card on your Persona's Platform (paying its Bit cost), playing an Upgrade card to power up your Persona, playing an Action card for an immediate effect, or using a Discard or Activate effect. You can pass at any time, but if your opponent acts after you pass, you get another chance to respond.
Content cards stick around on Platforms after the round — they keep contributing Influence even in future rounds unless removed.
Phase 2: Platform Phase
Once both players pass consecutively, the Content Phase ends and you resolve the Platforms one by one. The first player chooses which direction to go (left-to-right or right-to-left).
Each Platform gets its own Clash: another alternating back-and-forth, but this time only Action cards, Discard effects, and Activate effects are allowed — no new Content or Upgrades. This is where your action cards become hand traps, letting you swing Influence at the last second after your opponent has committed.
When both players pass on a Platform, you compare total Influence (from Personas, Content cards, and Upgrades at that location). The higher total wins the Clash, gains 1 Popularity on that Platform, and takes any Clash Reward the Platform offers (bonus Bits, card draws, etc.). Ties give nothing to either player.
If your Popularity on a Platform reaches its Threshold, you capture it: take the card, add its Subscribers to your total, and clear all Content cards on it. Any opponent who had Popularity there gets that Popularity count converted back into Bits — a consolation that keeps the game from snowballing too hard.
There's also a mechanic called Domination: if one player has significantly more Content cards on a Platform than the other (the exact threshold is printed on the Platform card), they win that Clash outright regardless of raw Influence. Stack a platform and you can lock opponents out entirely.
Phase 3: Refresh Phase
After all Platforms are resolved, everyone resets:
- Return your Persona (or Upgraded Persona) from any Platform back to your Studio.
- Gain Bits equal to your Persona's (or current Upgrade's) Bit stat — typically 3 Bits at baseline.
- Draw 1 card. If your hand exceeds 7, discard down to 7.
- If you can't draw (empty deck), you lose.
- Pass the First Player token clockwise.
Then repeat from Phase 1.
Key mechanics
Location control (think Marvel Snap): Three Platforms are always active. You can only play Content cards on the Platform your Persona occupies, so positioning your Persona is a constant decision. Reviewers have called Oshi Push "Marvel Snap meets Smash Up as a TCG" — the zone-control tension is real every single round.
Alternating priority: Rather than each player taking a full turn, you alternate single actions. This keeps both players engaged all the time and means even a single Bit of tempo advantage can swing a Clash.
Bits as dual-purpose currency: Bits pay for cards AND serve as the Popularity markers on Platforms. When you lose a Platform you've been building, your Popularity converts to Bits — you don't lose everything, just shift resources. Managing your Bit economy is arguably the most skill-testing part of the game.
Persona as commander: Your Persona defines your deck's color and genre. A deck can only include cards that match your Persona's color OR your Persona's genre type — either works. Pipkin Pippa, for example, is Red/Zatsudan, so her deck can include any Red card plus any Zatsudan card regardless of color. This dual-axis system creates a lot of cross-deck synergy to explore.
Upgrades — evolve mid-game: Upgrade cards transform your Persona into a more powerful version with better stats and new abilities. You can only move up the tiers of your own Persona's line (no switching characters), but a well-timed Upgrade can flip a Clash you were about to lose.
Activate effects: Cards in play can be "tapped" to trigger a special ability once per round. You have to wait until after your opponent's next turn before activating a newly played card — so reading your opponent's response window matters.
Discard effects: Many cards have an alternative cost: discard the card from your hand to get a (usually weaker) effect for free. These are your hand traps and tempo tools — great for moving your Persona to a surprise location mid-Clash.
Card types
- Persona — Your VTuber leader. Played separately (yellow card back), not part of your 40-card deck. Shows color, genre, Influence, and Bit income stat. Cannot be destroyed by opponents in normal play.
- Content — Your primary units on Platforms. Each has an Influence value and a Bit cost; some have Activate or Clash Reward effects. They persist on Platforms between rounds.
- Action — Instant-effect cards, playable in both phases. These are your Clashes tools: removal, Influence swings, disruption, resource generation.
- Upgrade — Evolve your Persona to higher power tiers. Part of your 40-card deck. Each upgrade steps up stats and unlocks new abilities.
- Platform — The battlefields. Blue card back. Shows Subscriber value, Popularity Threshold, and Clash Rewards. Each player builds a 5-card Platform deck with no duplicates.
- Cameo (Set 2 — Hidden Links) — Equipment cards that attach to your Persona. Played face-down for 2 Bits, then flipped to activate their effect. Also have Discard effects for emergency Persona movement during a Clash.
Deck-building basics
Building a deck is straightforward once you know the constraints:
- Main deck: Exactly 40 cards.
- Platform deck: Exactly 5 cards, no duplicates.
- Copies: Maximum 3 copies of any single card.
- Color/genre rule: Every card must match your Persona's color OR your Persona's genre type — either condition qualifies.
- Exclusive cards: Some cards are locked to a specific Persona and can't go elsewhere.
- Upgrade loophole: You can include Upgrade cards for other Personas — but only to use their Discard effects. You can't actually upgrade into a different character.
Your Platform deck is also a strategic decision. Choose Platforms whose Clash Rewards fit your game plan: Bit rewards if you're running an economy build, card draws if you want a combo engine.
Sets released
Beta Pre-Debut Decks (2024–early 2025): Two pre-constructed decks — Pipkin Pippa and Tenma Maemi — released to Kickstarter backers in February 2025. These "Alpha" frame cards are now collector items but are fully competitive-legal. Print-and-Play versions are free at oshipush.com.
Set 1 — Phase Origins (retail June/August 2025): The main retail launch. Seven playable Personas, all from Phase Connect Generation 1: Pipkin Pippa, Tenma Maemi, Rinkou Lia, Fujikura Uruka, Utatane Nasa, Shisui Michiru, and Hakushika Iori. This is the set currently stocked at Crown TCG.
Set 2 — Hidden Links (retail May 22, 2026): Expands beyond Phase Connect to feature independent VTubers, introduces Cameo cards and the new Exhaust mechanic, and adds two new Starter Deck Personas (LinChu and Porcelain Maid). Fully compatible with Set 1 decks.
Set 3: Already announced, with a sneak peek planned at Gen Con. The game's release cadence is healthy for a newer TCG.
5 beginner tips
- Start with Starter Decks. The Pipkin Pippa and Tenma Maemi Starter Decks are ready to play out of the box and represent two very different archetypes. Playing them against each other is the fastest way to internalize the rules before you start building custom decks.
- Learn your Persona's plan. Each Persona has a mechanical identity. Pippa gains extra Bits from Clash wins — she rewards aggressive Platform-hopping. Nasa gets bonus Influence when she has zero Bits — spend everything, every turn, on purpose. Tenma is a flexible midrange/control powerhouse with strong card draw. Know what your character wants to do.
- Manage your Bit economy obsessively. As one experienced player puts it, "one single Bit can completely ruin players and swing the tempo around in Oshi Push." Being one Bit short when it matters is how you lose Clashes you should have won. Track your income, plan your spend, and don't overcommit.
- Save Action cards for the Clash. Action cards can be played in both phases, but their real power is as Clash hand traps in the Platform Phase — played after your opponent has committed, swinging Influence at the last moment. Don't burn them all in the Content Phase.
- Pick your battles. Three Platforms is a lot to contest every round. Trying to fight for all three simultaneously spreads your resources thin. Identify one or two Platforms that align with your strategy and focus your Influence there — let your opponent "win" the third if it means you capture the two that matter.
Best first product at Crown TCG
If you're ready to crack packs, the Oshi Push Booster Display is the best product we carry. A display gives you a full box of Phase Origins packs — you'll pull Persona cards, Platform cards, Content and Action cards across all seven Gen 1 Personas, plus the cardboard Oshi Markers and First Player token you need to actually play. It's also the most efficient way to start assembling decks for multiple characters if you want to experiment.
For the absolute easiest learn-to-play experience, two Starter Decks (Pippa + Tenma, $18 each) is the recommended starting point — they're pre-built and ready to battle right out of the box. We don't currently stock Starter Decks on the shelf, but reach out and ask us about ordering them — we're happy to help source them for you.
Browse our full Oshi Push selection at Crown TCG's Oshi Push collection.
Where to learn more
The official oshipush.com how-to-play page links directly to the rules PDF — download it and keep it handy for your first few games. The card gallery is great for deck-building research.
For video guides, Bagel's Binder's 7-minute how-to-play is the fastest, most beginner-friendly walkthrough available. If you want the deep dive, Lord Maulington's 40-minute full guide covers every phase plus individual deck breakdowns for Tenma, Nasa, Uruka, and Pippa.
Want to play online before committing to physical cards? Carde.io hosts the official online play client with a built-in card gallery and deck builder. Tabletop Simulator mods are also available if you already own TTS.
The organized play program (Oshi Play) runs at major conventions — PAX East, Anime Expo, Gen Con, and more — so if you want to compete, the community infrastructure is already there.
Oshi Push hits a genuinely interesting design space: tight location control, constant interactivity, and a theme that rewards caring about the characters. Whether you're here because you love Phase Connect or because you heard a Justin Gary card game launched and wanted to check it out — this one is worth your time.
Stop by Crown TCG or shop online to pick up your first Booster Display, and don't hesitate to ask us about Starter Decks. We'll see you at 1,000,000 Subscribers.