Bengaluru’s pop culture just got a quirky upgrade. A locally themed trading card game (TCG), featuring everything from auto annas to filter coffee, has suddenly become the city’s newest online fascination after content creator Caleb Friesen shared a video of enthusiasts playing the prototype.
Posting on X with the caption, “Bengaluru officially has its own TCG. Launching early 2026,” Caleb is seen playing the game with a group of hobbyists. The deck features hyper-local references turned into collectible cards: Blossoms Book House, filter coffee, landlord uncle, auto anna, Swiggy rider, and other Bengaluru icons.
Caleb clarifies in the video that he is not involved in designing the cards. Instead, he introduces Ayush Mayank as the creator and notes that the game is still under development, with sales expected to begin only in January 2026.
Online reactions
{{/usCountry}}Caleb clarifies in the video that he is not involved in designing the cards. Instead, he introduces Ayush Mayank as the creator and notes that the game is still under development, with sales expected to begin only in January 2026.
Online reactions
{{/usCountry}}The video sparked immediate curiosity, and some playful criticism, from X users.
One user remarked, “Going by the cards, this is a Bangalore very few Bangaloreans will recognize.”
Caleb replied encouragingly, saying the creator is open to feedback, “I think he's very open to recommendations, Padmaja. Please help him make it more authentic! I will pass on any ideas you can share.”
Another user asked about the gameplay rules. Caleb explained, “Similar to Gwent but with two rows instead of three. The goal is to end the round with the most points, but you have to win 2/3 rounds so you don’t want to use all of your good cards in the first round. A card’s base power score is shown in the top left corner.” And, as always with trading cards, someone joked, “Time to start a grading company.”
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