TCG Card Shop Simulator is a massive hit because it taps into that primal urge to rip open packs and organize shelves. It's addictive. But after forty hours of stocking the same basic shelves and watching the same character models shuffle through your door, you start to want more. You want custom cards. You want faster stocking. You basically want the game to respect your time a little more. Knowing how to mod TCG Card Shop Simulator is the difference between a grindy chore and a streamlined retail empire.
Most people dive into the Steam Workshop expecting a one-click solution, but this game isn't quite there yet. You have to get your hands a little dirty with BepInEx and Nexus Mods. Honestly, it’s not as scary as it sounds. If you can move a folder from one spot to another, you’re already halfway to having a shop that runs itself.
Getting the Foundation Right: BepInEx is Mandatory
Before you even think about downloading that cool "Destiny" or "Pokémon" card replacement mod, you need the engine that makes mods run. This is called BepInEx. Without it, your game is just a closed box. You're trying to inject code into a Unity game, and BepInEx is the needle.
Go to GitHub or Nexus Mods and find the BepInEx 5.x version specifically for 64-bit Windows. You'll download a zip file. Open your Steam library, right-click TCG Card Shop Simulator, go to "Manage," and then "Browse local files." This is your game's root directory. You just drag everything from that BepInEx zip right into that folder.
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Run the game once. Nothing will look different. But behind the scenes, BepInEx is creating a "plugins" folder. That's your new best friend. If you don't see that folder after running the game, something went wrong. Usually, it's because you put the files in a subfolder instead of the main directory. Check again. It’s a common mistake.
The Most Helpful Mods You Actually Need
Let's talk about the "Quality of Life" stuff. Sure, custom cards are cool, but have you ever tried to set prices for 200 different individual cards manually? It’s a nightmare. It's the worst part of the game.
Auto Price Updater is the first thing you should install. It pulls real-time data from the in-game market and adjusts your prices based on a margin you set. You can set it to "Market + 10%" and never touch a price tag again. This single mod saves hours. Literally.
Then there’s the Fast Stocking mod. Look, I love the immersion of carrying boxes, but when your shop gets huge, it’s impossible to keep up. Some mods let you click a shelf to instantly pull from your storage racks. It feels like cheating because, well, it kind of is. But it makes the "Simulator" part of the game actually playable in the late game.
Another big one is Custom Texture Loader. This is the gateway drug for people who want to see Charizard or Blue-Eyes White Dragon in their shop instead of the legally distinct "Tetramon" creatures.
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Why Texture Mods Are Tricky
Textures aren't like logic mods. They don't just "run." You usually have to replace specific .png files within a folder structure. If you want to know how to mod TCG Card Shop Simulator for visual flair, you have to be comfortable with file paths.
Most texture packs come with a folder named CustomData. You drop this into your main game directory. If the modder did their job, the game will see those images and wrap them onto the 3D models of the card packs and boxes. If you see pink textures or white boxes, the game can't find the image. Double-check that your folder names match exactly what the mod page says.
Dealing with Game Updates and Broken Mods
The developer, OPNeon Games, is incredibly active. This is great for the game, but terrible for mods. Every time a new patch drops, there is a 90% chance your mods will break.
When the game crashes on startup after an update, don't panic. It's usually just BepInEx or one specific plugin being outdated. The first step is to move your plugins folder to your desktop and try to launch. If it works, you know it's a mod issue.
Wait 24 to 48 hours. Modders are fast. Check the "Posts" tab on Nexus Mods for the specific mod. Usually, someone has already posted a fix or a link to a "forked" version that works with the new update. Being a modder in an Early Access game requires a bit of patience.
The Best Places to Find TCG Mods
- Nexus Mods: The gold standard. It’s clean, it’s safe, and the community is active.
- The Official Discord: There’s a "modding" channel where people share experimental builds that haven't made it to Nexus yet.
- GitHub: For the more technical stuff, like the raw BepInEx releases.
Avoid those sketchy "free mod" sites that look like they haven't been updated since 2012. They're usually just reposting Nexus content but with extra malware. Stick to the big names.
Transforming the Experience with Custom Cards
The "Tetramon" designs are fine, but let’s be real. Most of us want to run a Pokémon shop. To do this, you need the Card-Designer mod or similar. This allows the game to pull external images and assign them to specific card IDs.
You can find pre-made "Full Conversion" packs. These change the playmat, the card backs, the box art, and even the giant posters on the walls. It’s a total overhaul. Suddenly, you aren't playing a generic sim; you're playing the Pokémon shop simulator of your dreams.
Just keep in mind that these high-res texture packs can eat up your VRAM. If you're playing on a laptop or an older GPU, your framerate might tank when you open a pack with 4K textures. Aim for the 2K packs if you want to keep the game smooth.
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The Risks: What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest mistake is forgetting to backup your save file. TCG Card Shop Simulator saves are located in your AppData\LocalLow\OPNeonGames folder. Copy that folder before you install a single mod.
If a mod corrupts your save—which happens if a mod adds an item that the vanilla game doesn't recognize—you could lose everything. I've seen people lose 100+ hours of progress because they tried to install a "Infinite Money" mod that broke their save state.
Also, don't over-mod. It's tempting to install 50 different plugins, but they often conflict. Start with BepInEx, add a price updater, and then maybe one texture mod. See how it runs. If it's stable, add more. If you dump everything in at once and the game won't start, you'll have no idea which file is the culprit.
Actionable Next Steps for a Modded Shop
Start by downloading BepInEx 5 and getting it installed. That is your non-negotiable first step. Once you've confirmed the game launches with BepInEx, go straight for the Auto Price Updater. It is the single most important tool for enjoying the mid-to-late game.
After that, look into the Custom Texture Loader if you want the visual overhaul. Always read the "Requirements" section on a mod's page. Often, a mod will require another mod to function, like "Configuration Manager," which lets you change mod settings while the game is actually running by pressing F1.
Once you have your core set of tools, create a shortcut to your game's plugins folder on your desktop. You'll be visiting it often to clear out old versions or tweak settings files. Keeping your mod directory organized is the only way to stay sane when the game eventually updates and things go sideways. Check for updates on Nexus at least once a week to ensure your pricing data and logic fixes are current.