The Persona series has essentially been exclusive to PlayStation platforms since its inception, but Persona 4 Golden is finally making its way to PC via Steam for the first time in the series’ history. There are a few updates to how the gameplay works from vanilla P4, including how Shuffle Time works. Here’s everything you need to know about Shuffle Time in Persona 4 Golden.
Shuffle Time in Persona 4 Golden Explained
Shuffle Time is a mechanic in Persona 4 Golden that gives you little boosts and advantages whenever you’re exploring a dungeon. For instance, you can obtain new Personas this way, as well as money and experience boosts to help speed up your progress a little.
However, it also contains cards that can slow down progress, such as half experience and half money. The good news is that you can usually pick and choose which cards you want, and you can even opt out of Shuffle Time if you don’t want any of them, but there are disadvantages to that as well, which we’ll go into more detail here.
How to Get Shuffle Time
Shuffle Time occurs at the end of a battle, and it can pop up randomly if you end a battle normally, i.e. just killing the last enemy with regular attacks without crits or all-out attacks.
However, if you manage to end a battle with an all-out attack, you’ll always get Shuffle Time. After that, if you manage to get a Full Sweep during Shuffle Time, it has a 100% chance of popping up again at the end of the next battle, regardless of how you end it.
As the name suggests, a Full Sweep requires you to grab all cards in Shuffle Time, including the disadvantage cards. While getting less experience and money can seem like a huge disadvantage, sometimes it’s worth picking those up for the Full Sweep as you can very easily get more advantages in your next round of Shuffle Time.
In addition to that, there are also cards that can change the arcanas of another card. For instance, Priestess and Hierophant can convert and undrawn card into another arcana or Persona, allowing you to avoid that disadvantage altogether. They also allow you to draw more cards, making it easier for you to get the Full Sweep.
In general, any time you can get a Full Sweep, you should go for it. There’s the opportunity to get more money, experience, new Personas, chest keys, and small health and SP recoveries that will help you last longer in dungeons.
All Cards
We’ve listed all possible card types and arcanas available in Shuffle Time down below:
- Fool: +1 Draw, all undrawn cards will be changed.
- Magician: Skill rank up for equipped Persona.
- Priestess: +1 Draw, changes one undrawn card into random arcana card.
- Empress: +1 Draw, removes one undrawn card from selection.
- Emperor: Levels up equipped Persona.
- Hierophant: +1 Draw, converts one undrawn card into a random Persona.
- Lovers: +2 Draw, no items.
- Chariot: Increases Ag of equipped Persona.
- Justice: Increases St of equipped Persona.
- Hermit: Avoid encounters.
- Fortune: Increases Lu of equipped Persona.
- Strength: Increases Ma of equipped Persona.
- Hanged Man: Increases En of equipped Persona.
- Death: Ends Shuffle Time.
- Temperance: Get one chest key.
- Devil: +3 Draw, no experience gained.
- Tower: +3 Draw, no money gained.
- Star: +1 Draw, one drawn card removed.
- Moon: +2 Draw, -50% experience.
- Sun: +2 Draw, -50% money gained.
- Judgment: No effect.
- Aeon: +4 Draw.
- World: No effect.
That’s all you need to know about how Shuffle Time works in Persona 4 Golden. Be sure to search for Twinfinite for more tips and information on the game.
