Yugioh Duel Links is a Mobile game on Smartphones. Usually I don’t go in for Mobile games, they often just throw microtransactions at the player and have very little game content as far as I’ve experienced but this one seems different.

This game downsizes Yugioh in a new format. There are plenty of changes from a regular Yugioh game but it sticks to the main format pretty well and includes lots of cards and characters. Each character is given a skill which can be equipped to their decks to effect the duels in their favour. With Yugioh being the thought requiring strategy trading card game that it is it is strange to see it on Mobile.

There is a levelling system both generally to advance the game and per character to create more opportunities for unlocks and variation. More characters are unlocked the further you progress in the actual game but each individual character can advance as long as you play as them. The longer you play, the bigger the game gets which means there’s plenty of fun to be had.

Being a Mobile game, they have to put restrictions in and try to make money somewhere. They limit the player to five basic duels, however they do allow for extra duels against series characters using a boss gate which requires keys to use, these keys are unlocked by duelling so it all cycles around nicely plus this boss gate is tied to your overall game progression. There is also an in-game store for cards which can be used with in-game currency acquired by duelling or by using real world cash which does add a bit of a pay to win aspect and feeds of the greed of players, the game is fairly generous with the in-game currency and the opponents don’t advance quickly enough for you to constantly need new cards. This is a respectable way to do things in my opinion.

Still remembering that this is a Mobile game, it needs to keep players interested so they have events which makes acquiring cards and in-game currency even easier, it is generous handing stuff out. The game has also added characters and mechanics from both the GX and 5Ds series since it launched so content wise it’s fairly big for a free Mobile game.

There’s a nice simple tutorial which means players both new and old can get stuck in with relative ease. They really do open themselves up to anyone who wants to play in this one, allowing you to go both solo PvE or online PvP means that you can have fun alone, with friends or even strangers.

I’m honestly not a fan of Mobile games and I hate touch screens but being able to play my favourite card game without having to be social, anywhere I can get a wifi signal is great. How fair they are with rewards against microtransactions is great. The fact that they realised Yugioh was too big of a game for Mobile and how they downsized it was very clever and leaves it easily playable which is great. Overall, I bet you can guess but I think this game is great for what it is.