How to Play Yu-Gi-Oh! Online

How to play Yu-Gi-Oh! Online

Since its very first release, Yu-Gi-Oh! has not been “just” a trading card game with thousands of beautiful designed cards. In fact, its franchise includes manga, anime-inspired series and, of course, quite a number of video games. Growing up, I loved these last ones in particular as I had to travel quite a bit to reach a game group and play the trading card game in person. I remember playing “Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories” and “Yu-Gi-Oh! The Duelists of the Roses” a lot on our PlayStation consoles just before everything changed in 2005 with the release of “Yu-Gi-Oh online”.

Players had the opportunity to battle each other just by paying a small fee to play and they were also getting one new card for every duel disregarding the outcome. At the time, I thought this was a reasonably fair exchange and I loved been able to play Yu-Gi-Oh! any time against a lot of different opponents.  

“Yu-Gi-Oh online” was in fact the beginning of a new era for everyone that was looking to play our loved TGC. Of course, playing in person was (and still is) more engaging but the platform Konami released allowed a lot of new and experienced players to enjoy the game even more. The community of players had a great part in it as they proved to be very welcoming virtually as they have always been in local group.

Once the original game shut down for good in 2012, Konami brought to us “Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links” in 2017, followed closely by “Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duels” and “Yu-Gi-Oh! Cross Duels” in 2022. The first one is based on the Speed Duel rules and is more anime-inspired while Master Duels is aimed to players who want to experience all the mechanics and complexities that Yu-Gi-Oh! can offer. Cross Duels was designed to allow up to four players to play against each other in different games mode but, unfortunately, closed quite soon in September 2023.

It should also be noted that there are also a few non-official games like “YGOPro - The Dawn of a New Era” or “Yu-Gi-Oh Omega” that are very similar to Master Duels in terms of game design. All these games usually have all the cards unlocked so that players don't need to spend money in virtual boosters to pull the cards they need. This aspect is quite interesting as it also allows players to design and trial new decks easily making the non-official games a good tool even if you usually play in person.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Online Games: Which one to chose and What to expect?

As mentioned above, Konami is currently maintaining two very different on-line games with different designs and learning curves thus it is quite important then to know what to expect from them if you are interested to play Yu-Gi-Oh! Online game. On a positive, all these games can be downloaded for free on multiple platforms and they are not too demanding to run even on mobile devices. Another common aspect of all these games is the presence of micro-transaction to obtain new cards and sets to create your decks. This mechanics is usually referred as “Gatcha” and it may differ slightly across the three titles.

The first game releases recently, Yu Gi Oh! Duel Links, allows players to take the role of their favourite anime character duelling in an anime-inspired virtual world. The anime style is very well rendered by the use of character-specific music, skills and summon animations. The win animations in particular are extremely fun to watch even when you are playing one game after the other. In terms of rule set, the main aspect to note is that Duel Links is based on the Speed Duel rules meaning some of the most powerful cards and combo may not be present. Having only three monster areas instead of the standard five will also affect some of the most competitive decks and should result in quicker and more balanced games.

In terms of accessibility, the simplified rules and the smooth learning curve are very suitable for new or less experienced players that would like to start playing Yu-Gi-Oh! or progressively improve their abilities. The game also is very closely related to the anime and can be pleasant for all the nostalgic players among us.

The second main title, Yu Gi Oh! Master Duels, makes a 180 turn from Duel Links in both the look and the rule set used. Graphically speaking the game is designed to offer a much deeper experience that should be closer to the in-person gaming. The gaming experience also is wider as Master Duels uses the full card library and all the game mechanics. The learning curve of this game is therefore much longer that the one we could have expected for Duel Links although the in-game tutorial does an amazing job in introducing each concept progressively to allow new players to learn at their own pace. In addition, the game provides players with new decks when they complete a session of the tutorial so they can experiment a bit and to get confident with the rules. Last but not least, the system helps players during their duels by reminding the sequence of actions and all available options.

Overall, Master Duels provides a more comprehensive experience as it allows players to engage with Yu-Gi-Oh! in full although it may require more time and efforts to learn all aspect of the game to be crowned the King of Games.

Heart Of The Cards, Guide Me! It's time to duel!

Once you have decided which game suits you better, you will need to start thinking how you can beat your opponents and how to walk your path through the leader boards. In both Duel Links and Master Duel the starting point will be the few cards and decks the game provides to all players but what will be the next steps? Although everyone can of course play the games differently, there are a few good rules I think you should follow, in particular if you are new to Yu-Gi-Oh!

First, remember to play all the tutorial the games offer you. Master Duel in particular will have tons of them that will allow you to get familiar with all the different and complex game mechanics. Moreover, some of these tutorials will grant you some cards or a deck once you complete them to allow your collection to grow consistently. Do not also underestimate the daily/weekly challenges as they are a great source of cards and in-game currency together with providing some nice opportunities for training.

Once your collection start to grow, you will likely need to improve your deck. The only way to increase your collection other than the training/weekly mission is by purchasing the cards in the in-game store. Duel Links and Master Duels have a slightly different mechanics but the base line is the same: the more you play, the more currency you have and the most likely is to get good cards you can use to improve your deck.

Due to the limited format, the best cards to have in your Duel Link decks are the most rare ones as they are statistically stronger. However, do not underestimate the effect of some good Spell cards or Trap cards that can break your opponent strategy and to boost your monsters. Cards that also damage your opponent directly can be quite efficient considering each player only have 4000 Life points.

In Master Duel, on the other hand, making an efficient deck is much more complex as the game features all the mechanics and the thousands of cards of the actual TGC. Although it may seem arduous at the beginning, the game provides you a lot of good mid-range decks to familiarize with the mechanics and then you can use some hints from the community to tailor your decks and make them more competitive. One aspect you should remind is that Master Duel is always “best of one” (you play one game and you either win or lose) while all in person games are “best of three”. This is a huge difference as you may often start second thus you need to ensure your deck will have more board breakers and hand traps you would usually have in standard games.

The other very good rule I learned is to always play through all your games even when you feel you may lose. Not giving up is very important to learn more how the other decks work and to try to get the best out of your cards. There is always a lesson to learn in every game, disregarding the outcome!

Last thoughts: Yu-Gi-Oh! Online Game or In person Duelling?

When I am thinking about Yu-Gi-Oh!, the first things that comes to mind are always the cards, the hours spent preparing my deck and my strategy and of course the tension of playing against an opponent. Shuffling your cards while chatting briefly with your opponent is part of the fun and it can be a cathartic way to prepare for the tense moment to come once the match starts. Playing online can surely replicate most of these aspects although it can not capture all the player to player interactions that are a big part of a Trading card game. For example, you can not try to read your opponent to understand if he is looking to take a risk or if he is bluffing. And you cannot have a laugh with him when the game takes an unexpected direction,

On the other hand, playing in person adds a few more layers of complexity to your games as you have to adhere to a strict etiquette and timing, and sometime you have to sit out a game if there is an odd number of players. You also have to consider the efforts (and money) needed to not only have all the cards you want in your deck but also all the other items you need to play (playmats, sleeves, deck holders etc etc). This is of course part of what makes this hobby a great experience but it is still a considerable investment. The online games, on the contrary, do not require you to invest any money and you can play them when you want and how you want. This flexibility of course comes to the cost of the in-person interaction but it is for sure a good first step for everyone eager to explore the hobby before joining a community and invest in the in person game.

Overall, I think I am not the only one that would like to play Yu-Gi-Oh! as much as I want, as long as I want and every time I want. Unfortunately, life sometime is in the way and you have to make some choices in particular regarding when to play and how much money you can afford to invest in this hobby. Personally, I prefer the in person game and the possibility to admire and collect the art of those beautiful cards but I also play online to get the best of both worlds. In the end why choose when you can just duel more?