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Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links Game Cover
59%Game Brain Score
gameplay, graphics
grinding, monetization
59% User Score Based on 1,180 reviews

Platforms

PCTabletAndroidCloudPhoneiPadNVIDIA GeForce NOWMobile PlatformiPhoneWindows
Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links Game Cover

About

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links is a single player and multiplayer role playing game with fantasy and science fiction themes. It was developed by KONAMI and was released on November 16, 2017. It received neutral reviews from players.

"Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links" is a mobile game where players can duel against each other using digital trading cards. The game features easy-to-learn rules and simple controls, making it accessible for beginners. It also offers supporting features such as a beginner's guide and auto-deck building to help new players get started. With over 3 million players who have participated in the past World Championships, players can aim to become the best in the world of "Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links".

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59%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,180 reviews
gameplay39 positive mentions
grinding37 negative mentions

  • The game offers a nostalgic experience for Yu-Gi-Oh fans with great graphics and voice acting.
  • There are frequent events and rewards that allow players to earn gems and cards without spending money.
  • The gameplay is fast-paced and engaging, making it easy to pick up and play.
  • The game suffers from frequent connection issues and crashes, especially during PvP matches.
  • There is a significant pay-to-win aspect, making it difficult for free-to-play players to compete at higher levels.
  • The limited number of monster and spell/trap zones (3 each) restricts deck-building strategies and gameplay depth.
  • gameplay
    94 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is generally praised for its smooth mechanics, engaging strategic battles, and appealing graphics, making it accessible and enjoyable for both new and veteran players. However, many users express frustration with the limitations of monster zones, the prevalence of pay-to-win mechanics, and the simplification of classic elements, which detracts from the overall experience. While the game offers a fun and quick card-playing experience, issues like lag, connection problems, and a reliance on gacha mechanics have led to mixed feelings among players.

    • “The gameplay is phenomenal, but the economy is atrocious.”
    • “Gameplay is smooth, graphics are good, even on low-end mobile devices.”
    • “I just love the gameplay and possibilities of strategies you can have by combining cards when playing Yu-Gi-Oh.”
    • “The core issue is the modern gameplay, which has obliterated the essence of classic Yu-Gi-Oh!.”
    • “The auto-duel mechanic is truly brainless.”
    • “They rushed to catch up to modern mechanics, and it destroyed the game so much beyond repair.”
  • graphics
    59 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their high quality, vibrant animations, and attention to detail, often surpassing those of console versions of Yu-Gi-Oh. Players appreciate the smooth performance even on low-end devices, with many highlighting the engaging visuals during gameplay and special summoning. However, some users express a desire for improvements, such as the option to use original Japanese artwork and a reduction in graphical emphasis to enhance gameplay consistency.

    • “The graphics are phenomenal, the controls are fantastic, and the gameplay is pretty great as well.”
    • “I love this game; the graphics are amazing, even the animations are beautiful.”
    • “The graphics are top-notch, and the game is fun, quick, and very aesthetically pleasing.”
    • “This game should be one star; I only gave it 2 because of the rush duels artwork on the cards.”
    • “Yu-Gi-Oh has missing graphics, glitches like not being able to attack (no cards on field preventing this, it was a glitch), rigged card lineup in that no matter what percentage of my deck is monsters vs spells, I either never draw monsters or never draw spells, and none of the good Yu-Gi-Oh cards are just a few of the many things making this game an unenjoyable experience.”
    • “Too much emphasis is on graphics and voice acting and way too little consistency with the actual card game that so many of us love!”
  • story
    42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with players appreciating the connection to the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise and its characters, but expressing a desire for a more structured story mode and improved mission content. While the game offers engaging missions and events that reflect the series' plot, many users find the current progression system grindy and repetitive, with calls for more diverse gameplay options and better rewards. Overall, the storytelling is enjoyable for fans, but there is a consensus that it could benefit from enhancements to make it more compelling and accessible.

    • “The events, storylines, and character interactions are super fun and engaging.”
    • “It makes you feel as if you're part of the storyline itself and there's always something to do.”
    • “I love it dearly, but more for the story and characters rather than playing the game in real life.”
    • “I'm kinda annoyed that I'm unable to fight the NPC players and basically have to follow the 'storyline'.”
    • “It is still missing some content, like different game modes, or a better 'story mode/missions'.”
    • “There is no story mode.”
  • grinding
    37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that while it can be tedious and time-consuming, it is also manageable and rewarding for those willing to invest the effort. Some players appreciate the free-to-play model that allows for deck building without spending money, though they acknowledge that significant grinding is necessary to obtain desired cards and compete effectively. Overall, while the grind can feel overwhelming at times, especially for latecomers or those with limited time, many still find enjoyment in the process of collecting and building decks.

    • “I quit after more than 500 hours of combined play because I felt like it was a lot of farming for little reward, and I could use my time more meaningfully.”
    • “There is no feasible way to get cards without wasting hundreds of hours grinding, making it unplayable for anyone with a life. If you like this game, touch grass, loser.”
    • “It makes grinding feel unrewarding and pointlessly tedious.”
  • monetization
    35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing it as a "cash grab" due to the prevalence of microtransactions and the grind required to obtain specific cards. While some appreciate the absence of ads and the ability to earn in-game currency, others feel that the system heavily favors paying players, making it difficult for free-to-play users to compete. Additionally, concerns about account security and the loss of progress after in-app purchases have further soured the experience for some players.

    • “There's a perfect balance of being able to earn gems and still having some in-app purchases, and recent bugs have been patched.”
    • “Microtransactions are there, but it's easy to get in-game currency (gems) to pay for decks or packs.”
    • “You can earn everything in-game, and they don't really push their microtransactions upon you.”
    • “Disgusting microtransactions. I started playing in 2017.”
    • “The game has significantly improved some features, but the economy is more of a cash grab these past couple of months.”
    • “It's a cash grab.”
  • stability
    28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game's stability is a significant issue, with users reporting frequent freezes and crashes during both online and offline duels, rendering it nearly unplayable. Many players have experienced persistent freezing mid-match, leading to automatic losses and frustration, despite attempts to troubleshoot by reinstalling the app. Overall, the game is plagued by bugs and glitches that detract from the experience, particularly in competitive modes.

    • “The game constantly freezes during duels, making it nearly unplayable.”
    • “I'm tired of automatically losing online because of crashes and freezes.”
    • “The most common and game ruining flaw is when the game freezes on you, leaving you unable to conduct a move.”
  • music
    9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game has received mixed feedback; while some players praise its quality and integration with gameplay, others have experienced issues such as music disappearing or freezing during interactions. Overall, many users appreciate the soundtrack and voice acting, highlighting it as a strong aspect of the game's immersive experience.

    • “I love Duel Links, the graphics and music, and even voice acting!”
    • “Great soundtrack and game feel.”
    • “An amazing game with beautiful 3D worlds and animations, incredible music, and in-character interactions handled with respect for the original Yu-Gi-Oh!”
    • “The music disappeared from the game as well as the characters' voice lines.”
    • “App starts doing that thing it does where when you touch the screen, it freezes, but the music still plays.”
    • “Can't enjoy other things like music or even social media apps.”
  • optimization
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Overall, user reviews on optimization are mixed; while some praise the game for its smooth performance, efficient resource usage, and quick matchmaking, others criticize the company for failing to address longstanding server errors and performance issues, alongside concerns about monetization practices.

    • “I love this game; it's really enjoyable and runs smoothly.”
    • “The game is extremely well optimized; it doesn't take forever to download, it doesn't take up a lot of memory or battery, the time to match up is always short, and this game has the best deck builder UI on the market.”
    • “The game runs smoothly; the system is stylish.”
    • “A multi-billion dollar company can't fix their years-old server errors and performance issues; the monetization is egregious too.”
    • “The game suffers from severe optimization issues that make it nearly unplayable at times.”
    • “Despite the potential, the lack of optimization leads to frustrating lag and crashes during critical moments.”
  • replayability
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The game offers significant replayability, especially for those familiar with the card game, as it features varied phases and a different field that enhance playability for adults with limited time. Players appreciate the abundance of cards available without additional costs, though some desire more restrictions to encourage strategic deck-building.

    • “Not exactly the same as the card game, the phases differ slightly and the field is different, but it makes it a much more playable game for an adult who's played the card game for years but has very little free time.”
    • “Had a lot of replayability without using your own money, and a lot of cards to get.”
    • “Wish this could be a bit more restricted, so players will have to build their decks by method and strategy and render the game more playable.”
  • humor
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Users find humor in the game's mechanics, particularly the amusing disparities in rank levels and the irony of free-to-play gems being more valuable than paid content. The lighthearted tone is evident in the player's reflections on their experiences with the game's reboot feature and the financial aspects of card acquisition. Overall, the humor adds a playful layer to the competitive nature of the game.

    • “It's funny that free-to-play gems are more valuable than real money.”
    • “I was a fan of TCG games and decided to give this one a try. The first thing I noticed is the reboot feature; it sometimes pops up even with a good internet connection. It's just funny how much the level gap in rank can be, especially when you have extra cards.”
    • “Well, that's funny because all the charges on that account were definitely my money, so no problem verifying it then.”
  • character development
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game is praised for its diversity and the unique abilities assigned to each character, enhancing gameplay and encouraging continuous play. However, some users criticize the single-player experience and the character design in later generations as lacking quality.

    • “Great gameplay and a diversity of cards and character development, along with abilities designated to each, really make this game enjoyable and worth playing continuously.”
    • “No good single player experience, and the character design of later generations is atrocious.”
  • emotional
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional impact of the game is significant enough that some players express a strong aversion to revisiting it, indicating that it may evoke intense feelings or memories that are difficult to confront.

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80h Median play time
80h Average play time
47h Main story
631h Completionist
80-80h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links is a role playing game with fantasy and science fiction themes.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links is available on PC, Phone, iPad, iPhone and others.

The main story can be completed in around 47 hours, while the entire game is estimated to take about 631 hours to finish. On average players spend around 80 hours playing Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links was released on November 16, 2017.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links was developed by KONAMI.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links has received neutral reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its gameplay but disliked it for its grinding.

Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel, Yu-Gi-Oh! Cross Duel, Magic: Puzzle Quest, ONE PIECE TREASURE CRUISE-RPG, Vanguard ZERO and others.