Every few years, there’s a new “Roman Empire,” which according to social media, is something no one can stop talking about. Right now, Clash Royale is having its moment in the limelight.
Clash Royale is a tower defense game that has blown up, becoming the Roman Empire of the video game community. People enjoy the standard gamemode of 1v1, as well as joining clans, participating in clan wars, or even playing 2v2.
“There’s a lot of game modes, so there are endless opportunities,” Jonah Chisholm (9) said.
The players build decks of eight cards that they feel will be the best and most powerful in matches. During a match, the player uses cards from their deck to go up against their opponent’s cards.
“It’s got more strategy to it, with the difference in cards, decks, and how people can counter your decks with certain cards,” Gabriel Short (10) said.
The overall goal of the game is to eliminate the opponent’s two princess towers and one king tower. The two main strategies for achieving this are destroying one princess tower and then playing defence until the time runs out, or destroying all of your opponent’s towers. Destroying the king tower grants you an automatic win. When players win the match, they collect rewards, such as trophies, gold, and crowns.
Trophies are not just something you win; they are a status symbol. The more trophies, the higher your ranking.
“Every game matters because you’ve got to get your trophies. If you lose a game, you lose your trophies,” Colin Ashby (11) said.
How was it that this tower defense game gained such popularity? After all, with there being countless games to choose from, there must be something that makes it different.
One of the main differences stems from the opponents people play against in a match. In other tower defence games, players are pinned against computer-controlled characters. However, Clash Royale does not follow the status quo.
“It’s just different, because some tower defence games are just placed down. You’re not playing against people; you’re just playing against random bots with a health bar,” Short said.
In Clash Royale, people enjoy playing against others. People are unpredictable and imaginative, which creates engaging matches. Thus, this game challenges the brain to think more strategically, which in turn makes the game more interesting and enjoyable for everyone involved.
“You’re playing directly against a person who is trying to actively win,” Cale McClelland (9) said.
Clash Royale’s entertaining gameplay has created a positive community that is not simply limited to the internet, but one that is also present in person as well. Clash Royale brings people together, giving friends something to talk about and bond over.
“If you mention the game in class, someone will join in and talk about it with you,” Ashby said.
Whether it be the opponents you face, or the community that was made, it’s safe to say that through its gameplay, clash royale has taken over the gaming world.
