Recently, the halls of Saint Louis High School have been filled with talk of a trending mobile game known as Clash Royal. The popular game was released March 2, 2016. In the game, players are given the opportunity to build a deck of eight cards, with each card containing its own unique ability.
The real-time strategy game allows players to use their own decks to attack opponents towers, and defend their own. Since its release, Clash Royale has reached an all time high of 49.4 million players in September of 2025.
So, what has caused the sudden return of the game’s popularity? Though the credit goes to many content creators for bringing the game back into the spotlight, it also carries an addictive aspect that draws players back in for more. Xander Brock stated, “I long for the grind. Every time I load into a match, it’s like an addictive rush that flows through my bloodstream.”
The game gives players an opportunity to face other players in real time and see if their deck has what it takes to secure the victory. These players meet in something called an arena, which helps the game keep its matchmaking skill-based. Arenas are unlocked as the players level up to ensure that no player is put in an unfair battle. Throughout these arenas, players unlock cards, which help them expand their deck. In total, there are 121 cards. Laythan Haworth stated, “My favorite card is probably Mini Pekka. It carried me through a lot of low-level arenas.”
The unique aspects each card has gives players the opportunity to build his or her very own unique deck. However, players must take into consideration the cost of having nice cards like the “Mini Pekka” The creators included a key component that forces players to use strategy, known as “Elixir” This is a resource players use in order to play their cards during battle. The “Elixir” regenerates over time with a max of 10 during the battle. Each card has its own elixir cost varying based on the card. This scheme forces players to use strategy, and choose which card will benefit them the most in certain situations. Not only does the game have many different aspects of gameplay to it, it also offers a variety of game modes. Drew Challender stated, “My favorite game mode is classic. It has been around for years and it still never gets old.” It is clear that Clash Royale is grabbing the attention of many students at SLHS. Whether it is playing with friends, or randoms, it is definitely creating some ruckus.
