Clash Royale is a popular mobile game that students play, it is #1 in the strategy category on the Apple App Store and has over fifty two million active monthly players as of September, according to ActivePlayer.io.
Clash Royale was released in 2016 by Supercell, who also created Clash of Clans. In the game, players battle with decks of eight cards made up of troops, buildings, and spells. The goal of the game is to destroy the opponent’s towers while protecting their own, with matches taking a few minutes. Players also collect trophies, which act as a ranking system. Winning battles gives the player more trophies and moves them into higher arenas, while losing battles can cause them to drop trophies and fall back.
At first glance, it just looks like an online card game where players fight other users in real time, however a lot of San Marin students say it is more than that. They claim that it is about thinking ahead, making decisions, and sometimes working with other people too.
Sophomore Miles Garthwaite has been playing Clash Royale since 2023, and has over 7000 trophies. He believes that the game challenges players to think critically and rewards planning carefully.
“It is not just about winning,”Garthwaite said. “You have to think about your strategy and plan your moves ahead of time or you just lose fast.”
The game has players build decks and manage resources and players have to adjust their strategies depending on who they play against. This makes players think and build strategies while they play.
Sophomore Lucas Wowk has also spent a lot of time in the game and enjoys testing out new strategies during matches. “I try different moves to see what works…it is kind of fun figuring out what is best in the moment and sometimes it changes fast,” Wowk said.
People can work in teams while playing Clash Royale. Players can join clans, chat with other clan members through the clan’s chat, and share strategies.
“Being part of a clan makes it more than just playing alone,” Wowk said. “You get to see how other people think and that helps you get better even if they play differently than you.”
The game also teaches patience and quick decisions. Matches only last a few minutes but every move counts.
“You can’t rush [in the game],” Wowk said. “One wrong move can cost you the match so you have to think fast and keep paying attention.”
Some students say Clash Royale makes them notice small details and also gives them things to discuss outside of matches.
Sophomore Emmet Carey, who has been playing Clash Royale for a while, says the game makes him pay attention to details and think more while playing.
“You pay attention to what your opponent does to respond,” Carey said. “It makes you think while you play instead of just tapping. [Also] It is fun to talk about decks with friends… sometimes I watch how they play and learn new things or get new ideas.”
For a lot of students, Clash Royale is more than a way to pass time, it is a game that teaches strategy, communication, and teamwork. It can be a platform to practice critical thinking and work with other people.
