This underrated Steam free game is perfect for TCG sceptics

I love trading card games, but there’s no denying that it’s an expensive hobby to get into. Pokémon, Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh! are the big three, all of which have thousands of cards to collect, trade, and play with.

Out of all three, I’ve had a preference for Yu-Gi-Oh! mostly from watching the anime as a child. The only problem is the game has changed so much since it first debuted, and like many, I don’t have the time or patience to drop money on a modern deck and learn how it works. Fortunately, there’s a solution that’s free-to-play on Steam right now, Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel.

Take a look at the trailer for Master Duel below

Master Duel is one of the most comprehensive Yu-Gi-Oh! games I’ve played for a while, and the mobile game Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links is a lot of fun too. It’s a watered down version of the game that’s great for casuals but doesn’t give you the full experience. It’s great to start with, but after you’ve played it for a while, Master Duel should be your next step.

You can also play Master Duel on Xbox and PlayStation platforms for free as well, but it’s easier on PC since you can use a mouse.

So why play Master Duel if you want to get into the Yu-Gi-Oh! TCG? For starters, it’s far more affordable… There are microtransactions in the form of new packs but they’re entirely optional; you can acquire plenty of cards from playing the game. It’s just a slower overall process. That said, all the cards are sold how they would be in real life, including structure decks. These are pre-made decks that are ready to play as soon as you have one, though you can mix the cards into a deck of your own making if you prefer.

I’ve had great success in the game through the Cybernetic Successor structure deck, and while there are definitely better decks out there, there have been very few times where I’ve felt outmatched in an online game. Grabbing a few of these structure decks with the in-game currency you get for just playing and you should be all-set, though there’s, of course, the option to acquire in-game currency through your own spending, only if you want to.

Konami

Another positive, and this is something I’ve come to seriously value after dealing with my collection of physical Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, is the amount of space you can save. Despite being thin pieces of cardboard, get too many and IRL cards start to really take up room, especially if you want to keep your rarer cards in pristine condition. You don’t have that problem with the video games, and it’s way easier to organise and find cards in your collection through the menus rather than physically searching your real-life decks for what you’re looking for.

Last but not least, the number one reason why I’d recommend giving Master Duel a try if you’re looking to get into the TCG scene is that there are far more players. Real-life games can be great, and playing online does remove the social side of duels that you’d get by going to a card shop or event, but it’s so much easier. It also makes it easier to learn the game, as if your opponent plays a card you don’t recognise, you can check what it is and what it does without interrupting their flow. Get a friend who plays Yu-Gi-Oh! and you’re even better off as you can use your own rules, like only using OG cards.

Konami

Whether you’re serious about playing Yu-Gi-Oh! or just fancy picking up a new casual hobby, Master Duel is a more than suitable place to start, as there’s nothing worse than dropping hard-earned cash on a new hobby only to realise it’s not for you. While it does rely on microtransactions to keep itself going, Master Duel is still a high-quality game, and the fact you can play it for free on Steam, Xbox or PlayStation is fantastic.

Even if you just play a few games and decide it’s best to uninstall, it’s worth a try as one of the most accessible ways to play Yu-Gi-Oh! on the market right now.