How to get back into Clash Royale
You may have seen a our new Clash Royale guide kicking around on the site lately, and that's because I decided to check back in on the game after years away from it. Turns out, it's still a pretty incredible game, and Supercell has done quite a bit to try and tone down the more frustrating aspects of the game in my time away from it.
As a result, I'm all the way back in on the game and having a blast. If you've been curious about getting back into Clash Royale, or never found the time to get into in the first place, here are some tips to help you get into the game while avoiding some of its more frustrating aspects.
Start now
If you're going to start playing Clash Royale, go ahead and pick it up today. It's good timing! Supercell just wrapped up season 10 for the game and season 11 kicked off this morning.
Seasons were not a thing in this game when it first launched, but just like tons of other live games these days, there are season passes, new content, and even new modes that come with each season update. If you start playing now, you'll have plenty of time to get season rewards and you'll be starting on as close to a level playing field as possible, at least around all of the new content in the game.
Don't start fresh
This is only for folks who played previously: Don't delete your account or try to start over from scratch! Almost all the original cards in the game are still viable in decks, and you don't want to reset your progress on leveling them up.
You may be worried about losing a bunch of matches in ranked by being out of practice, but I didn't find that to be the case when I picked it back up. In fact, I've been shooting up through the arenas since returning. You can also knock off any rust by playing party mode without having the fear of losing your rank.
Turn off notifications
One of the worst aspects of Clash Royale when I was first playing it was the pressure I felt to always be on the progression grind. As soon as I'd get a notification that a chest was open, I'd feel the need to start unlocking another and/or play a new match to fill the empty slot.
To ease myself back into the game, I decided to turn notifications off from the get-go, and it's completely transformed my relationship of the game. Now I just pop into a match or check up on chests when I feel like it. It sounds like a small thing, but it prevents the game from really getting its twisted hooks into you.
Don't join a clan
Similar to the point about notifications, clans--despite their benefits--mostly just exist to pressure you into engaging with the game more often. Don't do this unless you want to go all-in on Clash Royale. It just isn't worth it.
Play party mode
One of the most frustrating things about Clash Royale previously was how you'd always hit a wall in the ranked ladder where players who had obviously paid money to have significantly higher level cards and towers than you could just steamroll you without even much of a fight. To try and get better, you'd have to try to keep playing, but if you rose high enough in ranks, you'd just lose a lot and potentially fall out of the arena you fought so hard to get into.
Thankfully, Clash Royale now has a separate, unranked Party Mode that still rewards you with chests for winning. The benefit of Party Mode as well is it lets you experiment with decks or just have fun with creative modes like 2v2 Battle or Triple Elixr Battle.
Mute emotes
It is one thing to lose to a whale in Clash Royale, but losing to a whale that is constantly emoting makes you want to throw your phone into the street. In my time away from the game, this has gotten worse. There are now custom emotes so people can actually pay money to create their own particular suite of griefing tools.
Turn off emotes. Let people waste their money on crying skeletons that no one will ever see. You'll be happier for it.
Check out our guides
And now for some shameless self-promotion! Check out other Clash Royale guides we've got on the site so you can have a leg up on the competition!