Development Journey

At the beginning of 2022, Yu-Gi-Oh Master Duel launched their game worldwide prompting a new wave of interest amongst TCG players and the rest who were introduced most likely through the TV anime adaptation. Many people took up the game as it was now easily accessible to the average player.

According to data taken from steamcharts.com (30.11.2025), by the end of the first month of release the game had lost nearly 50% of the player base. Although the reasons for loss is not precisely documented, I had a similar experience myself which prompted the idea for this redesign.

My initial plan for this project was to create a new design layout for the classic  Yu-Gi-Oh! Cards in a way that is easily digestible and reduces confusion for players during gameplay. 

I chose to use Figma for my design process, as it is an industry standard tool for creating and prototyping interfaces. It allows creators to freely share projects, assets and documentation in a community, something that greatly helped me when beginning the project.

My early production phase was heavily research-based, as I wanted to find any reoccurring information in my chosen deck of meta cards. When reading through the descriptions of cards, I noted that limits to skill use and immunity of the card to certain effects were a common theme.

Using this information, I designed icons to simply show these on the cards. Once a player is introduced to a set group of repeating icons, it helps to speed up gameplay as individuals gain experience and understanding.

(Above) Icons replacing common text

(Left) Research of repeating text

Both made in Figma

Some problems I encountered during the production of my project included a disconnect between play testing and project base. When brainstorming ways to reduce text and clear clutter on cards, an easy way to change these were to create various states for the cards.

For example, if a card is special summoned during a match, it would have a special marker and only shows relevant skills on the card. This would simplify gameplay by removing the need for players to remember certain qualities for gameplay.

Final Prototype Variables, Made in Figma

After consulting with my tutor, it was decided that having two redesigned decks would be a great way to play test and understand the impact of the changes to gameplay. Although I was able to create the cards as part of my project, due to external circumstances I could not get any physical play testing done for this project.

Instead, I have relied on visual presentation with play testers and discussed plans for accessibility for all. With a mix of experienced and new players, I was able to get a variety of data and suggestions to tweak my design.

An example of feedback received 28.11.2025

Reflection