Pokémon Duel
Pokémon Duel blends the Pokémon brand with a turn-based board game ruleset built for mobile play. You assemble a squad of six Pokémon figures, maneuver them across a node-based board, and try to slip a single figure into the opponent’s goal before they do the same to you, all while collecting new pieces and upgrading their battle wheels.
  | Publisher: Nintendo Type: Mobile Board Game Release Date: January 24, 2017 Shut Down: October 31, 2019 Pros: +A clever board game spin on the Pokémon license. +Large variety of collectible figures to build teams. +Upgrades that improve wheel consistency (accuracy and damage). Cons: -Frequent technical issues and bugs. -PvP matchmaking could be slow. -Monetization created pay-to-win pressure. |
Pokemon Duel Shut Down on October 31, 2019
Pokémon Duel Overview
Pokémon Duel takes place on Carmonte Island and frames its battles as compact, tactical board matches designed around quick turns and positioning. Before playing, you open Boosters to acquire Pokémon figures and then build a team of six. Matches are 1v1 and played on a map made of connected points, where each move is about controlling lanes, creating blocks, and threatening the goal zone. Victory is simple, get any one of your figures into the enemy goal before they reach yours.
When two opposing Pokémon meet on the same point, combat begins and the game shifts to its signature mechanic, the Data Disk. Each Pokémon has a disk (a wheel) divided into segments representing attacks, effects, or misses. You spin to determine the outcome, which adds a risk-reward layer to otherwise clean board tactics. Strong positioning can force favorable engagements, while careless advances can hand an opponent a decisive spin.
Progression is driven by improving your roster. Figures can be enhanced so their Data Disks become more reliable, lowering the odds of whiffing and raising the chance that your better options land when you need them. Alongside competitive play, the game also offers a PvE story campaign and a Training Center for experimenting with strategies and learning how different pieces interact.
Pokémon Duel Key Features:
- Pokémon in a Board Game – Pokémon is reimagined as a mobile board strategy experience.
- Gotta Collect ‘Em All! – expand your options by collecting figures from Boosters and assembling six-Pokémon teams.
- Spin to Win – every figure uses a Data Disk with moves and outcomes determined by a spin.
- Enhance Pokémon – upgrade and fuse figures to strengthen their Data Disks, improving damage potential and reducing misses.
- PvE and PvP – tackle the campaign and practice modes, or test your squad against other players online.
Pokémon Duel Screenshots
Pokémon Duel Featured Video
Pokémon Duel Review
Pokémon Duel is an interesting case of a familiar IP used in an unfamiliar genre. It is not a traditional Pokémon RPG and it does not try to be, instead it focuses on compact matches where positioning, tempo, and risk management matter as much as the figures you bring. At its best, it feels like a pocket-sized tactics game with a collectible layer, delivering tense endgames where a single clever block or sacrifice opens a path to the goal.
The core loop is immediately understandable. You move one figure per turn along the connected nodes, and because only one Pokémon needs to reach the goal, the board never becomes a pure slugfest. Smart play often looks like controlling choke points, threatening multiple routes, and forcing the opponent to respond. The design encourages proactive play, but also rewards patience, since overextending can allow a counter-run straight into your goal.
Battles are where Duel’s personality really shows. The Data Disk system is effectively a controlled gamble, and it is both the game’s charm and its frustration point. Good players can influence outcomes by choosing engagements wisely, setting up surrounds, and leveraging the right matchups, but spins still introduce variance that can decide critical moments. When it works, the randomness adds drama and makes every confrontation feel like a high-stakes coin flip you intentionally chose to take. When it goes against you, it can feel like the board strategy was undercut by a bad roll at the worst possible time.
Team building sits at the center of long-term play. Collecting figures and refining a six-piece lineup provides a steady sense of progression, and the upgrade system gives you a clear reason to keep engaging with your favorites. Enhancing figures to make their wheels more consistent is especially important because it smooths out the rough edges of RNG, turning “hope it hits” into “it usually hits.” That said, the broader economy and competitive environment could push players toward spending, and the imbalance that can come from that is hard to ignore in a game that thrives on close matches.
Content variety is solid for a mobile title. The PvE campaign and training options give newcomers a place to learn the basics and experiment, while PvP is where the ruleset truly shines. Unfortunately, the experience could be undermined by technical issues and slow matchmaking at times, which is particularly noticeable in a game built around frequent, repeatable matches.
With the shutdown on October 31, 2019, Pokémon Duel is best remembered as a creative, strategy-forward spin-off that tried something different with the Pokémon name. For players who did spend time with it, the combination of board control, collectible team building, and wheel-based battles made it stand out from the usual mobile crowd, even if bugs, queue times, and pay-to-win pressure kept it from reaching its full potential.
Pokémon Duel Links
Pokémon Duel Official Site
Pokémon Duel Google Play
Pokémon Duel iTunes App Store
Pokémon Duel System Requirements
Minimum Requirements:
Operating System: Android 4.1/ iOS 7.0
Pokémon Duel Music & Soundtrack
Coming soon!
Pokémon Duel Additional Information
Developer(s): Nintendo
Publisher(s): Nintendo
Platform(s): iOS, Android
Language(s): English, Japanese
Japanese Android Release Date: April 12, 2016
Japanese iOS Release Date: April 19, 2016
Western Release Date: January 24, 2017
Shut Down: October 31, 2019
Development History / Background:
Pokémon Duel is a free-to-play mobile board game developed and published by the Japan-based Pokémon Company, under the parent company of Nintendo. Originally launched in Japan in April 2016 as Pokémon Comaster, it later released in Western regions in January 2017 under the Pokémon Duel name. Service ended on October 31, 2019, bringing the game’s live features to a close.