Developed by Heroz and brought to the market by The Pokémon Company, Pokémon Duel was a no-cost digital board game available on Android and iOS. It first appeared in Japan as Pokémon Comaster in April 2016 before making its way to other regions in January 2017. The game’s closure was announced on 26 July 2019, with services ending on 31 October 2019.
The gameplay involved two players, each controlling a team of six Pokémon figures, distinguished by unique “moves” and “abilities.” The goal was to maneuver these figures from their starting “bench” to a designated goal area across the board, simultaneously preventing the opponent from achieving the same. Encounters between adjacent figures led to “battles,” decided by spinning a roulette wheel that randomly selects a move based on the wheel’s segment sizes.
Pokémon Duel’s gameplay mechanics, a mix of strategic planning and randomness, were reminiscent of the Pokémon Trading Figure Game, first released in 2006.
What is interesting was the game was inspired by an actual physical product called the Pokémon Trading Figure Game released in 2006. It was designed by Pokémon USA. It was released in Australia in August 2006, followed by releases in Europe and Southeast Asia later that year and in the United States and Japan in 2007. On June 2, 2009, the Pokémon Trading Figure Game was confirmed to be discontinued.
