There’s a new obsession sweeping through the halls at Derby High School, capturing large numbers of students in a short period of time– Clash Royale.

Clash Royale is a fast-paced strategy game where players collect cards, build decks and face off in real-time matches. Each match lasts only a few minutes, but for many students, it’s become a daily ritual.

“I play a lot during the passing period and in the halls,” sophomore Logan Vigil said. “It’s fun to play with my friends.”

The game, developed by Supercell, combines the addictive card-collecting aspect of games like Pokémon with the head-to-head capabilities of high strategy games like chess. Players can send out troops like knights, archers and princes to destroy their opponent’s towers before the timer runs out.

“It’s honestly my favorite mobile game,” sophomore Asher Turner said. “But it’s crazy that there are people who are so distracted that they’re playing in the halls during passing periods.” 

There are different types of players when it comes to Clash Royale. For some people, like junior Ethan Kessler, it’s just a casual mobile game that is played for fun.

“I have like 6,000 trophies,” Kessler said. “I just play for fun sometimes in class and at home.”

For others, money is on the line. There are cards, emotes and other advantages that you can pay for on the app to make yourself better or to make the game overall more enjoyable.

“I have over 15,000 trophies and I’ve spent over $40 on the game,” junior Reed Parkhurst said. “I use it on the Pass Royale … it’s a monthly fee.”

The game’s popularity has only gotten bigger, and it doesn’t seem like that uphill climb is going to stop anytime soon. 

“I’ve been playing (Clash Royale) for over nine years now, since elementary school. I think that it’s gotten huge since a bunch of streamers have started posting about it on YouTube,” Parkhurst said.