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Duel Masters

Review · Strategy · PlayStation 2

Duel Masters

Reviewed: 01 May 2026

PlayStation 2

High Voltage Software · 2004

Ludograph rating

A

Recommended

69 /100

Automated review

Duel Masters is a card-strategy game that builds problem solving and critical thinking through strategic deck building and combat.

06010030Benefit →Low risk →B 54 · R 6
The Ludograph reading, plotted from the published benefit and risk sub-scores.

Growth (BDS)

54

Risk (RIS)

6

Daily limit

120min

Age guidance

7+

Developmental benefits

B1Cognitive
0.80
B2Social-emotional
0.23
B3Motor
0.35

Duel Masters: Cobalt offers significant cognitive benefits through strategic deck building, critical thinking during combat, and memory retention of card abilities. It also fosters positive social interaction through local multiplayer duels with friends.

Design risks

R1Compulsion-loop pressure
0.07
R2Monetization
0.00
R3Social risk
0.11

Risks are minimal, primarily limited to the competitive aspect of dueling, which could lead to minor social comparison or competitive toxicity in some players. There are no significant compulsion-loop design, monetization, or content risks.

Content (not in risk score)

R4.1Violence Level
0.00
R4.2Sexual Content
0.00
R4.3Language
0.00
R4.4Substance References
0.00
R4.5Fear / Horror
0.00

Content risk is displayed separately and does not affect the time recommendation.

Regulatory design checks · DSA — Assessed: meets criteria·GDPR-K — Assessed: meets criteria·ODDS — Assessed: meets criteria

  • DSA:What Ludograph checks: whether the game's design gives minors the transparency the EU Digital Services Act expects: plain terms, honest defaults, and clear reporting routes.: Estimated from review data. No dark pattern or child-targeting concerns found.
  • GDPR-K:What Ludograph checks: whether age assurance and consent flows are designed for under-16s, in the spirit of GDPR Article 8.: Estimated from review data. No privacy or child-targeting concerns found.
  • ODDS:What Ludograph checks: whether paid random-reward drop rates are disclosed, as required in China, Japan and South Korea.: Estimated from review data. No paid random-reward mechanics found, so drop-rate disclosure requirements do not apply.

These reflect Ludograph's assessment of the game's design practices against each framework's criteria, not a legal compliance determination.

ReviewedMay 2026Report a data error →How scores are calculated →

Parents ask…

Is Duel Masters safe for kids?

Ludograph gives Duel Masters a rating of 69/100, recommended for ages 7 and up. It scores well on developmental benefits with manageable risks.

What age is Duel Masters appropriate for?

Ludograph's rubric recommends a minimum age of 7+ for Duel Masters, based on benefits, risks, and content review. That is stricter than ESRB E, because our assessment weighs behavioral design risks, not just content.

How long should kids play Duel Masters?

Our session recommendation for Duel Masters is up to 120 minutes per day. It is derived from the game's own structure (natural stopping points, compulsion-loop design, monetization pressure, and social dynamics), not from a universal screen-time dose.

Session recommendations are design-based heuristics. Evidence linking specific daily durations to child outcomes is limited, and context matters as much as time; treat this as a starting point for household rules, not a clinical threshold.

What are the main risks of Duel Masters?

Risks are minimal, primarily limited to the competitive aspect of dueling, which could lead to minor social comparison or competitive toxicity in some players. There are no significant compulsion-loop design, monetization, or content risks.