I feel like I have a connection with Clash Royale that is stronger than most other people. Thus, I hold the game pretty dear to my heart even to this day. With all the recent things that have been going on regarding the game lately, there's been obviously lots of criticism and such. I would like to share my story about how I encountered Clash Royale and how it affected my life for the better.

Warning: this summary will go over some rather heavy topics. If you do not feel comfortable with reading it, please skip ahead until the designated line.

Picture this: 2015. I was just 11 years old, a kid fresh in 6th grade. In terms of grades and academics, everything was as perfect as could be. Every other aspect of my life was sorely lacking, however. With mental disabilities, poor social skills, and physically unattractive looks, I was a prime target for other students to pick on. It was brutal. There was never any reason, except that it was funny to them.

Eventually it got to a point where I felt a lack of purpose in life. I had no friends, no sports, no club activities, no girlfriend, or anything. Even at home, my family was starting to fall apart. I didn't know it at the time, but my parents were starting to yell at each other more frequently. Wherever I was, whether it was at school or home, I could feel the tension in the air. It was around this time that Clash Royale was released, and I picked it up purely because I recognized it from Clash of Clans. Playing the game provided a nice distraction from the calamity and misery that was my middle schooler life.

By 7th grade, my depression was at an all time low and the bullying never stopped. They kept beating the dead horse and I started to seriously think about ending my own life. Yet somehow, coming home from school to play some Clash Royale every day managed to give me just enough encouragement to not give up yet. While it sounds ridiculous to most, Clash Royale was much more than a game to me during this time. It was something to live for. Laugh if you want, but when you're at rock bottom, you got to have at least one thing that you can rely on.

Eventually, it didn't matter how crappy of a day I had at school or if the guys on my hockey team refused to cooperate with me. At least I could come home knowing that my free chests were ready to open.

By 8th grade, my parents split up, and the circumstances of my life were thrown into chaos. I was subjected to sorts of stress that no 13 year old should ever have to endure. Again relying on Clash Royale as a source of distraction/escape from the harsh reality, I managed to make it through a few more years without giving up.

Triggering topics end now.

Currently, I don't rely on Clash Royale as a route of escape anymore. In fact, I am quite content with my life right now. Things have improved a lot since those days.

However, it still does pain me to see the state of the game as it is. To be clear, I'm not asking Clash Royale to be better, as if they owe me a favor. That would be ridiculous. Even so, I'm willing to bet that there is someone out there who is currently struggling in life, and wants something to be happy about in life. Even if it's just one kid, a better Clash Royale could make a world of difference in their life as it did to mine.