Phase 10: Casual Card Game

Phase 10 Review: The Classic Phases Intact, Every Round Metered by Energy

Journey Mode Offline: Remixed Phases, Boss Levels and 5 Energy a Round

Journey is the main mode: a map of chapters against computer opponents, which the store listing says works without internet. Mattel's help center counts 30 levels in the first chapter and 40 in the third, with a Boss level every four. Phases vary by level: a Set of 2, a Run of 3, an Even of 2, an Odd of 2 or three cards of one color. A level runs several rounds, and each round deducts 5 energy when you tap START. Leftover cards cost from 5 points for a 1 to 9 up to 25 for a Wild, and three stars need a point target, not just going out first. Classic Mode keeps the original ten phases, with Ken Johnson, who designed the card game in 1982, as an opponent.

Play with Friends: 4-Digit Rooms, Coin Arena and Teams of Six

Under SOCIAL > Multiplayer, Play with Friends creates a private room with a 4-digit ID for two to four players, and the host can spend coins on longer games with more phases. Coin Arena charges coins to enter higher-stakes games. Teams start with four slots, grow to six through team missions and can post room invites in team chat. All of it needs a stable connection. Mattel's FAQ blames progress rollbacks on unstable networks, device switching and closing the app before a level saves, and suggests turning off any VPN on a connection error. Of the 199 newest English Play reviews, posted September 16 to October 2, 2026, none mentioned connection trouble; complaints centered on bots, spending, ads and energy.

Gems From $1.99, Forced Ads and Paid Black Cards

On the US App Store, gem packs run from 200 gems for $1.99 to 2,000 for $19.99, plus bundles such as the $6.99 Primer Bundle; Google Play lists items from $0.99 to $399.99. Prices vary by region and may change. Gems buy energy, Wild cards, Super Skips that skip every opponent for two turns, Magic Wilds and Round Turners, and the Rewind a Turn offer costs 200 gems. Without Remove Ads, a forced ad can play after START, and Mattel's FAQ warns that closing the app mid-ad cancels the round without refunding its 5 energy. The one-time Remove Ads purchase stops forced ads; optional reward videos for extra black cards and coins remain. No currency can be cashed out.

Mattel's $159 Million Buyout, Tracking Labels and the Bot Complaint

The developer, Mattel Game Studios HK Limited, began as Mattel163, a joint venture with NetEase; in February 2026 Mattel agreed to buy NetEase's 50% stake for $159 million. Apple's privacy label says identifiers and usage data may be used to track you across other companies' apps, and Google Play's Data safety form lists approximate location shared for analytics and purchase history shared for advertising. Guest progress cannot move to a new phone without a linked Facebook, Google Play or Apple account. A frequent claim in recent reviews is that computer opponents draw better hands; Mattel's FAQ says every player gets equal chances at black cards over time. UNO!, from the same studio, offers 2v2 partner matches; Skip-Bo is another of its Mattel card games.