So I started thinking what are actually monsters?
yugioh calls its creatures monsters so do lots of other CCGs.
So what is a monster?

Historically a monster is some freak abomination probably cursed by the gods who creates terror in the local human populations, they are strong and eat humans.

When did it change to WTF it even is in yugioh?

In-universe, it's the modern day interpretation of the original Shadow Games which involve summoning manifestations of the Soul to duel each other in place of the magician/summoner. "Monster" would have been Pegasus's modern day interpretation of the original "Dueling Monster Spirits", probably chosen to be more evocative of the kind of strange and terrifying creatures that exist from this Shadow World populated by both good and evil spirits representing the life energy of everything from the sand to the Pharaoh himself. You could argue that "Summon" would be an appropriate substitute as a noun, but "Monster" was probably chosen to be as obvious as possible that it's not meant to be anymore "real" than the magic spells and traps supposedly being slung around in-game.

>>95908153
However the word monster has many meanings these days some of them harmless others more to the original.

>>95909034
But in the context of the Yugioh game, it's referring to the creatures being used to fight on your behalf.

>>95907961 (OP)
>historically
>gives what is essentially a greek/westoid account
>yugioh, a japanese game
You have to be over 18 to post here.

>>95910137
>>gives what is essentially a greek/westoid account
YES.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nruExeJKmoQ

>>yugioh, a japanese game
COPE

>>95907961 (OP)
Nowhere

>>95907961 (OP)
>>95908153
It's important to remember that in it's earliest form, Yugioh was directly inspired by Magic the Gathering, so Monster is the game's rough equivalent to MtG's "Creature". Kazuki Takahashi liked board games in general, and you can see this early on in Yugioh (And Yugioh Zero) where Yugi overcomes cursed tabletop RPGs, Dungeon Dice Monsters, etc. But just like how the players in MtG are Planeswalkers summoning powerful creatures to the battlefield to aide them, so too are Duelists.

The actual game can play pretty fast and loose with this (And to be fair, so does Magic) but I think the idea of the monsters in a deck being analogous to the Duelist's personality still holds to this day thanks to how Archetypes work.

>>95919673
That is one thing I enjoy about yugioh and the other card games inspired by mtg. They make the idea of being a powerful sorcerer summoning demons and monsters and shit feel cooler than they do in say d&d which tend to make the creature summons feel underwhelming for a while for the sake of balance.