In the early 2000s, Citadels gave you something you didn’t know you needed: the power to get into someone’s mind… sort of… For over 25 years, it has been about building a medieval city of your own and outthinking your opponents. Citadels Duel is a brand-new reimagining of the award-winning game of intrigue and deduction, designed exclusively for head-to-head play.
You compete for control of a living, breathing city. You’ll work to sway the council, build new districts, and utilize unique character powers to stay one step ahead of your opponent. Every ally you recruit is an advantage your opponent can’t use, but every character you leave behind becomes their greatest weapon. Anticipate their moves and act decisively.
Citadels Duel refines the core mechanics of the original game to create a tighter, faster-paced experience where every move matters. Never played Citadels before? Let us quickly run you through how to play the Duel version.
Each round consists of 3 phases. The draft phase where you choose your characters. The resolve phase, where each character card is called out in ascending order and its ability activated. The expansion phase marks the end of the round, during which the player with the most council seats gains 3 gold coins and builds a district. The other player can then gain 2 gold coins or build a district. Players may build a district only if they can afford to.
Once the city’s 4x4 grid is fully built, the game ends. The winner is the player with the highest total points, based on the number of controlled districts, gold coins, and council seats.
Give the tutorial a go before you jump in, but know that In this duel for dominance, there are no alliances to hide behind, and no extra players to absorb the consequences of a misstep. Every action is personal, and every decision can tip the balance of power.
https://boardgamearena.com/gamepanel?game=citadelsduel
Thanks to Bruno Faidutti, Guillaume Montiage, and Manuel Rozoy, the game designers, as well as the Z-Man Games’ crew for letting us add this 2-player gem to our roster. And our gratitude goes to LeSteffen for the BGA port.
This was your Wednesday release.
Two players enter; one city stands. Take care and play fair…
