There are three ways of winning in ‘Splendor Duel’: 1) Being the first to 20 points, 2) Gaining 10 points from cards relating to any single type of gem, or 3) Being the first to 10 crowns. A Hidden Gem Designed by Marc André and Bruno Cathala, ‘Splendor Duel’ is a standalone 2-player follow-up to the 2014 award-wining game ‘Splendor’. Croc from Space Cowboys told me that Cathala had reached out to Splendor designer Marc André with an idea for a two-player-only version of the game — which might seem odd given that Splendor already plays fine with two players — but André, perhaps considering the success of 7 Wonders Duel, said sure, let's collaborate. Space Cowboys didn't even know about the project until the designers were mostly done, but I'm sure the publisher didn't object to being delivered a spinoff title to the best-selling game in its catalog. Announced earlier this year, Splendor Duel is one of several two-player variants of popular board games that are set to arrive in the near future. Alongside the recently revealed Wingspan Asia– an expansion that doubles as a board game for two players, that Dicebreaker also managed to play at the Essen Spiel 2022 tabletop gaming convention – Splendor Duel looks to adapt the gameplay of a fairly straightforward title to fit a head-to-head format. Whilst both Wingspan and Splendor support smaller player-counts, their two-player variants provide an experience tailored to the more intimate nature that a one-on-one playthrough provides.

The other big change is that there are now three ways to win. Players win by earning 20 victory points, 10 points within a single color’s column, or by getting 10 “crowns.” Crowns are bonuses on cards (similar to Marvel Splendor‘s tags), and they are now the way to earn the favor of Nobles, which provide victory cards and/or bonus actions. Likewise, many cards now provide bonus actions like taking an extra turn or gaining an extra gem. Most (perhaps all) of these require the precious new pearl resource, but gold tokens (gained only by reserving a card) can be used as pearls, preventing the game state from clogging when pearls are scarce, and likewise increasing the value of reserving cards. In addition, most advertising networks offer you a way to opt out of targeted advertising. If you would like to find out more information, please visit http://www.aboutads.info/choices/or http://www.youronlinechoices.com. Splendor Duel relies on entirely new rules and game contents: a common board, Privilege figurines, and Royal Favor cards, three unique win conditions, and a brand-new resource – the Pearl. Another new addition to the title is cards with multiple characteristic and varied abilities that will trigger additional rounds, bonus tokens, and more. Splendor Duel contains part of the main features of the original Splendors gameplay mechanisms, just made slightly more difficult, slightly more interactive, slightly more tense and a whole lot more mean! There are quite a few differences between Splendor and Splendor Duel, but that's where you come in and find that out all for yourselves!You CAN refill the game board (if there are tokens in the bag) – if you do though, your opponent gets a privilege token. And if there are none left, they can take on of yours! Other fun new features include wild cards, which can be used to represent a gem of the player’s choice (bar pearls), nobles that grant players fun one-time abilities (e.g., stealing a chip from your opponent), and privilege scrolls. What A Privilege Splendor Duel will be previewed at Essen from October 6 th-9 th, 2022. Asmodee will distribute it worldwide in November 2022. For more information and digital assets, please visit https://www.spacecowboys.fr/splendor-duel . If you take 3 tokens of the same colour or 2 pearl tokens, also gain 1 privilege scroll (from the reserve or your opponent if there is none left in reserve!) In ‘ Splendor Duel’, you and your rival go head-to-head in a bejewelling battle to determine, once and for all, who is the most skilled jeweller. Racing against your opponent, you fight to efficiently acquire gems and adorn accessories. You are rewarded for your hard work with points and crowns, both of which help you inch ever closer to claiming victory. However, the gem business is not as easy as it may seem. Tell Me More...

A new gem type that is required in lower quantities for playing some jewel cards. Also, no cards offer permanent pearl bonuses. New Victory Conditions Ooh lots of direct interaction with your opponent that isn’t present in Splendor! We likey! Crowning Glory You are a renowned jeweller, a master of your craft, and unquestionably the finest lapidary in the land… or so you thought, until someone started stealing your business! Your days of monopolising the market are over; you now have a rival, and you are not happy about it. Perhaps you have been complacent and working too slowly? Perhaps you should have branched out and explored the newest corner of the market: pearls? Either way, it is as clear as crystal that you are the superior jeweller (or so you think), and you intend to prove it… Anyone who’s played the original will spend their opening turns of Splendor Duel wondering why on earth the designer felt the need to revisit something that already worked fine in terms of board games for 2 players. By the end of that first game, however, it will be clear that not only does this play a lot more distinctively than its minor rules changes would suggest, but that it’s actually a superior game in almost every regard. Splendor est depuis longtemps connu et reconnu. Bien que très bon dès 2 joueurs, Splendor Duel apporte une nouveauté sans en faire un simple reskin.La sélection des jetons se fait dans une grille, et vous devez les récupérer, en ligne, colonne, ou diagonale, ce qui va complexifier vos choix pour récupérer ce dont vous avez besoin et il faudra regarder comment embêter votre adversaire en essayant de couper les qui intéressent votre adversaire. Splendor Duel is a brand new 2-player game with unique and innovative mechanics, designed by Marc André and Bruno Cathala. Confront your rival guild in a race for victory. Take Gems and Pearl from the common board, and gain royal favors and prestige!

L’interaction est finalement assez présente avec notamment du vol de jetons (plutôt rare, mais existant), qui fera couiner ceux aimant tout faire dans leurs coins. If you’ve played Splendor before, there’s a few similarities in terms of components. But the set up (which is super speedy) will be new. As often happens at conventions, most of the games I played at Gen Con 2022 will be released in the near future, thereby giving me a chance to preview them ahead of time. Les habitués de la 1ere heure ne seront pas perdus avec une base partagée. L’apprentissage se fera vite et ils retrouveront leur marque facilement, ainsi que le matériel de très belle qualité (jetons,…) qui renforce le plaisir ludique ! You may be thinking, "but doesn't Splendor already play pretty well as it is as a two player game?". Well, yes it does. But in Splendor Duel, you have got rules specifically targetted for 2 players, not 3, not 4, just TWO! And if you are looking for a game much like original Splendor that is harder, meaner and better, Splendor Duel may be the answer to all of your board game wishes!You know that tingly feeling when you play a game for the first time, and you want to play it again? Like right now. That was Splendor Duel for us! And I’m hoping this little guide will help you get that feeling too! Setting Up Third, instead of mirroring Splendor's 15-point threshold for bringing about the end of the game, Splendor Duel gives you three victory conditions — 10 points in a single color, 20 points total, or 10 crowns — and as soon as you meet one of them, you win. Splendor Duel‘ is a 30-minute standalone game and has a range of new and exciting features. One of the most notable features is that available gems are placed in a grid and players are only able to take combinations of 1-3 neighbouring gems on any given turn. This limits the range of gems available to players, making it more difficult to fulfil the requirements of item cards. NB: your first Royal card needs 3 crowns but your second will need 6! So get collecting! Winning The Game The two games I enjoyed most (that I can talk about at this time) are Splendor Duel and Sea Salt & Paper. The former game is from Bruno Cathala, Marc André, and Space Cowboys, and the latter from Cathala, Théo Rivière, and Bombyx. Given that I'm also excited about Sobek: 2 Players, a Cathala and Sébastien Pauchon design that Pandasaurus Games had at the show, not to mention Cathala and Rivière's Oh My Brain, now out from 25th Century Games, this event was pretty much a "Cathala Con" for me. For this post, I'll focus solely on the former game.