Citadels Duel^*

Citadels Duel is a two-player take on the classic Citadels. It mixes bluffing, character drafting and city building into a tight head-to-head duel for ages 14 and up.

What's it about?

You both build one shared city on a 4x4 grid and fight to control its districts. As in the original, you secretly pick characters with special powers each round. The new twist is the council. Council seats act as a second currency and count for points at the end. Guillaume Montiage and Manuel Rozoy designed it, with Z-Man Games and Asmodee handling publishing. A game runs about 30 minutes.

How a round works

1. Draft: Each player gets four of the nine characters. Keep two, pass two, then discard one face down.
2. Resolve: Characters act in order from 1 to 9.
3. Expansion: Whoever holds more council seats gains gold and builds. The other player takes gold or builds.

The game ends the moment all 16 spaces are filled. You score the cost of districts you control, gold sitting on them and your council seats.

Familiar faces

• The Assassin knocks out a character and the Thief steals gold.
• The Warlord and Diplomat seize your opponent's districts.
• The King's Guard protects a district and its neighbours.
• Unique buildings like the Library add special effects.

Conclusion

Citadels Duel keeps the best part of the original: guessing what your rival will do next. The grid adds fresh tactics to every build. Couples and Citadels fans will love it. If you want a big, noisy group game, the original still fits better.