YORKTON – I shuffled my deck of cards with a rather high level of expectation as Trevor and I put 52 Duels on the table for the first time.
52 Duels is a print and play game which can be played solo, but as in any game it’s more fun when you have others at the table too and this one really seems like it is best for two.
The game comes from designers Matthew Dunstan and Rory Muldoon, and publisher Postmark Games.
The printing here is super simple – a few pages of rules, and a game sheet for each player and that’s it. This is a favourite kind of print game – super simple – and once in a common plastic sheet, well protected for long term use.
Then each player needs a standard poker card deck and you are ready to go.
Muldoon said simplicity was a goal from the outset.
“We were trying to achieve a fast paced, simple to play, but deep and variable duelling game, as good as the best ones out on the market, but only needing a character sheet per player and a deck of cards,” he said via email. “Deep, but minimal.”
This one is a fantasy battler which will immediately have anyone familiar with the classic Magic: The Gathering, seeing it as this one’s venerable grandfather.
To be sure 52 Duels is simpler – no multiple boosters to buy to create a competitive deck to start with – but the play is somewhat similar. Players will, in turn, launch attacks, block damage, use items, and level up your hero’s unique skills – the basic version we have has two; a barbarian and a rogue.
Initially the two didn’t seem well balanced, but after a trio of plays their relative strengths became more obvious – the barbarian can hit big to take cards, but the rogue can defend far more easily.
The expectation of a more diverse character pool really intrigues here, and Muldoon said they are coming.
“I love the characters and how different they are,” he said. “For me that is always the most fun thing about duelling games, trying out the different characters and their abilities, and figuring out the best way to use them.
“On launch we will have four characters available, and plan to have a total of 10 available in the first wave of the game over time. The Postmark model means we can always release new content for our games and people who already own it can download the new content completely for free.”
You will also find not all things you can do are worth the effort. Levelling up is generally good in a role playing game. Here the cost is resources made us wonder if it was worth it – or at least there were usually better in-game options.
The card deck is used to do all the cool things in the game, but is also your ‘lifeforce’. When you take damage cards come off your deck. If the deck is gone, so are you – you have lost.
Balancing the need to commit cards to the play mat to do things and the need to have cards in the deck is frankly rather brilliant.
The choices on a turn are varied – although they are reliant on what cards you have in hand (five is normal). You will not always be able to do just what you desire but rare is a turn with no play option – you just need to be adaptive in your strategy.
Muldoon explained this one has its development roots in a ‘sister’ game.
“After the success of 52 Realms: Adventures, our first game that used playing cards, I was inspired to see what other styles of games we could make that used cards as well,” he said.
“The other main game that inspired me was Dice Throne, and the huge amount of variety amongst characters that is all achieved with a minimal amount of components.
“Put the two together and you have 52 Duels!”
It plays out as a great marriage, as 52 Duels is an easy recommend that just might be a top-five two-player game at year end.
