One of the best modern board games gets an updated version for two players. How does Splendor Duel stack up against Splendor? Read keithlaw's review. Also: a bonus review of Botanik.
is one of the best new games of the last decade, with a strong balance of strategy and luck, a scant three-page rulebook, and a concept that’s easy even for non-gamers to grasp. It has almost no direct interaction between players, however, and it’s probably better with three or four players than it is with two, although I think it works well at any player count.
In the original game, you could take three tokens of different colors or two of the same, but here, there’s a small board with a spiral track on it that you fill randomly with tokens of all colors, including gold and the new pearl . You may take up to three tokens in a line, including diagonal, except for the gold tokens, which you can still only get by reserving a card.
The second major rule change is that most cards in the game have powers on them that you activate when you buy them. One such power gives you an extra turn to take immediately, another lets you steal a token from your opponent, another gives you a Privilege scroll from the supply or your opponent if the supply is empty, and a fourth lets you take a token from the board that matches the card’s color.
There are just three Privilege scrolls in the game, so there’s a strong incentive to use them when you have them before your opponent gets to steal one. You can use one as a free action to take any token from the board, giving you the chance to get up to four tokens in one turn, or just to grab the one token you need to finish a card.
The Noble tiles from the original game are replaced here with four Royal cards that you acquire by buying cards with crown symbols on them. When you get three crowns, you choose one of the available Royals; when you get to six crowns, you choose another one. They’re worth victory points and three of them have additional powers on them.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Make the Most of Your One-on-One MeetingsFew organizations provide strong guidance or training for managers on meeting individually with their employees, but the author’s research shows that managers who don’t hold these meetings frequently enough or who manage them poorly risk leaving their team members disconnected, both functionally and emotionally. When the meetings are done well, they can make a team’s day-to-day activities more efficient and better, build trust and psychological safety, and improve employees’ experience, motivation, and engagement at work. The author has found that although there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to one-on-ones, they are most successful when the meeting is dominated by topics of importance to the direct report rather than issues that are top of mind for the manager. Managers should focus on making sure the meetings take place, creating space for genuine conversation, asking good questions, offering support, and helping team members get what they need to thrive in both their short-term performance and their long-term growth.
Read more »
Arizona Governor-elect Katie Hobbs talks priorities in one-on-one interviewIt has been weeks since voters cast their ballot in a bitterly contested election, and Katie Hobbs, who is projected to become the first Democrat to be elected as Arizona's governor in years, is talking about her priorities upon taking office, among other issues.
Read more »
One-on-One With Oakland Mayor-Elect Sheng ThaoAfter two weeks of counting, Oakland has a new mayor. Mayor-elect Sheng Thao will be the first Hmong American mayor of a major U.S. city.
Read more »
Woman arrested for burning down boyfriend’s house, sheriff’s office saysPolice in Texas arrested a woman for allegedly burning down her boyfriend's house.
Read more »
Woman arrested for burning down boyfriend’s house, sheriff’s office saysThe 23-year-old allegedly texted her boyfriend while the fire blazed, saying 'I hope your house is okay.'
Read more »
Woman arrested for burning down boyfriend’s house, sheriff’s office saysThe 23-year-old allegedly texted her boyfriend while the fire blazed, saying 'I hope your house is okay.'
Read more »