- Designer: Manny Vega
- Artist: Sandra Tang
- Publisher: Cardboard Alchemy
- Players: 2 Players
- Playtime: 30 minutes
- Ages: 10+
After enjoying the original version of Flamecraft for the last few years, I was excited for the announcement that there was to be a Flamecraft Dual! I backed it pretty quickly, after being so pleased with the quality and care of the original, I was looking forward to the duel version! One of the most interesting things about the game at first is that the game box doubles as the game board. What an interesting design! In the instructions there is a standard ruleset, a fancy ruleset and a solo ruleset. For this review, we are doing the standard dual ruleset.
What’s In the Box?
The box is packed full of goodies, which is surprising given its size. Components include:
- The box/game board
- 1 rule book
- 1 Fountain Miniature
- 42 Shop Cards
- 6 Fountain Cards
- 36 Artisan Dragon Tokens (6 of each color)
- 6 Duel Dragon Tokens
- 3 Reference Cards
- 6 Coins
- 1 Dragon Token Bag
- 2 Wooden Card Holders
- 8 Fancy Dragon Cards
- 1 Buddy Token
Setup
To set up Flamecraft Duals, first give each player a Reference Card, 3 coins, and place the game board between both players. Shuffle the deck of Shop Cards and put them face down next to the board. Each player draws 2 Shop Cards from the deck. These are kept secret. Remove the Buddy Token, unless you are playing Fancy Mode. Remove 2 sets of 6 Dragon Tokens (2 of each color) from the Dragon Token Bag. Use one set of 6 to make a random circle of dragons in the center of the board. Keep the other set of 6 to the side, as they may be needed later in the game. The rest of the tokens (24 Dragon Tokens and 6 Dual Dragon Tokens) should be put into the Dragon Token Bag. Mix up the Dragon Token Bag as best you can.
To determine first player for Flamecraft Duals, each player picks a Dragon Token from the Dragon Token Bag. Use the Fire Up Chart on the Reference card to determine which Dragon Token is of higher value. This player goes first. If there is a tie, redraw. Put the Dragon Tokens used to determine the first player back in the Dragon Token Bag.
You are now ready to play Flame Craft Duals!
Related: Flamecraft Review
Objective
The objective of Flamecraft Duals is to earn the most amount of points by the end of the game. To do this, you are looking to match the Dragon Token patterns on the board to the patterns shown on the Shop Cards. The Shop Cards have different values depending on how easy or complicated the pattern. Try and score as many Shop cards as possible! Points are calculated by the Shop Cards. In addition, each player earns 1 point for any unspent Coins at the end of the game.
Gameplay
Game play happens in turns. Each turn consists of 3 phases: Play, Score, and Refresh.
For the Play Phase, players follow 3 steps.
- Step 1: Pull. Dragon token from the bag without looking.
- Step 2: Place your Dragon Token on the game board. You have the choice to place it on an empty space or on top of another Dragon token.
NOTE: A stack may never be more than 3 Dragon Tokens High. - Step 3: If you choose, you may FIRE UP the Dragon Token that was just placed. Each color has a special FIRE UP ability you may use, however; you do not have to FIRE UP if you do not wish.
In the Score phase, players will check to see if any of the Shop Cards in their hand match the patterns on the board. This is the only time a player may score points. You may complete more than one Shop Card on your turn, if able. Players may also choose to Spend A Coin in the Score phase. If a player wishes, they may spend 1 coin to draw 2 additional shop Cards. Players will then keep 2 Shop Cards and return the others to the bottom of the deck pile.
To Refresh, players will draw Shop Cards from the deck until they have a full hand of 2 Shop Cards. If a player already has 2 Shop Cards, they do not Refresh.
The end of the game is triggered in 1 of 2 ways. Either by drawing the last Dragon Token from the bag or by drawing the final shop Card. If a player completes their turn and the bag is empty, they may need to add in the 6 additional Dragon Tokens that were set aside at the beginning of the game. Once this player has completed their turn, the opposing player gets one final opportunity to score and spend a coin. Then you add up the points.
The player with the most points is the winner. If there is a tie, the player with the most Shop Cards completed wins. If there is still a tie, it results in a draw. Both players are winners!
Final Thoughts
I had heard mixed results about Flamecraft Duals before I had played. Some review said it was wonderful and others called it overrated. After playing through Flamecraft Duals, I’ve gotta say, I really enjoyed it. Was it worth all of the hype? I can’t really say, but it is a game I will be returning to. I love a good tile placement game and enjoyed the extra step of firing a dragon’s special ability to manipulate the game board.
If you are looking to compare to the original Flamecraft, you honestly can’t really. Flamecraft is designed for up to 6 players and has multiple win conditions to earn points during and at the end of the game. Flamecraft Duals is made for 2 players and honestly isn’t as complicated. But it’s simplicity is part of the beauty of it. I found Flamecraft Duals to be an excellent 2 player game that will stand out in my collection.
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