An epic abstract for 2
We played Orion Duel at #SPIEL23 and liked it so much that we played 2 more matches back-to-back, then went to the store to pick it up 😅 (Matagot also had a cool buy-2-get-3 offer, which is always nice).
Orion Duel is a quick-playing 2p abstract game of tile-laying. The best part is how it has 3 ways to win, and which condition is easier to fulfill changes dynamically during the game. 😁 I also love the look of the game, especially the deluxe version!
So it's all about tile-laying here. On your turn you just put down a tile on the board, and that's it, the other player is up. 🧐 Basically you can put your tile anywhere, except if you want to put it under a galaxy or a blackhole - in that case the color already has to be directly adjacent before placement.
1️⃣ If you connect the matching edges of the map with an unbroken line of your color, you win.
2️⃣ If a contiguous group of your color has 4 galaxies in it, you win.
3️⃣ If your opponent's contiguous group of color has 3 black holes, they lose.
See this is the fun part: ☝️ tiles you can place will have mostly your color, but also one hex of your rival's color, so you can directly influence their board state. But this is a double-edged sword, because unwise tile placements could actually help them too.
In our last game I tried to connect 2 edges of the map, but I realized after a while that I won't be able to make it. As my color was kind of all around the place, I gave up on the 4 galaxies win conditions too and focused on trying to get 3 black holes for the other color. Well, unfortunately I lost 1 turn away from victory, as I didn't spot a winning play of Reni in time, but it's okay - setting up and playing again takes only seconds!
I really like the decision space of this game and how easy it is to start playing. It's fun how you dance around trying to thwart rival plays and looking for opportunities. Chess must be like this for people who like chess. 😅 If you are looking for the next abstract delight, I recommend checking this game out! 🙂
