Bidmeadman's Besties: July

The Duke (Catalyst Game Labs) is a 2-player strategy game with a feudal theme and a timeless, classic feel.

The game is played on a 6x6 square grid, with each player having a set of double-sided wooden Troop tiles. The Troop tiles each display an abstract pattern indicating its move set.

Both players start the game with the same three tiles; one Duke and two Footmen. These are placed on the board, and then on a turn a player can either draw a new tile randomly from their bag and place it adjacent to their Duke, or move one of their tiles already on the board according to that tile's move set.

After a tile is moved it is flipped over. As mentioned before each tile is double-sided, and the two sides have slightly varied move sets. This means a tile's movement changes back and forth between two configurations with each placement.

When a Troop tile moves in to a space occupied by an enemy Troop that Troop is captured and is removed from play. The game is won as soon as a player captures the opponent's Duke.

There is a good variety of movement between the pieces. Some can simply move a few squares in a direction, some can jump over other pieces, some can slide across the board however many squares the player wishes in one direction, some can strike other pieces without moving, some can move other pieces. Often a piece can do a number of these things.

It's an abstract strategy game that feels like it's been around for centuries. An understandably common comparison is Chess. The difference in The Duke is that you can't plan too far in advance as the tiles are drawn randomly, so you have to think on your feet and adjust your strategy according to what you draw and what it adds to your tiles already in play. This is one of the reasons I am so fond of The Duke. I'm not very good at Chess as I'm not good at coming up with long term strategies, but each game of The Duke is different due to each sequence of tiles in each game being different.

The rulebook lists variations of play/alternative objectives you can try once familiar with the basic game. There are capture the flag type games you can play using the Flag tiles included in the game. There are games that pit one particular Troop against several other Troops. There are games that require you to win by earning points through specific objectives.

There are also enhanced tiles that can be included in the basic game rules to add variety and extra strategy. The Dragon for instance is a neutral tile that attacks Troops if they come within range of it. One of its sides is vulnerable however, and although it can't be captured, attacking it makes it more aggressive and lash out. So the right positioning and timing can be used to a player's advantage to create problems for the opponent.


The basic rules on their own bring plenty of replayability, but the inclusion of the other variations of play and bonus tiles means The Duke will be back on the table again and again.

They even include a couple of blank tiles and sheets of customisation stickers so you can create your own Troops.

The Duke is a fantastic game; the tile drawing fills each game with anticipation; the multiple move sets and variety of movement makes each game unique, varied and exciting. Each game is often quite short - usually around 20-30 minutes, depending on a player's analysis paralysis. Although never feeling too short, it always makes you want to try again and see which tiles show up next. This also makes it a good warm-up game or a game to play while waiting for your group to arrive.

The Duke is a modern game with a timeless feel that more than earns its place among the Besties. It's length and accessibility make it an easy choice when looking for a solid two player game, and you'll probably be playing the basic game for ages before you even think about including things like the Dragon or the Mountain. And then there's the alternate objectives/variations of play to explore. And the customizable tiles! There's plenty to explore and experiment with, but at the heart of The Duke there is a solid, fun, satisfying strategy game that feels familiar yet unique.

Do you have an opinion on The Duke? Do you know of any other abstract strategy games I should check out? Let me know here or on Twitter.