Time to Move On: Why These Overdone Trends in Board Games Are Stale and Need to Stop
DUEL The rise of "Duel" versions of popular board games has become an increasingly common, yet tiring trend in the tabletop industry. While it's understandable that some players enjoy having a streamlined, dedicated 2-player version of a game, it feels like this trend has been overdone to the point where it’s more of a money grab than an innovative design choice. Rather than simply offering a set of rules or a variant for two players, companies are releasing entire new versions of games labeled as "Duel." These releases often don’t bring anything particularly new to the table besides a narrower focus on head-to-head gameplay. The result is a market flooded with redundant versions of the same game, contributing to unnecessary consumer fatigue. What’s frustrating is that many of these games could easily be adapted for two players without needing an entirely new edition. Designers have the ability to incorporate flexible, balanced rule tweaks into th...