Crown Duel

Full rules

1. Overview
2. The cards
3. Setup
4. Playing a round
5. Who wins the round?
6. Rounds on hold
7. Winning the game
8. Differences from BraveRats
9. Tips for beginners
10. Variants

Overview

Crown Duel is a quick duel of second-guessing for two. Both players hold the same eight cards, Ace to 8. Each round, you both choose a card in secret and reveal them at the same time. Usually the higher card wins the round – but every card has a power that can turn the result upside down: one wins against nearly everything, one makes the lower card win, one doubles your win, one springs a trap. The first player to win four rounds wins the game.

• Players: exactly 2.
• You need: 16 cards from a standard deck – Ace to 8 of spades and Ace to 8 of hearts – and about ten coins or buttons to count the rounds you win.

Crown Duel is our own adaptation for an ordinary deck, inspired by BraveRats (Seiji Kanai, 2011). The card names and texts are our own. It has not been playtested yet.

The cards

One player takes the eight spades A–8, the other the eight hearts A–8. Both sets are the same. Each card has a value (Ace = 1, the others as printed) and a power:

Powers are not optional: they always work when the card is played.

Setup

1. Sort out the 16 cards; the rest of the deck is not used.
2. Each player takes one suit – eight cards – into their hand.
3. Put the coins in a pile between you.

Playing a round

1. Both players choose a card from their hand and lay it face down in front of them.
2. When both are ready, turn both cards face up at the same time.
3. Work out who wins the round (see below). The winner takes one coin from the pile – two for a Double.
4. Both cards are used up: put them aside, face up, so that you can see which cards are gone. You can't use a card twice.

Then the next round begins.

Who wins the round?

Go through these steps in order and stop at the first one that decides the round:

1. Cancel (6): if a 6 was played, the other card loses its power for this round. Two 6s cancel each other. A card without power counts only by its value – a cancelled Ace is just a 1, a cancelled 8 just an 8.
2. Truce (Ace): if an Ace was played, the round is on hold.
3. Trap (2) against Crown (8): the player of the 2 wins the game at once.
4. Crown (8): the 8 wins. If both played an 8, go on to step 6.
5. Reverse (4): if a 4 was played, the lower value wins this round.
6. Otherwise the higher value wins.

If the two values are equal, the round is on hold.

Boost. If you played a 7 in the previous round, add 2 to the value of your card this round. A 6 played in this round does not stop it – the boost came from the last round. (A 6 played against the 7 itself does stop it.)

Scout. If you played a 3 in the previous round, your opponent must lay their card face up first; then you choose yours. If both of you played a 3, nothing happens. As with the Boost, a 6 played against the 3 stops it.

Double. If you win the round with your 5, take two coins instead of one.

Example: Anna plays the 4♠ (Reverse), Ben the 7♥ (Boost). The lower card wins, so Anna takes a coin. But Ben's boost still works: next round, his card gets +2. Anna plays the 6♠, Ben the 5♥, which counts as 7 – Ben wins. Anna's 6 cancels his Double, though, so he takes only one coin.

Rounds on hold

A round that is on hold – after a tie or an Ace – is not lost. Leave its coin in the pile and play on: the winner of the next round that is decided also wins every round on hold before it and takes one extra coin for each. Several rounds in a row can be on hold.

Example: Anna plays the 2♠, Ben the 2♥ – a tie, the round is on hold. Next round Anna plays her Ace – on hold again. Then Anna plays the 8♠ against Ben's 6♥. The 6 cancels the Crown, but 8 is higher than 6, so Anna wins: 1 coin for this round plus 2 for the rounds on hold. Had she beaten a 3♥ with her 5 (Double) instead, she would have taken 2 + 2 = 4.

Winning the game

You win as soon as you have four coins – or at once, if your 2 catches your opponent's 8.

If all eight rounds have been played and nobody has four coins, the game is a draw – take your cards back and play again. Rounds still on hold at the end go to nobody.

Differences from BraveRats

Crown Duel follows the powers and the resolution of BraveRats. The only change is the values: the original cards run from 0 to 7, ours from Ace (1) to 8, so every card is one higher. Because all cards move up by one, no result changes. Coins replace the original's crown tokens.

Tips for beginners

• Watch what's gone. You always know which cards your opponent still has – late in the game you can often work out their choice.
• The 8 is strong but dangerous. As long as your opponent still holds their 2, playing the 8 could lose you the game at once.
• A 4 catches high cards. Play the Reverse when you expect your opponent's 7 or 6.
• Use your Scout well. After a 3 you see their card before you choose – keep a card that can answer anything.
• Aces steal rounds. Hold one back to put a round you would lose on hold – then win the next one for double.

Variants

All optional – agree before you start.

• Quick duel: three coins win instead of four.
• Traitor: before the game, each player gives the other one random card from their hand, face down.
• Random hands: shuffle all 16 cards and deal 8 to each player. You may have two cards of the same rank – they work the same whatever their suit.
• Best of three: play three games; whoever wins two wins the match.