Flamecraft Duals
- Board's Eye View
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
We featured Flamecraft (Cardboard Alchemy/Lucky Duck) on Board's Eye View back in 2022. Designed by Manny Vega, the game has proven to be a big hit, due in no small part to the enchanting artwork and cute dragons created by artist Sandara Tang. Flamecraft Duals isn't an expansion to Flamecraft; it's a standalone game. It has the same designer and artist as Flamecraft and you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a two-player adaptation of that game. You'd be wrong, however. Tho' it is recognisably in the same 'universe' as Flamecraft, Flamecraft Duals is a very different game; more Flamecraft-adjacent than a version of the original game.
In Flamecraft Duals the two players (or just one - there's a solitaire option where you're trying to maximise your score) are drawing acrylic discs from a bag and activating them to manipulate the discs on the board in order to make the patterns needed to fulfil the requirements of one or both of the cards they have in hand. Tho' there is some initial complexity in learning what action is triggered by each colour of disc, the actual task of forming specific patterns is relatively easy - to the extent that it should be possible to fulfil the requirements of at least one card on every turn. That makes Flamecraft Duals very playable by children and as a light family game or even as a simple 'gateway' game to introduce to those coming new to modern board games.
Shown here on Board's Eye View is the deluxe edition of Flamecraft Duals, and it really is beautifully produced by Cardboard Alchemy. The game incorporates components that let you step up the difficulty by incorporating asymmetric dragon cards and to play with the option of using a dragon piece that acts as a blocker. Nevertheless, we'd have liked to have seen more opportunity for interaction between players in the core game. My actions alter the board state for your turn but I have no idea what patterns you are trying to form on your turn so I don't know if my board manipulation is hindering or helping you. As a small variant, however, you could try playing with your cards as open information (ie: face up on the table rather than concealed on the wooden stands), so players know what patterns their opponent will be trying to create on their turn.
However you play, Flamecraft Duals is a light and appealing game. Perhaps one to play before you move on to the original Flamecraft game.