Everdell Duo is the 2-player only experience for the original Everdell game. Expect to see the animals you know and love with 80 unique cards. Featuring cards from the original game plus expansions that were added later on. Each card has refined effects and updated resource costs too, making it a tighter, more streamlined experience for players.
You may want to read the full review where I reflect on the game as a whole. But in this review we'll be looking at just 1 of the 4 different modes in Everdell Duo.
How to Play Solo
Like in the normal version of Everdell, you deal out cards into the Meadow plus two to each of the character meeples. Unlike a standard game, you'll be playing as both the tortoise and rabbit. As you set up the events remember NOT to include the Journey tile as this isn't used in this mode.
Now for your opponent! Meet Miss Lilly Thorn the harsh journalist critic writing about your new city empire. Her skunks are going to get in the way of your actions, claim events and give you less turns each season!
There are 3 difficulty levels for solo play so first decide on which you would like to try. Easy is certainly recommended for at least the first few games. Now place the number of skunks in each area according to the rule book. For easy it is one skunk in the events section, first covering the A event. Then randomized with the included dice each round after winter. Roll the dice for each of the three skunks in the meadow. Then place 2 skunks using the same system in the farm and river locations.
Each turn you play as either the rabbit or tortoise. You may share one resource or card per turn using the sharing between the two players. When you construct a card your character must have the right resources not using resources from the other meeple! But points and effects are shared once constructed.
At the end of each season Miss Lilly takes either the cards above the meeples or below the meeples meaning she will have a city with 15 cards by the end. She scores 2 points per purple plus 15 points and any points on each card and event she claimed.
Is Solo any Good?
The solo mode within the 2-player version of Everdell Duo is a real conundrum. Of course, this game expands the universe and is a tighter and quicker version of the main game. However, the original version has its own solo mode. In fact, it has two versions of its own, with an improved variant within one of the expansions you can add to the game.
Personally, I wouldn’t buy this version specifically for solo; it’s more of a nice-to-be-included feature. I also think the solo mode is rather hard with those reduced turns each
season, meaning you only place four workers. While this is more than you would get normally, getting upwards of 50, 60, or even 70 points to beat Miss Lilly is a tough ask!
Positively, it plays quickly and is easy to manage each season, and you can see which cards will be taken. This can be beneficial for those strong purples like the Evertree or Palace cards. I prefer playing solo as a ‘beat my own score variant” rather than the version in the rules. However, the games are quicker than Everdell so that is plus for this game.
The Events are another hard-to-win element, with Miss Lily claiming each at the end of a season. Starting with Event A, the designers have tried to meet her strength, as this is the easiest to meet the criteria for. In reality, you often cannot claim events until at least round 2 when Spring comes.
For me, the draw of this game is the unique cards, which add more interest than the original game. The events and locations are also much kinder too. Overall, the game has been refined to be a more streamlined and cosy experience.
Conclusion
I'm not saying in any way that Everdell Duo is not a good game. In fact, it. Is better in many ways in the original; events are easier to claim. The tightness of the game, as I mentioned already, is a great factor to consider. The smaller footprint and easier packing away of the game too, is a bonus. For me though, the designers have spent a lot of time really crafting and creating a very good. Two player experience. With a solo mode that's nice to play if you fancy getting out and your partner or spouse or friend isn't around to play with you. But for me this is certainly a great two-player competition-driven game. Or alternatively, the campaign mode is quite nice and replayable too.
The solo mode offers an experience without the elements that make Everdell Duo great. But it is worthwhile for learning or improving your skills nonetheless.
