"With only four playing pieces, how good can a game be? But developer Thoughtshelter, which is basically a fellow in Minneapolis named Kris Szafranski with a keen sense for how to balance intricacy and simplicity, has crafted an shrewd interplay of mobility, defense, and dirty tricks. These four pieces are dramatically different from each other, and since they’re druids who shapeshift into animals, they’re each technically two pieces."
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Taylor Woolstenhulme writes: "Ah, druids. They're the original, blood-soaked hippies of yore. Where would the Celts be today if not for the highly mysterious woodland guardians of yesteryear? While the option to play as a druid has been included in numerous games (including Diablo II and the upcoming Pillars of Eternity), it was only a matter of time until a game was built entirely around them. That game is Thoughtshelter Games' A Druid's Duel , a mixture of Q*Bert and Chess. But the question is whether it's actually worth your hard-earned ring money."
Jamie Briggs, Analog Addiction. "Chess is one of the most popular games throughout the world. It is a battle between two players of equal strength and power, with the player who can mentally outwit their opponent usually coming out victorious. A Druid’s Duel provides a unique strategic battle similar to the game of Chess, with unique pieces possessing different traits that players must use to their advantage to claim victory.
Unlike the game of Chess, a match in A Druid’s Duel isn’t won by simply taking out an opposing player’s main game piece. Each piece may have different values and abilities, but is as important as the last; and instead of being able to move one piece each turn, players can move every single piece on the board. To win a match in A Druid’s Duel players must make sure the opposing players (up to four can play each match) do not own any titles on the board. Whenever a player lands on an unmarked title, this piece becomes their own and adds to the amount of Mana resources the player will have access to next turn. The more land you secure, the more Mana you will receive. Taking over relics and collecting different coloured fairies will also increase your Mana intake, but unlike most resource based games your Mana is only available for that turn. If you don’t use every piece of Mana you have in that turn, you will have squandered the remaining amount in your possession."
