Not played yet: this article is based on announcements and the sources listed below. We'll review the games once they've been on our table.
Two players, two identical decks, 15 minutes. That’s the deal with Duel for Cardia from Hans im Glück. Now the second box is on its way: Cardia: Tide & Storm.
The facts
- Publisher: Hans im Glück
- Designers: Faouzi Boughida and Mathieu Rivero
- 2 players, ages 9+, about 15 minutes
- Standalone, so you don’t need the first Cardia
- Out in fall 2026; retailers list different dates between October 23 and November 6
How Cardia works
Each player has a deck of 16 characters, valued 1 to 16. Every round, you both reveal a card at the same time. The higher card wins the encounter and a seal, and the losing card gets to trigger its ability. Five seals, a winning ability or an opponent with no playable cards left wins you the game. So losing a round can be exactly the plan.
What’s new
The box holds two new 16-character decks:
- Tide: characters move across an archipelago of islands and unlock bonuses along the way.
- Storm: a limited supply of vials goes onto cards and switches on new effects.
Our take
We haven’t played Cardia yet. As fans of two-player card games, we find the idea tempting: quick, simultaneous reveals, and losing has a purpose. Looking for short duels for an evening for two? Here are the 2 player card games we actually play.
