Matthew BaileyCthulhu Wars Duel Extinction – A great 2 player strategy game worth having to expand the original but if you only buy one get the regular Duel.
Two years ago, as part of our 2024 Halloween Spooktacular, I looked at Cthulhu Wars: Duel, a fantastic two-player version of Cthulhu Wars (Toby’s favourite game of all time) that takes the general feel of Risk and turns it into something considerably more interesting.
One of the things that made Duel such an easy recommendation was that it offered so much of the experience of its much bigger sibling in a smaller, more affordable box. The enormous miniatures were replaced with cardboard standees, but the interesting decisions and wildly different armies were still very much there.
At the end of that review, I mentioned that I had ordered Cthulhu Wars: Duel Extinction. Well, today we are finally going to be looking at it (2 years later).
Cthulhu Wars: Duel Extinction is a standalone game, so you do not need the original Duel to play. It follows the same basic idea, but gives you a different map and two different factions to fight over it with. Its worth noting the two games are “mix and matchable” meaning you can play and army from one with an army from another
This time around, you have The Sleeper, the primordial god of slumber and hunger, and Ithaqua, the Windwalker, the god of outer space and all that is coldest and darkest. A lovely, cheerful pair to invite round for an Autumnal evening.
I will link the original review below but if you have played the original Duel, much of this will immediately feel familiar. You are spreading your forces across the board, controlling gates, summoning monsters and unlocking spellbooks that give your faction additional abilities. Managing your Power and knowing when to commit to a fight are just as important as the monsters you bring along.
The factions are where the biggest differences lie and the ones here are a little more complex this time round
The Sleeper, led by Tsathoggua, is a little more devious than simply charging across the board and hitting things. Its abilities revolve around getting more out of your Power, bringing creatures into play and making life awkward for your opponent. Its Formless Spawn become more threatening as you build up their numbers, so there is plenty to think about when deciding how to develop your army.
Windwalker, meanwhile, is more about building towards a powerful late game. Its Gnoph-Keh become cheaper to summon as more enter play, helping you build up an increasingly threatening force. It is an army that rewards planning ahead and developing your position before making your big push.
They both bring something different to the table, and that variety is a big part of the appeal. While its nice having these different armies I dont think I like either of these as much as the armies in standard Duel and thats 100% the one i’d go for given the chance.
It is not that Sleeper and Windwalker are bad factions. They are interesting individually, but I do not think they work quite as well against each other as the pairing in the original box. For me, the original offers the more enjoyable matchup when you are only playing with the two armies provided. Where Extinction becomes much more appealing is when you own both.
The factions and maps are interchangeable, meaning you can mix and match all four armies rather than sticking to the pairings in their respective boxes. Being able to try Sleeper or Windwalker against the original factions gives you considerably more variety and makes this feel like a really worthwhile addition.
The cardboard standees are still something I really like about these smaller games. Yes, the enormous miniatures in Cthulhu Wars are impressive, and I am absolutely someone who enjoys a game full of ridiculous plastic monsters. However, I do not think replacing them with standees takes much away from the actual experience. You still get the creatures, the artwork and the presence on the board, in something much easier to store and get to the table and at a tenth of the price.
The Decay mechanic also returns. Once one player runs out of Power, the other cannot simply carry on taking increasingly devastating turns without consequence, as their actions become progressively more expensive. It is a really clever part of Duel and something I particularly liked in the original.
In terms of playing with children, my thoughts are much the same as before. There is some reading involved in understanding the different abilities, and learning what your army does takes a little time. However, you can talk through the available options and help a younger player understand what they might want to do. Familiarity with games like this matters more than age alone, although I would still see it as something to consider from around seven or eight with support.
The theme is obviously full of strange monsters and unpleasant-looking creatures, so whether that appeals will depend on your child.
Overall, Cthulhu Wars: Duel Extinction offers more of a system I really enjoy, with two interesting armies and plenty of reasons to experiment.
If you are only buying one, get the original Cthulhu Wars: Duel. I prefer its factions as a pairing, and it would still be my starting point.
If you enjoy it, though, I would definitely recommend getting both. Having four armies to mix and match is where this becomes a much more interesting package, and Extinction earns its place alongside the original.
It’s also worth mentioning that Petersen Games the company that makes all of the Cthulhu Wars franchise had largely shut down so while current stocks last this may be the only time available to grab these games.
