Arkham Duels 2026

Arkham Duels is a competitive game for 2 to 4 players in which each participant battles for control of the portals. These portals are the gateway through which fantastical creatures, inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft and his collaborators, seek to enter our world. The game uses 54 Basic Cards divided into 6 different Factions.

The game is played in rounds, and each round is divided into three phases: Preparation Phase, Game Phase, and Scoring Phase. 1. Setup Phase: Players draw cards to form their hand (usually 7 cards for 2 players, or 6 cards for 3/4 players). If the Beyond the Portal expansion is used, a Portal Modifier is applied to the round. 2. Play Phase: On alternate turns, players perform available Actions: ◦ Play a card: Players place a card from their hand on one of their three Portal Columns. The goal is to dominate the Column (indicated by the Dominance Marker). Dominance is achieved if the card played does not have the same value as the opponent's card. There are specific requirements for playing cards in Columns where there are already cards. In Advanced Mode, the unique effects of the Factions of the cards played apply. ◦ Pass: A player may pass up to two times. The second time they pass, they are considered to have passed the round and may no longer play cards until the round ends. The Play Phase ends when all players have passed. 3. Scoring Phase: Players accumulate points based on the Columns in which they achieve Victory (dominance). Points are equal to the difference in value between the two cards in the Column. If there is only one card, the victorious player earns 5 points.

The game ends immediately when a player is declared the winner.

The first player to accumulate 10 or more victory points is the winner in 2 player games. In 3 or 4 player games, the point requirement for victory is 15 or more points.

—description from the designer