DUOS (2022) Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Course of the Game
  • Choosing Pairs
  • The Narrator Checks the Pairs
  • Scoring Example
  • Preparing the Next Turn
• End of the Game
• DUOS for Two Players
  • Setup
  • Two-Player Game
  • Scoring

Components

• 116 double-sided cards
• 1 DUOS card
• 6 player boards and 6 screens
• 2 component boxes
• 48 wooden markers
• 53 scoring tokens

Setup

Each of you receives:

• a player board (the color does not matter),
• a screen,
• 8 wooden markers (4 pairs in 4 colors).

Place the player boards behind the screens.

Choose a category (in the Sport & Baśnie set: Sport or Fairy Tales; in the Rzeczy & Zwierzaki set: Things or Animals).

Draw 12 cards and lay them in the middle of the table in a 4 × 3 layout. The cards and the player boards must be oriented the same way, so that the arrangement of the symbols (sun, moon, wave) on the boards corresponds to the symbols on the cards.

Place all scoring tokens nearby, within easy reach.

Choose the starting player in any way - for example, the person with the longest name and surname. They become the Narrator, receive the DUOS card and place it in front of their screen with the text side up.

Now you are ready for the first round!

Course of the Game

A game of DUOS consists of two rounds, and each round is divided into turns. In a given turn one of the players is the Narrator (which means each of you will play this role twice). The person with the most points at the end of the second round wins.

A game of DUOS is meant to last two rounds. If you are having a great time, however (we keep our fingers crossed for that), nothing prevents you from playing more rounds. Just remember that everyone should be the Narrator the same number of times.

Choosing Pairs

Look carefully at the cards on the table and create 4 pairs from them by placing markers on your player board behind the screen. To create a pair, place 2 markers of the same color on the spaces corresponding to the layout of the cards. Link the pictures into pairs by any associations, although it is best if your decisions are well thought out and match the pairs the Narrator created. When everyone is ready, reveal your player boards. It is time to compare your pairs with the Narrator's pairs.

IMPORTANT! While creating pairs you may not communicate. But things happen - try not to hint too obviously to the others which choices you made.

The Narrator Checks the Pairs

The Narrator moves the markers from their player board onto the cards. We suggest marking pairs one at a time. This makes counting points easier and lets the Narrator explain why they created that particular pair (this is not a necessary part of the game, but may spark interesting discussions). Each time the Narrator moves the markers of a given pair onto the cards, check which of the other players created the same pair. The Narrator is responsible for awarding points in the turn. Each player who created a pair identical to the Narrator's receives 1 point (the colors of the markers used to create the pairs do not matter when comparing). Place the point token in front of that player's board.

IMPORTANT! Leave the points you have won in front of the boards until the end of the turn. They are needed to determine how many points the Narrator receives.

After awarding points to the players, check how many points the Narrator scores.

• If a player has no pair in common with the Narrator, or at most one - the Narrator receives no points.
• If a player created two or three of the same pairs as the Narrator - the Narrator receives 1 point.
• If a player created four of the same pairs as the Narrator - the Narrator receives 2 points.

Number of identical pairs	Points for the Narrator
0-1	0
2-3	1
4	2

Scoring Example

Elwira, Paulina, Maciek and Sasza are playing. Elwira was the Narrator this turn and created these pairs (Sport & Baśnie set):

• Queen and King, because they are a royal couple.
• Witch and Vampire, because they are evil.
• Key and Clairvoyant's Ball, because they are used for fortune-telling.
• Cinderella's Slipper and Seven-League Boots, because they are examples of footwear.

(Rzeczy & Zwierzaki set: Ant and Anteater, because... you know, food. Mosquito and Dragonfly, because they are insects. Raven and Flamingo, because they are birds. Rhinoceros and Giraffe, because they live in Africa and are big.)

Let's see what pairs the other players created:

1. Sasza's pairs are exactly the same as Elwira's. Sasza receives 4 points.
2. Maciek went a little differently. Unfortunately only one of his pairs (Cinderella's Slipper and Seven-League Boots; in the Rzeczy & Zwierzaki set, Ant and Anteater) matches the Narrator's choice - Maciek receives 1 point.
3. Paulina decided to create these pairs: three pairs are identical to Elwira's (Queen and King; Witch and Vampire; Cinderella's Slipper and Seven-League Boots; in the Rzeczy & Zwierzaki set, Ant and Anteater; Mosquito and Dragonfly; Raven and Flamingo). Paulina receives 3 points.

Time to award points to Elwira:

• Sasza created the same arrangement of pairs as the Narrator, so Elwira receives 2 points for his pairs.
• Maciek had only one pair in common with Elwira, so she receives no points for him.
• Paulina created three of the same pairs as the Narrator, so Elwira gets 1 point for that.

In total Elwira scored 3 points. That is the end of the turn.

Preparing the Next Turn

After counting points, take your markers off the player boards and cards. The Narrator passes the DUOS card to the next player. Turn the cards over to the other side (thereby changing the category) or draw new cards if you already played that set in the previous turn. You are ready for the next turn.

The game continues in this way until each player has been the Narrator twice (once for each category). If you like, you can of course play longer and/or not change categories. You know the remaining rules already.

End of the Game

After the last round, add up all points won. The player with the most points wins. In case of a tie, enjoy the victory together.

DUOS for Two Players

This variant is cooperative, and the goal of the game is to create identical pairs. The game lasts 9 turns. If you manage to get three or four identical pairs - well done, you win that turn! If there are fewer common pairs (two, one or zero), the turn counts as lost. After 9 turns you can assess your result using the progress table.

Setup

Lay out 12 cards as in the standard game. Next to the cards place the DUOS card (with the side showing the 2-player variant icons up), and on it the appropriate markers (1 pink, 1 white and 1 black). On the spaces around the card (numbered 1 to 9) mark the number of the current turn. Take 2 screens, 2 player boards and 8 markers each (4 pairs in 4 colors).

Two-Player Game

This variant is cooperative. Behind your screens, each create 4 pairs. Your goal is to choose the same pairs, but of course you may not communicate. You must create 3 or 4 identical pairs to score a point for the turn. Your task is to win as many turns as possible. In this variant you use the Duos card for the 2-player mode. You have 3 additional actions that will help you create identical pairs. Each player may use ONLY one additional action per turn. Moreover, the actions used must be DIFFERENT. These actions are:

• WORD: The player using this action removes the pink marker from the DUOS card. Then they may say one and only one WORD that makes it easier to create identical pairs. Example (Sport & Baśnie): You say the word "Metal". It may help you create the same pair. (Rzeczy & Zwierzaki example: the word "Insects".)
• YES!: This action allows you to indicate which card you are using to create a pair. To mark it, remove the white marker from the DUOS card and place it on the chosen card. Example: You place the white marker on the card with the Key, thereby informing that YES! - one of your pairs includes the Key card. (Rzeczy & Zwierzaki example: the card with the Wasp.)
• NO!: This hint is the opposite of the previous one. The NO! action lets you indicate a card that you will not use to create a pair. To mark it, remove the black marker from the DUOS card and place it on the chosen card. Example: You place the black marker on the card with the Ghost, informing that NO! you are not using this card to create a pair. (Rzeczy & Zwierzaki example: the Hippopotamus.)

After each turn put the used markers back on the DUOS card so they can be used again.

Scoring

When you have created 4 pairs, reveal your player boards and compare them.

• If you managed to create 3 or 4 identical pairs - you win the turn. Mark the win by taking a token worth 1 point.
• If you created 2 or fewer common pairs, unfortunately you do not score a point. You do not take a token.

After counting points, turn over or replace the cards and start the next turn. The game ends after the 9th turn. Check how many point tokens you earned and read your result:

• 0 points: Too bad, try again.
• 1 point: You can do better.
• 2 points: There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
• 3 points: You are starting to get it!
• 4 points: Good job!
• 5 points: Elegant!
• 6 points: Great work!
• 7 points: Fantastic!
• 8 points: Extraordinary! You are soulmates.
• 9 points or more: Amazing! You are telepaths!