My wife and I are not only big boardgame fans, but also like all kinds of puzzles, especially crossword, jigsaw and chess puzzles. My wife is also a big fan of sudokus, but I don't find them very interesting.

What I do find interesting though, is seeking out games that have been overlooked. When I posted a geeklist concerning low-rated games purchased with full knowledge of their low ratings and bad reviews, Sudoku: Duell der Meister made the list. Big Woo made it sound like a very interesting game indeed. The fact that there was no English edition and I would have to order it from Amazon.de, cinched it: I had to have it.

It is a really fun game that plays quickly. It is not an overly confrontational game, but you definitely have to be conscious of what your opponent is doing, and to concentrate on your best move.

Bits:

This is another game in the two-player Kosmos line in the standard sized box. The board is laid out as a sudoku grid (9x9) with the addition of scoring markers on three of the edges.

These markers are covered by scoring tiles, blue or red, whenever a player scores a row, column, or block. You also get 36 blue and red number tiles for placing on the grid. There is four of each number, 1-9, and the numbers are large and easy to read.

Finally, there are nine golden tiles, numbered 1-9, that are randomly placed one per block to start the game.

There is a recurring bright yellow Chinese symbol on the blue board and it also appears on the scoring tiles, but the artwork is pretty plain and functional. This is an abstract game and is laid out like a sudoku puzzle so simplicity suits it.

As there is no English version of this game, you will have to download the rules from here on BGG, or get someone to translate.

Set Up:

Set up is very quick. Each player places their number tiles face down, and sets their scoring tiles to the side. The nine golden tiles are randomly distributed one per block. You may end up with more than one in a row or column, but as far as I know that is still okay.

Play/Rules:

Essentially, the rules for placing your number tiles are the same as a sudoku puzzle. The board is a 9x9 grid, subdivided into nine 3x3 grids, which I will henceforth refer to as blocks.

Play proceeds with players taking turns placing a single tile on the grid. You choose your next tile immediately after placement so you have time to consider your next placement while your opponent takes her turn.

In completing a sudoku puzzle, your goal is to have the numbers 1-9, without repetition of any digit, in each row, column, and block.

Those rules still apply, but this game has a different goal. Each player scores a point for each row, column or block that is complete and contains a majority of their number tiles in it. If there is a tie in the number of tiles, then the player with the highest number can claim the row, column or block.

The first player to make 12 claims is the winner, so you will not actually be completing a sudoku when you play this game, as there are 27 potential claims. There will also be unsolvable rows, columns and blocks. So a complete row, column or block in this game does not have the same meaning as in a sudoku puzzle.

You can use proofs to make claims, and often the unsolvable rows columns and blocks help you to make a proof. For example, assuming there is only one golden tile in a row, I would need either five tiles, or four tiles and the highest number to claim that row. Suppose I have four tiles, the highest one being an eight, while my opponent has three tiles, but the nine has not been placed. If I can prove that my opponent cannot place the nine because there is already a nine in that space's column or block, then I can claim the row.

The simplest proof is having four tiles, one of which being the nine. Your oponent can only tie you in number of tiles (assuming there is one golden tile in the row), but cannot have the highest tile, so you can claim.

You might also be able to make a claim by showing that your opponent cannot place a number in a particular space because they have already placed all four of their tile of that number.

If you or your opponent mistakenly places a tile in violation of the rules, you can backtrack and place it elsewhere if it is caught before the next player's turn. If not, the tile stays.

If a tile cannot be placed, it is discarded.

Players continue placing their number tiles until someone has made their twelfth claim and the game ends.

Strategy/Tactics:

This game is a balance between building majorities for yourself and not making it easy for your opponent to do so. You're not likely to achieve anything more than mild interference with your opponent, but it is an interesting process nevertheless.

At the beginning of the game, the board is open except for the golden tiles. Your nine tile's placement is the most important, as a nine and any other three tiles will give you a claim by proof. Similarly, the row, column and block with the golden 9 in it, you can more easily claim if you place your eight. In the beginning, it is good to distribute your tiles around the board so that you have at least a stake in most parts of the board, which you can later build on.

However, as the game proceeds, if your opponent is starting to build up in an area, you might actually help his claim if you place tiles there. That is, you are narrowing the proof required to show that he can claim that area. In this case, it may be better to place tiles in areas that are still quite open and interfere with your opponent there, while alternating with building up your areas where you have the best chance of claiming.

As the game nears its end, you're not going to have a lot of choice about where to place your tiles, and some will have to be discarded. This is where proofs really decide the game. Look closely at the contested area to see what tiles can still be placed. The last few claims are usually made by proofs. Also, when you do have a choice about tile placement at the end of the game, take potential proofs into consideration.

This game plays very quickly, and once you have played a few games, the proofs come pretty quickly too, and seeking them out is essential to winning the game.

Conclusion:

This is an very good couples games, if you like games of quiet concentration. If you want a more confrontational game or one you can have chit-chat while playing, this game might not be your first choice.

This game will appeal most to people who like puzzle solving, with a slight competetive edge. My wife and I both love any game involving proofs (what do you expect from a couple of math teachers), so we really enjoy that part of the game as well.

It requires concentration, but plays very quickly and does not have the feel of a brainburner.

I give this game a 7.