To Duel or Not to Duel?

In the past couple of years, game makers have been pumping out 2-player iterations of some of their biggest hits under the moniker of “duel” or “duo.” One might ask, is this just a cash grab built upon the nostalgia of the original idea or does the game actually work better in its head to head format? How about games that are designed specifically for two players? Do they get overshadowed by an existing product? As I sit here at my kitchen table and muddle over these questions, I thought I’d share some of my favorite 2-player experiences from the past year.