Cockroach Duel (Kakerlaken-Duell) is a two-player bluffing and deduction game from Drei Magier Spiele. Two cockroaches face off on a straight track, each trying to lure the opponent’s cockroach to their side of the board. Players secretly choose which direction to move by placing tokens face-down, trying to outguess their opponent. The first player to lure the opposing cockroach to their end of the track wins.
Components
1 game board with a straight track of spaces
2 cockroach figures (one per player)
Movement tokens for each player (Left/Right or Forward/Backward indicators)
Bluffing tokens
Setup
Place the game board between the two players.
Place both cockroach figures in the center of the track.
Each player takes their set of movement/bluffing tokens.
Determine who goes first.
Turn Structure
Each round is simultaneous:
Both players secretly select a movement token and place it face-down.
Both tokens are revealed simultaneously.
Move the cockroach(es) according to the result.
Actions
Select Token
Each player secretly chooses one of their available tokens and places it face-down.
Tokens indicate the direction you want the cockroach to move.
Reveal and Resolve
Both tokens are flipped simultaneously.
The cockroach moves based on the combination of both players’ choices.
If both players pick the same direction, the cockroach moves that way.
If players pick different directions, a different resolution occurs (depending on the specific token combination).
Movement
The cockroach moves one or more spaces along the track toward one player’s end.
The goal is to maneuver the cockroach toward your opponent’s side.
Scoring / Victory Conditions
The first player to lure one of the cockroaches all the way to the opponent’s end of the track wins the game.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
The game is entirely about bluffing and reading your opponent — there is no randomness.
Some token types may have special effects beyond basic directional movement.
The game is very quick, making it suitable for best-of-three or best-of-five series.
The track length determines game duration — shorter tracks lead to faster games.
Designed as a family-weight game suitable for ages 6+.
Player Reference
Goal
Lure the cockroach to your opponent’s end of the track