How to play
Curling Duel is curling from above: a long sheet of ice, a house of rings at the far end, and four stones each per end. The player with the stone closest to the centre (the button) scores one point for every stone closer than the opponent’s best. Play against a friend on one device or against a bot with three skill levels.
Aiming. Your stone waits in the hack at the near end. A / D (Red) or ← / → (Yellow) turn the aim line; on a phone drag left and right. W / S or ↑ / ↓ choose the handle: the little arrow at the end of the aim line shows which way the stone will curl.
Power. Hold Space (Red) or Enter (Yellow), or the 🧹 button. The ring around the stone fills and empties like a swinging meter. Release to throw. Too little and the stone stops before the hog line and is removed; too much and it sails through the house and out the back. The yellow part of the meter is about house weight.
Sweeping. While your stone slides, hold the same button to sweep. A swept stone keeps its speed longer and curls less. Let go to stop sweeping. The bot sweeps too, when it sees its stone coming up short.
Collisions. Stones bounce off each other almost without losing energy. Knock an opponent’s stone out of the house, or bump your own stone into a better spot. Any stone that crosses the side line or the back line is out of play.
Scoring. After all eight stones an end is scored: the team with the closest stone gets one point per stone that beats the opponent’s closest. A stone sitting right on the button earns one bonus point. The team that gave up points gets the hammer (last stone) in the next end; after a blank end it stays where it was. The match is 4 ends (2 or 6 in the menu); if the totals are level, extra ends decide it, up to two.
Shot clock. You have about 15 seconds to throw. When the counter appears over the hack, the stone will be released automatically with the current power.
Strategy
Learn the yellow band. The meter rises and falls quickly; watch where the colour changes and release just inside the yellow for a draw to the house. Red is takeout weight.
Guard, then draw. A stone short of the house still blocks the lane. Park one in front, then draw behind it so the opponent cannot reach you.
Curl around guards. Choose the handle that curls the stone around a blocker into the house. Sweeping straightens the path when the curl is too much.
Use the hammer. With the last stone of the end you see the whole house. Sometimes one takeout wins two points; sometimes a quiet draw to the button is enough.
Mind the back line. A heavy stone runs out of the house. When in doubt throw a touch light and sweep the last stretch.
