The short answer
Schotten Totten (Reiner Knizia, 1999) is a symmetrical duel: two clans, nine border stones, and the same goal for both players. Schotten Totten 2 (IELLO, 2020) keeps the card play and turns it into a siege: one player attacks a castle wall, the other defends it, and each has different ways to win.
Buy the first one if you want a pure, fast duel that anyone can learn in five minutes. Buy the second one if you like asymmetric games and want to play two rounds back to back, swapping sides. Neither replaces the other: they share an engine, not a game.
Side by side
| Aspect | Schotten Totten | Schotten Totten 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Roles | both players identical | Attacker and Defender |
| Battlefield | 9 border stones | 7 Wall tiles |
| Cards | 54 (values 1–9, 6 colours) | 60 (values 0–11, 5 colours) |
| Cards in hand | 6 | 6 |
| Cards per location | always 3 | 2 to 4, printed on each tile |
| Who can claim | both players | only the Attacker |
| Winning | 5 stones, or 3 adjacent | Attacker: damage 4 tiles, or a damaged tile again. Defender: hold until the deck runs out |
| Special powers | none | Defender: 3 boiling-oil cauldrons. Attacker: retreat |
| Tactics cards | optional variant (10) | optional variant (11) |
The formation ladder is the same in both: colour run, then same value, then colour, then run, then plain sum, with ties going to the higher total and then to whoever finished first.
What the siege changes
The second game is not a reskin. Five rules make it play differently:
- Every tile is its own puzzle. A tile shows how many cards it takes (2, 3 or 4) and which formation types count there. On some tiles only colours count, on others only runs or only matching values; anything else is scored as a plain sum. One damaged tile, the gate, even rewards the lowest sum.
- Only the Attacker claims. The Defender never takes a tile. Their job is to make every claim impossible until the deck runs out, and when the last card is drawn the Attacker gets one final turn.
- Boiling oil. Three times per game (once per turn at most), the Defender can discard the Attacker's card closest to the wall. It is a direct answer to a formation that is about to land.
- Retreat. At the start of their turn, the Attacker may discard all their own cards from any tiles they choose. It lets them abandon a lost cause, or bait the Defender into committing cards and then pull out.
- 0 against 11. A 0 played opposite an 11 of the same colour discards both cards. The weakest card is a trap for the strongest.
The rulebook suggests playing two games in a row, swapping roles, with tie-breaks for when each player wins once. That makes a full match of Schotten Totten 2 roughly twice as long as one game of the original.
Which one should you buy?
- Choose Schotten Totten if you want the classic: symmetrical, quick to teach, and all about reading the deck and timing your claims. It is also the one to learn first, since every idea in the sequel starts here. See the rules in five minutes.
- Choose Schotten Totten 2 if you already love the original and want something new rather than more of the same, or if you enjoy asymmetric duels where each side plays a different game. The varied wall tiles and the oil and retreat actions give more decisions per turn.
- Both, if you play a lot of two-player games. They sit happily on the same shelf because they feel different at the table.
Both boxes are published by IELLO: Schotten Totten and Schotten Totten 2. If you are weighing the original against its other relative, read Schotten Totten vs Battle Line.
Want to try the original before you buy? Play Schotten Totten free in your browser, against the AI or a friend. This site plays the first game only.
The difference in five lines
- Schotten Totten is a symmetrical duel over nine stones; Schotten Totten 2 is an asymmetric siege over seven wall tiles.
- The sequel uses 60 cards valued 0 to 11 in five colours, against 54 cards valued 1 to 9 in six colours.
- In Schotten Totten 2 only the Attacker claims; the Defender wins by holding out until the deck runs out.
- New tools in the sequel: tiles with their own card count and formation rules, three boiling-oil cauldrons, retreat, and 0 cancelling 11.
- Start with the original if you are new; add the sequel if you want a different fight, not a bigger version of the same one.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Schotten Totten 1 to play Schotten Totten 2?
No. Schotten Totten 2 is a complete standalone game with its own cards, wall tiles and rules. Knowing the first game helps, because the formation ladder is the same, but it is not required.
Is Schotten Totten 2 better than the first one?
It is different rather than better. The original is a pure symmetrical duel; the sequel is an asymmetric siege with more special rules. Players who like clean, fast games often prefer the first; players who like asymmetry and more options per turn often prefer the second.
Can I mix the cards of the two games?
Not as written. The first game uses 54 cards valued 1 to 9 in six colours, the second uses 60 cards valued 0 to 11 in five colours, and each set of rules is built around its own deck.
How do you win Schotten Totten 2?
The Attacker wins by damaging four different wall tiles, or by winning a tile that is already damaged. The Defender wins if the Attacker has not done either by the time the deck runs out and the Attacker has taken one last turn.
Can I play Schotten Totten 2 online here?
No. This site plays the original Schotten Totten only, free in the browser, including its tactics variant.