Unmatched: Houdini vs The Genie
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FroGames — Moments You'll Remember
One evades every trap. The other knows no bounds. Only one question remains on the table: what happens when the impossible challenges the infinite?
WHAT IT IS
When the wizard of the impossible challenges omnipotence
Unmatched is the series of asymmetrical tactical combat games designed by Rob Daviau (Pandemic Legacy, Betrayal Legacy) along with a team of designers specializing in competitive balancing. Each set brings historical, mythological, or literary characters to the table with unique decks designed to evoke their style. Houdini vs The Genie of the Lamp is a standalone expansion illustrated by Peter Diamond and Brian Patterson, playable on its own or combinable with all other Unmatched sets.
On the table: two players, a modular arena, zero dice. Move your miniature, play cards from your hand to attack or defend, activate unique powers. Houdini evades, breaks free, turns desperate situations into advantages. The Genie commands, redistributes, bends the very rules of the duel. The winner is the one who reduces the opponent's life points to zero. But how is different every time.
What they say abroad
The Unmatched system is elegant, deep, and infinitely replayable
— FroGames
Houdini and the Genie take asymmetry to the next level
— FroGames
Unmatched: Houdini vs The Genie of the Lamp
FrogScore · FroGames editorial rating · based on rules, international reviews, and play sessionsTwo decks, two philosophies
What you find in the deck
Evasion Cards (Houdini)
Houdini breaks free from impossible situations. His cards turn enemy attacks into opportunities, nullify effects, and move him out of danger. You're always on the edge.
Command Cards (Genie)
The Genie doesn't move like others. He redistributes miniatures, alters distances, imposes conditions. His cards don't follow the game's conventions — they rewrite them.
Maneuver Cards
Every character has basic cards for moving, attacking, and defending. But in Unmatched, each card has two possible uses: attack or defense. The choice is yours, and it matters.
Sidekick Cards
No assistants in this set: Houdini and the Genie fight alone. But their decks contain devastating combos if you know when to play them. Timing is everything.
Recommended Sleeves 62 cards in 1 size ▼
If you play often, we recommend protecting your cards with transparent sleeves to make them last longer.
| Size | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 63 × 88 mm | 62 |
| Total cards | 62 |
In twenty minutes, you'll know if illusion beats magic. Or vice versa.
A game in five moments
What happens at the table
Not the rules. The experience.
The Arena
Choose the map (four double-sided maps to choose from), place the miniatures. Houdini starts in one zone, the Genie in the other. Draw your first cards. Look at your opponent's deck on the table: 31 cards you don't know. The duel begins.
The First Clash
Someone attacks. The other defends with a card. The numbers add up, are compared, someone loses life points. Then it's the other's turn. Cards have two values: one for attacking, one for defending. Choosing which to use when is already strategy.
Special Maneuvers
Houdini plays an Evade card after an enemy attack: he teleports to the other side of the map. The Genie responds with a Command: he redistributes both miniatures. The arena is no longer what it was a minute ago. You realize this is not a dice game.
The Turning Point
Someone is at 3 life points. The other has two cards in hand and must choose: attack now or wait for the perfect turn? Every card played does not return. The deck thins out. Tension rises. Someone plays the wrong card. Or the right one at the right time.
The Final Blow
Houdini is at 1 life point. The Genie attacks with a 7. Houdini defends with a 6, loses the last point, falls. Or: he defends with an 8, evades, counterattacks, wins. Twenty minutes. You already want to play again, switching characters.
How to play
The flow of each round
Alternating turns, simple actions, difficult decisions.
On your turn, you can move your miniature a number of spaces equal to your maneuver value. Houdini is agile, the Genie slow but with redistribution powers.
Then take an action: attack (if the opponent is within your range), play a Scheme card (special effect), or pass. The attack is resolved with cards: you play an attack card, the opponent a defense card.
The base values of the cards are added to the modifiers of the active effects. The one with the highest total inflicts the difference as damage. Zero luck: the numbers are on the cards, you choose them.
At the end of your turn, draw until you have cards in hand again (usually you return to a full hand). Then it passes to the opponent. Play continues until someone reaches zero life points.
Why it's different from others
Six mechanics that make a difference
Radical multi-purpose cards
Each card has two values: attack and defense. You don't draw separate attack and defense cards. You choose when to use that card, and how. This means every decision costs you a future opportunity.
Balanced asymmetry
Houdini has 13 life points, the Genie 11. But the Genie has stronger cards. But Houdini evades better. Each matchup is tested for hundreds of games by the designers. The strongest character doesn't win: the one who plays them best wins.
Tactical Arena
Unmatched maps have zones of different heights (defense bonus if you are high up), obstacles (block line of sight), and special spaces. Moving is not just moving a token: it's positioning yourself. Each map changes valid strategies.
Zero luck in resolution
No dice. The only randomness is drawing cards, but you manage a full hand and choose when to play what. If you lose, it's because your opponent played better, not because they rolled a 6.
Universal compatibility
This set is standalone: nothing else is needed to play. But if you have other Unmatched sets (Bruce Lee vs Robin Hood, Jurassic Park, Cobble & Fog) you can mix the characters. Houdini vs Medusa? Alice vs The Genie? Everything works.
Real speed
20 minutes declared on the box. 20 real minutes at the table. It's not a filler: it's a real duel compressed into a format that gives you time for an immediate rematch. And you'll want it.
How it ends
How to win and how to lose
Only one victory condition, only one defeat condition. Everything else is tactics.
Victory
- Reduce your opponent's life points to zero with your attacks
- Survive the enemy's last assault and counterattack on the next turn
- Make the enemy discard their last good card at the wrong time, then strike
Defeat
- Your life points reach zero during an enemy attack
- You find yourself without valid defensive cards at the crucial moment
- You waste your best cards too early and the opponent capitalizes
Unmatched is the most elegant tactical dueling system on the market. Houdini and the Genie are two of the most extreme and fun characters to play. Standalone, immediate, deep.
Frequently asked questions
FAQ on Unmatched: Houdini vs The Genie of the Lamp
Do I need any other Unmatched set to play Houdini vs The Genie?
No. This is a complete standalone set: inside you'll find two decks, two miniatures, a double-sided map, life tokens, and the rulebook. Just open and play. If you have other Unmatched sets, you can mix characters, but it's not mandatory.
Is it true that there are no dice? How does combat work?
Yes, zero dice. When you attack, you play an attack card (with a numerical value), the opponent plays a defense card (another value). Any modifiers from active effects are added, totals are compared. The one with the highest number wins the clash and inflicts the difference as damage. Everything is in the cards and your choices, no lucky rolls.
How deep is it? Is it suitable for experienced players or too simple?
The basic rules can be learned in 10 minutes. The depth emerges from the asymmetric matchup, hand management, timing, and positional bluffing. After 50 games with the same two characters, you will still discover new combos. It's suitable for both gateway and expert players: it depends on who you're facing.
Are the two characters balanced? Who is stronger?
Restoration Games tests each matchup for hundreds of games. Houdini and the Genie have win rates very close to 50% in playtesting. They have opposite philosophies (Houdini reactive, Genie proactive) but the same potential. Who wins depends on how you play them, not on who you choose.
Is it available in Italian?
Yes. The Italian edition by Mancalamaro includes cards, rulebook, and all materials translated. Card names, effect texts, everything in Italian. Zero language barrier.
Unmatched: Houdini vs The Genie of the Lamp is an asymmetric tactical combat game for 2 players designed by Rob Daviau, Noah Cohen, Sam Crane, Adil M. Geresu, Justin D. Jacobson, and Brian Neff, published by Restoration Games and Mancalamaro. Each game lasts 20 minutes, recommended age 9+ years. The system is based on multi-purpose cards, hand management, and zero luck in resolution: no dice, only tactical decisions. Houdini evades and counterattacks, the Genie manipulates space and the very rules of the duel. Standalone set with miniatures, double-sided modular map, compatible with all other Unmatched sets. Italian edition with translated cards and rulebook. Available on FroGames.it with immediate shipping.
Unmatched: Houdini vs The Genie
Frequently Asked Questions
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