Twice As Clever picks up exactly where That’s Pretty Clever left off and pushes the formula further. The six colored dice return, the passive turn mechanic stays, and the general rhythm of roll, pick, and mark will feel immediately familiar to anyone who played the original. What changes is the score sheet itself, with six redesigned sections that introduce new scoring patterns, different bonus structures, and combo chains that reach deeper and wider than before.
The community greeted this sequel with enthusiasm. Players who had worn out the original’s single sheet found renewed excitement in the fresh layout, and the consensus holds that Warsch successfully raised the ceiling without breaking the foundation. The Clever series had already proven that roll-and-writes could sustain serious strategic thought, and Twice As Clever confirmed it wasn’t a fluke.
Deeper Chains, Bigger Payoffs
The redesigned score sheet is the centerpiece. Each of the six colored sections introduces new mechanics that weren’t present in the original. The gray section now works with a grid-based marking system, the blue section introduces a different progression track, and the interactions between sections create combo possibilities that feel more layered. When a chain reaction fires across four or five sections in a single turn, the dopamine hit is even stronger than the original because you know the path you took was less obvious.
Decision weight has increased noticeably. Where the original sometimes had a clear best pick among the dice, Twice As Clever presents more frequent situations where two or three options feel equally viable but lead down very different scoring paths. This ambiguity is what keeps the game fresh over dozens of plays. You start recognizing strategic lanes on the sheet, developing personal approaches to the opening rolls, and refining your sense of when to take a safe pick versus gambling on a bonus chain.
The passive turn mechanic continues to do excellent work. Other players selecting from leftover dice keeps everyone focused on every roll, and the increased complexity of the sheet means those passive picks carry more weight. A die that seemed throwaway in the original might unlock a critical combo on the new sheet, which makes the downtime between turns feel productive rather than idle.
Solo play remains a major strength. The score thresholds are recalibrated for the new sheet, and chasing a personal best is just as compelling as before. The app version brought this to phones as well, and players report the solo experience being strong enough to justify the purchase on its own.
Where the Added Complexity Costs
The learning curve is steeper. While the original could be taught in two minutes, Twice As Clever needs a bit more explanation because each section works differently and the interactions aren’t as immediately intuitive. Groups that breezed through the original may need a full practice game before the new sheet clicks. This isn’t a dealbreaker, but it shifts the game slightly away from casual gateway territory.
Multiplayer interaction remains minimal. The passive dice mechanism is still the only connection between players, and the more complex sheet means everyone is even more absorbed in their own puzzle. Some groups report that conversations drop off entirely during play because the decisions demand concentration. If the original felt like parallel solitaire at times, the sequel leans further in that direction.
Analysis paralysis can creep in with certain player types. The original’s simpler sections allowed for quick gut decisions, but the redesigned sections present enough branching options that slower players may stall while calculating optimal moves. For a thirty-minute game, even one player who overthinks can stretch the experience beyond its natural rhythm.
The physical production repeats the same minor complaint from the original: the scoring tally on the back of the sheet means flipping during final scoring. It’s a small thing, but given that this was already noted as a weakness in the first game, its persistence in the sequel stands out.
The Sequel Problem Done Right
Twice As Clever faces the classic sequel challenge: change too much and lose what worked, change too little and feel like a cash grab. Warsch found the right balance by keeping the core mechanism untouched while redesigning the content it operates on. The dice selection, the passive turns, the quick playtime, all of it stays. Only the scoring sections change, and they change in ways that add depth rather than complexity for its own sake.
This approach means players can mix and match within a group. Someone playing the original sheet and someone playing the sequel sheet at the same table is entirely feasible, which gives the series flexibility that standalone games can’t match.
Should You Upgrade to Twice As Clever?
If you loved That’s Pretty Clever and want more depth from the same system, this is exactly what you’re looking for. It’s also a strong entry point for players who are comfortable with light-medium complexity and want to skip the simpler original. Solo gamers and couples will get the most out of it, and the portable size makes it an excellent travel companion.
Skip it if you found the original too solitary in multiplayer, if you prefer your roll-and-writes to stay on the lighter side, or if you need more player interaction than the passive dice mechanism provides. The added complexity is a feature for some and a barrier for others.
The Verdict on Twice As Clever
Twice As Clever takes the combo-chaining formula of its predecessor and deepens it with redesigned scoring sections that offer more paths and tighter decisions. The core loop remains addictive, the solo mode is still excellent, and the new sheet design rewards repeated play. Multiplayer still leans heavily toward parallel puzzles, and the increased complexity may slow down casual groups. As a sequel, it delivers exactly what fans wanted: more to think about without losing what made the original great.