Egyptian celeb couple Nefertiti and Akhenaten compete for fame in two-player Imhotep: The Duel

Imhotep, the block-shifting, monument-building favourite from Sushi Go! creator Phil Walker-Harding, is being spun out into a two-player showdown.

In Imhotep: The Duel, players take on the roles of Nefertiti and Akhenaten – who, along with Antony and Cleopatra, were like the Posh and Becks or Kim and Kanye of Ancient Egypt.

Here, the loved-up couple aren’t working together but apart, trying to construct four monuments and earn the most fame to keep their legacy alive throughout the ages.

As in the original Imhotep, this requires careful use of boats, loading onto and off of six ships to transport the necessary building materials to the monuments.

However, there’s no sign of Imhotep’s wooden blocks in this new two-player set, which instead features 60 tiles and four player boards.

It’s not completely clear how else The Duel’s gameplay will differ from its bigger sibling – which does support two players – with only the hint that players will need to cleverly arrange their pieces to maximise the value of the tiles they unload.

Game pieces must be cleverly placed so that players can unload the most valuable tiles from the six boats. While this is happening, each player builds their own four monuments in order to gain as many fame points as possible.

The reduced player count will drop the playing time down to half an hour, at least – so expect a more streamlined and snappy affair.

We’ll find out more when Imhotep: The Duel is released this September, becoming the latest in Kosmos’ popular two-player series, which includes games such as Lost Cities, Lord of the Rings: The Confrontation, Targi and The Settlers of Catan Card Game.

“Really excited that Imhotep Das Duell has been announced!” Walker-Harding wrote on Twitter following the announcement. “The Kosmos two player line was a big part of getting into modern games for me, so I’m chuffed to be a part of it.”