🧙♂️ Enter a World of Adventure: Explore Our Fantasy Board Games Collection
From dragons and dungeons to kingdoms and quests — gather your party and dive into epic tabletop worlds, ready to play at The Legends Lair.
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Stand against the forces of the Neverrift. Defeat your rivals and become the ultimate Tamer. Choose your tamer and lead an army of creatures into battle in a brand new interactive card game experience. Collect and trade cards, choose your faction and build your deck out of more than 150 cards. Play against friends or foes in an epic one on one format. Your tactics and strategy are key to victory, yet an unexpected play style may catch your opponent off guard giving you the advantage in battle.

This game is set on the 3-dimensional bridge where the epic struggle between Balrog and Gandalf takes place. Each player has their own set of cards. Each card has 4 markers on each side, indicating the card's strength. There are also some cards with a special action. There are four rounds per game, with the winner of each duel moving up the bridge. Whoever ends up highest after the fourth and final round is the winner. Lord of the Rings - The Duel is part of the Kosmos two-player series.

Dark Souls: The Card Game is a cooperative deck evolution card game for 1-4 players. Players must explore the Encounters around them, defeating a myriad of enemies to gain Souls and Treasure. They must use these to evolve and adapt their deck to better fight their enemies. When the players are ready, they must challenge the powerful bosses that lie within. The players must walk a narrow path, however, since their decks allow them to attack their enemies, but also represent their health. Decks are only refreshed when the players rest at the bonfire, so players must defeat their enemies while husbanding their strength for the greater challenges ahead. Thinking quickly and adapting to the enemy’s attacks is key for survival. A misstep can be fatal, but the rewards of success are great. Adapt your deck, evolve your strategy, and prepare to die. —description from the publisher

Sanctuary: The Keepers Era is a competitive, fast paced, hand management card game, the starting chapter of a story which takes place in a brand new fantasy setting. The game features six unique Faction decks illustrated with more than 135 stunning artworks by a team of international artists. According to the legends of Elnerth, a powerful mystic energy was flowing dangerously through the world. To avoid catastrophic events, that energy was split into six parts called the Essences. Sanctuaries are the only way to channel the power of the Essences. Players impersonate the Keepers, each one is attuned to an Essence and rules over a Faction. The Keepers are fighting each other to preserve their Sanctuaries and themselves. The goal of the game is to destroy all the oppponent's Sanctuaries, to become the only Keeper able to shape the fate of the world through their Essence. Choose your Faction, each one with its own peculiarity, and dive into the dark and wondrous world of Elnerth. —description from the publisher

Viceroy is a board game of bidding and resource management set in the fantasy universe of the famous Russian CCG Berserk. As the players struggle for control over the world of Laar, they recruit a variety of allies and enact various laws. These cards allow players to develop their state's military and magical might, increase their authority, and get precious gems they need to continue expanding their nation. As the game progresses, each player builds their own power pyramid using character and law cards. Each card has its own effect that depends on the level of the pyramid where the card is played. These effects may give more resources, more cards, or victory points. The player who has the most power points at the end of the game becomes the ruler of entire Laar and the winner!

The shadow of Bhaal has come over Baldur's Gate, summoning monsters and other horrors from the darkness! As you build and explore the iconic city's dark alleys and deadly catacombs, you must work with your fellow adventurers to survive the terrors ahead. That is, until some horrific evil turns one — or possibly more — of you against each other. Was it a mind flayer's psionic blast or the whisperings of a deranged ghost that caused your allies to turn traitor? You have no choice but to keep your enemies close! Based on the award-winning Betrayal at House on the Hill board game, in Betrayal at Baldur's Gate you'll return to Baldur's Gate again and again thanks to the fifty included scenarios only to discover it's never the same game twice. Can you and your party survive the madness, or will you succumb to the mayhem and split (or slaughter!) the party?

Bag of Dungeon is a dungeon crawling tile-based game harking back to the good old deadly days of exploring dungeons, slaying monsters and stealing treasure. It's a simple-to-play tabletop game where 1-4 players send a party of adventurers into the ever-changing catacombs in a quest to find the Ring of Creation before escaping with their lives and their loot. But can you trust your fellow adventurers? To begin with, you are all loyal to the quest and each other. But once the Ring is discovered it will cast a shadow of doubt and deceit over those who seek to steal it. You may decide that being a lone wolf is a far smarter choice than loyalty, even if it means the death of your former companions. You will meet monsters, find treasure and use items to stay alive and escape with the Ring before the dungeon seals itself shut, imprisoning for all eternity anyone who remains. The game has a simple but clever mechanic; great for young and/or new gamers to learn fast and take part while still giving more experienced gamers a satisfying time at the table. The game takes 20-60 minutes and changes every time you play.

Lately, it feels like we’re all just dinosaurs trying to avoid the falling meteors. In this game, you’ll try to dodge all of life’s little disasters. You might fall into a pit of hot lava or get ghosted by your dino date, but the dino who survives it all wins the game! In Happy Little Dinosaurs, the first person to reach 50 points, or be the last Dinosaur standing, wins the game! During each round, you’ll flip a Disaster card featuring a Natural, Predatory, or Emotional disaster. Each player will play a Point card in hopes of collecting points and avoiding the disaster. You will work to avoid all of life’s little disasters and laugh as they happen to your friends. If you collect 3 Disaster cards of the same type OR 3 different types of Disaster cards, you will be out of the game. Point cards feature weapons, trinkets, and good luck charms that you use to collect points and avoid disasters. Each card has a point value between 0 and 9 that you will use when scoring a round. You can use Instant cards at different points during the game to tip the odds in your favor or save your Dinosaur from certain death. Player boards include your Dinosaur's traits, an Escape Route you use to track your score, and a Disaster Area where you will collect Disaster cards. You'll move your Dinosaur meeple along the Escape Route on your player board to track your score. Will you successfully dodge the disasters or get eaten by a prehistoric whale? Only the cards can decide.

Splendor is a game of chip-collecting and card development. Players are merchants of the Renaissance trying to buy gem mines, means of transportation, shops—all in order to acquire the most prestige points. If you're wealthy enough, you might even receive a visit from a noble at some point, which of course will further increase your prestige. On your turn, you may (1) collect chips (gems), or (2) buy and build a card, or (3) reserve one card. If you collect chips, you take either three different kinds of chips or two chips of the same kind. If you buy a card, you pay its price in chips and add it to your playing area. To reserve a card—in order to make sure you get it, or, why not, your opponents don't get it—you place it in front of you face down for later building; this costs you a round, but you also get gold in the form of a joker chip, which you can use as any gem. All of the cards you buy increase your wealth as they give you a permanent gem bonus for later buys; some of the cards also give you prestige points. In order to win the game, you must reach 15 prestige points before your opponents do.

Carcassonne is a tile placement game in which the players draw and place a tile with a piece of southern French landscape represented on it. The tile might feature a city, a road, a cloister, grassland or some combination thereof, and it must be placed adjacent to tiles that have already been played, in such a way that cities are connected to cities, roads to roads, et cetera. Having placed a tile, the player can then decide to place one of their meeples in one of the areas on it: in the city as a knight, on the road as a robber, in the cloister as a monk, or in the field as a farmer. When that area is complete that meeple scores points for its owner. During a game of Carcassonne, players are faced with decisions like: "Is it really worth putting my last meeple there?" or "Should I use this tile to expand my city, or should I place it near my opponent instead, thus making it a harder for them to complete it and score points?" Since players place only one tile and have the option to place one meeple on it, turns proceed quickly even if it is a game full of options and possibilities.

Forbidden Island is a visually stunning cooperative board game. Instead of winning by competing with other players like most games, everyone must work together to win the game. Players take turns moving their pawns around the 'island', which is built by arranging the many beautifully screen-printed tiles before play begins. As the game progresses, more and more island tiles sink, becoming unavailable, and the pace increases. Players use strategies to keep the island from sinking, while trying to collect treasures and items. As the water level rises, it gets more difficult- sacrifices must be made. What causes this game to truly stand out among co-op and competitive games alike is the extreme detail that has been paid to the physical components of the game. It comes in a sturdy and organized tin of good shelf storage size. The plastic treasure pieces and wooden pawns are well crafted and they fit just right into the box. The cards are durable, well printed, and easy to understand. The island tiles are the real gem: they are screen-printed with vibrant colors, each with a unique and pleasing image. With multiple levels of difficulty, different characters to choose from (each with a special ability of their own), many optional island formats and game variations available, Forbidden Island has huge replay value. The game can be played by as few as two players and up to four (though it can accommodate five). More players translates into a faster and more difficult game, though the extra help can make all the difference.

Become the greatest wizard of the Annual Grand Rite by collecting and managing your Materia to feed your familiar and learn your spells. Act quickly to use your powers early...or wait to unleash them at full strength. Your path to victory is full of choices and combined tactics! In SpellBook, each player, accompanied by a familiar, possesses a grimoire and collects Materia to master spells and feed their familiar. The game provides pre-drawn spell sets for use in the early rounds, but soon players start drawing spells randomly or create their own spell combinations that are common to all players. Each spell combination gives an effect that lasts the rest of the game, and the more ingenious the combination, the more powerful the effect. As the rounds progress, the game becomes a different experience every time, with more than 2,100 spell combinations being possible. The game ends as soon as a magician's grimoire is complete or a familiar is fully fed, then the player with the most points wins. SpellBook includes a solo mode that closely mirrors the multiplayer experience, offering a high level of challenge and an excellent way to learn the game's rules.

Leave no stone unturned! Nine mystical tiles lie before you in a grid of rocky ruins. Rearrange the tiles to match one or more of the patterns in your hand. The catch is that you must sacrifice a card every time you swap or flip a tile. Carve out the most points in Shifting Stones, and your victory will be set in stone!

Welcome to a world of adventure, strategy, and chaos! In the depths of an ancient temple, the all-powerful Ring of Chaos beckons. Assemble your party of four adventurers, each bestowing unique cards and powers, for they are your key to strength and survival. Engage in a race against rivals and perilous temple guardians, where every decision counts and strategy reigns supreme. Will you harness the Ring's power to summon the Gods of Chaos, or eliminate all competition to stand victorious? With multiple paths to triumph, Ring of Chaos offers fast-paced, competitive, and seriously fun gameplay. Embark on this epic quest, seize the Ring, and control the chaos that awaits!

7 Moons is an original board game from Gunpowder Studios, set in a mythical, magical world of dragons and monsters, where 1-4 players seek to save the beautiful kingdom of Dragon Reach from the impending Shadow Army. An easy to learn, 1-4 player board game of strategy, acquisition and adventure in a mythical, magical land. In 7 Moons you play a royal emissary, sent out by your monarch into the kingdom to organise the defence of your city against the approaching Shadow Army. You will travel the lands, buying and selling resources to fill your war chest, building defences, recruiting allies and completing quests. You have little time and much to do, so choose your strategy wisely. Those best prepared have the greatest chance of surviving the monstrous onslaught. The rest will not live to see another moon.

Here to Slay is a competitive role-playing fantasy strategy card game that's all about assembling a party of Heroes and slaying monsters (and sometimes sabotaging your friends too) from the creators of Unstable Unicorns. In this game, you’ll assemble a full party of heroes to slay dangerous monsters while working to avoid the sabotage of your foes. The game also includes items you can equip to your heroes, 1V1 challenge cards, and roll modifiers to tip the odds in your favor. The first person to successfully slay three monsters, or build a full party with six classes, wins the game! Every player gets to choose a party leader character to represent them throughout the game. Each party leader card has a class and a skill that gives you an edge over your opponents. Whether you enjoy fighters, bards, wizards, or thieves, you'll find a party leader that's right for your play style - but choose wisely, because you only get one party leader for the whole game! Your heroes are brave adventurers, ready to attack monsters and go head to head with your foes! The game includes over 40 unique heroes. Each hero card has a class and an effect, and each hero’s effect has a roll requirement. In order to use a hero’s effect, you must roll two dice and score equal to or higher than that effect’s roll requirement. Heroes take advantage of items, magic and modifiers to increase their chances of making their dice rolls. In order to slay that monster, you must roll two dice and score equal to or higher than that monster’s roll requirement. Be warned: Each monster has a roll range in which they’ll fight back, and if you score within that range, your party might be in grave danger… Don't like what your opponent just played? Throw down a challenge! Challenge cards can be played instantly to try to stop another player from playing a hero, item, or magic card. Playing a challenge card initiates a 1V1 challenge in which you and another player both have to roll the dice. If they win the challenge, they still get to play their card, but if you win the challenge, you get to send their card directly to the discard pile!

Within the charming valley of Everdell, beneath the boughs of towering trees, among meandering streams and mossy hollows, a civilization of forest critters is thriving and expanding. From Everfrost to Bellsong, many a year have come and gone, but the time has come for new territories to be settled and new cities established. You will be the leader of a group of critters intent on just such a task. There are buildings to construct, lively characters to meet, events to host—you have a busy year ahead of yourself. Will the sun shine brightest on your city before the winter moon rises? Everdell is a game of dynamic tableau building and worker placement. On their turn a player can take one of three actions: a) Place a Worker: Each player has a collection of Worker pieces. These are placed on the board locations, events, and on Destination cards. Workers perform various actions to further the development of a player's tableau: gathering resources, drawing cards, and taking other special actions. b) Play a Card: Each player is building and populating a city; a tableau of up to 15 Construction and Critter cards. There are five types of cards: Travelers, Production, Destination, Governance, and Prosperity. Cards generate resources (twigs, resin, pebbles, and berries), grant abilities, and ultimately score points. The interactions of the cards reveal numerous strategies and a near infinite variety of working cities. c) Prepare for the next Season: Workers are returned to the players supply and new workers are added. The game is played from Winter through to the onset of the following winter, at which point the player with the city with the most points wins.

In Mice and Mystics, players take on the roles of those still loyal to the king – but to escape the clutches of Vanestra, they have been turned into mice! Play as cunning field mice who must race through a castle now twenty times larger than before. The castle would be a dangerous place with Vanestra's minions in control, but now countless other terrors also await heroes who are but the size of figs. Play as nimble Prince Collin and fence your way past your foes, or try Nez Bellows, the burly smith. Confound your foes as the wizened old mouse Maginos, or protect your companions as Tilda, the castle's former healer. Every player will have a vital role in the quest to warn the king, and it will take careful planning to find Vanestra's weakness and defeat her. Mice and Mystics is a cooperative adventure game in which the players work together to save an imperiled kingdom. They will face countless adversaries such as rats, cockroaches, and spiders, and of course the greatest of all horrors: the castle's housecat, Brodie. Mice and Mystics is a boldly innovative game that thrusts players into an ever-changing, interactive environment, and features a rich storyline that the players help create as they play the game. The Cheese System allows players to hoard the crumbs of precious cheese they find on their journey, and use it to bolster their mice with grandiose new abilities and overcome seemingly insurmountable odds. Mice and Mystics will provide any group of friends with an unforgettable adventure they will be talking about for years to come – assuming they can all squeak by...

Take part in one of the most famous science-fiction stories of all time. Dune: A Game of Conquest and Diplomacy builds on 40 years of development, refinement, and evolution from the original classic game. It has the same beloved DNA, flavor, tension, and themes, but with new game-board design, more spice, new streamlined rules, and a new market deck from which you can purchase game advantages. Also, the brand new two-player mode really opens up new gaming opportunities, all making the game more accessible for even the most casual gamer. In Dune, you will take control of one of the four great factions—House Atreides, House Harkonnen, the Fremen, and the Imperium—all vying to control the most valuable resource in the universe: melange, the mysterious spice only found at great cost on the planet Dune. Ship your forces to Dune, harvest spice, seize control of strongholds, and destroy your enemies. Who will control Dune? You decide! The game is played multiple phases, some of which don't have player specific actions, like in the Spice phase, a Spice Blow card is drawn and spice is added to the board in two territories, or else a Sandworm attacks that last two territories where spice was placed. But on the card phase, each player draws up to a hand of 4 Battle cards, and then may purchase Market cards up to a hand of 3 for 2 spice each. On the Shipping and Movement Phase, players take turns adding forces to the board and then moving forces on the board. Each player's faction has The game plays 3 to 5 Rounds. Starting on Round 3, the game can end if a player occupies 3 strongholds at the end of the Round. If no one occupies 3 strongholds at the end of Round 5, then the player with the most spice wins (and each stronghold they occupy counts as 5 spice).

Description ClassificationEdit Type Strategy Category Animals Economic Fantasy Mechanism Auction / Bidding Commodity Speculation Hand Management Push Your Luck Set Collection Family Animals: Lizards Crowdfunding: Kickstarter Digital Implementations: Tabletopia Misc: LongPack Games Theme: Anthropomorphic Animals Reimplements Raccoon Tycoon Astoria is a land pulsing with magic and intrigue! A handful of Arch-Mages are vying for the loyalty of wizards across the land so that they can wield ultimate power. Lizard Wizard is a game from the team that brought you Raccoon Tycoon. Aspects of gameplay will be familiar to fans of RT, and will add a bit of extra depth and strategy. In Lizard Wizard, players compete to recruit wizards from seven unique schools of magic, build mystical towers, research powerful spells, summon helpful familiars, and search dark dungeons for gold and items of power. Only one Arch-Mage will rise above the rest and control the land. Will it be you? Actions Lizard Wizard is an action-selection game. On a player’s turn, they may perform one of the following six Actions: 1) GATHER REAGENTS Just as there are seven schools of magic, there are seven magical reagents, or ingredients, that fuel the magic of Astoria. Knowing where these natural wonders can be found is the essential starting point for every young wizard. Sometimes they use familiars to perform this errand, but it is still very common to find even the most powerful arch-mages lurking in the Enchanted Wood, searching for the most pure reagents. Play a Gather Reagents Card Take Reagents shown on the ‘Gather Reagents’ half (plus any on your Wizard Cards) Increase the value of the Reagents shown on the ‘Increase Value’ half Cast one spell (if you have the necessary reagents) 2) CONVERT REAGENTS TO MANA Long ago, the wizards of Astoria learned how to convert reagents into mana, the magical energy that powers all things. The process is no longer dangerous, but it still takes great focus and knowledge. Turn in one type of reagents to the supply Gain Mana = Value of that Reagent x Tokens turned in Reduce the Value of that Reagent by the number of Tokens turned in 3) RECRUIT WIZARD The Arch Mages of Astoria are vying for ultimate power, which can only be achieved by drawing several lesser wizards into their circle of influence. They do this through demonstrations of their magical ability. Occasionally, their attempts to recruit a wizard are challenged by one or more rivals, and a Wizard’s Duel occurs. These contests of magical power can drain even the most powerful mage. Select one of the two Wizard Cards on offer and bid Mana in turn (or pass) Winner of the Auction pays the bid and takes the Wizard Card If the player who started the Auction didn’t win, they may take another Action 4) RESEARCH SPELL Arch-Mages have the ability to learn spells from any of the seven schools of magic. Once they have researched a new spell, it still must be cast with reagents (and the help of a familiar) before it takes effect. Select a Spell Card from the four on offer and pay 5 Mana Place the Spell Card face down in front of you Cast the Spell if you have the necessary Reagents 5) CREATE A TOWER Magical Towers amplify the power of wizards of each school of magic. Towers may be created through powerful magic, or built by workers who must be paid. Pay either the Reagents or the Gold shown on the Tower Card on offer Take the Tower Card and place it in front of you Towers add ‘1’ to your storage for Reagents 6) SUMMON FAMILIAR: Familiars are magical spirits that are summoned and inhabit the bodies of mortal creatures. They are essential servants who perform many vital services for wizards: They can be used for simple errands, such as gathering reagents or gold. They are the only ones who can locate the ever-shifting entrance to the famous Dungeons of Astoria. They are also essential assistants in the complex rituals required to cast spells. Use the Card for one of four purposes: a) Score one School of Magic (2 Gold/ Card of the same School of Magic as the Familiar) b) Gather Reagents shown on the Familiar Card and Cast any number of Spells c) Clear the Spell Offer, Replace them with four new Spell Cards and select one for free d) Enter the Dungeon Draw cards from the top of the Dungeon Deck, stopping when you want Monster Cards ‘hit’; 2 hits = failure If you stop before failure, keep the treasure cards and shuffle the monster cards back into the Dungeon Deck If you fail, shuffle all drawn cards back into the Dungeon Deck End Game and Scoring The game will end when any one of the following decks is depleted: Familiar, Tower, Wizard, Spell. When the game ends, the players will score points for each Wizard and Tower Card combo (10 VP if they are of the same school of magic, and 5 VP if they are not), 3 VP for each Spell Card in schools of magic where they have a matching Wizard and Tower, 1 VP for each Gold gathered from the dungeon or from scoring with a Familiar Card, and any points derived from the special abilities from spells. -description from publisher

In the 1920s, Mr. MacDowell, a gifted astrologer, immediately detected a supernatural being upon entering his new house in Scotland. He gathered eminent mediums of his time for an extraordinary séance, and they have seven hours to make contact with the ghost and investigate any clues that it can provide to unlock an old mystery. Unable to talk, the amnesiac ghost communicates with the mediums through visions, which are represented in the game by illustrated cards. The mediums must decipher the images to help the ghost remember how he was murdered: Who did the crime? Where did it take place? Which weapon caused the death? The more the mediums cooperate and guess well, the easier it is to catch the right culprit. In Mysterium, a reworking of the game system present in Tajemnicze Domostwo, one player takes the role of ghost while everyone else represents a medium. To solve the crime, the ghost must first recall (with the aid of the mediums) all of the suspects present on the night of the murder. A number of suspect, location and murder weapon cards are placed on the table, and the ghost randomly assigns one of each of these in secret to a medium. Each hour (i.e., game turn), the ghost hands one or more vision cards face up to each medium, refilling their hand to seven each time they share vision cards. These vision cards present dreamlike images to the mediums, with each medium first needing to deduce which suspect corresponds to the vision cards received. Once the ghost has handed cards to the final medium, they start a two-minute sandtimer. Once a medium has placed their token on a suspect, they may also place clairvoyancy tokens on the guesses made by other mediums to show whether they agree or disagree with those guesses. After time runs out, the ghost reveals to each medium whether the guesses were correct or not. Mediums who guessed correctly move on to guess the location of the crime (and then the murder weapon), while those who didn't keep their vision cards and receive new ones next hour corresponding to the same suspect. Once a medium has correctly guessed the suspect, location and weapon, they move their token to the epilogue board and receive one clairvoyancy point for each hour remaining on the clock. They can still use their remaining clairvoyancy tokens to score additional points. If one or more mediums fail to identify their proper suspect, location and weapon before the end of the seventh hour, then the ghost has failed and dissipates, leaving the mystery unsolved. If, however, they have all succeeded, then the ghost has recovered enough of its memory to identify the culprit. Mediums then group their suspect, location and weapon cards on the table and place a number by each group. The ghost then selects one group, places the matching culprit number face down on the epilogue board, picks three vision cards — one for the suspect, one for the location, and one for the weapon — then shuffles these cards. Players who have achieved few clairvoyancy points flip over one vision card at random, then secretly vote on which suspect they think is guilty; players with more points then flip over a second vision card and vote; then those with the most points see the final card and vote. If a majority of the mediums have identified the proper suspect, with ties being broken by the vote of the most clairvoyant medium, then the killer has been identified and the ghost can now rest peacefully. If not, well, perhaps you can try again...

ADVENTURES IN THE WORLD OF SKYRIM! Before the Dragonborn came to Skyrim…. You are surviving members of the Blades, a legendary group who long protected the Empire of Tamriel! Abandoned by the empire, you must work together to thwart a plot that threatens the whole of Skyrim Build a unique character in the world of the Elder Scrolls. Choose between a Nord, Dunmer, Imperial, Altmer, Khajiit or Orsimer. Equip your character with a wide range of weapons, spells and armour. Travel across the Holds of Skyrim to places like Riften, Solitude, Falkreath and Whiterun. Attempt a huge range of evolving quests that change the game with each decision, Explore the wilderness. Gain side quests from mysterious characters. Delve into ancient ruins and tombs. Battle Draugr, Frostbite Spiders, Dragons, Dwemer Constructs and Daedra. The deeper you delve, the deadlier your foes will become. Gain experience and amazing treasures. Upgrade and enchant your gear. Level up your character with a wide range of unique skills and abilities. Play through six chapters of two huge campaigns spanning 25 years in the history of Skyrim in this endlessly replayable boardgame. The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim – The Adventure Game is a 1-4 player co-operative game of adventure and exploration across Skyrim. Players take the roles of heroes involved in epic quests, working together to defeat their enemies and exploring the vast expanse of Skyrim. You will be able to choose character miniatures like the Khajiit, Nord, or High Elf; plan your strategy with weapons or spells; and fight your way through forgotten mines, Draugr-infested tombs, or ancient Dwemer cities to find ancient treasures and increase your power. The players must keep an eye out as the threat increases across Skyrim as Dragons, Daedra, Trolls, and more roam the lands and wreak havoc across the holds. Players need to work together to keep the lands free, whilst balancing the demands of their most important quests. The base game is divided into two campaigns of three chapters each. The decisions the players make from their first turn have a distinct effect on the unfolding story and encounters, making the whole campaign experience different every time you play. You can even save your progress after each game and start the next chapter with the same character, equipment, and skills. With the numerous choices of characters, gear, magic, and skills matched with the many decisions each player makes through their quests, there are literally hundreds of hours of gameplay, with some stories not even seen based on your early decisions. The face of Skyrim can change during the game, impacting the course of the players' experience in subsequent chapters. At any time, the players can simply reset, choose another character and play style, make different choices, and experience things differently. Alternatively, pick a chapter that sounds fun and drop in to just play that adventure as a one-off. Key mechanics: A Living Board The game board represents the province of Skyrim. Players move their characters — represented by 32mm scale plastic miniatures — across the region, visiting Strongholds, exploring dungeons and meeting interesting characters as the story unfolds. But they are not the only ones there; roaming monsters appear, blocking roads and threatening the peace in Skyrim. Several game effects could lead to the fall of a Stronghold so players need to keep an eye on the state of unrest and the active dangers across the board. Customizable Characters There are no classes in Skyrim. Each character has a different starting innate ability and additional abilities that are unlocked as they learn specific skills, but that doesn’t mean that they are tied to a gameplay style. For example, even though Nords shine when they are developed with a focus on warrior skills and equipment, a player could decide to make their Nord a spellcaster, or a summoner, and still retrain midway through the game after finding an amazing sword they really want to use. Players can change their progression path mid-game, and enjoy many different play styles. Upgradeable Equipment There are plenty of equippable items: weapons, pieces of armor, trinkets, etc. Most of these items can be customized; by either Enchanting or Upgrading them in a Stronghold. When Upgrading or Enchanting an item, the player draws an Enchantment/Upgrade card, and slots it underneath the item, altering its properties. A piece of armor can be Upgraded so it becomes better against Heavy Attacks, for example, and it can also be Enchanted so it helps the character regenerate Stamina faster. When learning the Smithing and the Enchanting skills, the players get to draw more cards and choose between them, making the experience of customizing equipment richer and letting them focus on the playstyle they prefer. Furthermore, when playing in a group, one player can specialize their character in Enchanting or Smithing and upgrade all their allies' items by meeting in a Stronghold, adding another layer of cooperative gameplay. Quests in Cards The story in the game is told using Quest cards. Players draw Main Quests — those that push the narrative forward — and Personal Quests — side stories gained by exploring the vastness of the province of Skyrim. By completing or failing them, the story progresses. Many of these Quests give the players a choice at the end. This choice chains the Quest with a new one, creating a branching story that changes every time the game is played. Failing a quest doesn’t mean losing the game; instead, failure often becomes another way of choosing. The cards are organized in a way in which, if a card is removed as a result of Quest being failed or a game effect is triggered, the next card will take its place, dramatically changing the story. Combat System With an assortment of weapons, ranging from daggers to bows, players will be able to engage in combat with dangerous enemies, whether they be in a dungeon or part of a questline. Each weapon and spell will inform the player what attacks it can perform and how much Stamina or Magicka they’ll have to spend to use them. The player will roll the custom dice and attempt to overcome each weapon’s specific Skill Tests; hitting with heavier weapons is bound to be harder than hitting with lighter weapons. Combat is fast, exciting, and deadly, although strategy is a key factor to success. Some enemies, in fact, will employ unorthodox tactics, including the ability to heal themselves or wear nearly impenetrable armors. Dungeon Crawling Players can visit increasingly dangerous caves, mines, tombs, ruins, and Dwemer cities across Skyrim. Dungeons are built with cards each representing a major threat in that area of the dungeon. It might be a terrifying Draugr or a surprise trap that, if you’re lucky, one of the characters may be capable of disabling. As the characters level up, the lower-level adversaries are discarded, scaling the difficulty of the dungeons along with the player’s level. The more you visit a certain type of dungeon, the more likely you will see its more fearsome denizens, albeit with better rewards! Cooperative The whole game is fully cooperative. Players are encouraged to discuss their strategies and to collaborate to advance in their own storylines. Each player will be following their own storyline, joining together at the end of each chapter, when their plots are woven together into an epic finale for the whole party. There are some situations where characters, even if they have the same overall goal, find themselves on opposite sides of a struggle, and may interfere with each other as they progress. This gives an interesting layer of light competitive gameplay, whilst still keeping the cooperative nature of the game in the forefront.