Game Overview

Game Name: Gloom of Kilforth
Publication Year: 2017
Designer: Tristan Hall
Artist: Ania Kryczkowska
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game

Setting up the map was like revisiting an old friend. There isn’t anything particularly relaxing about gameplay, what with the Ancient looming over everything, yet the artwork is simply stunning! I always enjoy setting everything up and getting lost in the world. One day, perhaps I’ll even try my hand at writing a little lore! Everything stirs up ideas.

The Guilty Elf Wizard

As I randomized my character’s class and race, I was immediately grabbed by the combination of flavor text.

It sounded like this elf wizard knew about the coming gloom. But there was something more… Was his magic to blame for what Kilforth was about to experience?

Aerendyl was a fascinating wizard already. I nearly forgot his fate tokens, though… No harm done! Or maybe I figured he was going to be practically invincible and lucky.

Since each card features different portraits, I sometimes overlap them just so I can picture my character easier.

An Ancient Enemy

Hello, Marquis of Pain. So we meet again! I haven’t won against him in the past, which turned into my main goal for this play. Success would have to happen soon enough!

The final showdown is an intense sort of battle that can easily fall apart without the right preparations.

Part of the game involves some strategy in countering the Ancient’s worst abilities. At the same time, its narrative is very rich and sometimes advances with bad dice rolls.

Everything was all set to go for Aerendyl. He had unleashed this enemy, and it was up to him to succeed.

Daytime in Sprawl City

The journey was about to begin for Aerendyl. All of Kilforth was swathed in glorious color, yet the shadows held the first threads of the inevitable gloom. He sighed.

This was his fault for meddling with the arcane. Other wizards might have reached further beyond the Veil. No matter. He had felt that presence one too many times.

Aerendyl knew of a powerful wizard in the northwest who might teach him a spell he had only dreamed of learning.

So he set out, alone except for the burden of his guilt. There was still time to set this right.

Into the Badlands

Being an elf, Aerendyl was unaccustomed to the natural taint of the badlands. He found himself in the Barren Wastes on the outskirts of Sprawl City in no time.

Drudging through the dampness, his guilt weighed heavily upon his conscious. He sunk deeper and deeper.

The mud pulled and grabbed at his agile feet. More than once, he had the eerie feeling that something was watching him. Was the swamp holding onto him?

Uneasiness soured his stomach. Aerendyl felt an illness coming over him. Perhaps it was merely the gloom.

Discovering the Hidden

Glad to be back in the forest on dry ground, the elf delighted in the chirping birds who knew nothing of the gloomy threat. Only Aerendyl seemed to understand.

Beyond a particularly meddlesome copse of brambles, he stumbled across a magnificent sight. The fabled shrine.

Its sacred status was known across elfdom, though it was far from easy to find. Perhaps that would be its protection against even the deepest gloom. It was out there. Lurking.

Aerendyl made a note of its exact location in his secret code. With any luck, he wouldn’t accidentally reveal it.

The Peaceful Forest

Weary of his travels, he sought a place to make camp before nightfall. Others might have been oblivious to the dangers, but not Aerendyl. He had to protect himself.

Whether by luck or magic, he came across a place of absolute peace tucked into the trees and stones.

This was a place of peace and serenity. He built up a small fire to keep away the cold and, more importantly, the deep shadows just beyond the realm of his vision.

Aerendyl remained awake until the moon danced overhead. And it was dancing… For he was rather ill.

Mysterious Knowledge

With a newly acquired spell that could carry him even further, Aerendyl entered another marshy landscape. Despite his uneasiness, there was something here…

Just when he was convinced the mud would swallow him up, he spotted a dwelling hidden amidst the swamp trees.

A hermit emerged and approached at an alarming rate. He came right up to Aerendyl to stare deeply into his eyes.

The mark of the arcane passed between them, along with an understanding. Tired, worn lips barely moved, except to whisper, “Casket of Souls,” to the bewildered elf.

On the Hunt

As Aerendyl traveled, those words haunted him. There had been whispers of the Casket of Souls. But at this point, it was merely a bedtime story to scare children into sleep.

What if there was more to the story, though? The wizard hunted through the forests, looking for any clues.

Somehow, the hermit came to him in his dreams to point the way. Restless nights wore him down, but there was something out there. Beyond the gloom. Or mixed with it?

He discovered the keys to locating the map. This was only the start of the hunt, though. And the gloom beckoned…

Sheriff of the Woods

Throughout his journey, Aerendyl mostly kept to himself. It was the guilt that held him back from interacting.

Every face he saw was one that would be affected by the gloom. Seeing that reality stare back at him was too much.

Yet when a mortal threat appeared, the wizard found a way to intervene. He brought a band of convicts under control and earned himself the lofty title of sheriff.

All was well. Aerendyl felt that he was a part of the world. Little by little, he was finding ways to stop the gloom. But he was getting overconfident, as wizards often get.

The Misty Fens

The last words from the hermit called for a return to the Misty Fens. Aerendyl fled from it when a witch claimed the old hut as her own. But she was no enemy. Not to all.

Much more importantly, rumor had it that she guarded the powerful artifact known as the Doom Shield.

It could prevent death by absorbing a killing blow. Armed with this, Aerendyl felt he could actually take on the Ancient. Already, a pair of his plots had been foiled.

Alas, though. The Misty Fens were far, far away. The lone wizard would have to travel through dangerous lands…

Session Overview

Play Number: 7
Expansion: Encounters Expansion Pack
Accessory: Pimp My Gloom Expansion Pack
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Warrior Difficulty Level
Required Play Space: 44″ x 28″
Setup Time: 10 Minutes
Play Time: 1 Hour & 10 Minutes
Outcome: 17 Points (Loss)

Less cautious than he should have been, Aerendyl waltzed into the mountain lair of a raging vampire. The end!

Affordability

Price & Value

10

Functionality

Challenges & Mechanics

10

Originality

Design & Theme

7

Quality

Components & Rules

9