The Dark Tale of a Halfling Wizard in Gloom of Kilforth
Wander through a beautiful fantasy world as darkness slowly creeps in on an unforgettable adventure in Gloom of Kilforth.
There are some games I absolutely love and simply never get to my table enough. Gloom of Kilforth: A Fantasy Quest Game, fits into that category so well! My last play was nearly a year ago, which baffles me. The stories are always fun, and even though I have some quips with the reliance on luck, this world and its adventures are incredibly enjoyable!
Game Overview
Game Name: Gloom of Kilforth: A Fantasy Quest Game
Publication Year: 2017
Designer: Tristan Hall
Artist: Ania Kryczkowska
Publisher: Hall or Nothing Productions
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
The 5×5 grid of locations is iconic and always gets me ready to play! As gloom descends on the land, a hero must complete the main saga as a dangerous ancient takes notice… Leading to a magnificent final battle! Keywords and dice play vital parts, while the narrative writes itself.
First Play
April 24, 2019
Complexity
3
Latest Play
August 19, 2021
Expansions
1
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
10
Play Time
2 Hours
High Score
45
Game Area
44" x 28"
Low Score
5
Organized Decks
For such an enormous sort of adventure, the number of components isn’t overwhelming. 8 different card decks hold all of the encounters and different types of rewards.
I usually keep these set up in neat piles that slowly get disheveled over the course of play. Not anymore!
These handy Draw & Discard Card Holders never get a lot of attention from me, yet they’re so wonderful! Normally the vertical cards are there to store discarded cards.
So this still resulted in some extra discard piles off to the side, although the card holders were still very helpful!
A Halfling Wizard
As usual, I drew a pair of each type of starting card to give myself a few options. Ultimately, I felt like a halfling wizard was the right path to take. Look at that artwork!
His name was Pomgind Rainsun. Fancifully magical, owing to the clasp in his cloak. Inherited from his great-grandmother, or possibly stolen, depending on the rumor.
This is what I love about these cards: They have just enough evocative flavor text and art to weave a tale.
Yet there’s not enough to cement the same story with each card. Follow me on this tale of Pomgind’s journey…
Into Sprawl City
Just before getting into character and weaving a tale, take a very close look at this character standee. See anything different from the halfling card? How very interesting!
Pomgind’s magical senses warned of something sinister brewing out in the wilderness. He knew every inch of Sprawl City, mainly in the royal gardens he loved so much.
Never mind that Pomgind was not welcome on the castle grounds. He went where he liked, very independent-like.
Despite his love for Sprawl City and all it had to offer, there was something unknown calling to him.
The Marquis of Pain
He lurked in the shadows of taverns and beneath the glowing windows of the guard posts by night. Always crouching. Always listening. Always cautious.
Word spread quickly of an evil force that took the shape of the Marquis of Pain. This was no ordinary enemy.
Even the bravest and most battle-hardened soldiers shivered at the tales. Pomgind found the shadows almost menacing at times. This was enough to start his journey.
There was little to go on, and how was a barely noticed halfling to have any effect? Still, he felt he had to try.
A No-Good Thief
Into the ancient forests, Pomgind walked, often turning back to watch Sprawl City disappear into the distance. Before long, he could no longer see the tallest tower.
But there was a magic spell in these woods whose power had to be gathered. If only he could find the source…
He rested his tired feet at the base of a waterfall that almost seemed to speak. Pomgind leaned in to listen.
A trap! From behind the falls, an unarmed bandit leaped out. Pomgind hadn’t made it through life without being nimble, and he deftly called on fate to safely escape.
Locating Sanctuary
Not only did Pomgind find Lost Forest, but it was the location of a powerful spell. His ability to lurk in Sprawl City wasn’t as useful out in the wilderness.
Shadows didn’t keep him hidden, yet becoming one with the spirit of nature would certainly come in handy!
There was a time when he would have turned back to Sprawl City to try his newfound knowledge in the royal garden. Yet not now. These shadows were colder. Odder.
By night, Pomgind looked back to where Sprawl City might be. He would return, but never turn around.
Weathering a Storm
He awoke to the sputtering sounds of a dying fire. In a moment, a fierce hail storm descended on the forest.
Pomgind took shelter in a shallow cave, almost made for a halfling. His small stature had never been much of a thinking point, yet he was glad of it for the moment.
Hail as large as prize-winning apples flew from the sky, breaking branches with enormous cracks and splitting on the ground with enough force to shatter into nothing.
The small cave provided enough cover, although Pomgind felt as though the storm was settling over him.
Sunshine and Unicorns
It was a full day and night before the hail let up. Pomgind held pieces in his hands and felt a distinct presence. Was there darkness in every core? So chilling in many ways.
He nearly broke his cover to approach a stranger in the distance. But this was not the halfling way, or at least not how Pomgind had been taught. Caution above friendship.
But he wasn’t foolish: Camping near the lone man would provide some protection, provided he stayed hidden.
By daybreak, sunshine broke through the hail storm and Pomgind could make his way beyond the stranger.
Revenge of a Beggar
Now, Pomgind may have been on a quest to potentially save Sprawl City and the rest of the world, but he wasn’t an inherently good individual. Nay, his past was marked.
It was with the utmost surprise when he stepped out into the open plains to see a figure in the distance.
There was no hiding this time. And it was an unfortunate occurrence, for it was Timor… A beggar who Pomgind had accused of lying and stealing, though Timor was innocent.
Revenge is an ugly trait, and Timor was all rage. Pomgind had no choice but to fight. And Timor was so weak…
Call of the Cult
Taking an innocent life was never part of Pomgind’s plan. This was the first time he had done so. No matter that he was defending himself. Timor was dead. It made him ill.
Stepping into a nearby bog and so focused on his heinous deed, Pomgind never realized he was surrounded.
The mysterious Cult of Masklaw knew everything, and far too quickly. They wordlessly offered magic or demanded a sacrifice. As tied to gloom as they were, the power…
Pomgind accepted a strange spell of learning. What he was actually learning was far from clear as the cult left.
Danger in Lava Canyon
Timor’s death hung heavy on Pomgind’s conscience. Who was he becoming? Was the darkness he sought to destroy taking hold of him? Visions of the cult invaded his dreams.
As he clawed and dragged his way through the mountains, he could hear something below him. Something large.
Just as he reached the apex of a cliff, a stiff hand grabbed hold of his foot. Pomgind struggled free only to come face-to-face with a zombie. The zombie of Timor?!
It was harrowing battle that the wizard barely survived. Days would pass before he would regain his strength.
The Casket of Souls
Pomgind knew then that his quest would take him to the infamous Casket of Souls. For how else would Timor follow him in death? There was no question of the link.
Orcs swirled around the rumored tomb with a map to the relic. Pomgind studied the barracks, sneaking about and listening for any solid pieces of information.
The world beyond Sprawl City was like nothing he could have pictured. Dangers were everywhere, as was his quest.
Deeper into the web of gloom he crept. This relic was powerful, but what exactly was drawing him to it?
Uniting the Land
In order to get closer to his target, he found himself in the midst of bringing lands and people together. For the first time, Pomgind felt that he was doing something good.
His knowledge of the path back to Sprawl City helped form a trade route that was previously stopped by the treacheries of the badlands, bogs, and swamps.
The one thing he was unable to escape was a new title bestowed upon him by the Wild Claw tribes. Executioner.
Pomgind could hold his own in battle, yet the cursed word brought back the terrible memories of Timor’s death.
Fountain of What?
The darkness was all around now, forcing Pomgind to carefully choose where to spend his nights. Too much time in the shadows made him ill and drained his energy.
But the Casket of Souls was near. He learned much from the locals, including the mysterious Gruntfuttock whose helm was seemingly lost. No longer! Pomgind retrieved it.
Most alarming of all was the appearance of the Fountain of Youth. It was tied to all those lost souls. Yet why? How?
Pomgind continued to seek his answers as the darkness kept swirling around him, consuming him bit by bit.
Destroyed by Bad Luck with the Keywords
Alas, Pomgind’s journey came to a standstill at this point. There are roughly 25 turns to complete a saga and defeat the ancient. I spent a good 10 turns at this point sifting through the encounter decks to find a single card with the final keyword I needed to get through chapter 4 and then move onto the saga finale. So very frustrating!
I sometimes lament over bad luck, but this really was bad luck… The keyword came up once early on, and then was buried in the final 10 cards of each and every encounter deck. I never would have found it with the way the cards were shuffled. Poor Pomgind! However, all wasn’t completely lost as I came up with an ending that might give him solace.
Session Overview
Play Number: 9
Expansion: Encounters Expansion Pack
Accessory: Pimp My Gloom Expansion Pack
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Warrior Difficulty Level
Outcome: 10 Points (Loss)
As darkness closed in and Pomgind felt lost to the gloom, Rigo’s Legacy suddenly stretched before him. The weary wizard ascended, step by step, further and further from the shadows. Legend tells of his meeting with Timor’s soul and Pomgind finding inner peace amidst the clouds.
%
10 Plays
Affordability
Price & Value
6
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
7
Quality
Components & Rules
9
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
7
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
10
+ Pros (Positives)
- A narrative almost always develops naturally over the course of play simply from a little flavor text and context.
- There are almost endless combinations of cards to try out and explore across all of the ancestries and classes.
- Saga chapters provide a main quest, while rumors act as optional side quests to pick and choose various rewards.
- Despite assets being capped at 6, this forces careful planning to make the most of what might be available.
- Each character can develop in unexpected ways, sometimes transforming a warrior into a heavy magic-user.
- All of the artwork is simply amazing and even breathtaking with a mixture of pure beauty and some terror.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Bad luck can spoil a lot in terms of dice rolls and keywords on encounter or item cards, to the point of defeat.
- Although there are a lot of cards in the base game, they do feel a bit repetitive after less than 10 plays.
- There are some rules that seem to be easy to forget, like how fate tokens or rumors may be used once per day.
- Keeping the large play area organized can be a little tricky, especially with multiple encounters on locations.
Victory Conditions
Defeat the Ancient
- Overall Goal Progress 50%
Goals and Milestones
Win at least 1 game against the Abbess of Penance.
Win at least 1 game against the Deacon of Betrayal.
Win at least 1 game against the Marquis of Pain.
Win at least 1 game against the Prince of Ruin.
Continue the Conversation
What are some of your favorite aspects of Gloom of Kilforth: A Fantasy Quest Game? I may lament about the bad luck at times, yet I still absolutely love this game! Do you have a favorite character, encounter, or reward? Seeing the different ways that stories develop, even from the same set of cards, is amazing and I simply love exploring this world!
Using standees for the encounter cards?! What a light-bulb moment. One of my negatives for the game is just fitting encounter cards on the spaces without it becoming a mess of cards and images. This is brilliant.
I don’t know if you did it just for the photography or it’s your standard practice, but thank you.
Ps why two stands per card?
Thanks, Michael! I originally did this for photography, but I agree with you that laying the cards flat gets messy. I also found I couldn’t easily parse the information to figure out empty locations or where certain keywords could be found. Voila! Standee bases give the world a little more of a 3D appearance that looks nice, yet is very functional for me.
I almost always use 2 bases per card for stability. With a single standee base, the slightest touch can knock the card over and create a domino effect. I went from knocking cards over almost every round to maybe 1-2 cards per play, and that’s mostly from me trying to take photos! It does use up a lot of standee bases, but with the base game plus accessory pack, I tend to run out rarely. Now with Shadows of Kilforth properly unboxed, I have enough standee bases for anything!
Hope this little trick helps keep your play area neater. Good luck!