Against the Ghosts in Dwellings of Eldervale: A New Dawn
Set out across a world filled with magic and monsters to discover all sorts of elemental interactions in Dwellings of Eldervale.
Bringing some of my large box solo games to the table can be a struggle, yet I’ve been trying to give some attention to them here and there. Dwellings of Eldervale has been its own sort of dwelling on a shelf for far too long. Ha ha! I felt ready to be excited about the possibilities. After spending a little time with the rules, I was ready to dive in for the first time!
Game Overview
Game Name: Dwellings of Eldervale
Publication Year: 2020
Designer: Luke Laurie
Artist: Many (10 Credited)
Publisher: Breaking Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Workers set out to explore a world to gather resources and settle in the dangerous lands often roamed by monsters. Different elements offer unique magical abilities, all of which can be utilized to find clever strategies. There is a grand puzzle to work through with every interesting play!
First Play
March 22, 2026
Complexity
3
Latest Play
March 28, 2026
Expansions
3
Setup Time
10 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
4
Play Time
1 Hour & 15 Minutes
High Score
141
Game Area
50" x 28"
Low Score
89
Clerics of the Dawn
Although there are a lot of components and setup takes a bit of time, everything is quite functional and clear. I was pretty impressed and started planning before the first turn.
There is a lot to understand with the way the elements are connected, yet the rules are relatively short. Definitely good!
I began as the Clerics of the Dawn, which is one of the least complex factions. So many to try out eventually, though.
The elemental system was also quite intriguing, and I could see how much variety was present in the system. It would be rare for multiple plays to progress exactly the same way!
Against the Ghosts
The solo opponent is represented by a modified faction with their own set of rules… The ghosts! I had to learn a few concepts, yet this was a straightforward learning process.
They take away opportunities and advance towards the end game, maintaining a score to beat. Yet there is a layered strategy behind understanding the upcoming possibilities.
A set of cards is always visible, channeling what will happen during the next turn. Definitely some neat possibilities!
I didn’t get far into planning how to out-maneuver the solo opponent during my first play, but this is a clever concept.
Watching Over You…
Such awesome monster miniatures! During setup, this winged serpent emerged from its lair to keep an eye on the map. I kept looking at and thinking through my options.
Each play begins in a peaceful state, so there was no danger… Yet! But monsters will charge into adjacent hexes, and each has a unique ability that can be challenging.
I was probably way too excited to dive in at the start, mostly because I was surprised by how short the rules were.
Not that this is a lightweight sort of game, yet the rulebook was very manageable and I only had a few small questions.
Another Watcher!
A simple mechanic with the solo mode is the watcher, which is a large figure that follows newly placed meeples. I forgot to move it every now and then, but I was learning!
More importantly, I have to pause to say how much I laugh every time I set up a dwelling. Why? A roof is placed on top of a worker meeple, so a person turns into a house. Ha ha!
It’s a smart move, and maybe I’m the only person out there who laughs over this. “Excuse me, you’re wearing a roof!”
Ha! There’s nothing to complain about: The pieces fit together and are easy to track. But that’s a house person!
Getting Over the Hurdle of Large Game Boxes
As I look at my game shelves, I’ve noticed a trend towards large boxes that can be intimidating. Some are reasonable in weight, and I’m usually the one in my house who moves appliances or carries heavy things. I can handle game boxes! Ha! But it’s the sheer size of the game that can feel overwhelming. The play space is going to be big. Gameplay will be big.
I go in and out of phases, though, so when I feel like I’m ready to take on a heavier game, I’ve been trying to choose the large boxes. Some have been excellent, and others… Not so much. I think I have a tendency to remember past experiences with these sorts of games, and pass those on at a glance. It’s interesting because it’s only the huge boxes that are affected.
Shying away from them turns into a physical act of kind of sighing and quickly moving onto another possible option. Yet I’m at least to the point that I recognize it, and can try to approach a new game with a more open mind. The box size might be similar, yet that’s about it. So we’ll see how I do with rotating in some more unplayed solo games I’ve steered clear of!
Magical Taming
Lots and lots of strategies can be found in the cards, and I knew exactly when I wanted to use a spell. The winged serpent was ready to attack… But I was far too charming!
There is an arc to gameplay that involves a lot of collecting early on, but not necessarily in a boring sense.
Where I placed my workers mattered, as the ghosts tended to take away some of my best opportunities. With practice, I could see how I might counter with my placements.
So much to consider! This first play was more about getting the hang of the rules. My strategizing could wait. Maybe?
Cheering on the Enemy
Combat might not be matched to everyone’s tastes, as it comes down to rolling dice and taking the highest roll.
However, this made it very simple and suspenseful! There was a chance the underdog could win, slim as that might be.
At one point, the ghosts entered the dungeon and managed to instigate a battle with the winged serpent. None of my figures were nearby, so I cheered for the monster. Go!
Unfortunately, the highest rolls showed that the ghosts won, but by the smallest of margins. Again, this dice rolling has its pros and cons, although I was excited to try it out!
A Battle for the Ages
Well, well, well. A little later on, there was another grand battle at the entrance to the dungeon! Yet it looked pretty grim… My lone worker against 4 ghostly workers.
Ah, but I had a few swords and magic cards that helped me out so that the roll was a little more balanced. I managed to get it so that both sides rolled the same number of dice.
Look at that! With a good deal of luck, my single worker pulled ahead and outlasted the ghosts. A small victory!
It took a little bit to accept how luck-based combat could be, but I was still excited when I planned for decent dice odds.
Stories of Magic
The real magic was in the adventure cards. Half of the elements, or 4 of 8, are available during each solo play. Yet even a single element rarely goes through half of its deck.
I loved coming up with stories to tie into my faction. I will note, however, that I didn’t really go into any narrative depth. That goes against what I usually do, but it worked!
Interesting strategies and combinations kept me interested. Little stories emerged, but not in an overarching sense.
It was awesome to focus on different elements and figure out some unexpected combinations. Such a great time!
Dwellings All Over
Alright… I probably didn’t make the best decisions when it came to placing my dwellings. Not a lot of them ended up on the map, which should say a lot about my final score. Ha!
As a learning game, though, I still felt like I made clever decisions and even had a chance to win at some point.
I could see the balance that was needed to temper the pace of the game. Triggering the game end was an important moment. I likely did so too soon, which was my undoing.
With just a handful of tiny mistakes, though, I was pretty happy with this initial experience! Lots to think about.
Elemental Tracks
I loved moving up on the elemental tracks! This was a part of gameplay I didn’t focus on a lot as I got familiar with the rules, but it played a major role in final scoring.
Was it the right decision to steer clear of darkness? For the clerics, I called it a thematic sort of victory. Ha!
The dynamics worked well, in that the ghosts constantly kept me on my toes. I had to react to changing conditions, or lament that time the adventure card I wanted was stolen!
For a first play, this was one of the best introductions to a new solo game in a large box I’ve had in a bit. So much fun!
Session Overview
Play Number: 1
Accessory: Deluxe Upgrade Kit
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Outcome: 128-153 (Loss)
I may have forgotten to hand over a couple of tokens to the ghosts… Yet I lost anyway, so it’s all fair! This wasn’t an embarrassing deficit, though, and I already had plenty of ideas to try to improve. Gameplay moved along smoothly, which was rather surprising to me. I figured this would take a long time to understand. Nope! Just need to work on getting ahead of the ghosts next time, which will be soon!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
7
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
9
Originality
Design & Theme
10
Quality
Components & Rules
10
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
9
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
8
+ Pros (Positives)
- All of the components create a ton of variety during setup, which affects the available adventure cards and monsters.
- Each play advances in its own puzzle where every decision has cascading effects, and adjusting a strategy is vital.
- The component quality is excellent with trays that act as storage in the box and during play for a clean play area.
- Although the map expands, it doesn’t stretch out too far and is easy to move to accommodate new tiles.
- Every turn offers a number of options, and even during the early game resource gathering, choices are never scripted.
- Keeping an eye on the solo opponent adds a strategic layer to understanding the upcoming possibilities.
– Cons (Negatives)
- A few small rules are easy to miss during the first play, although these become intuitive as the rounds pass.
- Dice-based combat is often very much down to luck, which can be frustrating at times, although also exciting.
- Setup can feel slightly tedious with randomizing and placing the elemental tokens on the map and ghosts’ mat.
- The available adventure cards can sometimes lead to situations when everything is too expensive for several rounds.
Victory Conditions
Score the Most Points
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Win at least 1 game as the Clerics of the Dawn.
Continue the Conversation
What do you think of Dwellings of Eldervale? Do you have a favorite element or faction? I was quite impressed with this initial play, and I can’t wait to dig into gameplay some more! The possibilities are vast, and the way it all plays out in a moving puzzle is excellent. I’ll be back soon enough to see if I might be able to manage a proper victory in this solo mode!
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