Tae’s Tales of Discovery and Battle in Gloom of Kilforth
Set out on a grand adventure through a riveting saga as a deep darkness descends across the realm of Gloom of Kilforth.
Back to one of my older favorites! Gloom of Kilforth: A Fantasy Quest Game captivated me years ago, yet a lot of my time has been spent on the later volumes with more mechanics. It had been years since I played the original, which is also the simplest in mechanical terms. The stories are always amazing, and I was excited to return to this wonderful world again!
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
A character sets out across the land, working on a personal saga as the gloom grows. Lurking out there is a terrible enemy, which is what the final confrontation comes down to. There are all sorts of discoveries, and gameplay feels like a full campaign boiled down to a short play time. Excellent!
First Play
April 24, 2019
Complexity
3
Latest Play
October 27, 2025
Expansions
1
Setup Time
10 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
12
Play Time
2 Hours
High Score
N/A
Game Area
44" x 28"
Low Score
N/A
The Dwarf Soldier
The initial setup process involves randomizing a character with a combination of cards. Grotaeni Orespine was my dwarf soldier. Known as Tae, she was a fierce warrior!
I forgot how much I love the artwork in this volume. Simply amazing! Random locations for the night cards and rumors were the only additions I included from the other content.
Although I own nearly everything, it’s often best to keep each volume separate with the keyword distribution.
Some of the other volumes have artwork that’s not as striking as the original, too, so I loved focusing on this one.
An Ancient Demon
Every play features an overarching enemy, known as the Ancient. This time, I was up against the Marquis of Pain. Watch out for this nightmarish demon of… Nightmares. Ha!
There are difficulty modifiers, of course, yet I went with one of the hardest settings. Just felt like the right decision!
One tip I picked up on involved the plot cards. These are usually drawn when a particular terrain falls into gloom… And I always forget them. Easy: Tuck them during setup!
Note, too, that this is a heavily dice-based system, although there are ways to roll lots of dice or mitigate some bad rolls.
Misty Fens Convicts
Tae set out from Sprawl City under the cover of darkness… Because riding a gorilla was definitely not going to draw any attention to herself. Into the Misty Fens she journeyed…
It was here that she learned of a group of escaped convicts who had made a home for themselves in these badlands.
However, there wasn’t any major urgency and Tae had her sights set to the east, where danger seemed to be growing.
She noted the likely location of their hideout, determined to return again someday to bring justice. Yet it was not possible to solve every problem… Tae was alone out there.
From Fog to Danger
High in the mountains, a menacing fog settled into the canyons and around the peaks. Tae found herself unsure of her footing without a clear path to the surrounding regions.
Naturally, her meandering was done out in the open, for what would ever stalk her through this thick fog? Oh, just a minotaur! Its deep roars echoed around Lava Canyon.
It was all disorienting, and it was inevitable that a battle would occur. No one was there to see Tae fight valiantly.
Yet with her life barely intact, she felled the demon and found a bit of solace in the mountains close to home.
When the Original, Simple System Works Best
I loved this original volume so much that I’ve picked up practically everything else over the years. However, that means I’ve focused a lot on the later volumes. Shadows of Kilforth: A Fantasy Quest Game and Call of Kilforth: A Fantasy Quest Game have a lot of excellent features, but they also add new mechanics with additional elements to keep track of.
Artwork is always going to be subjective, too, yet nothing comes close to the first volume. I looked through the unused cards just to confirm, and some of the styles are jarring to see next to each other. A lot of characters look photorealistic and rather plastic, without any texture or expressions. Just not my cup of tea, although I appreciate that options exist.
All of this is to say that my opinion of the series has been steadily going down over the years, as I expected each new volume to improve on the previous ones. So glad I decided to return to the original! This one is simply amazing for me, both in terms of its appearance and storytelling possibilities. Simpler mechanics can be the best choice sometimes!
Avalanche!
As the fog cleared, Tae gathered herself and spent some time huddled around a campfire. It took a little time to heal from the minotaur’s wounds, and there would be scars.
Around the time that she expected to take off, a faint noise could be heard in the distance. The ground began to shake, and Tae turned around in time to see the cloud of white.
Quick as she could, she gauged an escape route among the cliffs. At the last second, she hurled herself to safety!
That seemed to clinch it: She needed to get out of these treacherous mountains and seek out new land.
Local Crime Wave
Although she was in good spirits, Tae kept an ear to the news from the local villages and towns she passed through.
To her horror, the message sending shockwaves through every community came from the Misty Fens, now steeped in gloom. But that wasn’t the worst part. Not by a mile.
Sir Gregor Rycerz, a noble Rosen Crusader, was last seen patrolling the area and protecting the villagers. But his journey took him far too close to the home of the convicts.
Under cover of darkness, their leaders committed an unspeakable crime… And Tae blamed herself for the murder.
Starting a Saga
It was the convicts who should have been dealt with, yet Tae managed her guilt by pursuing a group of bandits. It was on their trail that she discovered a most mysterious place.
The Well of Essence seemed to rise out of nowhere, a veritable set of stone ruins in the middle of nowhere.
Moss had already started to reclaim it. In some senses, it mirrored the strange affliction Tae encountered in the nearby mountains. These were unusual lands, indeed.
But somewhere out there was a possible solution to the growing power of the Marquis of Pain. Tae soldiered on.
A Strange Concoction
To the west, Tae encountered a worldly trader whose wares ranged from the mundane to the entirely unknown. In the mix was a seemingly simple healing salve… Possibly.
Something drew Tae to this tincture, and the trader noticed her interest. Tales of its origins seemed promising, and the dwarf soldier set off to explore the southeast of the map.
With gloom settling into many locations, time felt short. It was at this moment that Tae nearly fell into a terrifying pit.
With some study, though, she learned much about its origin. A faint path through the gnarled forest caught her eye…
Dark Arts and Demons
Unbeknownst to many, Tae was well-versed in the language of the demons. She knew of the Dark Arts, courtesy of a wayward cleric who had tricked her into the knowledge.
That was another story, though it was a surprise when Tae spotted her adversary in a small village. To some, she was the one who opened the world up to the Marquis of Pain.
Drawn to the dark, Tae also wore a brooch that pulsed with demonic power. It all pointed to an ominous conclusion.
However, her strength was more than physical, and Tae carried the evil burdens of the world as she delved deeper.
Thunderous Stampede
Only one solution made sense leading up to the saga finale and showdown with the Ancient… Through montage magic, Tae tamed a wild elephant and began a trampling march.
In a wild twist, the home of the minotaur she found early in her travels turned out to be the entrance to the new realm.
With almost the entire world shrouded in gloom, the Marquis of Pain made his entrance. And Tae thundered in.
The final battle was nightmarish, and it looked like the dwarf soldier was on her way out. But somehow, some way, she held on to save the world, a trusty elephant by her side!
Session Overview
Play Number: 11
Expansion: Encounters Expansion Pack
Accessory: Deluxe Upgrades Expansion Pack
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Play Details: Bloodbath Difficulty Level
Outcome: Win
What an absolutely exciting play! It all came down to the final day, and Tae ended with just a couple of health points left. Another battle round, and she would have been defeated. So thrilling! Suffice to say that I didn’t feel like I was done playing… Tae’s adventures shall continue soon!
%
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)
- The stories that come out of the cards and little bits of flavor text are wonderful, as many elements feel connected.
- Each play features something different since there is a pretty excellent level of variety present in all of the card decks.
- Not every ability works well together, but finding neat combinations to specialize in is a very fun aspect of play.
- Aside from a small number of cards, the artwork is stunning and brings the world to life in all sorts of ways.
- Dice rolls can often be mitigated in some way, often allowing a success to be added in the most dire of situations.
- Play time moves relatively quickly and feels like it covers a character’s full campaign in just a couple of hours.
– Cons (Negatives)
- Some degree of luck is involved with collecting keywords and rolling the dice, which can be a bit frustrating at times.
- Keeping the play area organized can take some work when there are a lot of active cards and tokens to keep track of.
- A few rules aren’t as intuitive and looking up a specific question can take a little time with the rulebook’s structure.
- It takes some effort to craft a story, and since bad luck has a tendency to snowball, the end can come up abruptly.
Victory Conditions
Defeat the Ancient
- Overall Goal Progress 75%
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 is your favorite part of Gloom of Kilforth: A Fantasy Quest Game? Do you have a memorable character or saga? It’s been so long since I played this original volume, and it’s been amazing! There are so many stories to tell, and they all seem to fly off of the cards each time I play. This one won’t work for everyone, yet I absolutely love the experience of every saga!
I’ve been super busy and haven’t been able to comment in a while. But I wanted to say I appreciate all of your posts.