Halloween in Harrow County: Haunted Popcorn and Storms
Set out into the haunted wilderness where factions rescue lost townsfolk or conjure up destructive storms in Harrow County.
Back to a more thematic solo game for October and Halloween: Harrow County: The Game of Gothic Conflict! I backed this awhile ago, yet have tried to give the solo mode a whirl a few times… It’s always felt too daunting, yet it was about time I finally got past the rulebook issues. The artwork and component quality drew me in, as did the intriguing backstory!
Game Overview
Game Name: Harrow County: The Game of Gothic Conflict
Publication Year: 2024
Designers: Jay Cormier & Shad
Artist: Tyler Crook
Publisher: Off the Page Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game (Multi-Handed)
Each faction is led by a legend with a special ability, and the goal is to control the county. Connecting home hexes with objectives helps rescue townsfolk or destroy buildings, and battles take place in the shadows. There are interesting actions to choose from, and a growing sense of power.
First Play
October 17, 2025
Complexity
4
Latest Play
October 17, 2025
Expansions
1
Setup Time
15 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
1
Play Time
45 Minutes
High Score
10
Game Area
36" x 24"
Low Score
10
Solo Mode Struggles
The original rulebook was updated with a different format, but unfortunately, I missed out on these printed copies… I tried, but 56 pages in a digital PDF was too much for me.
I tried to learn the solo mode in both rulebooks, and had the worst time for the third or fourth time. Why? Because you need to know how to play this 2-player and 3-player first.
This is an entry barrier in many senses: “As per usual” appears in the solo mode, so it’s not a place to start playing.
In the end, I decided to play dual-handed against myself to try out the 2-player training game and see if I liked it.
Legendary Emmy
There are a lot of neat elements here! Each faction is unique in multiple ways. The leader, otherwise known as a legend, is chosen from one of many with their own abilities.
I stuck with the recommendation for the training game, which introduces Emmy, a central character.
Such amazing components! This really looks awesome out on the table, although part of that is due to this being the deluxe edition with fancy wooden components and more.
Protectors are all about guiding townsfolk back to safety. Exactly what everyone needs in a haunted area. Ha ha!
Levi of the Family
On the opposite side was Levi, part of the Family faction all about destruction. Rather than rescuing townsfolk, Levi wanted to conjure storms and knock down buildings.
Talk about true opposites! It was also interesting how the factions worked with ability tokens, with the Family drawing random tokens from a bag. Fun times with that!
I was intrigued by the concept, although this was a far cry from the solo mode with an entirely different faction.
Not starting out with the solo mode felt a lot better and manageable, though it didn’t actually feel like a solo game.
Haunted Cornfields
Uh-oh. You know what happens when you conjure up haunted storms all over the county? Sometimes, they settle in over cornfields. Popcorn! Wait… But more than popcorn…
Happy Halloween from a Calico Critter dressed up as a colorful popcorn kernel! Seemed like the perfect timing. Ha!
Gameplay itself was neat with a choice of actions, yet it quickly turned into a match against myself. Not that it was unsurprising, but it’s not my preferred way to play solo.
Effectively, I didn’t have anyone to really cheer for and made the best moves to counter… My other best moves.
The First Hurdle to Solo Play: Learning the Rules
Setting aside the initial unpacking and organizing of components in a new game, learning how to play is one of the most crucial steps. Especially in solo, I need to feel confident that I can figure everything out pretty easily so I can play. With a group, there are usually others to help correct mistakes. Yet when I play solo, I’m relying on myself from the start.
But in order for that to work, I need a rulebook that’s going to support that initial learning experience. With the way this one is laid out, rules are spread out everywhere, and that’s just for the 2-player game. The 3-player rules are in another section, and only after understanding all of them does the solo mode appear. It asks a lot of one mind that wants to play!
I know my learning style isn’t the same for everyone, but it took me multiple attempts to even want to approach the rules. The 2-player game is easy enough to learn, and my husband had a great time with it. But for me, I was looking at around 30-40 pages of rules and diagrams before I could even understand what was going on with the solo mode. Way too much.
Integrated Cube Tower
Attacks happen every now and then. There is a neat mechanic of adding cubes for more strength. And what to do with all of these cubes? Send them into a cube tower!
If you’re not familiar with this type of component, it randomizes the cubes that are dropped through it. Here, it’s actually a part of the box… Which I strongly disliked. A lot.
Cubes flew out, sometimes overshooting this basin, or even flying onto the floor. I also had to use the entire box…
So unused components sat off to the side, and I had to shake the box to get out any leftover cubes when I was done. Ugh.
Neat Action Choices
Actions themselves were pretty cool, though! There were attacks, of course, but many other options. I could activate a legend’s powers, use abilities, or choose wild actions.
Turns alternated back and forth and were easy enough to track with the flipped mason jars. Only 3 of 4 are used each round, so it was simple to track where I was. Excellent!
Abilities allowed me to plan how to build up power or move around the map. Lots of strategic choices to think through.
In the end, though, I wasn’t having a great time trying to beat… Me, at the same game. Just not quite my cup of tea.
Exciting Conclusion
Much as I disliked this dual-handed solo play, the ending was actually pretty awesome! Emmy was about to lose, thanks to Levi camping out in the central brambles.
She had a single action left, and there was no way to score… Unless she attacked, and the odds were against her.
So I did it anyway, and amazingly, 1 red cube and 1 blue cube came out of the cube tower. Levi couldn’t do anything with his during a clash, but Emmy? A-ha! Levi was exposed!
She was able to discard that single cube and pull off a great victory, which was the only cool moment, unfortunately.
County Fair Popcorn
I tried to convince the Calico Critters that this wasn’t really the sort of county to plan a fair and serve up popcorn, but did that stop them? Roll that popcorn tricycle over here!
Ha ha! Because in a haunted land, those cornfields can clearly conjure up more than just one living popcorn kernel.
To end on a positive note, I played the game against my husband shortly after this solo play, and it works so much better as 2-player experience. We’re playing again soon!
I have no desire to move onto the solo mode for a variety of reasons, but I’m glad I figured out how to enjoy this one.
Session Overview
Play Number: 1
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game (Dual-Handed)
Play Details: Chapter 1
Outcome: Win
Emmy was the winner, although Levi lurked nearby! This is a wonderful 2-player game that I’m looking forward to exploring over many plays, yet I don’t expect to play it solo. It’s not possible to play the solo mode without first learning the rest of the game by playing 2-player and 3-player, which doesn’t interest me. While I appreciate the inclusion, I think this one is best enjoyed against an opponent. And popcorn?
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
4
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
7
Originality
Design & Theme
6
Quality
Components & Rules
6
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
4
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
7
+ Pros (Positives)
- Factions have their own unique objectives and play styles, while legends further add to the variety with their abilities.
- Using and tracking actions is easy with the mason jars, and these offer up a lot of interesting sorts of decisions.
- Attacks involve more unpredictability with a cube tower, so even having the most strength doesn’t guarantee a win.
- Victory points can be collected in a handful of different ways, allowing a few different paths to advance ahead.
- Collecting tokens from the board helps power up abilities to become more specialized or block an opponent.
- Positioning on the map is a key strategy, and it’s interesting to plan out routes or how to move around obstacles.
– Cons (Negatives)
- While the integrated cube tower is clever, the box is frustrating during play and on a shelf with its exterior cutouts.
- Learning the solo mode requires at least a few plays with the 2-player and 3-player rules, all for a minimal payoff.
- So many rules are spread out in the rulebook and aren’t on player reference cards, which means a lot of memorization.
- Most of the components are amazing and excellent, yet it feels like the game box is much bigger than the experience.
Victory Conditions
Score the Most Points
- Overall Goal Progress 100%
Goals and Milestones
Win at least 1 game as the Protectors.
Continue the Conversation
What do you think of Harrow County: The Game of Gothic Conflict? Do you have a favorite faction? This is squarely in the 2-player category of my collection, where it seems to shine the most. I was a bit sad that playing solo didn’t work out for me, yet I still had a couple of interesting moments! Lesson of the day? Stormy cornfields might have living popcorn. Ha!
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