Lining Up for Questline: A Nearly Legendary Story
Follow a hero’s story and tell the exciting tale from an early origin through the adventures and memorable highlights in Questline.
Shorter, more compact solo games seem to be what I’m choosing to play lately, and Questline was an easy decision! This is a quick and interesting game about telling a story with cards. Yet it has strategies and risks to take with finding the icons that work the best together. The artwork is bright and colorful, illustrating the tale of an exciting life. Onto adventure!
Game Overview
Game Name: Questline
Publication Year: 2026
Designers: Marc-André Lavoie & Martin Lavoie
Artist: Megan Graham
Publisher: Thunderworks Games
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Gameplay is about arranging 7 cards in a row to tell a story. Numbers progress along, although there are ways to skip or repeat values to try out different strategies. That’s it! The puzzle is very quick, but creates a world of possibilities. Finding out what a character did is always a fun time!
First Play
July 16, 2026
Complexity
2
Latest Play
October 19, 2026
Expansions
1
Setup Time
5 Minutes
Lifetime Plays
6
Play Time
10 Minutes
High Score
45
Game Area
24" x 16"
Low Score
35
Lots of Thievery
For this play, I ended up with a thief who was very focused on thievery early on. The bonuses for coin icons definitely helped out, particularly from an early apprenticeship.
Enlisting in the King’s Guard resulted in some helpful melee skills to survive a skeleton raid. And wouldn’t you know it? A few coins were stolen from the piles of bones!
I enjoyed the challenge of making the most of the cards and looking at what was available in the market. Lots of choices.
There is also a timer of sorts where less victory points are earned after digging through the deck too much. Risky!
To the Tavern and Back
This thief promptly went to the local tavern to boast about all he had accomplished. It was the coins that earned him notice, though, and this brought about a bandit following.
Together, they banded together to withstand a horrifying wraith attack. Alas, there were no coins to be stolen from their rapidly evaporating bodies! Still, it all worked out.
Play time was close to just 5 minutes, filled with laughs and possibilities. I didn’t think I could fulfill the bandit card!
Yet I managed to end up with cards of level 5 and lower, and a very respectable score. Still chasing that top scoring tier!
Bright Artwork
Every card is unique and features colorful illustrations that bring the card to life. Most scenes feel like they’re right in the middle of movement, captured right in the action.
It’s akin to almost seeing how the card activity continues from the scene. This paladin was ready to swing that sword! And that floating relic probably floated around even more.
My only slight issue was with the icons, as I missed the difference between a single and stacked one a few times.
But, no matter! The adventures were grand and exciting for these characters, and I loved trying to make it all work.
Reputable Ranks
These efforts resulted in some great ranks for me: Local Historian and Bardsong Favorite. Just a little shy of that top rank and the legendary status I’ve been chasing after!
I enjoyed these tiers for the humor, as well as what feels like a realistic system. I’ve been close to that 48+ a couple of times, and it feels like I could achieve it at some point.
My only surprise from this session was how infrequently I’m playing this… It’s so quick and fun! May need to fix that.
The combination of little stories and big decisions comes together really well, and I’m thrilled whenever I play!
Once Upon a Time… And Optional Storytelling
I’m often drawn to solo games where a story emerges, and I’m one who will add them even when they’re not needed! In this case, although the story is a strong element of play, I appreciate how it’s not required to get deep into tying together all of the cards. My final scoring certainly involves retelling the exciting deeds, but I don’t feel forced into it.
That’s a subtle distinction that brings me back to some early plays with Tales of the Arabian Nights. I remember feeling lost at times when I had to string together various statuses and abilities to make sense of what my character was up to. It’s a wonderful game, yet even I struggle to come up with stories sometimes! Having the option is a nice, welcoming aspect.
Session Overview
Play Number: 5 & 6
Expansion: Questline: Solstice Expansion
Solo Mode: Included in the Base Game
Outcome: 45, 40 (2 Losses)
Not too shabby! I’m chasing that top scoring tier to count as a victory. But when a hero tells of exciting adventures like incinerating a mummy, a loss isn’t that big of a deal. Ha ha! I imagine I could play this one many times in a row and have different stories each time. Yet I enjoy taking my time, and this one has a lot of life left in it. Looking forward to working this into a more regular rotation for more fun!
%
1 Play
Affordability
Price & Value
8
Functionality
Challenges & Mechanics
10
Originality
Design & Theme
5
Quality
Components & Rules
8
Reusability
Achievement & Enjoyment
7
Variability
Distinctness & Randomness
7
+ Pros (Positives)
- Each card features a unique illustration that is bright and colorful, seemingly right in the middle of the action.
- Play time typically lasts about 5 or 10 minutes, allowing an interesting experience to develop in a short span of time.
- Only part of the deck is used during each play, which opens up unique card combinations and interesting choices.
- Settling on an epilogue and ending play early is often safe, yet it’s fun to try to earn just a few more victory points.
- The final story is optional, and often tells an engaging tale with some highlights to make each hero stand out.
- Although some cards may seem better, there are a lot of different ways to score well and strategies may have to adjust.
– Cons (Negatives)
- A couple of icons can be easy to overlook or mix up, although this improves after playing a handful of times.
- Sometimes, the best options don’t quite work together and the end is more about the story than a decent score.
- Taking risks by digging through the deck to reduce the value of the epilogue often doesn’t pan out beyond a few tiers.
- Scoring requirements are intuitive after playing, but the examples in the rulebook could have been a little clearer.
Victory Conditions
Score 48+ Points
- Overall Goal Progress 67%
Goals and Milestones
Score at least 40 points.
Score at least 45 points.
Score at least 50 points.
Continue the Conversation
What do you enjoy the most about Questline? Have you reached the top solo scoring tier, or ended up with an excellent story? This works really nicely solo, and I continue to have a lot of fun with each play! The different cards create unique combinations and I always look forward to finding out what a hero’s story will entail. Simply a lovely time, in a line. Ha ha!
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