Torchlit – Board Game Review
Type of Game: Dungeon themed Trick-Taking
Number of Players: 2-5
Designer: David Spalinski
Artist: Harry Conway
Publisher: Allplay
Allplay has been an incredible friend to Comic Book Yeti and has provided this game as a review copy.
Trick-taking has exploded! So many new trick-taking games have been released over the last two years it's hard to NOT end up playing one of them. Each game has it's own twist or theme pressed on top of the tried and true mechanism. Today's review game Torchlit was a hit and sought after game at last years PAX Unplugged tabletop convention and with a fantasy dungeon crawler theme, I'm hooked just looking at it.
CONCEPT
You're an adventurer, there is gold to be had and that dungeon is not going to give it to you easily. Travel from door to door slaying monsters and claiming their treasure. Hvae the most treasure out of your party and you are crowned the winner!
HOW IT WORKS
This starts as your typical trick-taker and I won't go over those rules, but rather the rules specific to Torchlit. Your deck of cards inclues seven suits ranging from 0-7. Barbarian, Cleric, Ranger, Rogue and Wizard are your options to represent you in the dungeon. All play the same, just a different color, art and meeple. Player count will determine how many door tiles, cards in the deck to remove and how many cards are dealt. A game lasts three rounds and each round consists of three steps.
First step is Light Torches. Players choose one card as your "torch" and place it face down next to your player board. That card will represents the number door you are hoping to end the round on to get bonus gold.
Next is Play Tricks. When a trick is won, that player moves their meeple to the next door. If anyone played the same value as the winning card, they move as well. Then, the lowest value card is awarded the torch, representing the first player for the round. Now the cards played are distributed among the doors. One card from each suit is choosen and placed faceup under the door equal to the value of the door. If all cards are different suits, the torchbearer can choose to place any number of cards, even zero. Another small wrinkle is the trump card may lead any trick, but you do not have to follow, you can play any suit you like even if you hold a trump card as well.
Once you get to the last trick, you have the option to either play the last card in your hand or you can play your torch card, replacing it with the last card in your hand. A clever way to potentially grab those bonus three points if your initial card was way off your current position.
The last step is Enter Dungeon where each players torches are revealed. If the torches were matched the player gets three gold. If not matched, those cards go face down to the numbered door matching the card value. Now players score gold, based on what door they are out and how many monster cards are below their door.
Two gold for facedown torch cards.
Two points for faceup Dragon (Trump) cards.
One point for each faceup monster card.
If you are alone at a door you get full points, but if you share the space with another adventurer the gold is split evenly, rounded down. Onto the next round with the torchbearer leading the first trick. After three rounds, most gold wins!
COMPONENTS
For a trick-taking game where the cards will be handled and shuffled repeatedly, I would have hoped for sturdier cards. That said, not everyone is as concerned about keeping their games well maintained. If the card quality is a concern, just throw some sleeves on them. It should be fine. The player board is similar quality, not handles as much and bigger so a sleeve might not be needed or available. Cardboard door tiles are a fine thickness as they won't be handled often. The meeples representing your adventurer are fantastic. Dry erase board for scoring is nice and more preferred to score sheets.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I love fantasy as a theme. I'm a sucker for it and will gravitate towards it for any type of game. Trick-takers are everywhere, and theme definitely helps with picking which one you want to spend your time on. Just as important is what is the variation that is being presented in the game to make it stand out. The dungeon door progression aspect and the fact that points per door are being changed every trick is great. The torch card being able to be switched with you last card also is a nice trick to potentially bring out of a terrible round.
The art is phenomenal. The suits for the cards are different monsters such as beholders, minotaurs and goblins. They are very well done.
I would have like to have seen more done with your adventurer. Possibly, some kind of once a game special ability. Or a preferred monster that gives you more points.
I'm very high on this game. I recommend it and I definitley will be getting this back to my table not only to play but to teach others as well.
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