Game Info
Year
2024
Players
1-2
Age
14+
Playtime
60 min
Collection
Mechanic profile
Not enough video data yet
Vibe profile
Not enough video data yet
Description
In Kinfire Delve: Callous' Lab, a tactical and cooperative card game for 1-2 players, you will fight your way through the well deck of challenge cards to reach Callous, the Master of the Well, and face him in an epic final battle.
Callous' Well is made up of four challenge cards, with Callous himself in the middle. As a challenge is defeated, another takes its place, with 57 challenge cards in total. As you face the challenges of the Well, you may play a skill card from your hand only when it matches the color of the challenge card, e.g., if you're facing a red challenge card, then you may play only a red skill card. Some cards have two colors, and some are white, that is, wild. If the card you play does not defeat the challenge, you'll be able to add some progress to it and attempt it again, though you may suffer a penalty for doing so.
Other seekers can provide help by playing one of their own cards as a boost, but beware. Running out of cards nets you an exhaustion card before you can draw a new hand. Exhaustion cards are never good, but some are worse than others.
Defeating a challenge provides you a reward, such as regaining health or delving deeper into the Well, which is represented by discarding unseen challenge cards. Once you've made your way to the bottom of the Well, you'll face Callous himself. All Seekers share a health pool, and if the pool reaches zero, you're defeated. This is a game that requires teamwork and persistence as the wells of Atios are unpredictable and quite dangerous.
-description from publisher
Featured Videos
Rules Teach
Kinfire Delve - How To Play
Playthrough
Kinfire Delve: Callous' Lab - Game Play
Ask a Rules Question
Images
GID0179444.jpg
GID0179444_thumb.jpg
All mentions
Browse transcript mentions, sentiments, pros/cons, mechanics, topics, quotes, and references.
Total mentions: 9
This page: 9
Sentiment:
pos 7 ·
mix 0 ·
neu 0 ·
neg 0
Showing 1–9 of 9
Video KBsPDZ1y5Uo
Review at 0:36 sentiment: positive
video_pk 69307 · mention_pk 165748
Click to watch at 0:36 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Addictive quality, low stakes, low pressure, one-and-done adventure fantasy.
- Consistent and clear array of choices each turn.
- Vast array of unique aspects to challenge cards, bosses, exhaustion effects, and character cards.
- Unique feeling heroes evoke a lot of distinction.
- Benefits from the intersection of characters working together.
- Propulsive quality and mounting pressure.
- Calculable and often mitigable risks.
- Gorgeous illustrations and cool foil inlays on cards.
- Nice boxes.
Cons
- Skips the much needed practicality of a singular storage solution; no convenient way of storing all three parts at once.
- Not a lot of depth for a game with 'delve' in its title; systems are pretty narrow.
- Bad draws and hand or flops on the table can be as impactful as your decisions.
- Wish it had variability in characters themselves, like different lanterns or reversible sides, or modular equipment.
- Once you've played a character, you've played that character.
Thematic elements
- Delving and metalization, unraveling chronomancy, discovering shards, unlocking forbidden crypts
Comparison games
- Pathfinder Adventure Card Game
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — It's a Cooperative game... solo or two-player joint, but through the magic of mixing, mashing, and moshing any of the heroes can take on any of the adventures scaling up to four players.
- Deck building (implied) — Selecting a card to play from your hand which is going to give you some sort of ability unique to that character's deck.
- Delving — Replacing practically any reward with delving, slaying a demon, unraveling chronomancy, discovering shards, unlocking forbidden crypts.
- Dice rolling — Roll the four dice to see if you get any additional points towards that skill.
- hand management — Discarding further cards off the top of the deck, selecting a card to play from your hand.
- Set Collection (implied) — Accumulate enough success to complete their Uber challenge level.
- Skill checks — Heroes complete skill checks for various obstacles to progress deeper in the well deck.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- Seriously you can keep it small and sexy and maintain the aesthetic but I I guess this is the way they wanted to go.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video OYViQFx826E
Watch It Played Playthrough
video_pk 68544 · mention_pk 164824
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
No quotes stored for this video.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video 2PD1mO8_NFg
Watch It Played Rules Teach at 0:00
video_pk 68124 · mention_pk 164482
Click to watch at 0:00 · YouTube ↗
Pros
none
Cons
none
Thematic elements
none
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Mechanics unknown.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
No quotes stored for this video.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video v8qZkvN1JJw
Top List at 48:24 sentiment: positive
video_pk 66676 · mention_pk 162458
Click to watch at 48:24 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Visually stunning components
- Challenging and rewarding gameplay
- High replayability due to multiple boss versions
- Good value for the price
Cons
- Lack of a compiled box for all sets.
- Injury mechanic can be debilitating.
- Organizing components can be tricky.
Thematic elements
- Cooperative dungeon crawl to defeat a boss and clear surrounding cards.
- A well with a main bad guy at the bottom.
Comparison games
- Kinfire Chronicles
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Cooperative boss battler — Players cooperatively work to defeat the boss and clear adjacent cards around the center.
- deck management — Includes a special 'lantern card' that provides a powerful move and returns to the deck.
- Dice rolling — Dice are rolled to perform actions.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- It turns into one big puzzle because there's just a line of enemies that you have to defeat.
- So much stuff.
- And Vantage is just a masterpiece. It's so [ __ ] cool.
- Just the scenario ingenuity of these games is so cool because of different stuff just popping up and happening.
- Um this one [clears throat] is a a super and and this is the reason this is the sole reason why this game beat out Elder Scrolls when we were doing that comparison.
- It's just a masterful achievement.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video hdJi4z5ZZNg
Board Game Buzz Top 10 List at 31:16 sentiment: positive
video_pk 65874 · mention_pk 159970
Click to watch at 31:16 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Innovative card-driven dungeon crawl
- strong solo potential
Cons
none
Thematic elements
- card-based dungeon exploration
- dungeon crawl in Kinfire universe
Comparison games
- Moon Colony Blood Bath
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card-driven dungeon crawl — defeat cards for rewards; exhaust mechanics add tension
- Dungeon Crawl — defeat cards for rewards; exhaust mechanics add tension
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- I cannot stop playing it
- This is the better version
- Ultimate comfort cozy game right now
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video VPd6v96hjeM
Crimsonboardgames Playthrough at 0:04 sentiment: positive
video_pk 61651 · mention_pk 154288
Click to watch at 0:04 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Striking artwork and high production value (box art and interior components)
- Engaging solo mode with meaningful deck-building and tactical decisions
- Progressive well mechanic creates a clear sense of escalation and risk
- Lantern mechanic provides a powerful, satisfying milestone when unlocked
- Strong thematic hook with Vain Glory and its minions, plus a sense of final boss tension
Cons
- Dice luck can significantly influence outcomes and pacing
- High cognitive load and decision density may deter casual players
- Exhaustion/consumed card mechanics can abruptly end runs, causing frustration
- Some rules and interactions may require a thorough playthrough or reference to master the flow
Thematic elements
- Adventure, exploration, and tactical combat with a heavy emphasis on card-driven decisions and risk management
- Fantasy dungeon delve below a mysterious well, featuring a hero navigating location-based challenges and an evolving endgame boss encounter
- Procedural, with explicit on-table decisions guiding progression toward the well and final boss
Comparison games
- Core
- Asha
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- boss battler — Final battles hinge on defeating minions (e.g., various landmarks like Vain Glory’s minions) to flip and activate vulnerabilities.
- Boss/minion encounter structure — Final battles hinge on defeating minions (e.g., various landmarks like Vain Glory’s minions) to flip and activate vulnerabilities.
- Card-driven combat — Players select and play cards to generate combat totals, often with color-coding and shields that modify outcomes.
- Color and die resolution — Dice are rolled after each action to determine immediate success or failure, with color outcomes affecting results and penalties.
- deck and discard management — Defeated or completed challenges affect the well deck and discard piles; missteps can force penalties or loss of resources.
- Exhaustion and consumption — Drawn exhaust/consumed cards present immediate risks; three consumed cards can end the game, creating tension and careful deck management.
- Lantern mechanic — The Lantern is a powerful bonus that becomes available through specific rewards and actions, changing available options mid-game.
- Progress through the well — Defeated cards cause the player to descend farther into the well, with rewards or penalties tied to the depth and remaining deck.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a beautiful beautiful game I mean in game play and in artwork I was blown away when I first opened this box
- Look at that isn't that crazy that's just the inside of the box for no reason
- it's absolutely incredible
- the artwork is amazing
- I prefer core over Asha
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video ioPtthRWrbA
The Brothers Murph Playthrough at 0:16 sentiment: positive
video_pk 11087 · mention_pk 127833
Click to watch at 0:16 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Interesting character designs
- Unique challenge mechanics
- Replayability with different characters
Cons
- High difficulty
- Can be unforgiving
- Potential for sudden defeat
Thematic elements
- Seekers navigating a dangerous underground environment
- A well filled with challenges
- Cooperative challenge-based exploration
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card crafting — Players use color-coded skill cards to progress through challenges
- deck manipulation — Players attempt to 'delve' through the well deck
- Dice rolling — Dice rolls determine success or failure of challenges
- Skill Card Management — Players use color-coded skill cards to progress through challenges
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- We're going to die right now
- This is weird down here
- We were so close to winning
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video Lxa9n1Xq8Yc
The Dice Tower Top List at 7:04 sentiment: positive
video_pk 4056 · mention_pk 146889
Click to watch at 7:04 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Distinct, memorable character feels
- Elegant simplicity without sacrificing engagement
Cons
- Potentially less depth for some players compared to larger campaigns
Thematic elements
- combat and exploration with distinctive character feel
- Fantasy dungeon exploration with a crisp, card-driven feel
- compact, focused campaign-lite (one-shot)
Comparison games
- Kinfire Chronicles
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card-driven combat — Use cards to drive combat outcomes and actions
- Compound Scoring — The board evolves with exploration and choices that affect scoring
- Exploration-driven scoring — The board evolves with exploration and choices that affect scoring
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- This is a two-player only trick-T game that is really clever.
- It seems to be the MO—the cleanest, most straightforward way possible.
- Castle Combo is a killer design that manages to in 20-25 minutes tops give me so many fun little moments.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Video g7dB7e9lvBA
Beyond Solitire Interview at 1:06:50 sentiment: positive
video_pk 1299 · mention_pk 162323
Click to watch at 1:06:50 · YouTube ↗
Overall sentiment (raw)
positive
Pros
- Flexible, intermixable modules
- Replayability
Cons
- Not extensively reviewed in detail in the conversation
Thematic elements
- exploration with modular, replayable content
- Fantasy dungeon-adventure
- episodic, modular
Comparison games
none
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Deck-building with modular components — Interconnected modules allowing varied play experiences.
Video topics + discussion points
No key topics recorded for this video.
Quotes (from this video)
- found families are the through line
- this is a campaign game that has this like dark medieval fantasy vibe
- Andromeda's Edge has become like one of my favorite sci-fi games
- I post once a day, every single day. And then on TikTok specifically, I post twice a day on weekdays.
References (from this video)
No references stored for this video.
Transcript Navigation
Showing 1–9 of 9