Long ago, the once-gentle leviathans lost their minds and tore the world apart. After generations of hiding and struggle, humanity discovered that the frenzied leviathans can be restored. Climbers willing to take the risk must explore the wilds and work together to remove a series of binding crystals to heal the leviathans roaming the world.
In Leviathan Wilds, 1-4 players will confront these colossal beings, with each creature being depicted across the spread of a spiral-bound storybook that makes up the game's board. The book also forms the basis of a connected campaign mode built around the game's story, with each of twenty included scenarios estimated to last around 45 minutes. Tougher difficulty levels are also available for added replayability.
Each character's deck of multi-use cards is unique, allowing them to climb, jump, and glide around the board in different ways. The number of cards left in the slim deck represents their grip on the leviathan's body; if the deck runs out, the player loses their grip and begins to fall down the board until they're able to reach a rest space, which resets their deck. Moving onto rest spaces also provides a way to regain one's grip without falling. Other spaces reduce a character's health or grip or they increase blight, a status that reduces their overall hit points.
The leviathan has its own deck of cards, which triggers various effects at the beginning of a player's turn, from targeted attacks that reduce health to effects that move players between spaces or loosen their grip. As the game progresses, the leviathan gradually gains "rage", which intensifies the effect of its event cards.
Players' characters can move around a square grid overlaid on the creature's body by spending action points — the number being determined by a card played at the start of their turn — and their remaining hand of ability cards to reach the crystals and reduce them to zero. Victory is achieved by reducing all crystals, which vary in strength, to zero.
- unique world vision and aesthetic
- variety in maps and class/character mashups provides replayability
- cooperative focus may not appeal to all players
- heroic tactical exploration with verticality as antagonist/ally
- cooperative dungeon crawl world
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative exploration — Players team up to explore and overcome challenges driven by map layouts.
- verticality as primary challenge — Three-dimensional positioning or multi-layered maps influence outcomes.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- "this is the completely biased unadulterated Jack's personal top 10 list of 2024"
- "it's a wonderful year to be a gamer with the partner gamer in your life"
- "Leviathan Wilds is a midweight game that doesn't take a lot to get to the table"
- "Harvest is a game that got me into gaming in the first place"
- "this year has been bonkers... I'll remember forever"
References (from this video)
- streamlined rules that keep AI overhead to five cards
- strong verticality and gravity theme that differentiates from typical dungeon crawlers
- solid foundation for expansion with room to add new mechanics and components
- community desire for more content (more climbers and more classes) indicates a need for future expansions
- Ascension and exploration within a gravity-influenced, tactically-focused dungeon crawl
- Vertical, gravity-sensitive dungeon exploration around colossal leviathans, featuring modular scenarios.
- Scenario-driven with concise cards and focused rules to keep gameplay flowing
- Deep Veil expansion
- Shattered Peaks expansion
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- AI via five-card deck — Enemy actions are driven by a small, reveal-one-card-per-turn deck for streamlined AI.
- climbers and classes — Playable character roles with distinct abilities that shape traversal and combat options.
- gravity-based movement — Central mechanic that affects how climbers progress and interact with the vertical board.
- scenario-based play — Scenarios are contained on cards to minimize rule bloat and keep play snappy.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- That is an instant hook for everyone.
- you shuffle build your characters. You only have the five enemy cards. I mean, that that's often my pitch is like, hey, you love all these tactical dungeon crawl games, but like, wouldn't it be nice if all of the AI overhead were just five cards, reveal one a turn, and then you react to it throughout your turn and see what is going to happen at the end.
- The no gravity one in Deep Veil was one that was teetering on the edge for a long time until we finally got to okay, this works and is simple enough to still like feel like it's part of the experience.
- Warp crystal, and when you strike it, it teleports to another location. It adds a little bit of that puzzle where instead of just, you know, like I'm going to trundle over to this crystal and hit it as hard as I can, now you got to start to plan a little bit being like, okay, this is we got a few of these that we have to deal with.
- Arctic themed expansion. Uh, as the Alaskan, I'm hoping there's going to be like a moose or a caribou or polar bear or raven or something in there, but I'm waiting to be surprised.
References (from this video)
- gorgeous artwork and modular design per Leviathan
- strong teamwork with distinctive Leviathan personalities
- gear and setup can be involved
- some scenarios may feel similar after repeated plays
- team-based monster encounter with deck-building and role assignment
- fantasy world where explorers confront giant leviathans
- shared narrative beats with boss-like battles
- Descent-style boss games
- Zombicide-like team-ups
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative boss encounter — teams work together to identify gem points and defeat the leviathan.
- deck-building — characters customize capabilities through a card-based progression.
- tile/board per page — each Leviathan presents a distinct board layout and fight style.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This is incredibly impressive and players can work together to try to solve these cases.
- There are thousands of cases; it scales in complexity and replayability.
- There are so many scenarios so that every game doesn't feel the same.
- This one is back to being really unique because this is based in the entire Dungeons and Dragons world.
- Two versions of it. There's retail and the miniatures, and they both play the exact same, which is what I love.
References (from this video)
- strong cooperative feel with clear teamwork and discussion around table
- thematic integration and visuals feel like a ‘Shadow of the Colossus’ vibe translated to a board game
- teaching curve is approachable and simpler than Spirit Island
- variety across Leviathans and the potential for strong replay value
- end-of-turn effects and escalation can overwhelm new players
- administrator-like options can be confusing on first plays
- only one Leviathan was played in the session described; other Leviathans may shift balance or experience
- cooperative rescue mission; teamwork to save a colossal creature; notable thematic nods to Shadow of the Colossus.
- Giant leviathans roaming the Earth, infested with crystals; players climb and destroy crystals to aid the leviathans.
- emergent, round-table discussion-driven with player-specific abilities guiding actions.
- Spirit Island
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- action-point, grid-based climbing — players spend action points to climb the Leviathan on a square grid, progressing toward higher areas.
- cooperative play — all players cooperate to defeat the Leviathan and manage escalating threats.
- end-of-turn Leviathan effects — a Leviathan card is flipped at the end of each turn, potentially affecting multiple players and increasing difficulty.
- heal and risk management — health and a secondary negative status require healing and careful positioning to avoid defeat.
- personal deck construction / hand management — each player builds a starting deck from their character and a partner’s cards; no ongoing deck-building later.
- round tracker escalation — as rounds advance, Leviathan behavior shifts from easy to hard, increasing threat level.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's a fully Cooperative game and right off the bat if you're familiar with my tastes that might be a little surprising
- Shadow of the Colossus the board game
- the teach is way simpler than Spirit Island
- I bought the game, I pre-ordered it, and I really want to play this game more
- it's wonderful
- this game has a lot of fire off effects that you don't have control over
- it's still a comboy kind of game
- I won by a squeaker
References (from this video)
- tense cooperative play with meaningful player agency
- dynamic interplay between cards and actions
- varied leviathan designs and board presence
- highly thematic and visually evocative
- flexible play sessions and high replayability via combinations
- rules clarity is occasionally poor; some timing interactions are hard to parse
- four-player mode increases feel of danger and slows pace
- first print is out of print; current print requires backers or FAQ updates
- climbing, risk management, teamwork, salvage against hostile creatures
- A hazardous, vertical world where climbers scale gigantic leviathans to strike crystals.
- emergent, strategic, mostly abstract with an homage flavor to Shadow of the Colossus
- Daybreak
- Slay the Spire: The Board Game
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Action point economy — points spent to climb, jump, glide, rest, or activate card abilities
- blight and health tracks — two health tracks with blight increasing penalties; meeting blight causes loss
- boss-like leviathan behavior varieties — 17 leviathan types with distinct movement and hazard patterns
- deck-building — two decks (grip and character/action cards) that provide action points and abilities
- grid-based movement with verticality — three directional movement (climb, jump, glide) on a layered grid
- hazards and damage from leviathan behavior cards — drawn each turn to determine threats and how they affect players
- reactive play and timing — cards can be spent for actions or for protective/reactive effects, sometimes outside turn order
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- In Leviathan Wilds you play a team of climbers who will scale gigantic leviathans to strike them down.
- The interplay of cards is, not going to mince words, the beating heart of the game.
- This game is from an indie publisher, so the first print is already out of print, but it's back on crowdfunding now.
- When you begin the game you'll draw a vague line towards a crystal and say to your friends, 'I guess I'm going to go that way and see what happens'.
References (from this video)
- innovative deck-building approach
- quick setup with quick play sessions
- unique theme and feel
- rules complexity can be high for some
- requires understanding of card interactions
- card-driven leviathans, exploration, and combat
- mythic oceanic frontier
- bold, strategic
- Living Forest
- Cascadia
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card-drafting — cards are used to drive actions and encounters
- set collection/packing — assembling a deck to maximize efficiency against leviathans
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's one of my favorite puzzle games in a small format
- it's a purely solo game with just 18 cards
- no two sessions are alike
- the solo mode is simple yet challenging
- this is my updated top 50 solo board games 2024 Edition
- it's a must try in my opinion
References (from this video)
- High variety from merging many character and class sets, increasing replayability.
- Small, modular decks are easy to learn and manage; iconography is clear.
- Significant content for a compact box, with potential appeal for teens/young adults.
- Aesthetics suffer from washed-out, muddy printing; colors feel cheap and uninspiring.
- Core loop can feel repetitive: move around the map and strike crystals; visuals of the Leviathan fade.
- Frustrating snakes-and-ladders-like escalation creates downtimes and back-and-forth frustration.
- Despite volume of content, perceived depth is shallow for many players; the game can feel long without meaningful decisions.
- Cooperative monster-as-arena exploration with deck-building and action-point movement
- A colossal behemoth serves as the battlefield; players climb and combat its surface to remove crystals before time expires.
- fantasy-meets-sci-fi coop adventure on a giant creature
- Snakes and Ladders
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- anytime actions and bottom-skill choices — Cards present an either/or choice: use top action points or bottom skill, not both in a single turn.
- climbing and grid-based movement — Players move on the Leviathan's surface using action points; terrain spots can inflict damage or card discard costs.
- deck-building via character and class merging — Combine a chosen character set with a class set to form a personalized deck with paired abilities.
- dice-based combat on a moving board — Populate the Leviathan with dice of varying values and use them to attack, defend, or trigger skills.
- endgame objective — Defeat the Leviathan by removing all dice/pips before time runs out; failure leaves you defeated.
- mushrooms and special items — Mushrooms grant temporary abilities when passed; they contribute to character options and strategy.
- Resource and risk management — Track health and blight on a player board; crossing blight or depleting cards leads toward defeat.
- threat deck and timer — At the start of each turn, reveal a threat from below the timer; threats affect ranges and actions.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Leviathan Wilds is a cooperative skirmish game where you're going to be climbing up this big old monster, trying to attack it to remove crystals before the timer runs out.
- the game looks like it was printed in a washing machine.
- underneath all of the bells and whistles... this game is effectively snakes and ladders.
- we cannot recommend this game.
- it's going to take you a long, long time to explore everything that this game offers.
- the snakes and ladders exercise in frustration leads to a massive migraine when you're just going up, going down, going up, going down.
References (from this video)
- Tons of play time
- Distinct Leviathans feel unique and fun
- Heavy and pricey
- asymmetric powers and custom decks
- Cooperative boss-battler with leviathans
- epic, RPG-lite
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- asymmetric roles — Each player has unique decks/powers
- Cooperative boss battles — Players combine powers to defeat a larger threat
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.
- The only thing you can count on in this game is chaos.
- If you've got a rowdy and loud family, Hot Streak is going to be for you.
- Beige box belies its depth.
- This is a no-brainer for any Lord of the Rings fans.
References (from this video)
- Engaging behemoth-boss feel
- Dynamic moments and thematic setting
- Rules can be tricky and finicky
- Some players dislike card-driven engine interactions
- boss battler in a monstrous encounter setting
- Fantasy behemoths and climactic battles
- story-driven encounter
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Behemoth encounter/resolution — Climb and damage sections of a giant creature to progress
- Card-driven actions — Play cards to move, attack, and trigger effects in a boss-battle flow
Video topics + discussion points
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)
- Accessible and quick to play
- Less thematic depth noted in discussion
- accessible space-themed exploration
- Space exploration, exploratory campaign
- light-to-moderate narrative emphasis
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Easy-to-pick-up exploration — Simple setup and approachable exploration with quick sessions.
Video topics + discussion points
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.