A midnight bell tolls on the streets of Wildegrens as the villagers shutter their windows against the darkness. Something moves through the night–in the forest, through the fields, across the old battlefield. The isolated village is in danger. Crops are failing, animals are dying, and villagers are disappearing. Townsfolk are scared. Some of the women are fighting back, but the villagers suspect that these women may be dealing with the devil himself. From behind the old school a shadow crosses to the town well. A feeble light reveals two witches who nod to one another, shutter the lantern, and make their way towards the dark woods.
Witchcraft! is a fast-playing, card-driven solitaire game where you lead a coven of witches in a fantasy world where magic is real–and so are the monsters. Building on the hidden / revealed mechanism of Resist! you will decide when to use magic to defeat the challenges you face–revealing yourself to your fellow villagers and being imprisoned for witchcraft. As you complete missions and defeat enemies you will try to prove to the villagers that magic is not evil, and convince a jury that you are protecting the village. Three jurors will decide your fate and their conviction is strong. Can you persuade them? Or will evil overcome you and the village?
At the beginning of the game you assemble a coven of witches from families of women represented by a deck of cards. Selecting multiple witches from a family makes that family more powerful. Each family is focused on different tasks in the game–revealing challenges, increasing attack power, uncovering the conviction of the jurors, or capturing familiars to help you in your fight. The fight is real and each of the eight jurors face a different villain. Is it the Headless Horseman, Baba Yaga, the Scarecrow, or some other fiend? On setup you choose three jurors, their missions, and their unique challenges–providing 56 possible combinations with great variety in the types of challenges and monsters you will face. If you fail two missions or lose five villagers, you lose the game. Even if you defeat the missions you still face the trial, and you are only sure of your fate when you reveal the conviction of the jurors and see if you have done enough to persuade them.
—description from the publisher
Witchcraft! Solo Gameplay Overview | DaniCha
Witchcraft! | Solo Playthrough
- Sequel to the solo game 'Resist'.
- Features a hidden/revealed mechanism for using magic.
- Players try to prove magic is not evil and convince a jury.
- Fighting monsters and witchcraft in a fantasy world.
- Wildgrounds, forest, old battlefield, isolated village
- Resist
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Driven — Witchcraft is a card driven solitaire game.
- Cooperative (implied) — You will lead a coven of witches.
- Hidden Movement/Information — The game builds on the hidden slash revealed mechanism where you decide when to use magic to defeat the challenges you face revealing yourself.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Thankfully long gone are the days when we'd have to spread out our board games on a moist paper towel because that's all we had.
- So follow the link in this video's description to upgrade your gaming space and take advantage of their early bird special available right now but for limited time.
- I absolutely need to play this game it sounds wonderful and looks so bucolic even if it is about making cheese.
- I suppose I have enough dice said absolutely nobody ever and if you play role-playing or tabletop games then you know that you can never have too many dice it's what separates us from the animals.
- There is a tiny hat inside each die a tiny hat this actually isn't the first time that Arby's has rolled out a set of polyhedral components.
References (from this video)
- Leading a coven of witches and deciding if using magic is worth the risk of imprisonment
- Fantasy world where magic and monsters are real
- Resist
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Hide and reveal — Built on the same system introduced in Resist.
- Jury mechanic — Players must convince villagers they are on their side.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- First he puts the channel 47000 in debt and now this.
- Hi there well if you're watching this message you know it can really only mean one thing I am dead serious about finding a way to earn back the forty seven thousand dollars in debt minus ten dollars for lunch that Watcher played recently incurred somehow very mysteriously it's impossible really to know how it happened and then nobody can really be held accountable regardless my quest towards regaining our Channel's Financial stability begins now.
- My Hope Is that disneylocano will be a great game with a similar feel to Magic the Gathering that may be a tall order but even if it comes close I mean Marvel snaps show me that there's room in my life for more lifestyle type games and the game with potentially a lower barrier to entry something I can certainly get on board with.
- They said that I was a fool to search for it they said it was impossible but after exploring far and wide I have just discovered the long hidden land free of any human presence filled with Priceless discoveries never encountered before.
- It made me realize that sometimes you have to sacrifice something you love in order to save it and that's why as my final Act while still in charge I saved watch it played by sacrificing it and selling it to another company.
- Say hello to watch it played new parent company party lemmings media Holdings Incorporated.
References (from this video)
- Blaster play
- Brain burning puzzle
- Interesting characters with unique abilities
- Cool animal allies
- Risk of being imprisoned for witchcraft
- Risk of exposing oneself as a witch by completing missions
- Leading a covenant of witches, proving magic is not evil, and convincing a jury.
- A fancy world where magic is real
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card-driven — Witchcraft is a fast playing C driven solitire game.
- Hidden and revealed — This one Builds on the hidden and revealed mechanism of resist.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Oh this is just Star Realms again but it's really not because I mean it is in some ways but it's a deck builder right
- The first player to destroy three other opponent bases wins
- it really is the closest to uh being at a casino or being at a horse race
- The great legend about the moon made of cheese
- it ends up with you ripping your hair out from tough choices
References (from this video)
- Solo only, which the host is interested in
- Interesting theme of protecting people who might also harm you
- Heard tremendous things about it
- Not a brand new game (came out last year)
- Witches protecting a town from monsters while also being wary of the Puritan inhabitants
- A town
- Final Girl
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Area Defense — Players are witches trying to protect a town.
- Card Driven — The gameplay is very card driven.
- Monster Elimination — Getting rid of monsters who are trying to attack the town.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- ukge which is the UK's biggest board game convention and it takes place from May 31st to June 2nd and it is in Birmingham
- this is just based on the descriptions that we've read about
- Yonder and this is published by Sinister fish with the same designer who did Moon streets and villagers and we really like all three of those
- it's very different than the the trilogy that I just did
- the art looks very Whimsical because the designer also does the art as well and I really like his style
- Terminus and this is published by inside up games and these are in terminous you are competing Subway companies so you are I think building Subway routes and competing with each other to build Subway Roots
- we just like really like the underground and so anything that has that I am immediately interested
- Deep regrets and I actually did get to play a an earlier play test like prototype version of this game and it kind of mixes um cthulu and fishing together like and that what an interesting mix that is
- Shout out to an indie designer who's based right here in Edinburgh and so you always want to support those
- if there's one in particular you're looking forward to please do let us know in the comments
- on Saturday from 1:30 to 4:30 I will be play testing last week of summer in the Play Test Zone
- if you can't make it for that and you just see me around and you want to do a play Test please do ask because I will be more than happy to do that
- please let us know in the comments what new game you're most looking forward to
References (from this video)
- Very challenging
- Fun puzzle
- Fun theme
- Dark theme
- Tough
- Amazing
- Some find it too challenging
- Persuading jurors
- Witch coven
- Resist
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- cooperative play — basically in this game you are kind of like acting as a witch coven
- Hand Management — playing out different witches in your hand
- Mission/Objective Completion — you are trying to persuade different jurors to believe you and you are going to be doing that by overcoming different missions
- Recruiting — you can recruit more
- Set Collection — all of those witches are parts of different families so some of them play off of each other
- Solo Play — seven Jeff has never played it's a solo only game
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- these are the top 10 new to us games of 2024
- I freaking loved this game
- it's so weird so weird and so fun
- this game is so tense and stressful
- it's very enjoyable
- it is just a logic deduction puzzle that's all it is but it is really really fun
- I adore it every time we play it it's so good so good
- I really enjoy this game
- it's so fun it is again the most beautifully produced game I've ever seen
- it is the most fun I think aboard game can possibly be
- I love I think this game is just the best I I love it so much
- everything as Jamie puts just flows properly and makes sense
- it is incredible
References (from this video)
- fantastic solo experience
- deep strategic choices
- solo rule mastery can be challenging
- trial and political maneuvering within a coven
- witch coven vying for power in a town
- solo-focused with strategic choice
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Ability management — Decide when to reveal or hide abilities to maximize influence
- solo puzzle / engine-building — A solo-focused game where you build options to sway jurors
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- The artwork on these cards is adorable and you're trying to capture rooms because essentially you want to be the head honcho of this manor. It's really fun. It's really cute.
- The components are amazing in this game, and I can usually find it for really cheap on sale.
- it's a ridiculous theme, but it's not scary or gross. It's more meant to be funny and campy.
- This is a fantastic solo only game. And I love the game, but I definitely lose more than I win.
References (from this video)
- More variety than Resist
- Like the theme better
- Great tactical play
- Tough choices every round are intense
- Variety between voting way and specialized scenarios
- So much good gaming in a tiny package
- Witches facing missions and enemies
- Resist
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Hand Management — Using a hand of witches to face down missions and enemies.
- scenario play — Playing the scenarios that have more specialized designs and rules.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- This is my number one game of all time for competitive play. But when you play with my unofficial solo mode, yes, it's unofficial. It's still really good. Try it out. When you play with my unofficial solo mode, it drops down to number nine because I I freely admit that the game is best competitively.
- This is an awesome game from Renegade Solo series. A bag builder where you're drawing out tokens and trying to fight off enemies. Again, tons of variety with the ships. Tons of variety with the bosses. Uh so many ways to build your bag. So much excitement. I love that you defeat enemies to get new stuff in your bag. So you're not like wasting time spending money. You're just going to town.
- But the core like card system is still great, but they made it even better. The exploration is second to none. Finding out where you are in the world and mastering your environment.
- this game just punched me in the face until I said, "Okay, it's unstoppable."
- But yeah, if you're talking variety, if you're talking great card combos and awesome action play and asymmetry and just crazy goodness, you can't really go wrong with Spirit Island, right?
- But anyway, Settles and Multiverse. Love the hero variety. Love the card play. Love the boss variety. You know, is the game frustrating sometimes? Yeah, but way less than the original edition. And you just can't beat the fun.
- I love the hero variety. I love the boss variety. I like it competitive play. I like it solo. Oh, I like it co-op. I like it every way I could get it.
- Characters, variety, cool tactical play, amazing story, amazing exploration, like really take every other game on this list and take the cool things about it.
- I own way too much stuff for it. I'm not saying I like recommend it to everybody. I've spent even before they started sending me review copies of stuff, I spent like over $1,000 on this game, but I'm in. I spent it and now it's here and I can play it and it's great.
References (from this video)
- Elder Scrolls
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- in the time it would take me to set up and relearn Elder Scrolls I could have played Witchcraft three times.
- So, I will say it's very important for me.
- Voidfall is an example of a game that takes forever to set up and forever to tear down.
- But, if you're going to play Voidfall over the course of like 3 days, you're going to play it two or three times, you're just going to leave it on the table in between, who cares?
References (from this video)
- Really fun
- Great artwork
- Very tense game
- A lot of fun
- Good card playing game play
- This is one I have never won.
- Witches being persecuted but trying to help
- Salem
- Resist
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Play — Described as a 'very good card playing game play here'.
- Hidden Information — Players are trying to meet 'hidden numbers' and don't know what they are.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- My number 10 from Renegade Game Studios is Unstoppable. This is a science fiction solitaire game.
- This is 20 Strong. 20 Strong is not just a simple game. It's a game system because essentially, you have different decks, and you the way these decks play are very, very different.
- Great artwork here. I love the artwork, but it's just a very tense game. I'll be honest, this is one I have never won.
- Final Girl is a great solitaire game based on kind of B movie horror films.
- Hoplomachus Victorum is huge. This is This is one of the bigger solitary games I played.
- Mr. President is probably the biggest solitary game I've ever played.
- This is The Pursuit of John Wilkes Booth.
- I, Napoleon is essentially a Napoleon Bonaparte simulator.
- And this is Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. [...] it is freaking awesome.
- It's a horror game. It is chilling. And it is just so good.
- Plague of Dracula is a great game where you take on the roles of the characters from the book Dracula.
References (from this video)
- Gets to the table quick
- Super super solid solo game
- Wished there was a bit more variety
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- vocal turbulence oh yeah we'll take we'll take the back then and joined by my lovely T Tumblin co-host Jack
- that's the funniest thing to me is that the newer games that are coming out are getting more and more simplified I feel like in terms of how they are presenting themselves.
- I think the the touchstones of RPGs would be familiar enough that uh this could be a good translation but other wi um I don't think it's necessarily the strategy that's a barrier in a lot of games I think it's the uh interconnectivity of systems and the Reliance on you know like touchstones to build someone up
- adults have been conditioned that it is bad to look silly in front of other adults and that's a problem as a society that we need to overcome
- the cardinal sins uh that I committed in my early content creation uh Journey as I was talking about Gateway Games in another I don't know was it a video was it an essay I publish or or something but I listed War of the ring as a game that I think could be a great uh showcase for the hobby
- don't be a jerk and try to know your audience and have a degree of understanding of what someone else is going through
- what do you consider your like one of your gateway games like that got you into the hobby that got me into the hobby yeah um absolutely would be hero Quest um as a kid
- Small World was the game that really convinced me like I want to be a part of this Hobby and I want to explore all the games because if this is what we can do then sky the limit there's all kinds of things this is so cool
References (from this video)
- Compact, thinky solo experience
- Immersive and thematic despite small footprint
- Multiple difficulty levels across the months provide replayability
- Very challenging to win for many players
- Solo-only design may limit audience appeal
- witchcraft, town intrigue, courtroom persuasion
- a town under stress from various calamities, where a coven of witches seeks to manage events and influence outcomes
- single-player focused, tightly themed with puzzle-like decision making
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- juror persuasion and event mitigation — attempts to mitigate town calamities while swaying jurors to deem the town safe
- Real-Time — designed specifically for a single player with challenging decision space
- Resource and influence management — balancing town needs, coven power, and juror influence to progress
- Resource Management — balancing town needs, coven power, and juror influence to progress
- Solo Play — designed specifically for a single player with challenging decision space
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- It is a really fun, complex, thinky game in a small box that is great for one player.
- This is based on two actual diva opera singers. And it is very thematic in the way that you play.
- It's a tug-of-war game.
- So that you can be the diva who reigns supreme.
- You literally have a model going down the runway.
- You're crafting dresses and outfits and looks and they're all going to score for you in different ways.
- The Voynich manuscript has never been translated.
- This is a one to four player game based on the Voynich manuscript.
References (from this video)
- Deck construction offers strategic choices.
- Campaign mode provides objectives and narrative.
- App simplifies complex arithmetic calculations.
- Engaging mission-based gameplay with hidden information.
- App has some minor UI/polish issues.
- Losing villagers can lead to game over.
- Some mechanics can be punishing if not handled carefully.
- Investigating the death of a mayor and warnings of monsters.
- Wildegrens
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Play — Players play cards from their hand, often hidden or revealed, to gain strength for overcoming challenges and missions.
- Deck construction — Players draft cards (witches) to form their deck, choosing between hidden (weaker, return to deck) and revealed (stronger, removed) sides.
- information management — Players can uncover challenges to reveal information about upcoming missions, which is crucial for strategic planning.
- Mission Completion — The game involves completing a set number of missions (six) to win, with failure resulting in penalties like losing villagers or gaining curses.
- Push Your Luck — Certain actions, like failing to clear all cards beneath a mission, or drawing villagers cards when losing them, involve an element of chance and risk.
- Resource Management — Players manage strength totals generated by cards to meet mission requirements, while also managing villager counts and avoiding curses.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- It's witchcraft time, y'all.
- The app, even though it's got a couple of small rough uh spots, is very nice for doing the math for you.
- But, it needs a it needs a couple of small, you know, passes to for for polish.
- That is wild. The things you do.
References (from this video)
- Preferred the theming over Resist
- Resist
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I feel like I don't really need to.
- So, basically you are going to be going out on your boat and fishing, but you are also trying not to overfish the ocean and take too much from the ocean.
- The spawning rate snowballing out of control was the biggest complaint I remember hearing from the original game.
- The art is amazing.
- And then the last thing that we have to do for this round or this phase is that we do have to pay upkeep for our boats.
- I do believe that I have successfully won the game.
References (from this video)
- neat theme of coven witches fighting to protect the town
- high variation via jurors, missions, challenges, and Tales
- interesting deck management/deck trimming feel
- strong thematic immersion and community interplay
- adapts to changing cards and challenges; strategic depth
- high difficulty and potential for frustration; can require restarts
- punishing luck of the draw (villagers/conviction cards)
- many ways to misstep and few clear paths to victory
- coven of witches using magic for good to protect the town; conflict with evil and public opinion
- town of waldegrens
- round-based with missions and jury decisions
- Legacy of You
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- campaign Tales — nine standalone Tales with different rules add variation and difficulty
- drafting and coven deck construction — you draft witches into your coven deck; you flip two cards at a time, keep one, and form coven deck with 12 cards plus recruit deck
- jury persuasion — after analyzing powers, you may choose to persuade a juror, using persuasion values; higher value used for chosen juror
- power/mission resolution — resolve missions by spending power, reducing by challenge difficulty, then discarding or playing in play area, with effects on success or failure
- revealed vs hidden witches — witch cards can be revealed (more powerful but go to jail) or hidden (discarded for later use)
- round-based six-phase structure — each round comprises six phases: play witches, choose mission, play remaining witches, resolve the mission, go to trial, recover
- Variable Phase Order — each round comprises six phases: play witches, choose mission, play remaining witches, resolve the mission, go to trial, recover
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the goal in this game is to lead a covenant of witches in their fight against evil in the town of waldegrens
- this game is played over numerous rounds until you either trigger one of the losing conditions or decide to head to trial
- it's quite a difficult game to try to balance the cards that you draw revealing witches and keeping them hidden
- there's a lot of variations in this game it's likely you're not gonna see the same game happen again and again
- I really enjoyed this, I'm newer to solo gaming
- don't take my word for it look at the kickstarter down below
References (from this video)
- Engaging witchcraft theme with unique family ties (Kent line) producing thematic flair
- Rich deck-building and hand-management with meaningful choices
- Multiple difficulty modes (Easy/Normal/Hard) add replayability
- Clear narrative flow with phase-based turn structure and mission selection
- High randomness and luck in draws and conviction cards
- Complex setup and heavy pile management (multiple decks and discard piles)
- Some interactions may be confusing and require frequent rulebook reference
- Can be punishing and long-winded for new players
- Array
- Fictional witchcraft-themed setting with juror-based conflicts
- Deck-driven, narrative-driven with hidden/revealed choices
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Deck Building — Players build and manipulate two decks (coven and recruit) and draw from the coven deck; cards are discarded and reshuffled
- Hand Management — Players manage a hand of witches and associated curses, deciding which to play and which to discard for future draws
- Hidden/Face-Up Card States — Witch cards have hidden sides that may flip to revealed sides, activating different powers
- Jail/Discard Piles and Recovery Phase — After completing a mission, players move cards to discard/jail and recover to five cards; rounds continue
- Mission/Challenge System with Act Decks — Missions and challenges are drawn from act decks; completing missions requires power and overcoming challenges
- Persuasion/Conviction Track — Players track persuasion per juror and conviction numbers to determine victories
- Reclaim as Action — After completing a mission, players move cards to discard/jail and recover to five cards; rounds continue
- Resource Management — Power is accumulated from witches and used to overcome missions; power can increase via abilities if you have no curses
- resource/power management — Power is accumulated from witches and used to overcome missions; power can increase via abilities if you have no curses
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- the point of this game is to go through some missions and challenges and stop whenever we think we're ready to and compare the two numbers added up above these jur to the track number here
- I find this game to be pretty pretty tough lots of luck in terms of what you're drawing and and of course the challenge cards are also a little bit surprising a lot of luck with the conviction cards too but very enjoyable this is a fun theme
- this is a fun theme I don't have many games with this type of Witchcraft theme but it's definitely fun
- we've resolved the mission we overcame the challenges we overcame the mission
- power is seven and then now I have to overcome the challenges
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Cardboard Spooktacular community list is up and running right now.
- We have 10 days left to vote.
- Final Grill continues to sit at the top of the list.
- Horrified has made a huge run up with positive 13 votes.
- As a reminder, this is an up vote, down vote system.
- Witchcraft as well tied there.
- Arkham Horror card game.
- Dreadful Meadows.
- It being this high on the list had me looking at it yesterday.
- Thulu Death May Die.
- Vagrant Song.
- Arkham Horror.
- Boop.
- I like the cutesy game in there.
- And Mysterium rounds out the top 10.
- As you can see, there are tons of games that you can go vote for right this second.
- If you don't happen to see your game on this list, no worries.
- Scroll to the top, create a list. It's already hashtagged properly and you can nominate games for this list.
- You can go make your voice heard right now at crdbrd.ap.
- I want to hear from you.
- Make sure if you make a list, you can comment on each and every game and your comments will be shown on the list.
- So even if you see games on the list, go make your own favorite spooktacular game list.
- make comments there because I'd love to hear why you think the game should be on the
References (from this video)
- Strong solo experience
- Campaign mode
- Rich theme
- Complex rules for new players
- Witchcraft, missions, and hidden vs revealed cards
- Solo witch coven deck-building
- Gothic, thematic, with capricious fate
- Resist
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Deck-building with hidden/revealed cards — Start with coven cards, some hidden, some revealed; power and abilities vary by reveal.
- Hand Management — Allocate witches to missions, timing reveals for power.
- Hand management and synergies — Allocate witches to missions, timing reveals for power.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Mini Rogue is a very simple and streamlined dungeon crawl game.
- I think this one is my favorite.
- This is the followup to a game called Resist.
- Friday is just one of the most innovative deck building games of all time in my opinion.
- There's just no other game that quite feels like Coffee Roaster.
References (from this video)
- thematic witchcraft premise with engaging puzzle
- clear tension of when to reveal cards
- art and theme are appealing
- complex setup decisions may slow early plays
- witchcraft, hidden vs revealed cards
- witch coven and village
- puzzle-focused with confrontation cards
- Resist
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- area-based defeat of locations — defeat locations to unlock icons that advance tracks.
- hidden/revealed card play — use cards either hidden or revealed; revealed cards are stronger but costly.
- Simultaneous Reveal — use cards either hidden or revealed; revealed cards are stronger but costly.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- this is a wonderful little puzzle game
- it's easy to get to the table
- I absolutely love this game
- Legacy of You has captured my heart
References (from this video)
- fantastic witchy theme
- clever timing and side-selection mechanics
- two-player or small counts can limit dynamics
- witchcraft, magical duels, and deception
- witch coven with a townsfolk-tracking mechanic
- gothic, competitive with hidden/exposed mechanics
- Resist
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- hidden/exposed card sides — choose which side of a card to activate, with consequences
- vote/track to influence townsfolk — progress tracks to persuade townsfolk of your alignment
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Chakra is wonderful
- I absolutely love it and I'm so freaking happy I didn't get rid of it
- Dutch Blitz is the best time
- Rove is absolutely amazing
- Witchcraft is a fantastic card based game
- Azul I am so excited to talk about my number 72
- Role Player is wonderful wonderful game
References (from this video)
- expands Resist system with fresh twists
- accessible price point for narrative-driven play
- Kickstarter-based timing can be uncertain
- witch coven vs trial, village-centered conflict
- mythological New England, witches in colonial-like era
- story-driven, mission-based with moral trials
- Resist
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- card-driven progression — cards influence actions and narrative outcomes
- story creation — story-driven missions and outcomes drive progress
- two-player/solo potential — supports multiple play modes, including solo-ish play
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- it's an amazingly massive system
- Stuka leader is much more than just a leader of stukas
- the heart of this is the story of you as the individual pilot
- space-based operational level war game
References (from this video)
- Solo-only design with a cozy witch theme
- Interesting hidden vs revealed card play
- witchy cozy vibe
- witch coven in a village
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Card Drafting — draft witches as cards with hidden/revealed sides; manage jail/discard vs. hidden abilities to achieve town goals
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I think this is like literally the perfect cozy game
- Walk and Roll... it gives me all of the Cozy Vibes
- Harvest is absolutely wonderful I definitely recommend it for a cozy fall/autumn game
- Spellbook... fairly simple in gameplay
- Three Sisters is a huge recommendation for me if you're looking for a roll-and-write game that is a little crunchier
- Witchcraft... I definitely recommend checking out Witchcraft
References (from this video)
- Compact and quick to play, ideal for travel
- Strong solo play experience with campaign depth
- Engaging coven drafting and character recruitment
- Campaign structure adds substantial replayability
- Thematic and flavorful witch options with meaningful synergies
- Draft pool can feel limited in later plays, potentially reducing variety
- Curse and jail mechanics introduce volatility and potentially punishing turns
- Some players may wish for a larger witch pool or expanded modules
- Dark folklore, witch coven politics, moral and strategic choices under pressure
- A witch-hunting village with a coven-building mechanic, tied to a campaign of modular acts and missions.
- Campaign-driven, story-led with modular acts and scenarios that morph based on witch recruitment and revealed powers
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Active missions and challenges — Players select active missions; each mission has a number of beneath-the-surface challenge cards that must be resolved to succeed, with consequences if failed.
- Campaign and act structure — The Tales of Wilder Greens campaign provides modular acts (tail missions) with specific setups and challenges, enabling progressive difficulty and varied outcomes.
- Coven deck drafting — Before play, players construct a coven from a pool of witches; 12 coven cards are chosen for the coven deck and 12 for the recruit deck, with hidden vs revealed sides affecting power and jail risk.
- Hand Management — At recovery, players discard played witches and curses and draw a fresh hand; some cards manipulate the recruit/coven decks or draw from Coven deck.
- Hand management and draw phases — At recovery, players discard played witches and curses and draw a fresh hand; some cards manipulate the recruit/coven decks or draw from Coven deck.
- Influence Points — Witches contribute power (depending on hidden/revealed side and synergies with other witches); power is spent to overcome missions and challenges.
- Jail, curses, and recovery — Revealed witches can go to jail; failing missions or triggering certain effects can add curses to the coven deck; curses alter hand and draw rules and can cause loss if mishandled.
- Power and influence system — Witches contribute power (depending on hidden/revealed side and synergies with other witches); power is spent to overcome missions and challenges.
- Villager deck and lost souls — A villager deck is used to determine losses. Losing villagers adds pressure: accumulating five lost souls can cause a loss condition.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- It's so compact. You go on a business trip, bring the witchcraft game with you.
- Huge recommend for a solo player.
- I really recommend starting with the Tales of Wild Reds.
References (from this video)
- thematic depth and strong witchy vibe
- replayability through different character/townfolk interactions
- may require careful planning to maximize revealed actions
- witchcraft and town defense with persuasion
- witch-themed negotiation and social interaction with townsfolk
- story-driven with social manipulation elements
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Hand Management — hand of five cards with revealed and hidden actions; balance between using revealed vs hidden actions
- hand management / card actions — hand of five cards with revealed and hidden actions; balance between using revealed vs hidden actions
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I really really enjoyed it
- I absolutely love this one I love the art of this one too and this one will definitely be one that I choose to bring traveling and stuff in the future. I really really like it
- I freaking loved it. I am so, so happy that I have it in the collection
- I absolutely love it and I'm excited to hop into those
- I love engine-building games
- I absolutely love the solo I've heard a ton of good things about the solo from a few of the people in the board game Garden solo community
- I think it's very cool that you can name the baby too; it just makes me very happy
References (from this video)
- great solo system
- fits Halloween/fall theme well
- some may find it too heavy or punishing
- pact/curse mechanics with fallish aesthetic
- witch-themed, spooky atmosphere
- cozy yet punishing solo play
- Final Girl
- Horrified
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- solo engine / puzzle — long-form solo play with a heavy strategy layer
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- I am going to unfairly subjectively tier rank every single one of the winners.
- This is also the very first one.
- We've got 14 days to create the most spooky list of board games of all time.
References (from this video)
- Strong thematic cohesion tied to witch trials, village defense, and coven politics.
- Solid solo-solve design with meaningful choices that affect both short-term power and long-term deck health.
- Hidden vs revealed mechanic adds meaningful tension and strategic depth, offering multiple levers to optimize each turn.
- Mission variety and escalating threats encourage adaptive planning and multiple playthroughs.
- Teaching the rules during the playthrough can be approachable for new players who want a guided experience.
- Curse cards can clog the coven deck and create frustrating dead draws, especially early in the game.
- The rule surface is dense and some interactions (e.g., when exactly to reveal or exile a witch) can be nontrivial to track during a live playthrough.
- Luck-driven elements (random draws for mission, curse distribution) can swing outcomes and lead to abrupt endings.
- The game can be punishing: losing villagers or triggering multiple challenges can trigger a cascade of failures if not managed carefully.
- Witchcraft, covens, trials, curses, and the tension between perceived danger and hidden power.
- An isolated village under threat from mythical evils, where a coven of witches must prove their benevolence during Witch Trials and protect the village from encroaching darkness.
- Story-driven, narrator guides through setup, mission selection, and escalating threats; emphasizes cause-and-effect consequences of power choices and the villagers' perceptions.
- Resist
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Conviction and persuasion — Endgame scoring hinges on persuading jurors by matching or exceeding their conviction with persuasion. The jurors’ counters are drawn from a fixed distribution, and certain cards can modify conviction or draw results, creating a tense race to innocence.
- Curses and penalty risk — Curses primarily clog the coven deck and increase future risk. They can be drawn into hand, potentially forcing suboptimal plays or endangering the ability to fulfill missions. Managing curses is a core strategic concern.
- Deck Building — The player assembles and manages multiple decks (coven deck, recruit deck, and mission deck) and optimizes power by selecting which witches to reveal or keep hidden. The deck composition directly influences available actions, power generation, and future options through jail/discard paths.
- deck-building / engine-building — The player assembles and manages multiple decks (coven deck, recruit deck, and mission deck) and optimizes power by selecting which witches to reveal or keep hidden. The deck composition directly influences available actions, power generation, and future options through jail/discard paths.
- End Game Bonuses — Endgame scoring hinges on persuading jurors by matching or exceeding their conviction with persuasion. The jurors’ counters are drawn from a fixed distribution, and certain cards can modify conviction or draw results, creating a tense race to innocence.
- Hidden vs revealed cards — Witches can be played on their Hidden Side or Revealed Side. Hidden witches provide power with a special ability, but revealed witches offer stronger effects at the cost of moving to jail when used. The choice alters current power, future availability, and risk management.
- Jail vs discard lifecycle — Played witches reveal a trade-off: revealed witches go to jail (limiting future use but potentially enabling strong effects), while hidden witches go to the discard pile and are shuffled back into play later. This creates long-term planning considerations and cycle timing.
- Luck and decision points — Power output and mission outcomes depend on card draws, hand composition, and the timing of when to reveal or retain certain witches. The player occasionally faces coin-flip-like uncertainty in pivotal moments.
- Mission-based objectives — The game presents multiple missions (e.g., extinguish fires, cure villagers, or destroy nests). Each mission requires a certain amount of power to complete and may interact with the current challenges or curses in play.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Curses don't do anything they just sort of clog up our coven deck.
- you must play all of your witches you cannot save any for next round
- it's basically flipping a coin
- we convinced two jurors … draw your valiant efforts against the threats to the Village
- the trick is we can play witches either before or immediately after picking our mission
- this is face of Baba Yaga in the woods this is our first act three mission
- you can lose if you draw your hand of five cards and they're all curses
References (from this video)
- witchy vibe
- thematic production cues
- Witchy theme
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
- Hand Management — Managing a hand of witch-themed cards to gain effects.
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Let's Get Cozy and play some board games
- I get very socially anxious
References (from this video)
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- Stardew Valley the board game can be played solo.
- This is literally the cozy farming game you can find in a board game.
- I 1000% recommend this one.
References (from this video)
- interesting theme reimagining
- clever deck building mechanic
- difficult decision-making
- solo only game
- no multiplayer support
- witchcraft
- history
- deck building
- Salem
- Resist
Mechanics (from transcript analysis)
Video topics + discussion points
Quotes (from this video)
- one of the best if not the best boss battler out there
- this is the must get expansion if you're only going to get one
- you've never seen dragons quite like these they are stunning
- Simone Luciani strikes again
- freaking brilliant
- one of my top three favorite Thematic settings in board games
- live the best life you can
- be the best human being you can
- probably my game of the year
- there is no way it doesn't make it into my top 10 of the year