Escape the Dark Castle
Escape the Dark Castle is a simple, fantasy adventure game for 1-4 players, with a focus on storytelling, atmosphere and player cooperation – perfect for newcomers to tabletop gaming. It takes 2 minutes to set up, lasts around 30 minutes, and no two games are ever the same. Players take the roles of prisoners and must work together using custom dice and item cards to overcome the castle’s many horrors, traps and challenges - each of which is represented by a large, beautifully illustrated chapter card. As these immersive chapter cards are revealed one by one, the game takes on the form of a shared storytelling experience, with the players making decisions about what to do each chapter as they embark on a desperate quest to escape.
Welcome prisoner, to a new era of The Dark Castle. The Death Knight himself, legendary swordsman and the one they call ‘Lord of Decay’, has risen to prominence. The weak and the mindless flock to his banner, twisted by his dark influence into powerful, feral fanatics. They say he sends curses to crawl into the souls of the weary. Beware the curses, prisoner. Beware the Death Knight... Along with fifteen new castle locations, three new playable prisoners, and a new boss, this expansion for Escape the Dark Castle introduces an entirely new mechanic to the system – Curses! The curses represent terrible afflictions cast upon the prisoners, deviously designed to thwart their progress. Curses enter play via the item deck, meaning players must now choose carefully who will turn each one.
Gorging on the castle’s unending supply of tortured souls, the Undead Queen calls to her service the corpses, skeletons, and spirits of the depths. If a prisoner should fall at the hands of her inexhaustible armies, all that awaits is an eternity of agonizing undeath... Along with fifteen new castle locations, and a new boss, this expansion for Escape the Dark Castle introduces an entirely new mechanic to the system – Companions! Companions enter the quest via event cards and temporarily join-up with the prisoners to assist in their escape. Each Companion is a powerful ally, but their presence is often fleeting so players must choose carefully how and when to call on them.
From the deepest, long-forgotten passageways to the vaulted eaves of the highest towers – there you will find his creation. For he is the Plague Lord - a monstrous, sentient mass of weeping pustules, proud emanator of an all-encompassing evil. It would be his most perverse pleasure to watch as you slowly succumb to the agonizing torment of the Plague... Along with fifteen new castle locations, three new playable prisoners, and a new boss, this expansion for Escape the Dark Castle introduces an entirely new mechanic to the system – Plague! Prisoners will now encounter Carriers - plague-infected lunatics bent on spreading the disease. Prisoners can contract, spread, and even succumb entirely to this rampant atrocity, adding a new dimension and weight to the game’s risk-reward decisions.