Thunderstone: Dragonspire

Dominion-style deck-building with a dungeon: buy heroes and gear, then use the deck to beat monsters.

Designers: Mike Elliott, Brent Keith
Published by: Alderac Entertainment Group
Editions by: Pegasus Spiele, Arclight Games, Edge Entertainment, Wargames Club Publishing

Thunderstone: Dragonspire is a fantasy deck-builder in the spirit of Dominion, but you do not buy victory points. You build a deck of heroes, weapons and supplies in the village, then march it into a dungeon to fight monsters, and the monsters are what score. Each game picks a random mix of heroes, village cards and monster groups, so the set of choices changes every time. Weapons, light and rations matter because the deeper monsters hit hard and the dark makes them tougher. One to five players, about forty-five minutes. It rewards planning a deck around what you are likely to fight.

Heroes, weapons and light in your deckDefeat dungeon monsters for pointsRandom setup each game

Who it's for

You like Dominion-style deck-building and want it with a fantasy dungeon to fight through, and ideally with a solo option.

Not for you if…

You want a quick, light game, or you dislike fantasy art and monster battles. Deck-building with a fight on top asks for some concentration.

Vibe's take

Rhythmic and crunchy, alternating between shopping in the village and a push into the dungeon. You always weigh whether to strengthen the deck or to cash it in on a monster now.