This review was previously only published on the Dice Daniel Instagram page.
Imagine losing yourself in another world, where the bounty may be high, but the misfortune is lurking.
Shadows of Kilforth is an adventure game from @hallornothinggames and is the ‘sequel’ to Gloom of Kilforth. The Kilforth games are inspired by classic adventure and role-playing games. Players take on the role of a hero of varying fantasy class and race. Players each have their own personal quest, but the ultimate goal is to defeat the great bad guys known as the Ancients. During the day, players take actions (e.g. solving / confronting quests, places, strangers, fighting enemies, exploring Kilforth or discovering objects and other things).
Every night a night map is drawn and one of Kilforth’s locations falls into ‘Gloom’.If the player has not defeated the Ancient before the night card deck is empty, the game is lost.
Players must move through Kilforth and collect cards by solving quests and obtaining allies and items. Each collected card contains keywords to solve the personal quest. Cards are collected by (for example) solving smaller quests or attacking enemies. Each confrontation in the game is solved by a skill test. The player must roll the number of dice corresponding to the tested skill. When the required amount of success is reached, the player passes the test.
The above description of the game may sound somewhat abstract. If the player has a bit of imagination, he or she will quickly lose themselves in the compelling and immersive experience of Killforth. The game’s excellent artwork helps enormously. However, luck is a big part of the game and players who draw difficult cards or roll low dice can get into trouble. Experienced players can easily avoid their bad luck. Even if you lose the game, Killforth offers a long, unique and compelling experience. My last adventure in Kilforth lasted an entire afternoon in which time flew by. And I will gladly return!
