Board Game Review: Dark Region

After reviewing the co-op strategy game Ghosts of the Island, I have another extensive game for you for those who love intense games, containing a fair amount of strategy, randomness, and also some cards. Today we will look at the asymmetric strategy game Dark Region, which differs from its competitors in many ways. The following lines will tell you what it is, how it excels, and how difficult it is to get into.

• Number of players: 14
• Play time: 45 – 90 minutes
• Price: 1749 CZK (Planet of Games)
• Age: 14+

At first, Dark Edge is a two-player battle.

Probably, each of us had the opportunity to go through a tutorial that received decent grades while playing a regular game. In board games, the entry point is usually quite boring. The reason for this is the fact that the rules are poorly written, and sometimes they even lack something or contain errors. It is very rare to find a really good guide.

However, the dark region has it. It offers the player five chapters, within which he actually has the opportunity to grasp what is happening in this game. At the very beginning, it is a work for two. Here you have only two game factions, two heroes and some content that forms the gameplay.

In short, the creators do not want to overload anyone, so they introduce individual elements to players quite gradually. The narrative here revolves around revenge, where on one side there is good, represented by the Defenders, and on the other side, the vendetta-seeking Family, bringing destruction to peaceful neighbors. Then both sides use mysterious demons in their fight, which are spirits and demons willing to submit to the will of their masters.

As already mentioned, the starting lineup of characters consists of a pair with different abilities. However, this pair is only part of the whole offer, which is gradually revealed to you. I must admit that the following legends are very interestingly designed in the Dark Land. For example, such a representative of the Kin, fat Cain, can activate a tree and, if his efforts are successful, remove one entity from the same area on which he himself stands. Among the Protectors, there are Boys without Skin, who are able to move residents and spirits.

The difference in strength of all players is here.

As you progress through the chapters, not only does the selection of legends (characters) expand, but so do the factions. Over time, three more uniquely crafted players will appear on the scene, each with a positively thrilling gameplay experience due to their diversity. After learning how to play as the Guardian and the Family, the evil Kami begins her own power struggle with her goblins and her desire to find a doll that will restore her lost power. Her arrival is necessary, but she only replaces one of the main factions. That’s why the witch Hester, who represents the fourth group, really stunned me.

She enters the game the moment you decide to leave her alone with the three of them, and represents the other side, fighting for their own interests. While with the others one is trying to destroy and the other to protect, this beauty wants the blood of all the legends so that she can restore her power and use it against the world. Unlike the others, she does not have her own rage. Instead, she “spreads” roots across the map from the start to generate resources, flames, and contagion among monsters, which she can then control on her turn. What’s interesting is that if you want to contaminate a legend, you can instead choose any berserker on the map. I found the gameplay behind her to be quite brutal and fun.

The final characters in the story are the fairies, who were originally an expansion, but thanks to the work of Fox in the Box, the Dark Region already includes them in the base box. You can use fairies in a game of three or four. A special option gives you the opportunity to gather them in a company of two. Unlike Esther, this faction cannot be called overtly aggressive. Quite the opposite, which is due, above all, to a different goal. Others fight and search for fairies. Yes, you read that right. Combat is alien to these gentle creatures, instead they can use their cards and nests to help or harm others in their quest to find their queen, who will only be revealed after finding a couple of other magical items.

The gameplay itself unfolds here, as does the faction pool, quite gradually. At the start, in short, we have an asymmetrical strategy in which you, along with your forces (monsters) and heroes, try to complete a given task, gain ability tokens, and ideally destroy enemies in the process. Once you’ve completed the first chapter, the cards are revealed to shape the next form of gameplay, and it doesn’t end there. It’s safe to say that this play heats up quite a bit over the first three chapters.

For me, I loved the evolution of the mechanics, but I loved the factions even more. The range of different factions you can play as is incredibly varied in terms of detail, so you can really recognize the transition from the Guardians to the Fae. Just like your experience playing as Esther will be different than when you marry Kami. In my opinion, competitors have a lot to learn from these creators.

Thanks to its processing, Dark Edge will not overwhelm you.

I know it sounds counterintuitive, but while Gloomy Land is definitely not an easy game, it didn’t overwhelm me. The format of the introductory scenarios takes you down a path that teaches you how to play on the fly, so after one chapter you can happily play another and don’t mind that there’s something new in it, because it’s the fresh mechanics that drive the gameplay forward. Because it wasn’t overwhelming, I was able to get younger players involved as part of a group, and they had a lot of fun with it.

What’s particularly pleasing about the game is the theme, the constant presence of encounters, and the diverse set of factions with unique abilities that you don’t see in the currently crowded board game market. Frankly, I’m glad I was able to introduce them to this play, and I’m looking forward to playing with them again. Personally, I’d recommend The Bleak Region to anyone who doesn’t mind a certain level of difficulty. If you can handle it, you’ll have the perfect item that playfully lives up to its price.

We would like to thank Czech distributor Fox in the Box for providing us with a copy of Gloomy Region.