Crownfell

18 cards • 2 players • 15-45 minutes • ages 14+

Solo expansion available

Designed by Mike Berg. Art by Strega Wolf van den Berg.

The monarchy has crumbled. The realm is in chaos. Alliances are formed and shattered as the remnants of meagre factions contend for the seat of power.

*Playmat sold separately

Summary

Crownfell is a dynamic abstract strategy game played with eight cards on a 5x5 grid. Each card represents a character with unique movement and special rules.

In each game, players draft four out of a pool of 17 unique characters, resulting in a very different game each time. Their asymmetrical abilities and movement lead to surprising and dramatic moments. Capture all your opponent's pieces to win.

In Crownfell, nothing is permanent... including a strong lead. Move onto the centre space to rally your allies or resurrect the fallen. Captured cards can be revived from the discard pile by either player. In this game, defeated pieces can switch sides!

How to play

The goal is to capture all of your opponent's cards from the board.

On your turn, you can do one of three things:

1. Deploy

Place a card from your hand into your home row.

2. Move

Move a card on the board following the movement rules shown on the card.

3. Use an ability

Some cards have special abilities that let them do things like move other cards, or even throw fireballs.

What about that crown space in the middle?

If you move a card onto the crown space in the middle of the board, you perform one of three special rally actions:

1. Deploy

Immediately make a "free" deployment from your hand.

2. Revive

Take a card from the discard pile into your hand... even cards that originally belonged to your opponent!

3. Direct

Move another one of your cards one space in any direction.

That's about it!

Crownfell takes just a few minutes to learn. The dynamic interactions between the card's movement and abilities is where it really shines.

You can read the full Crownfell rules online

Full playthrough of a 2-player game:

It's like Onimata combined with Shogi, but portable.

• Dokudenpa Cards

Try it online

You can try Crownfell online, here!

Get the PnP version

You can get the printable version from PNP Arcade, on sale Nov 28 for Black Friday

Read the story of how Crownfell came to be

Crownfell Design Diary: No such thing as a bad idea

Reviews

Crownfell is still an unexpected sort of game. At once, it’s deterministic and full of surprises. It asks players to parcel out their moves, creating interlocking blocks of armor and spears of threat. But it also asks them to go a little mad sometimes — to light up a distant troop with the Pyro or radically reposition with the Stag or Minstrel.... The result is a wonderful little game, one that feels much larger than its 18 cards. It helps that Strega Wolf van den Berg’s illustrations are obsidian-sharp. There’s nothing quite like some black-on-black warriors speckled with blood. All the better when their behavior on the battlefield matches their spiked armor.

• Dan Thurot, Space Biff

There’s tension in every turn, as players weigh placing new pieces out against developing the positions of their other pieces. The abilities, and their different combinations, provide meaningful variety. This isn’t aesthetic variation. The pieces in play have a significant impact on how the game feels. With simple rules, beautiful art, and only eighteen cards, Crownfell is quite the accomplishment.

• Andrew Lynch, Meeple Mountain

A nearly flawless evolution of tactical chess-like head-to-head games. One of those games where about 20% of the way into your first game you stop, sit back for a moment, and go "holy crap, this is good..."

• EvilAardvark, playtester

Simple, elegant, and surprisingly deep for its size... Crownfell is a clever, compact two-player game that delivers a lot of depth with just a few components. It's strategic, but accessible, visually fitting, and just a well-crafted design.

• Sir Thecos

Solo expansion

You are among the last defenders of the fallen crown. Withstand an onslaught of invaders to restore peace to the realm.

Make your stand

With a mere four anti-heroes, outmaneuver a relentless tide of 13 unique enemies.

Unpredictable enemies

Enemy actions are determined by a simple card flip, providing smooth gameplay without complex decision trees.

Each enemy performs the topmost action that it's possible to take from their current position. Any time there's a decision to make about which space or card to target, use the priority arrow on the back of the flipped card.

Buy the Crownfell: Last Stand here

Neoprene playmat

Add the optional 24x14" neoprene playmat, adorned with gorgeous art by Strega Wolf van den Berg, to your game!

As Dan Thurot says: "The mat isn’t strictly necessary. But neither is chocolate."

This game and its artwork are 100% human made.

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