Dark Cults (1983)

About this game

An early story-telling card game from the co-designer of Divine Right and Knights of Camelot. It is a story-telling card game, foreshadowing Once Upon a Time: The Storytelling Card Game. In it, the two players represent Life and Death, respectively, and each tries to guide a horror story to their corresponding outcome. As well as horror, the creator suggests that the game could be used for a science-fiction or mystery story, although the game's cards may be poorly suited to this. The second edition was packaged with a magazine called The Cultist. It proposed solo and four-player variants, and additional "object" cards for the game.

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Strictly 2 players — no more, no fewer.
• Rules load. At 1.5/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 10 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.