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- BGG #4,710
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Divine Right
- 2–6 players
- 360 min
- Complexity 3.2/5
- 1979
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- BGG #11,126
- BGG rating
- 6.9
Dark Cults
1983
Rules assistance for Dark Cults
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 60 min
- 10+
- Complexity 1.5/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Dark Cults
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Dark Cults is a board game released in 1983 for 2 players, 60 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Kenneth Rahman and its main mechanics are Storytelling.
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About the 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.
Questions and answers
Dark Cults supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Dark Cults is 60 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Dark Cults for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Dark Cults has a complexity rating of 1.5 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Dark Cults belongs to these categories: Card Game and Horror. Its main mechanics are Storytelling. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of Dark Cults are: Kenneth Rahman. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Dark Cults as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.