
- BGG rating
- 7.8
Dark Venture: Battle of the Ancients – Kings and Heroes
- 1–6 players
- 20–120 min
- 2021

2022
Rules assistance for Dark Venture: Battle of the Ancients
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 1 player

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Dark Venture: Battle of the Ancients is a board game released in 2022 for 1–4 players, 20–90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Rob Lemon and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement.
In a dark, destroyed world ruled by chaos, hordes of otherworldly creatures battle against one another for dominance and survival. Amidst the shrill call of battle horns, the ground rumbles as squadrons of mutated abominations rush into combat! Dark Venture - Battle Of The Ancients is a Solo, Cooperative and Competitive tactical strategy game set in an apocalyptic, sci-fi universe where players control weird, asymmetric factions engaging in brutal conflict against one another. On their turns, players roll 6 action dice then spend them to (a) move the units of their faction or (b) activate Faction abilities: The Bohmerk split their units to create new ones, the Varpen grow their units in size and strength, the Dhargon collect resources and use them to replicate their units, the Orpal open portals to transport new units into battle, and the Alderkang fabricate new units using the DNA of captured enemies. Complete the objectives to summon a powerful Ancient to the battlefield, an otherworldly leader who grants your faction a unique special ability! Core game modes Victory: Collect a set number of victory points to win. Adventure: Explore the map, fight enemies, complete objectives, and discover EVENT TOKENS to follow a branching story path. Scenario: Choose an adventure from the SCENARIO BOOK and get into battle! The scenarios, if followed in order, have an overarching story, a CAMPAIGN! —description from the publisher
Dark Venture: Battle of the Ancients supports 1–4 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for Dark Venture: Battle of the Ancients is 20–90 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 Venture: Battle of the Ancients for ages 12 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 Venture: Battle of the Ancients has a complexity rating of 2.9 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-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 Venture: Battle of the Ancients belongs to these categories: Fighting and Science Fiction. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement. 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 Venture: Battle of the Ancients are: Rob Lemon. 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 Venture: Battle of the Ancients 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.