- BGG rating
- 7.3
Dark Venture: Vile Invaders
- 1–4 players
- 60–90 min
- 2019
- BGG rank
- BGG #6,802
- BGG rating
- 7.2
Dark Venture
2019
Rules assistance for Dark Venture
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 60–90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.9/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for Dark Venture
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Dark Venture is a board game released in 2019 for 1–4 players, 60–90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Rob Lemon and its main mechanics are Hand Management, Dice Rolling, and Grid Movement.
Expansions
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Dark Venture: Beasts & Monsters Mini-Expansion
- 1–4 players
- 60–90 min
- 2024
- BGG rating
- 7.5
Dark Venture: CRAWL!
- 1–2 players
- 2024
- BGG rating
- 7.6
Dark Venture: Khrag Pit Arena
- 1–4 players
- 60–90 min
- 2024
- BGG rating
- 8.1
Dark Venture: The Alderkang Mini-Expansion
- 1–4 players
- 60–90 min
- 2024
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About the game
Dark Venture is a retro, story-based, adventure card game where players construct a twisting narrative to explore a dystopian future with their heroes, completing quests to win the game. Pursue your destiny through the ravaged wilds of Darkgrange where magically-mutated creatures prowl the grounds of every seemingly abandoned building and stretch of dilapidated roadway. Players maintain a hand of Location, Item and Character cards, playing them on their turn by spending Action Points. Locations are played and attached to the map, then descriptive story entries are read that set up actions to be triggered and decisions to be made. Items, including weapons, magical artifacts, armor and potions, can be placed from a player's hand into their heroes inventory for them to use. Players may want to play other Characters from their hand to complete a quest or thwart an enemy. A player's goal in the Competitive game mode is to gain the most Quest Points over the course of a day, 6 game rounds in a short game or 12 game rounds in a long game, tracked on a Quest Track, which can take about 20-30 or 60-90 minutes to play. In the Cooperative mode, players work, fight, move and complete their quests together to each get a set number of quest points before the end of the day, in 6 or 12 game rounds. In the Solo mode, players can choose to play a short game of 6 game rounds, attempting to get a set number of quest points before lunch, or a full game of 12 game rounds, attempting to get even more quest points before the end of the day.
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- Gilded Skull Games
Questions and answers
Dark Venture 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 is 60–90 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 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 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 belongs to these categories: Card Game, Print & Play, and Exploration. Its main mechanics are Hand Management, 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 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 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.