- BGG rating
- 8.6
Darkness Comes Rattling: War of the Spirits
- 2–6 players
- 60–120 min
- Complexity 3.0/5
- 2017
- BGG rank
- BGG #11,128
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Darkness Comes Rattling
2015
Rules assistance for Darkness Comes Rattling
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2–6 players
- 60–120 min
- 13+
- Complexity 3.1/5
For 2 players
Rules assistant for Darkness Comes Rattling
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Darkness Comes Rattling is a board game released in 2015 for 2–6 players, 60–120 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Kevin Wilson, Justin Gibbs, David Hanold, Aaron Darland, and Mason Crawford and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Area Movement, and Dice Rolling.
Expansions
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About the game
Darkness Comes Rattling follows the Tribes of Man in their quest to save the world of Tallil from Darkness, a colossal snake that has swallowed the sun. The players must cooperate as they face the challenges of their world, including the formidable shadows that are the minions of Darkness. Eventually, they must choose the bravest among them to enter the mouth of Darkness and rescue the sun. Each round of the game (known as a "day") is divided into three phases: the Dawn phase, the Challenge phase, and the Dusk phase. In the Dawn phase, each player uses their actions to move about, purify corruption, scout challenges, and share items. In the Challenge phase, each player undertakes a challenge. If they succeed, they gain rewards; if they fail, they incur penalties. In the Dusk phase, game upkeep is performed. In order to win the game, the players must choose one warrior to enter Darkness as their champion. While the champion battles inside Darkness and attempts to reach the swallowed sun, the other warriors must still defend Tallil from the encroaching shadows, lest they corrupt the world and plunge everything into eternal night. If Darkness finishes swallowing the sun, or the shadows gain too much influence in the world, then the players lose the game.
Mechanics
Publishers
- Wyrd Games
Questions and answers
Darkness Comes Rattling supports 2–6 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 Darkness Comes Rattling is 60–120 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 Darkness Comes Rattling for ages 13 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.
Darkness Comes Rattling has a complexity rating of 3.1 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-weight 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.
Darkness Comes Rattling belongs to these categories: Fantasy and Mythology. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Area Movement, and Dice Rolling. 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 Darkness Comes Rattling are: Kevin Wilson, Justin Gibbs, David Hanold, Aaron Darland, and Mason Crawford. 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 Darkness Comes Rattling 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.