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ELO Darkness
2018
Rules assistance for ELO Darkness
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 1–4 players
- 45–75 min
- 13+
- Complexity 3.4/5
For 1 player
Rules assistant for ELO Darkness
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
ELO Darkness is a board game released in 2018 for 1–4 players, 45–75 minutes per game, and ages 13 and up. It was designed by Tommaso Mondadori and Alberto Parisi and its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Simultaneous Action Selection.
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About the game
ELO Darkness is a complete customizable card game in which two players (or four in the team vs. team mode) fight against each other in an epic MOBA-inspired arena. Each player controls a 40-card deck representing a team of five heroes (divided into five different classes). Players can delve into the deck-building aspect of the game by customizing their own Team and play style. Heroes can be picked through an initial draft mode in which players alternate selecting among 30 different characters. The unique aspect of the game is the interaction with the board, which adds an interesting tactical aspect as well as a strong thematic feeling to the concept of the card duel. No dice are involved in the game. Randomness is limited to the draw and is mitigated by the Farming and Backing phases in which players can manage their hand and retreat from their position on the map in order to draw more cards from their deck. Hero cards can be used for multiple purposes: they can be played during combat or they can be discarded in order to gain Experience points and gold used to buy and upgrade powerful items during the game. Combat takes place every turn on each Lane and is determined by a simultaneous action selection mechanism and a back-and-forth phase in which players take actions like playing Gank cards or activating combos and special abilities. In addition, to increase tension during the match, there are also objectives (monster cards) that player can conquer through a simultaneous resource bidding occurring during specific turns. The final goal of the game is to invade the opponent's base on the map, destroying the enemy towers and breaking through one of the Lanes on the board.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- Reggie Games
Questions and answers
ELO Darkness 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 ELO Darkness is 45–75 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 ELO Darkness 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.
ELO Darkness has a complexity rating of 3.4 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.
ELO Darkness belongs to these categories: Card Game, Fantasy, and Fighting. Its main mechanics are Variable Player Powers, Hand Management, and Simultaneous Action Selection. 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 ELO Darkness are: Tommaso Mondadori and Alberto Parisi. 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 ELO Darkness 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.