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Hemloch: Vault of Darkness
2013
Rules assistance for Hemloch: Vault of Darkness
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 2.2/5
Rules assistant for Hemloch: Vault of Darkness
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Hemloch: Vault of Darkness is a board game released in 2013 for 2 players and 30 minutes per game. It was designed by John Clowdus and its main mechanics are Hand Management and Area Majority / Influence.
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About the game
Hemloch is a peculiar city; its nights and days last for decades, and control of the city swings wildly during the weeks leading up to the change. The Great Houses, using Minions as ark and peculiar as the town itself, vie for control of Hemoch's districts. The Long Night is ending, and you have precious little twilight remaining to assert you House's dominance over the city's 4 districts. In 8 nights, the sun rises, and in that time, you must use the Spoils of the Vault of Darkness to draw as many minions to your side as you can, while thwarting the rival House's plans. One of Small Box Games' most anticipated reprintings, Hemloch has received an overhaul; both graphically and mechanically, drawing from the mood, theme, and mechanics that made Hemloch a well regarded two player game and melding them with new mechanics and more dynamic gameplay. While this game is specifically Hemloch: Vault of Darkness (a game of 2 players), as a bonus in this limited edition, the material needed to play an additional game, Shadow of the Sun (a game for 3-4 players), is included. This limited edition print run is limited to 500 copies.
Designers
Publishers
- Small Box Games
Questions and answers
Hemloch: Vault of Darkness 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 Hemloch: Vault of Darkness is 30 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.
Hemloch: Vault of Darkness has a complexity rating of 2.2 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.
Hemloch: Vault of Darkness belongs to these categories: Card Game and Fantasy. Its main mechanics are Hand Management and Area Majority / Influence. 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 Hemloch: Vault of Darkness are: John Clowdus. 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 Hemloch: Vault of 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.