Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Harder to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Scales well
Deep strategy
How it plays
How does it play?
In Dreary Hamlet you will play as an adventurer caught in their weakest moment.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Read the full game description
In Dreary Hamlet you will play as an adventurer caught in their weakest moment. In medieval England times are hard, and to feed your family you will be forced to trek into the countryside, where you hope to slay the mysterious beasts that seem to be plaguing the tiny town of Hamlet. You have heard tales of the wretched creatures regurgitated from the Hamletsmaw, and though travellers shout of their horror, they also whisper through drink-numbed lips of the treasures that may be found within their guts. The aim of the game is simple; be the player with the most loot once every player is dead. The journey there is not such a simple one though. Each round of gameplay consists of a day and night phase. Creatures are drawn from a deck and placed in a grid at the centre of the table, where during the day players will choose which to face. Many things will affect the outcome of this combat, such as ammunition type equipped, creature health, defence, and number of attacks, and player health and items. Combat is resolved through dice rolls, and if the player survives they may receive a loot reward. These rewards can be sold for gold, crafted into better items that will be worth more in the future, or eaten to stave off death. While players have control during the day, once the sun sets and night settles across the land, the creatures in play will follow them back to camp, setting upon the doomed adventurers. No loot can be won during the chaos of night, leaving survival the only reward to a successful defence. At the same time, all players are competing to become the richest hero, so back-stabbing, betrayal, theft, and murder will be in abundance. The most important thing to remember is that death is inevitable, so take joy in your friend's suffering, and race to meet them on the other side!