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?
Sanctum is a competitive strategy game inspired by hack-and-slash RPG video games.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Deck / Bag Building
Add new pieces during play to improve the cards, tokens, or dice drawn later.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Stat Check Resolution
Compare a statistic with a target or random result to determine success.
Variable Player Powers
Each player has different abilities, restrictions, or strategic advantages.
Read the full game description
Sanctum is a competitive strategy game inspired by hack-and-slash RPG video games. Each player controls one of four unique characters as they journey into the heart of the fallen city of Sanctum, building up their skills and arsenals along the way to prepare for the final fight against the Demon Lord. Multiple players may survive the fight, but only one may claim the glory of purifying Sanctum. Gameplay is brisk, with the possibility for overlapping turns. The four characters all have unique skill sets, and you’ll level up fast, giving you frequent opportunities to choose new skills. Every decision counts. Though the game is competitive, the goal is to destroy the Demon Lord, not each other. So player interaction is a race rather than a fight: Who’s furthest along the board? Who will get to choose first when an equipment draft gets triggered? Who will gain the benefit of reaching the Demon Lord first? Who will get to that group of blue demons everyone wants? Who will unlock that achievement and claim the bonus? On your turn, you choose one action: 1) Move: Advance along the path toward the Demon Lord, and engage some demon minions to fight later. 2) Fight: Fight all the demon minions you’ve engaged. If you kill any demons, upgrade Skills and acquire Items. 3) Rest: Equip some of the loot you’ve won, recharge the resources you use to fight, and buy potions with extra Items you don't need. The final battle with the Demon Lord is tough. Even surviving can feel rewarding. But only the player with the most health at the end of the boss fight can truly claim the glory of his defeat!